Dave
New MVPA member
Chuck Chriss wrote:
>
> This is very serious. Jim's account of the MVPA nominations process is entirely
> inappropriate for an organization which is supposed to be for the benefit of its
> membership. Since there are many MVPA members on mil-veh, this deserves a detailed
> response right here on the mil-veh list.
>
> 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
>
> chuck@olive-drab.com
>
> -----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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> >
>
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