This questionaire comes from the Southeast Director who is solely responsible. All NBRSA directors have access to the responses.
http://nbrsa.org/southeastquestion
http://nbrsa.org/southeastquestion
A two question "questionaire" for NBRSA Members
- Thread starter Wilbur
- Start date
JerrySharrett
Senile Member
Me in!!
I would like to reply to this post. I can not speak for the other regions but our region has 2 meetings a year (at shoots). The first at New Braunfels and the second at the Buffalo in Midland. The last meeting we discuss the upcoming proposals from the other regions and cast our opinions as how the group feels and to give suggestions to our regional director on how to vote our thoughts from the majority.
I have been a past director and this is just my comment only and no one elses. Most of the members that give the negative statements do not even attend the shoots. I do not feel that a member that does not attend the registered shoots in their region, should not be trying to change the rules of the NBRSA. If you have have a complaint, discuss it with your regional director. If this director does not give the time of day, then re-elect another person to fill his term.
Larry Baggett
I have been a past director and this is just my comment only and no one elses. Most of the members that give the negative statements do not even attend the shoots. I do not feel that a member that does not attend the registered shoots in their region, should not be trying to change the rules of the NBRSA. If you have have a complaint, discuss it with your regional director. If this director does not give the time of day, then re-elect another person to fill his term.
Larry Baggett
Participating members and non-participating members
I share with Larry in the sentiment that a member should attend matches to have access to the change process. That's what I believe but can't support that belief beyond stating it. I keep coming back to the thing about taking a fellow's money and then telling him he's not a "REAL" member unless he shoots or attends the regional meetings. How many matches? Well...we don't know but we'll tell you when you get there. We need to come up with a solution to reduce the shooting member's fear of "looseness" and improve the numbers that vote at the regional level.
It's a matter of trust. What I'm really sayin' is that I don't trust a portion of my regional membership to vote the way I want them to because I didn't get a face to face discussion to try and set them straight. Funny ain't it...
I share with Larry in the sentiment that a member should attend matches to have access to the change process. That's what I believe but can't support that belief beyond stating it. I keep coming back to the thing about taking a fellow's money and then telling him he's not a "REAL" member unless he shoots or attends the regional meetings. How many matches? Well...we don't know but we'll tell you when you get there. We need to come up with a solution to reduce the shooting member's fear of "looseness" and improve the numbers that vote at the regional level.
It's a matter of trust. What I'm really sayin' is that I don't trust a portion of my regional membership to vote the way I want them to because I didn't get a face to face discussion to try and set them straight. Funny ain't it...
David Apple
Member
Define "active"
Wilbur,
You raise a point I have asked about many tiimes. What is the definition of "active" in terms of having a "valid" vote??? Does a dues paying member qualify you to determine the rules although you have not been active in 20 years? Or, because you pay dues to get the magazine, does that make you "active" and can then determine the rules of competition? Out of 1400 members,(of which I am "inactive" because there is very little NBRSA shoots in the mid-Atlantic area although I'll shoot 40-45 IBS aggs a year) how many are REALLY active????? 250-300????? Maybe??? So would it be "right" to allow ALL members to determine the rules of competition? Further, is it fair to mandate that a member must attend a Nationals to have a valid vote??? On the other hand, is it fair to allow internet, fax, or mail in voting by all members to determine the rules of competition?
In addition, are not the NBRSA BOD elected by all members???? And if so, why are the elected by members representatives afraid of the BOD??? I don't get it. These people are supposed to represent the membership.
I am posing these questions in the hope that members of both organizations can look at the big picture. I do not pretend to know the right answer for any of the above questions except one. If the BOD of MY organization fail to represent the members wishes, they need to go.
David
Wilbur,
You raise a point I have asked about many tiimes. What is the definition of "active" in terms of having a "valid" vote??? Does a dues paying member qualify you to determine the rules although you have not been active in 20 years? Or, because you pay dues to get the magazine, does that make you "active" and can then determine the rules of competition? Out of 1400 members,(of which I am "inactive" because there is very little NBRSA shoots in the mid-Atlantic area although I'll shoot 40-45 IBS aggs a year) how many are REALLY active????? 250-300????? Maybe??? So would it be "right" to allow ALL members to determine the rules of competition? Further, is it fair to mandate that a member must attend a Nationals to have a valid vote??? On the other hand, is it fair to allow internet, fax, or mail in voting by all members to determine the rules of competition?
