Shame on all the Area Reps, class reps, and others who failed to attend last night's USMHC meeting!

As usual, we're all talk and no action or follow-through. The apathy is astounding!

I didn't mark down the role call for last night, but there were maybe a dozen people who care enough about the state of our sport in this country who took the time to attend the meeting and support our MHC leader, John Williams.

John continues to be an amazing army of one. If we can't pull ourselves together to support him and his efforts our multihull future is certainly grim. He's one of the best spokespeople and leader we could hope to have.

Wake up! It's not enough to assume somebody else will get things done for you, make decisions for you, etc.

Contact your area reps and hound them to either get on the stick or volunteer to take on the job yourself. It's all about communication and coordinating our communication efforts to make ourselves heard and be represented.

No wonder the monohull community has pushed us aside and thinks we're a joke. We don't even bother to show up to meetings that are as simple as dialing in for a conference call.

What do you think is going to happen when our diehard leaders like John, Darline, Gordon, Deb move on once they are tired of going it alone and receive no help from us?

I know this is all stick and no carrot, but I'm compelled to try to wake you up out of the stupor we collectively seem to be in with regard to the organizational and governance aspect of our sport in this country.

You CAN do it, you CAN make a difference, we HAVE made a difference, but we can't stop. It's as easy as participating in discussions and shaping decisions. We all do that every day. No special skills required.

Make the effort, you'll be glad you did.

Great post, Barb! Too bad it was necessary. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

Barb,

I volunteered to become a non-voting member of the council for Area D-N when the olympic fiasco broke out. I would have attended had I known that a meeting was taking place. I went over the US Sailing Multihull Council Website at the USSA site, and over at the new MHC Googlegroup, and I could not find any documentation as to when the meetings are, the teleconference number, or an agenda.

Perhaps if this information were more easily available, those of us with hectic schedules can better plan for our availability.

Thank You

My rant is aimed primarily at the voting members who should have been on the call. Due to apathy we've got only a handful of people calling the shots and making decisions for us at the National level. No slam on the folks who ARE carrying out these duties, but rather thanks for shouldering the responsibility.

Voting members all received the meeting info and agenda directly from the Chair. Perhaps the Council will be able to make the same info publicly available going forward so that other interested/concerned people like yourself can attend.

The thing is that for whatever reasons we have a bunch of people who volunteered or accepted positions of leadership and are now MIA. I would think those folks would gracefully step aside for someone interested in actually fulfilling their roles.

Sure, everybody has conflicts now and then, but for so few to show up last night is ridiculous. Tons of people managed to be on the calls when the Olympics thing first broke but now they've gone back to complacency and can't be bothered.

Why don't you ask to move from non-voting to a voting position for your area?

That's a bit harsh to blame people these people who are volunteering their time without first knowing what happened. Don't you think? I know many people that will never volunteer at regattas again because they were treated poorly. I'm sure the reps didn't miss the meeting maliciously. What happened?

I just forwarded this thread to my area rep who is an outstanding guy and usually on top of it, albeit recently
voted in, and he had no idea that the meeting was happening.

Obviously there is a communication breakdown.

Instead of shaming these volunteers, lets fix the communication issue. Instead of laying the blame on them, since they are representing us, let's help them out.

The same stuff happens in our local fleet. The sailors blame the commodore when the beach wheels are flat. His response is that, "it's our fleet, not my fleet."

It's not apathy, we've already heard from several reps that just didn't know.

Surfcity, we've heard indirectly via you that your rep said they didn't hear about it, so far the only voting member to chime in that they didn't know. The Chair sent an email to every voting member of the council with the agenda and instructions for calling in. Did they miss it in their email? Perhaps.

The other response so far was from an interested non-voting person.

As you'll note in my earlier post, it's just too coincidental that half of the council didn't make the call. Several area reps DID make the call, so clearly the information was communicated.

I'm not going to post my reps email, but he did not receive any communication. All I'm saying is that we should find out what happened before we publicly post a bunch of accusations without getting some facts first. Any other reps want to chime in? Let's hear it.

I can only speak for my rep and he was a little miffed at your first post...and I'm sure other reps are in the same boat. I like to make the volunteers that speak for me feel appreciated.

FIN...

Working hard to better get the word out. Here's a list of those that got an e-mail on the 5th to schedule the call on the 12th.

