Holy !@#$! - read please

[Genesis]

If you're a CDS member, you have to look here

http://www.scubaforum.org/cgi-scuba/akcs-www?post=400

I know, I know, its on my board. But this is a big deal guys and gals. There have been two withdrawals of membership director candidates - if you have already voted your ballot you may have voted for candidates who are no longer willing to serve.

I have much more to say on this, but due to the rules here can't - so I won't. Folks, we need an OPEN discussion on these matters. PLEASE - let's have it where it can be held!

Implosions are NOT fun, and IMHO this is one we cannot afford, given the fact that several sites we like to dive in are managed/owned by the section!

[Gary]

Well if I had actually received a ballot it looks like most of my candidates just left (for understandable reasons).

Wow!

http://www.caves.org/soapbox/showthread.php?t=1208

[Cindy]

Hey Gary, I already voted. I think this all is going to be a good thing for the CDS. The public airing of CDS laundry was pretty unproffessional. It has to stop if that organization is going to get anything constructive done in the future. There are ways to say to the Public and the NSS there are problems in the CDS other than the public posting of complaints. It reminds me of high school. The remaining people on the board and the four individuals running who will now automaticly be elected by default are all good hard working people. All the bs we have seen posted lately was done by the individuals who are leaving. This to me was the first sign of caring for the organization I have seen out of those guys since this all started with the public internet discussion of this election. I am sick of it, most of the divers I have spoken to thought it was silly and detrimental to the section. It's time they moved on and allowed the people who are left to get on with running things. I hope we can all just stop the nonsence now and support the people who are showing that really do care about the organization by staying and working for all of the members. I plan on going to the workshop and helping out if I can. Maybe all the bickering can stop and some work can get done. If not in a year you can vote out some of the current BOD. It's about time you ran isn't it Gary?

[Me]

Personally, I don't think an entirely new board is a bad idea given the recent & past events. I have no confidence in the remaining members and would like to see completely new blood.

[Cindy]

Unless your volunteering it doesn't seem constructive to me to continue to put down the people who are left. Unless of course the goal is the total destruction of the CDS. At least the people who are left and their supporters are going to hang in there and try to make things work. Have you voiced your personal concerns to anyone on the board? Do you even know what they are? It's pretty easy to say "just replace the board in view of the recent events". Just what were those events? All I have seen was a lot of internet chatter created by a few individuals. I have yet to see any 'real' actions that any of the BOD have taken to harm the CDS or cave diving. Just a lot of non-specific gossip brought up by people who didn't want to stay and do the job anyway.

[Me]

Seems like you've violated your sig line.

But, yes over the last 4 or 5 years I have communicated to the board more than once my thoughts on various issues or problems. Only a select few have bothered to acknowledge my mail and address my questions, so no, I'm not clueless, thank you.

[Cindy]

lol,I'm not pissed, I'm just sick of what people have been posting that has no basis in reality. So what have the board members done that make you want them all out of office no exceptions? Is Cow open and divable, is Cathedral? Alachua is still divable for the price of a phone call. The workshop is still going to happen. Do you know of any illegal activity they should be arrested for? Bearing in mind Mike and Ken were both on the board until today. I repeat my question to you, are you volunteering to work on the board? Who are all these volunteers you want to replace this board with? They don't get paid, they work a lot of hours and from what you are saying put up with a lot of complaints. There is the election next year. I'll vote for you if you have a good platform. Actions still speak louder than words in my reality. Cindy

[Genesis]

I'd be happy to volunteer, to the extent that I can from where I live.

I have broadband internet access (a commercial link that can be used to host things), a real commercial-quality DBMS on the servers with REAL backup technology, etc etc etc.

Recordkeeping and administrative stuff? Easy. Getting people to actually do what's supposed to be done ON TIME (like publishing the minutes of meetings, etc)? That's the hard part.

I could not reasonably run for the board, since I simply can't get to the board meetings reliably. Raising an 8 year old as a single parent prevents that, unless we were to move to the Gainesville area.

I'm not into taking cheap shots. But an election that isn't, taken after the ballots have been printed and where there is no option available LEGALLY under the bylaws to start anew, is a problem. It means that either (1) what we get as a BOD can DO all those things, or (2) the organization is history.

Again, I think the issues need a PUBLIC airing out, and PUBLIC commitment. No phone calls, no one-on-one conversations.

IN PUBLIC - so there's accountability to all.

If a promise is made, I want some way of seeing to it that it is KEPT.

[Gary]

It's about time you ran isn't it Gary?

Funny my instructor thought I should run 10 years ago (soon after completing Full Cave). I didn't think it was feasible as I wasn't even a cave instructor.

I'm sill not an instructor but it might be feasible. If the current default board were to offer up new elections I'd put my name on the ballot.

I'm not much for board room politics though - maybe we could get me elected "CDS Dictator" for the year. Maybe we can have enough votes left unsent for a write-in victory.

[Me]

Sure, I'd volunteer if I had the needed qualifications, but I don't. The only qualifications I have is I'm a cavediver, respect ethics and I'm honest. Other qualifications are needed in my opinion. When the AM position was open prior to Mrs. Cline taking the position I thought about it, but it was stressed in the ad that the appropriate candidate needed to reside in Florida. I don't. Granted it's not a board position, but it's a job I could do and do well for the CDS given my education.

Cindy...why don't you run? I'd read your platform, make my decision and might actually vote for you if you had the qualifications I think are necessary.