Red Scholefield

My Feedback: (9)

Seven questions were posed on the district e-mail list to the candidates running for AMA VP District V.

Candidate Tony Stillman has responded.

Thanks for the opportunity to let you know how I will do things if elected...

1. Will active modelers be appointed as AVPs?

Yes. I am already taking applications for these positions. If you think you might like to serve the district membership as an AVP, please contact me with a resume of you modeling experience and availability to work with clubs within a 200 mile radius of your home.

2. Will these AVPs be used according to the Standing Rules? (See AMA Membership Manual http://www.modelaircraft.org/templat...memanual04.pdf)

Yes. AVP's are extremely important. They are the local arm of AMA and are a key element to getting information on a local level to me so that I can take it to a national level. Communication is one of the main areas that has to be initiated from the ground up... This is a priority for me.


3. Will a periodic accounting be made to the membership on the expenditure of funds allocated to the District?

Absolutely! This is NOT MY MONEY! It is YOUR money... I will give a yearly account of how it was spent.

4. Will a qualified Frequency Coordinator be appointed?

Yes. This is a very important part of the VP's duties. Providing equipment to local clubs is critical. Someone that has experience in RF will be able to help clubs troubleshoot problems and answer questions.


5. Will contest coordinators be appointed in line with other Districts?

Yes. I don't believe we need two coordinators! I don't know why this was done, but we will go back to one coordinator, if I am elected.

6. Will a District web page be established to serve the needs of the District?

Yes. I have already contacted a couple of people about setting this up and running it for me. This will include e-mail and discussion tools to allow the membership easy access to me, as well as to the AVP's. It will also include AMA information from EC meetings and any other information. As I said, communication is a huge issue that must be resolved!

7. Will a District V e-mail list be supported as a communication tool within the District?

Yes, as well as the possibility of new e-mail lists created as needed.

If anyone has any questions, I would be happy to hear from you and answer them as best as I can. You can e-mail me directly at [email protected]

Thanks!

Tony Stillman

Sport_Pilot

Who is runnign against Tony now?

Red Scholefield

My Feedback: (9)

Two of McNeill's AVPs, Manny Sousa and Judi Dunlap.

Dunlap was made a Leader Member coincident with her appointment as R/C Contest Coordinator for Florida. McNeill waived the 3 year prior AMA membership requirement for her and subsequently named her an AVP and ultimately his sucessor, should he not be able to finish a term. She was appointed interim VP (sans membership vote) at the July 2nd EC meeting.

Red S.

jonlowe

My Feedback: (12)

Does anyone understand how the EC appointed Judi (not that I have anything against her) when more than three months remain prior to the election? This would appear to be in violation of the bylaws as printed in the latest Model Aviation. Looked like to me the EC needs to nominate two individuals, one of which is a current AVP, and put it to the district membership. Am I missing something?

Jon Lowe

tailskid

My Feedback: (34)

Go Tony GO!!!! I only wish I could send in a vote for him!

Jerry

Red Scholefield

My Feedback: (9)

What your are missing is the little tid bit Joyce Hagar dug up for me that allows a VP to waive the rules.
From: "Joyce Hager" <[email protected]>
To: "Red Scholefield" <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, June 07, 2004 12:09 PM
Subject: RE: Dunlap membership dates.

> She
> was made a leader member and apparently Jim waived the three year (AMA membership
> quirement) requirement. I also have to find the document that gives the VP to overwrite
> certain requirements. It is an old document and not sure where to go for
> it.

Red S.

J_R

The by-laws are antiquated and are not as clear as they might be.

The standing rules require each VP to recommend a replacement in the event of incapacity or death. Jim McNeil named Judi Dunlop as his first choice. (There was an additional name on the list.)

The by-laws state that when an EC meeting is scheduled during the nominating and voting period (which it was), that the EC shall make an interim appointment. This was done, using Jim McNeil's recommendation.

