However, I feel I must make come comments of my own based on my personal experiences.

First let me say that I applaud your desire to volunteer as this club depends on people stepping up and doind what they believe is right for the good of the .

I have posted your comment below and will respond to them in Red

First and foremost, I'm on the East Coast and the logistics and time difference would be too cumbersome for me.
Personally I dont believe it matters where a candidate is located. We have BOD members from all over the country and always have. Lets not forget that our first President and founder of the club was from the East Coast. As long as you are able to attend 2 BOD meetings a year there shouldn't be an issue

Secondly, this club, like every other organization, has many seasoned members that probably would feel awkward with a newbie on the BOD.
I can't argue with you on that point. In the past when I have voted for a BOD member, I tend to choose those who have been with the club for some time and have the experience necessarry to know how things work.

Thirdly, politics. There are numerous "factions" to win over whether is or "to clean or not clean," people have strong opinions and are not shy when it comes to voicing them (believe me I got all barrels of the shotgun when I posted a chip in a rectangular air-tite, rather than the more common circular, whew, that was interesting!!) and may not see what's best for the club rather than just voting against someone just because "we had differing opions and traded words on a topic."
While I can't deny that there are some politics involved, I seriously doubt that that is the deciding factor in anyone mind when voting for the qualifications of a candidate. Did you know that I am NOT a signer of the pledge? I have mt own opinions of slabbing based on my previous exposure being a Sportscards dealer that were stated in my Bio when I ran. But I am not currently a member of the club and no one seemed to have an issue with that.

Fourthly, when you are an "unknown" nominee, people naturally band together for the "known" candidate irrespective of the qualifications of either nominee.
Obviously people tend to vote for the candidate that they are more familiar with, however I dont believe this is "regardless" of someones qualifications. If a candidate is obviously more qualified to do a job that another, popularity should not matter. Lets face it, neither Steve Bedo or myself were well known within the club before the elections. Sure we all had friends that supported us, but it is my opinion that the qualifications to do any job should outweigh the popularity of a person.

Lastly, there's no real "election forum" that I can see (not that I have thoroughly read thru the By-laws and constitution) but a permanent thread with the nominees and their bio's and qualifications would be most helpful in the decision-making process.
Steve, the bios of all candidates appear in the CCTN for all members to read before every election. In addition most candidates post thier bios online on the web page. In fact when we had the last contested election, the candidates had a live debate in Julie Browns Chat room that was advertised all over both boards. What more information do we need to make an informed decision?

Without active particiaption by the membership and an accessible forum to judge the nominees, this or any election for that matter, becomes a popularity contest where unless you're with the "in crowd" you're not going to stand a chance.
I have stated my opinions on the "forum" subject above, but I agree with you completely on the participation issue. That is the main reason I feel that 22 total nomination forms sent in is absolutely pathetic. We need to have more people take an active roll in this club.

Thanks again for your comments and I look forward to seeing your name on the nomination ballots next time around.

Doug