Ron, What you say is *so* true. *No one* should have so much power within an organization that they cannot be held accountable. You cannot just hope that leaders will be honest and honorable. We need guidelines that require elections, terms of office and term limits, with no one "grandfathered" into a lifetime job. As members, we all must take a share of the blame for failing to hold our leaders accountable and for failing to apply to this project rules that we know from experience work. Thanks for your wise words. Vivian Price Saffold Meriwether County At 10:29 PM 4/29/2003 -0400, you wrote: >I have read quietly and only decided to speak up because of the >election that is slated for the SE/MA Rep. > >Someone said that those that don't vote have no right to complain >and that is a very true statement. Voting is a very important part of >our freedom. Not just in our home life, but in the life of this Project. > >I may as well tell you all now, the underlying problem and one of >the reasons that led me to throw in the towel on the Advisory Board >is the majority members interpretations of their roles and their complete >resignation to having any power to acomplish anything for the good of >the Project. Except in the few cases where it is beneficial for the NC >and his/her political posutring, then there seems to be no holds barred. > >NOTHING is done for the rights of the CC's, when there is an SC >in the picture. The vote will always be on the side of the SC, regardless >of right and wrong and there is no investigation into the matters. There >have been plenty where the CC was dismissed as a crack-pot and told >not to bother the members. I couldn't sit around and watch that junk >happen, it doesn't matter who the person is. If they have a problem, all >CC's deserve to be heard and their problem investigated to get ALL of >the facts and the matter dealt with appropriately. > >Jimmy has made some astounding accusations. My question is why? >He has been in a position of authority and having worked with him on the >Board, he has always seemed rational, honest and trustworthy. He has >been a friend and a big help to many right here in GA. A state that he has >worked tirelessly for and loves. I can't imagine that he would say >something >just to try and cause a problem where none exists. > >Obviously there has to be something amiss if we just went through a >recall election, where the petitioners withdrew the petition at the last >minute. >Why would they do that? There are many things that do not add up and >many questions that are not going to get answered any time too soon. I know >that Jimmy would not have said anyting if he didn't think he could prove it. >But then again, the proof is only relavent, IF those that are receiving the >information choose to accept it. If there is something wrong, why would >anyone >want things to continue as they have? If wrong has been done, why would >any CC in this state not want to see those that were involved, removed? > >Or is it a case of WHO is doing it, not that it is right or wrong? >Is it because many would never accept the idea that someone in such >a leadership position would do anything wrong, or that even if they did >you just don't want to know about it? Sort of like the way, many people >don't want to be involved with voting on important issues. It is very >much like the average citizen who does not ever want to be involved with >any civil disturbance and won't admit to being a witness because they >don't want to get involved. Is it fear? Is it apathy? I have never been >able to understand it. We dealt with it every day on the Board. I >decided my time was more valuable than wasting it everyday on arguments >that were never going to be righted anyway. > >There will never be clarification on any of these issues and none of us >will truly see the participation and growth within our State or our Project >until people start speaking up and demanding that leadership be held >accountable for their actions, and inactions. But denying there is a >problem, when even a blind person could see it, does nothing for the >good of the state or the Project, but it perpetuates the wrong and you >then become an enabler. Who then will you fault, when the truth is borne >out over time and by then it is so bad that we have people walking away >faster than they can be replaced. > >I've been around a long time and I always said I wouldn't quit, but >my head is starting to hurt and the brick wall seems to be getting larger >not smaller. > >Ron > > >==== GAGEN Mailing List ==== >Genealogy research usually begins with our great-grandparents to preserve > the privacy of 'living persons'. If you encounter a person searching >their birth parents, the need to go to the area on the web that deals >with just this type of research. Please refer them to: >http://www.adoption.org 3570 Hildon Circle Chamblee, GA 30341