Bill Doelger; Caleb Tarlton; Chris Titcomb; Darline Hobock; Dave Shaffer; David Ingram; David White; Deb Schaefer; Gordon Isco; Jake Kohl; Jamie Diamond; John Tomko; Kurt Korte; Mark Batchelor; Mark L Hansen; Mark Santorelli; Mark Schneider; Michael Egan; Mike Hensel; Peter Nelson; Rich Brew; Robert Merrick; Scott Miller; Tom Siders; John Lovell; Jamie Livingston; Mike Grandfield; Bob Curry; Matt Bounds; kb chapman; Olli Jason; Jill Nickerson; Brian Karr; Dan DeLave; Bob Hodges; Kirk Newkirk; Rick White; Jack Young; Dan Mangus; Matt McDonald; Matt Bounds

To be fair, not everyone can make every call. I know I missed Tad on the list. I think I caught every other Area Rep. and a lot of fleet and class reps. I received e-mail RSVPs from a number of folks that had conflicts - that will always be the case and is completely understandable.

There will probably be another call in May or June. Takeaway message on this thread should be that it is fun to paint the fence, I swear. Pick up a brush if you'd like. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Thanks for your work John!

email me when you get a chance:

jeremy at surfcitycatamarans.com

Here in area L, I am the representative. I feel bad about missing the conference call. Especially being new to my position.
I guess that when work puts me 3 hours drive out into the moutains to repair a broken elevetor in a hydro dam and there isn't any phone sevice there I should not do my job.

It is crappy attitudes like yours that drives any one that has decided to volunteer away.
Fortunately I will just ignor you and keep doing what i have been doing.

Feel free to move out here and take over for area L.

Notice:
Position may be available.
Area L representative.
Needs to have phone.

It's the first time I have sat in on a teleconference meeting like that, and I thought it was very informative. Also, it was fun hearing the voices of so many people I know -- or at least know of.

I was not on the memo list, but John said anyone is welcome, so I'm glad I got to participate.

It was especially great for me, because I have always felt extremely guilty about not being able to travel to the US Sailing meetings. Imagine how guilty I would have felt if I could not even travel the distance to my telephone! <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />

John

Just a note of technical interest here. If you're putting all those emails into the TO: of your email, a lot of ISP's and email providers will mark it as spam and forward it on to the trash bin automatically.

I know I never check my spam folder except when it gets over the mythical 10,000 messages limit and then I light it on fire in a Desperado type action sequence that makes Hollywould action directors blush :P

Barb and Mary:

I do not think it was necessary! That was way too curt an attitude to take to volunteers. I was on the call, it was a good group, and there was a quorum to satisfy a vote. I would not mind others participating, but we all have a life. They all have their reasons and maybe some forgot, but it is not a good idea to alienate those that we are looking to as replacements.

Later,
Dan

Dan,
I don't think it was really just about this particular conference call. I think it was just built-up frustration from many years of watching the same few people doing all the work of the Multihull Council.

When you think about the fact that this call was INSTEAD OF having to fly to Newport, RI for the spring meeting and having to stay in an expensive hotel and take time off from work, I would think that many people would have taken advantage of the opportunity.

I kind of wonder how many people would have participated in the call if ALL the U.S. cat sailors had known about it, instead of just the voting members and other volunteers. I don't know whether that is feasible, but it would be nice if more people could see (hear) what goes on at these meetings -- and maybe more people would be inspired to jump in and volunteer to help. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Berating volunteers on public forum, great incentive to come out join the effort.

I think this is exactly why the multi hull comunity is where it is at. It isn't the appathy its the attitude.

A quiet emailing to the people who missed would have seemed more appropriate. Myself included.

Followed by a report on here about what positive came out of the meeting thanks to those who did participate.

I for one apprciate all that those who have been at this for a long time. That is part of the reason that I volunteered to help out.

Fortunately a few negative comments is not enough to get me to drop out. Although I am more than willing to step asside if some one else shows any interest. Let me check the line at the door,

What the heck is that!? I have never even heard of it. Now I'm starting to get upset. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />

If you haven't noticed, apathy IS the attitude.

And, hey, I am probably as guilty of it as anybody else. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

OK everybody---- breathe---- AAAHHHH...

We're all on the same team here. There are a lot of people that work hard for our sport the last thing we need is infighting and the feeling of not being appreciated.

So...let's use this thread as a learning tool. Maybe someone can post info for the google group?? Or other comm tool to keep people informed. Let's keep it positive and play nice...until we're on the race course <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

Mary, I don't know, and I don't care. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

Honestly, I do have a clue, and I do care a great deal,
but I had to go for the laugh first.

Stephen