To all concerned, I am proceeding with a referendum to elicit a 2/3 majority to expel Diane Mason Kelly from membership of the NCGenWeb Project. Linda Haas Davenport of the EC is being contacted to help coordinate this action. I am preferring charges against Diane Mason Kelly in the following directive which is being sent to the entire NCGenWeb Project membership. In addition, I am using the mandatory list as is my communications prerogative when any situation threatens the health and well-being of our NCGenWeb Project. We have finally experienced the willful acti of a single individual to usurp our organization and immediate action must be taken. As State Coordinator, I am exercising my authority to act for the benefit and well-being of the NCGenWeb Project, as follows: I was elected State Coordinator in July, 2002 amidst an infectious climate that had plagued my two predecessors. The same old complaints from the same complainants continued to rain down during my tenure. We wasted a lot of valuable time trying to fend off many absurd complaints and grievances. There seemed to be an ongoing campaign against whoever might hold leadership of this Project. None of the complaints contained anything of a constructive nature. We tried in vain to ignore these inane whinings from a distinct minority to no avail. Fortunately, several of these "ankle-snappers" resigned from the Project. Unfortunately, a voice of dissension was left behind. This discordant voice tried to ensure that a fresh grievance was always on the back burner. Finally, six years later, we have reached the point where crossing the line of ethical behavior has been greatly exceeded. As you are probably aware, Diane Mason Kelly, President of Webroots.org, ncroots.com and partner of Daryl Lytton (recently expelled from the NCGenWeb Project for fraud and deceit--see http://webpages.charter.net/derickh/Oddsites.htm) has been vocal in most lists that she still has access to. In fact, she is currently the list administrator of NCBATH-L, a long established RootsWeb genealogical list devoted to historical and genealogical research. A recent series of posts to that list went well beyond the bounds of civility and included both ridiculous and unproven accusations against a renown researcher, transcriber and innocent victim, in a senseless and libelous tirade. Not only that but this bellicose outburst went beyond the bounds of the rules laid down by the list itself!! As if to thumb her nose at the membership of the NCGenWeb Project, Diane Mason Kelly deliberately and willfully unsubscribed the current Bath County Coordinator to her county list for no logical or legal reason! An earlier communication made it clear that none of the pages that have been abandoned, taken back or otherwise orphaned would be used by the new page-owner except with permission from the original contributors. Fortunately for the NCGenWeb Project, there was very little of any consequential value on these prior pages, except for easy-to-duplicate links. Not much in the way of original transcriptions was left behind so these pages became quite irrelevant. Any charges of copyright infringement are preposterous to the extreme. My first inclination would be to immediately expel Diane Kelly Mason from the NCGenWeb Project for charges of slander, libel, behavior and speech detrimental to the Project and exceeding her authority as a list owner of a closely associated Project resource. Since my personal desires would obviously be open to charges of bias, discrimination and further grievances, I am perfectly willing to abide by the desires of the membership of the NCGenWeb Project. Should two-thirds of this membership vote to expel Diane Mason Kelly from the NCGenWeb Project, for behavior and conduct not in keeping with this organization's fundamental aspirations, I will certainly accept their decision. Voting instructions will be presented on this list as soon as the Election Committee notifies me of their procedures. The question on the ballot will be: 1. Expel Diane Mason Kelly 2. Retain Diane Mason Kelly Derick S. Hartshorn NCGenWeb State Coordinator nc@usgenweb.org For verification of charges, please read the following: http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/read/NCBATH/2002-12/1040335811 http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/read/NCBATH/2002-12/1041156422