On February 24, in our last report we were happy to report the election of the new Member oriented Board members: Jim DeWeerd, Dave Ginley, Harold Heacock, Bela Musits and Clark Noble. Five Patroller Committee members met the new Board members at the BOD meeting in Lakewood on March 25 and reported favorable comments (read PC Meeting Notes). If interested, their biographies can be found in the 2006 Winter edition of the Ski Patrol magazine and on the NSP website.
With the successful Board Member election and ratification of Member Rights Bylaws, one might logically think it was time for Members to relax their vigilance. Read our best effort to factually present events of the last two months and you decide what is needed.
February 23: Dick Everett, without a vote of the Board initiated a new legal motion against the Member plaintiffs, costing Members more money. (see March 22)
February 27: The former BOD had a last minute BOD meeting and attempted to press forward with their own agenda items prior to the seating of new Board members (see NSP Meeting Minutes)
February 28: Ron Plumer and Larry Acord write resignation letters with a common message to Members that the Member effort is wrong for NSP and not admitting culpability for anything.
March 1: The newly elected Board Members are officially members of the NSP Board.
March 15: Eastern Division sends an Resolution to Dick Everett signed by every Region Director, asking him to resign in the best interest of NSP. This compliments the February 16 Rocky Mountain Division Resolution requesting the same. Neither Resolution has been addressed we understand.
March 16: Dick Everett filed a legal complaint against Ed Gassman using NSP resources without Board approval.
March 22: Colorado Court rules the February 23 NSP Motion is premature and without merit.
March 25: Dick Everett calls an Orientation Meeting for the new Board Members in Lakewood, but defines it as “not a board meeting.” As a result, no meeting minutes were taken and no actions or motions could be considered. Despite enthusiastic proposals by the new Board members to get together and address issues, Everett maintained the next BOD meeting will be the annual BOD meeting on June 23-25. (For details, read PC BOD Meeting Notes)
April 2: Central Division Board sent a Resolution to the Board requesting they make “every effort to assure the election process (Nomination Committee Processes) is as transparent as possible.” To date this resolution has not been addressed.
April 3: Dick Everett appoints the BOD members (Bob McLaughlin and Jim DeWeerd) and chair (Chris Ross) to the Nomination Committee in conflict with Member Rights Bylaws to be ratified on April 16. The two Division Director appointments to the Nomination Committee, Chris Ross and Fay Johnson, were elected by the Division Directors in accordance to the new Member Rights Bylaws in January.
April 11: The Winter 2006 Ski Patrol Magazine is published. The issue contained obtusely negative and biased articles by Dick Everett and anonymous others. (see Member’s responses on NSP member forum)
April 14: Past OEC National Chair, Larry Bost posts an insightful view into the inner workings of NSP leadership and Dick Everett on the NSP member forum titled “Editorial Comment to Mr. Everett.” Larry Bost ultimately concludes “It’s time for a change in leadership!” Please read this posting and the other member comments on the NSP member forum.
April 16: Court mandated that NSP by April 16had to ratify the Member Rights Bylaws which passed the Member Vote in October, 2005. Dick Everett called this ratification meeting for April 16 and declared it to be a “Special Meeting” which did not allow Board members to introduce any motions. The Board ratified the Member Rights Bylaws. The meeting agenda also called for ratification of the Nomination Committee appointments. Appeals by new Board Members to follow the spirit of the new Bylaws was met by NSP council Bill Walters supporting the legality of Everett’s actions, resulting in ratification. (Remember Bill Walters is the same lawyer who testified for NSP in September saying “Members had no legal rights”.) The Board minutes do not reflect this discussion. (see NSP Meeting Minutes)
April 27: The Members Group representing the Plaintiffs in Jefferson County Court dismissed the outstanding legal suit with NSP. (Hopefully this really is the end of the litigation.)
April 28 & May 1: Julie Rust and Larry Acord announce their resignations from the NSP board effective immediately. Both resignation letters contain similar negative and biased rhetoric that Dick Everett published in the Ski Patrol Magazine (April 11). A common theme seems to be surfacing in all these communications: “NSP cannot prosper” now. Promoting this public projection of NSP is irresponsible and lends credence that they don’t really care if they ruin NSP.
Despite the ratification of the new Bylaws and the seating of the new Board members it appears Dick Everett has not shown any signs of embracing the spirit of Members Rights movement of the last year. Specifically Dick Everett has:
The Central Divisions April 2 Resolution to the Board asking for a “transparent” nomination process is a fundamental plea that should be expanded. We believe that NSP meetings, actions, financial status, and goals should be “open and transparent” which is congruent with Colorado Law we understand.
The Patroller Committee would like to thank Members for their supportive emails and comments for our efforts to keep you informed and advocate for you.
Working for NSP Membership . . . . . The PC Team
* Messages can be easily sent to the Board by utilizing the “Send a Message to National” capability on Patrollercommittee.org.