From Bill Pierson........

The following is from Bill Pierson. He asked that I post this on my blog.

Bill, will you PLEASE run for the Board?? Please?? (that's me begging; below is his blurb):

RE: The Newsletter Contest

Well, it sure has been an interesting week. I can't recall reading so much angst over such an insignificant issue. Yes, insignificant. There are 71 active pods in CASI, yet only two or three of them chose to participate in this contest the past couple of years. All 71 pods should have a newsletter, and I'm sure most of them do, yet only two or three participated in the newsletter contest. That clearly shows they just aren't interested. I don't know how else you could interpret that level of participation.

I got the feeling, from some writers, that CASI, by not having the contest, was telling the pods they could not longer have a pod newsletter. Nothing could be farther from the truth. The Board (at least when I was on it) encourages the pods to promote themselves, their cookoffs, and CASI through their newsletters. Whether it be electronic or hard-copy, this is how you communicate with your membership. It's why the Terlingua Trails exists. Please continue.

I got the impression from some of the writings that the Board was taking away an award without consulting the GP's. This award was not created by the GP's. Actually, it was not even created by the CASI Board. It was created by a past Director. "Technically," it had no official standing.

I read that the Board should not take away the contest at such a late date. Has your pod submitted their newsletters yet? I thought not.

I also read where the Directors where making decisions on CASI business without involving the membership. Excuse me! That is what we elected them to do. The CASI Bylaws state, "The Board of Directors is responsible for providing direction for the affairs of the organization." (Article 5.01) That's what they do. Sometimes. More or less. But that is a different subject.



bp

Bill Pierson