In addition, are not the NBRSA BOD elected by all members???? And if so, why are the elected by members representatives afraid of the BOD??? I don't get it. These people are supposed to represent the membership.
I am posing these questions in the hope that members of both organizations can look at the big picture. I do not pretend to know the right answer for any of the above questions except one. If the BOD of MY organization fail to represent the members wishes, they need to go.
David
In the Southeast Region we usually have two meetings each year at the regional championship shoots. I believe this is fine for developing agenda items to be presented to the BOD.
Once the agenda for the BOD meeting is developed I believe it should be published on the website and a mechanism should be provided for members to comment on each item prior to the BOD meeting
I do not believe that attendance at the nationals should be required for the final vote on each item. Many active members do not attend the nationals (including myself) because of the time and expense involved. I have a limited amount of vacation and simply cannot take the time off to attend. Many other active members are in the same situation.
So I ask...should my inability to attend the nationals prevent me from having my say?
Once the agenda for the BOD meeting is developed I believe it should be published on the website and a mechanism should be provided for members to comment on each item prior to the BOD meeting
I do not believe that attendance at the nationals should be required for the final vote on each item. Many active members do not attend the nationals (including myself) because of the time and expense involved. I have a limited amount of vacation and simply cannot take the time off to attend. Many other active members are in the same situation.
So I ask...should my inability to attend the nationals prevent me from having my say?
Wilbur, Let me add farther: I did not mean that non participating members should not have a vote. What I really was trying to get across ::::
Non-participating shooting members should not be complaining and trying to change the rules when they are not familiar with how the process works.
Non-participating shooting members should not be complaining and trying to change the rules when they are not familiar with how the process works.
jackie schmidt
New member
Wilbur
I just talked to Scott Hunter, our Region Director, and he wanted me to make sure that you understood the point that Larry made concerning our Gulf Coast Region.
We DO have two meetings, and, like Larry said, at the second meeting in Midland, we vote on items that other Regions will bring before the board, so that Scott will know how the members of The Gulf Coast Region wishes him to vote.
Of course, there is always the possibility that a Region will present a agenda item from the floor at the BOD Meeting. I that case, we can only hope that our Region Director knows his shooters well enough to get a feel for the way they would want him to vote.........jackie
I just talked to Scott Hunter, our Region Director, and he wanted me to make sure that you understood the point that Larry made concerning our Gulf Coast Region.
We DO have two meetings, and, like Larry said, at the second meeting in Midland, we vote on items that other Regions will bring before the board, so that Scott will know how the members of The Gulf Coast Region wishes him to vote.
Of course, there is always the possibility that a Region will present a agenda item from the floor at the BOD Meeting. I that case, we can only hope that our Region Director knows his shooters well enough to get a feel for the way they would want him to vote.........jackie
Larry
I'm guilty of reading what I wanted to. Forgive me for the mis-implication.
Learned a lot from these threads and even more from the questionaire on the NBRSA website. The facts I have and the facts I have concluded are in part:
1) There is an extreme disconnect in the way the membership perceives the process and the actual process. Not just the newer members.
2) There is no consistency from region to region within the process.
3) Members don't know where to vote or where to go to vote. Some think they do when they actually don't. The "NBRSA News" is void of this information.
4) The process is not clearly defined. It is defined in the rule book but you have to already know what it is to loosely piece it together.
5) There is a complete misunderstanding of the purpose of the annual membership meeting at the nationals. A complete misunderstanding.
I'm guilty of reading what I wanted to. Forgive me for the mis-implication.
Learned a lot from these threads and even more from the questionaire on the NBRSA website. The facts I have and the facts I have concluded are in part:
1) There is an extreme disconnect in the way the membership perceives the process and the actual process. Not just the newer members.
2) There is no consistency from region to region within the process.
3) Members don't know where to vote or where to go to vote. Some think they do when they actually don't. The "NBRSA News" is void of this information.
4) The process is not clearly defined. It is defined in the rule book but you have to already know what it is to loosely piece it together.
5) There is a complete misunderstanding of the purpose of the annual membership meeting at the nationals. A complete misunderstanding.
Jackie
I knew that going in. Would you be surprised if a Gulf Coast member indicated otherwise?
We need to look further at those agenda items "from the floor". Very few items would fit the necessity of not going around the block...so to speak.
I knew that going in. Would you be surprised if a Gulf Coast member indicated otherwise?
We need to look further at those agenda items "from the floor". Very few items would fit the necessity of not going around the block...so to speak.