Article X
Section 2. In the event of a vacancy during a regular term by death, incapacity, inactivity, resignation, impeachment, removal from office or transfer out-of-district of any AMA official, the following procedure shall be used to replace him to fill out the remainder of his term:

(1) The Executive Council may replace a Vice President as follows:
When a vacancy occurs during the regular term of an elected Vice President, two nominees for his replacement are to be selected by the outgoing Vice President (or by the Executive Council in the event of the demise, incapacity, or inaction of the Vice President), one of whom shall be currently an active Associate Vice President in that district. Any nominee must be qualified for the office of District Vice President as provided in Article IX. An election shall be conducted by AMA Headquarters by mailing ballots to all Open members of the District. A plurality vote shall elect. A period from date of mailing to close of receipt of balloting will be established by the Executive Council. When a vacancy occurs within three months of the end of the current term of office, or when a Council meeting is called or scheduled during the nominating and voting period, the outgoing Vice President (or the Executive Council in the event of his demise, incapacity, or inaction) shall make an interim appointment from among the active Associate Vice Presidents in the district.


STANDING RULES TO THE BYLAWS OF THE ACADEMY OF MODELAERONAUTICS STANDING COMMITTEE

Relating to Article X, Section 2
At the first meeting of each year, each Vice President will recommend a qualified replacement in case of the Vice President’s incapacity or death.

J_R

If a special election had been held, the names on the ballot would have been those provided by Jim McNeil, as provided for in the by-laws. Time wise, the special election could have run concurrent with the general election. It would have taken some amount of time to produce ballots and mail them.

Realistically, and not because of any rules, what would have been the point of spending $15,000 (the estimated amount for a special election) to elect an interim VP who would never serve, since D5 is having a normally scheduled election this year? The race would have been between Judi Dunlop and the other name on Jim McNeil’s the list, as provided for in the by-laws. The other gentleman seems to have no true interest in the position, since his name was not submitted in a nomination for the normal election.

The whole thing looks like another case for re-writing the by-laws.

Sport_Pilot

Thought there was almost eight months left. What was the rush? Someone want incumbancy during the next election?

J_R

1. Judi Dunlop was not considered as an incumbent by the Nominating Committee.

2. If District V is to have a vote on the EC, it is necessary to have a VP. That is in the by-laws, i.e. only EC members may vote. To do anything else would have left D5 without representation on the EC.

abel_pranger

JR-
So what else is new? Dist V has effectively had no representation for many, many years. Likewise they have had no vote, except for those few that wanted nothing more than to rubber stamp what ever was on DB's personal agenda. I truly hope that AMA members in D-5 are disgusted enough with what has been denied them for the the last quarter of century or so to mount a united campaign and get out the vote for somebody that can and will represent them. I think that is only possible by getting everyone who cares behind Tony Stilman. Nothing against Manny Sousa; don't know much of him except for his statement/credentials that appeared in this forum and I rate as quite impressive. I have a gut feeling that many will not vote for him simply because he was picked by McNeil, as was Dunlop. That could very well result in a split of the kind that has happened all too frequently in AMA elections, with neither of two qualified contenders able to overcome the 'robot vote' tally that goes to whoever is currently in the office, no matter how badly he has performed. Do you really think it is going to make any difference if the word 'incumbent' does not appear next to Dunlop's name? I don't.

Abel

J_R

Abel

I did not attempt any value judgement on the candidates.

I do think the Nominating Committee and the EC did just exactly what they were supposed to do under the by-laws and standing rules. I think they did it right. Now it is up to the candidates and the members of D5, which is the way it is supposed to be.

abel_pranger

JR-
The EC did not do what they are supposed to do. A relevant part of the by-laws you did not highlight in bold print says "When a vacancy occurs within three months of the end of the current term of office,......." The vacancy occured far in excess of the 3 months specified in the by-laws, and D5 members were denied the special election that was clearly due them under those by-laws. Standing rules and occult rites according to some 'old rule that nobody can find' that allegedly gives a DVP the power to waive basic credentials for AVP office be damned - the AMA members in D5 have had their right to chose their representative by democratic process soundly trampled, and there is no way the upcoming regular election for DVP is not going to be biased by that impropriety, in favor of the appointed incumbent that has been designated as non-incumbent(???).
They can declare the law of gravity void, but the crap still flows downhill.

Abel

littlecrankshaf

My Feedback: (58)

death is a final end to a term imo

abel_pranger

This case is a prime example in contradiction of that opinion. JM is still calling the shots in D-5 while he's pushing up the daisies.

Abel

BillHarris

I couldn't agree more with Abel. D-5 is still on _it's_ deathbed.

