Dear Members of the SNCCC,

This is the letter I emailed to the board yesterday, I wanted to share it with everyone (as I believe this concerns us all) so far no response from Jerry (or the board) I wanted to give him most of the day and overnight to respond to this. Time has passed, no response and the clock is still ticking ( this week it is scheduled to close the voting for new signing up/or renewing members) and I think its important you all know where I stand in this process.

I am very sad its coming to this, I know some people are enjoying this happening (I have seen your posts) this reflects on you and not a large majority of members of the SNCCC who give of their time and efforts to keep our hobby going. The easiest thing for me to do is back down and save the trouble but that's not the right thing to do. I believe that we all have a vote and a voice and we should be allowed to use it.

If you are a supporter of mine please do comment (if you wish) but keep it factual and not undue attacking of the board as once this is over we will need to come back together as a club and move on.

Thank you
James

Dear SNCCC Board,

The time has come to confront the situation we are facing:

The members of the SNCCC have lost faith in our election process.
The process is perceived as rushed, flawed, unfair and not transparent.
Our total membership did not receive election notice, adequate time to vote, or even a ballot in many circumstances.
The people running for office should not be part of the election process/direction, the issuing of ballots, or picking members to collect and count the ballots.
It is unclear if governing documents exist for the SNCCC, such as articles of association, constitution or even bylaws. Ordinarily an organization’s secretary is responsible for balloting, but I find no evidence that board responsibilities are written and accessible to the members.
The decision was made to only issue ballots by email, and not give members with only a snail mail address the opportunity to vote. This change in what was promised to the appointed SNCCC Election Co-Chairpersons, Bruce and Mary Ann Massey, prompted them to tender their resignation. This can and will be viewed as an independent endorsement that the election is not being conducted honestly and ethically.
Many members are unaware of the SNCCC’s status with the State of Nevada as a 501-C7 organization, and the legal ramifications – especially regarding the club’s elections.
The current board voted not to share with the membership the financial results of the SNCCC show. This lack of transparency, and its inherent suspicion, has aggravated the election process distrust.
We are becoming an open joke on the Chipboard and beyond.
We need to reset the clock on all aspects of this process and stop this election now. We owe this to the members so this election can be conducted correctly and transparently, in order to make sure there are no questions and no regrets.

Here are my going forward suggestions:

That the board appoint an independent election committee of three club members (not board members) to define the rules and administer them. This should include:

How the club membership is informed of the election.
How the membership is informed of how those running stand on the issues and why they feel they should be elected.
Member eligibility to vote (i.e. paid up members by what date. Note the current lack of a Membership Director impacts this decision).
How the ballots are distributed (i.e. by email and posted to those without an email address) and by whom (normally the secretary, but if not possible, then by whom).
What the time frame will be for sending the ballots, and deadline for receipt.
How the ballots will be counted in a fair and ethical manner.

I have warned about the problems with the current process to you all in writing, and it's all come home to roost. I have heard from many members who agree with my sentiments. It is my strong desire that the next president of the SNCCC be fairly and honestly elected.

It's telling that the two newest members of the club were at the last meeting. I sat down with them at the Palms today. Despite the unfairness they witnessed, they told me they saw passion for the hobby and they are glad they joined the SNCCC. They were also glad to have been in the room so they could listen and vote.

It’s now your turn to vote. Please vote on this now.

James