Gene, I suspect that your questions are as much for others, as they are for you personally, otherwise you would have asked me via email. My answers are therefore to other readers and are not directed to you personally.

I am running for the office of Secretary, not President, and especially NOT King of the World. I have a platform of my position that I have been presenting, that I think is directed towards taking the to another level. And I believe that many other members agree with me, or at least endorse a varying number of issues I have presented.

Now, I have no illusion about the fact that my position on the Board (should I be fortunate enough to earn and win this position) is but one voice among five, and without the consent and willingness of two or more other Board members, my ideas and thoughts will be rather useless.

However, if I am elected there will be an expectation from the majority of voting members that elected me, that I pursue these concepts and more, as the new Board discusses and considers ideas put forth by me, by other Club members and their own platforms.

It is my intent (and again, I preface this with an “if I am elected”) to engage with the other Board members for their consideration, involvement, enhancement and modification as may be prudent or required for further development of concepts presented by myself.

This is just as I would expect to participate in the same discussions of their ideas and desires to move the Club to another level as I am sure they wish to pursue. And just as I believe that I am very open minded to their platforms, I believe they are also open minded about mine and I look forward to working with anyone that the membership elects.

Having said that, I really do not understand how having an informed consumer base and a desire to facilitate that knowledge transfer as a core concept of behavior and a basic tenant of an educational based organization can be viewed as a negative.

In fact, I am struggling to understand why, those who have capitulated to the blight I have spoken of previously, are so quick to point out that further attempts or efforts are futile as all past attempts have failed. Comments like these tell me that some individuals once felt differently, but have given up. Well, I haven’t given up and in fact, I am reminded of the 1980's re-popularized phrase by Lee Iaccoca, either Lead, Follow or Get Out of the Way!

I choose to Lead!

Respectfully,

Jim Follis
Candidate for Secretary