By copy of this email, I am asking MVPA to provide a public response via this email list.
I think it will injure the reputation of MVPA to fail to respond or to delay a response.
Chuck Chriss
MVPA #547C
-----Original Message-----
From: jim gilmore <jgilmore@oeonline.com>
To: mil-veh@skylee.com <mil-veh@skylee.com>
Date: Saturday, July 10, 1999 4:34 PM
Subject: [MV] A fixed MVPA Election?
>Dear List (and MVPA) members;
>
> I have read the kind words spoken about me and I am humbled by them. I
>feel that it is time to put out the story of the latest attempt by the MVPA
>Board to influence the election by manipulating the nomination procedures.
>Here is the story so far...........
>
> I ran for the board of Directors in the last election and after the
>election
>was over I found that there were some "irregularities" shall we say, in the
>MVPA election process. I won't go into them here as most of you who have read
>the ad I ran in Military Vehicles last time already know what transpired. I
>was
>forced to "go to the membership" with my findings when the board did not
>appear
>to want to remedy the questionable past election process. This action on my
>part was a major reason the MVPA board revised the election rules so that no
>one person or group could unduly influence the outcome of the election (a
>fair,
>honest election was the goal) as in the past. At least that's what I
>thought
>at the time.
> This year I again sent my nomination in to the MVPA National Office. I
>was later called by the Nominating Committee chairman (and MVPA VP) Kenton
>Tucker to do a "phone interview to check my qualifications to run for the
>board". After a lengthy conversation with many questions, Mr Tucker stated he
>was satisfied that I had met all the six qualifications as outlined in the
>Bylaws. My qualifications are listed at the end of this letter. This was the
>last I heard from the committee until a friend called me right after the
>Convention to tell me that, at the Board meeting, the Committee had
>rejected my
>nomination "for cause".
> The next day I picked up a registered letter from the MVPA Vice President
>which stated the following:
>
>" After extensive review and discussion of your credentials, I regret to
>inform
>you that the committee did not recommend to the board of directors that you be
>placed on the slate of nominees. I can assure you that your resume and
>interview received a thorough professional review."
> No reason or "cause" was given! Why could I run in the last election
>and
>not this one?
>
> I immediately tried to contact the Vice president by phone. After
>several days, he did contact me and I asked him to explain the action of the
>committee and as to exactly what the reason or "cause" was. He stated that
>there was NO SPECIFIC REASON, just that the Committee had voted to reject my
>nomination. When pressed by me for an answer he mentioned that while I was
>qualified "the ad had something to do with the other committee members
>negative
>votes".
> Now, thoroughly confused, I contacted two other Board Members who I
>consider (and still do) good friends and asked them what they knew about this
>matter. They both had asked the Committee at the board meeting for a reason
>why
>I was to be excluded from the election. NO REASON WAS GIVEN TO THEM! One in
>fact then voted not to approve the "slate of Candidates" if I was not on it
>and
>the other said "We should let the voters decide". One of the two stated to me
>that the Nominating Committee had met with the MVPA's lawyers and in his
>opinion the other board members "were teaching me a lesson because I rocked
>the
>boat!".
>
> It then became obvious to me what was going on. The Nominating Committee
>must be appointed by the MVPA President, the board then approves them with
>the
>Vice President as the chairman as per the Bylaws. Let's look at who this
>committee's members are; Jerry Cleveland, Reg Hodgson, Lou Moore and Kenton
>Tucker. The first three are Board members that are appointed, NOT elected to
>the board. THEY CANNOT BE VOTED OUT OF OFFICE! This leaves them free to do as
>they please and not worry about repercussions from the members. If they don't
>recommend a person, he can't run (or so they think). It makes a nice neat
>way
>to keep ANYONE they dislike out of the election and the rest of the board can
>sit back and say "it was the Nominating committee that wouldn't let him run,
>not us".
> What can the members do about it if it angers them?
>
> NOTHING !!! YOU CAN'T VOTE THEM OUT OF OFFICE !
>
> Sweet deal
>right? It now seems you will have to be a friend of the Committee (and the
>Board)
>to be allowed to run for office. They now have another way to influence the
>elections by controlling what members are "recommended" (allowed) to run for
>the Board. However, there is nothing in the MVPA Bylaws that says a candidate
>MUST be "recommended" to be able to run or be put on the ballot, just that he
>must pass the six qualifications.
>
> On July 5th I faxed the MVPA Nominating Committee the following
>question;
>
> "I ask the Committee to show just cause for their failure to present my
>nomination to the Board of Directors."
>
> A simple question right? They should have the reason right now since
>they
>rejected my nomination "for cause" before June 3,1999 ! Well, as of today,
>July 11th, I have not received an answer to this simple question.
>
> On July 5th I also faxed the Board of Directors (via MVPA HQ) the
>following question;
>
> "As a nominee who possesses all the qualifications set forth in Sec.
>4.3 of the MVPA Bylaws I ask the Board of Directors to show just cause why my
>name is to be excluded from the slate of suitable candidates."
>
> Another simple question. So far I have not received a response. I see
>by a
>posting on this list from Katie Ferencz that the MVPA president has stated to
>her (by phone) that a letter will be drafted and sent to me with the reason
>within a week. Why wait a week when they should have already had the reason
>when I was "rejected with cause" back in the beginning of June? The MVPA has
>my phone and fax numbers and my e-mail address so it would be a simple
>thing to
>just contact me directly.
>
> This is the story so far. I am not looking to harm the club, create
>discontent or to start legal action unless I am forced to.
>
> I just wanted my chance to run in a fair and honest election.
>
>The membership should know if there is an attempt to take away their right to
>choose who will be elected to MVPA office. The Board of Directors should not
>use the MVPA election as their personal tool to punish members who disagree
>with them.
>
> Thanks for taking to time to read this,
>
> Jim Gilmore
>
>Qualifications for requirements for Board or Directors
> James Gilmore MVPA #5843
>
>(I) I have been a MVPA member for 15 years
>(II) I have attended three out of the last four conventions and regularly
>attend most of the rallies in the East and Midwest. I have
>also attended the 45th, 50th, and 55th MVPA Normandy Tours.
>(III) I am a founder of the 1st Michigan, Arsenal of Democracy Chapter MVPA
>and have served as Newsletter Editor, Vice President, and President of this
>chapter. I am one of the top recruiters of new MVPA members in the world.
>I am
>also acknowledged by the Ford Motor Company as the leading historian on Ford
>built military vehicles. I am an accredited researcher in both the National
>Archives and the Henry Ford Museum. Since 1980, I have been collecting,
>restoring and using military vehicles and currently own over 15 military
>vehicles.
>(IV) I am employed as a pressman in the Newsprint Department of the Detroit
>Newspapers and have been so for the past 28 years. I also hold a Federal
>Firearms license with an endorsement for the manufacture of automatic weapons.
>(V) I have never been convicted of a felony or other serious crime.
>(VI) I have never been removed from the MVPA Board of Directors.
>
>
> Jim
>----------------------------------------------------------
>"Considered too dangerous to be allowed to run for the MVPA board"
>----------------------------------------------------------
>Jim Gilmore MVPA # 5843
>2565 Wiethoff Inkster, Mi. 48141
>313-561-8826 Phone
>313-730-1652 Fax
>jgilmore@oeonline.com
>
>ÿ
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