"I also have to find the document that gives the VP to overwrite certain requirements. It is an old document and not sure where to go for it."

Joyce Hager's explanation for the circumventing of the rules and bylaws would be funny if it wasn't so critical. DB's bluster is more bizarre. Heads need to roll on this fiasco.

J_R

Bill

Follow the link http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.a...348&tostyle=tm


In part, it reads:

J_R

While I do not agree with the way things were done, the root cause is based 14 years in the past. It's going to be difficult to blame anyone now living for the way the rules were manipulated.

You have two choices. Sit on your butt and complain, or do something about it. Get out and work at getting the vote out. All the complaining about elections has made virtually no difference in the number of ballots cast over the last several years. If things are going to change, people are going to have to work for their candidates, not just give them lip service.

The rules of the game have been followed. If you don't like the rules, or the players, get out and do something about it. Elect someone that will change the rules and serve you as you desire. What are you doing, even here, to promote your candidate? The negative stuff does not work. How do I know? I am the expert.

No one ever heard of Judi Dunlop in this forum before the P&Ming here. Your doing a great job of building name recognition. Think about that. How many ballots did Tony come up short last time? How many people that never heard of Judi will now know her name and may vote for her?

BillHarris

"the root cause is based 14 years in the past. It's going to be difficult to blame anyone now living for the way the rules were manipulated..."

No. The "policy" was instituted 14 years ago, but the misapplication of the policy was done recently. I'm still wondering about the the "extraordinary situations and/or conditions" that prompted offense. The rules were not played and heads should roll.

I din't think that this is "P&Ming" and I doubt that it was done much for positive name recognition. If someone votes for that candidate on the basis of posts here, they are clue-challenged and in bad shape.

Far from being negative, I'm still looking for something positive from our Fearless Leader from the last regime and for something positive from his candidate see-lect.

J_R

Whose head do you want to roll? The motion gives the VP of the district the right to waive the requirement. There is no mention of review or oversight. It's probably a tad late to questioin what was extraordinary.

Red Scholefield

My Feedback: (9)

The "extraordinary situations and/or conditions" were questioned at the time. Directly to the AMA Executive Director AND the President. AMA Director has no say so in these matters and President stonewalled the issue saying something to the effect that they could not "micro manage" all the District VPs in such decisions. In other words your VP can do pretty much as he pleases regardless of By-Laws or Standing Rules. This makes it even more important that we send people to Muncie as our representatives that will not play fast and lose with the rules for political reasons (ie: to retain their seat on the EC in the face of a viable threat).

Red S. AM 951
Leader Member
Dist V

Sport_Pilot

Red,
Did DB do this to retain his seat? Or because he dosn't want to work with Tony Stillman, or just felt we shouldn't spend money on ballots?

Red Scholefield

My Feedback: (9)

I was referring to Jim McNeil, Not DB. You have to ask yourself, of the 18 AVPs McNeill had was Judi Dunlap (modeler's wife) the best possible replacement he could have named. Or was she the least likely to ever challenge him in an election. Or was it because her husband is a member of one of the largest clubs in District V with over 200 potential votes to be schmoozed.

Indications are that DB would like to see TS on the EC (but never bad enough to come down on McNeil for all his political game playing in the District). Or would he like to see someone like Dunlap however - someone he could pretty well own? Maybe he feels his support for her would not be in his overall best interest to retain HIS seat in this election. Remember McNeill won by only the narrowest margin, 87 votes the last time. Will a female with very limited modeling experience be able to carry off the election against a seasoned modeler and Hall of Fame member? Will McNeills grip on District V still come from the grave? In a very short few months we will have the answer. Let's hope it starts the rebirth of District V as the leading District in the AMA, rather than burying it along with its former VP.

Red S.

Hal deBolt

Hi ya'all,
Again a loit of action, which is good? Can add some truth, OK?
When Dave Brown personally announced Jim McNeils passing in the same
short message he said" I just called Judi Dunlap as Jim had designated
and she agreed to fill out Jim's term"
Understanding that it appears obvious that action taken was by the president and the EC was not consulted. time was not suffient.
OK?

Hal deBolt

Jim Branaum

My Feedback: (3)

I could have sworn there was an EC vote required in the by-laws. Shows what *I* know.