<VV> BoD Conflicts and other things

Wed Mar 5 23:47:47 EST 2014

All:  Ken Pepke ask why are their conflicts on the CORSA BoD. 

First, I may have made to much about conflicts on the BoD on this forum.  I hope this is not the case, and certainly think it is nor the case, as some others have confessed to some difficult experiences as BoD members.

Along way, there have been many good, worthwhile comments and doable ideas.   

Anyhow, while I know from conversations with past and sometimes current BoD members over the years of other conflicts and other fire fights, I only have personal knowledge of what was going on when I was on the BoD and the much more recent situation when Ned, Jamie and Jason were on the BoD.  But if you pay attention to the number of BoD members who resign during their first term, or do not run for a second term, you will find things to think about.  I actually did this review before running for the BoD, so I wasn't totally without low expectations.  I ran for the BoD with the intent to focus on CPF, and walked into the mess surrounding the closing of the Corvair Museum in Richmond VA.  Didn't see that coming.  That mess and hurt feeling were not resolved totally when I dropped off the BoD in 2002.  Some of it continues to this day.  Don't ask.   .

My thoughts about reason for conflicts.

1. First you walk into a room with 11 other people, most of whom you do not know at all, some you will never meet with again, as they drop off the BoD.  You generally never get to know them.  This can be a problem.  When teams, as opposed to committees, began forming during my career at Caterpillar, the first day was devoted to team building and getting to know each other.  When 6-Sigma came along, everybody got team training.  We do not do that with the BoD.  I'm not even sure CORSA could do it, given the time constants.  At work, if somebody got out of line or uncooperative, there was always their boss to talk to for corrective action.  On the CORSA BoD, no such person exist to go to.  But then this is generally true in any voluntary organization.  

2.  The make up of the BoD member.  Read the Communique candidate write ups.  Do they talk about work or other volunteer experience as a qualification?  Having and working on Corvairs for your entire adult life can make you a good mechanic, but not a good team member. Serving on as a officer of a local chapter helps.  But it is with friends in a largely socializing situation.  The BoD is not a socializing situation.  It is hit the door, park you butt, and get down to business.  Expect to be uninformed for at least a year.  And sometimes blindsided in all sorts of new and novel ways.  Do current and future BoD members know how to work in a collaboratory group?  If not, probably will not be a good fit as a BoD member for awhile. 

3.  Personalities.  Ugly subject.  There are some over the years who come to the BoD who have an exulted opinion of their understanding of the "democratic process", others with unrealistic understanding of "what is", still others with unachiveable ideas about "what ought to be" and finally the "I'm a self made man and you all should do it my way! Now!" person who has no idea what a team is.  Any of them can create chaos while sometimes deliberately hurting people, while causing much discouragement.  Enough said?  To much said?  You get the idea I hope.

Fortunately, over the same years there are far more who come to the BoD with an understanding of process and procedures, with hearts and intelligent intent to help whenever and wherever possible; to help and move things along toward a common good.  There is a whole list from the early 80's who did just that, and built the CORSA we know.  Names like Fred, Herb, Clay, Bob, Seth, Pete, and Allen, plus others I cannot recall off the top of my head.  We owe them.  Good people, it was a honor to know them.  There have been those more recently named Sarah and Jamie and Jason and Tim who also may make the standard for sainthood.   

4. Hidden agendas.  Sometimes folks come to the BoD with something they intend to change, but do not say so when announcing themselves as a candidate.  CORSA members do not get the chance to vote for someone else.  If there is someone else.  Generally these folks, sometimes, with the best on intentions, do not know what the issues on the table are. When their agenda is different for the direction the BoD is taking and comes to light, the do-do hits the fan-fan in some form often.  All depends on the person and personalities involved.   In my own experience, a couple of hidden agendas involved CPF.   

Since his first question, which prompted the above, Ken Pepke has since ask: Why do people at the top leave?

 1.  Being at the top is very time consuming.  Life goes on and places other demands.

 2.  Being at the top is very expensive.  In a 3 year term, which actually covers the last half of the first BoD meeting after your election, and the first half of the last BoD meeting before you fall off the BoD, can cost US$7k attending Conventions.  This is no small amount of money if it attending Conventions wasn't in your play money budget before you ran for election.  Do any of you notice how often BoD members are not at the Convention's BoD meetings?  Or how often they attend the BoD meeting and then go home?  Happens lots of times.  Such actions are a time and money driven.   

3.  Frustration over the grief described above.  I remember Bob Hill, elected in the central division, whose first BoD meeting was Chicago, 2001.  A very difficult meeting.  Go read the BoD in minutes in the Communique for verification.  I had dinner with him and his wife later in the week.  His comment was "This is suppose to be fun."  It wasn't.  They went home and he resigned immediately. Go figure.  They then went and played with Datsun 240Z's.  Which actually is a pretty neat toy car.    

4. Lastly, all of the above.  Knew that was coming?   

Those who have served several terms have bigger bank accounts and stronger dispositions than I do. 

My Conclusions

First, I hope I haven't said anything seriously new here.  The problems CORSA faces are common to most any group of volunteers in position of leadership.  Read that sentence again.  CORSA BoD problems are the same as most groups of volunteers have.  Some times ugly, but that to shall pass.  Unfortunately, the bad experience drives some good people away. 

Someone will ask the question, can the BoD difficulties be avoided?  I don't think so.  It is the nature of the group beast we have to have.  Someone will asked:  Do we need to change anything to improve BoD functionality. I don't think so.  Other national car clubs have different BoD configuration, other geographic divisions, and other membership sizes.  I don't see the need to change our model.  Some of this is my inclination to go with "the devil you know".  The devils other clubs have may be better than ours, but they may also be worse.  As always, be careful what you ask for. 

CORSA knows how to do a car club...successfully.  Do we need some more leadership, folks who will function as support people to the CORSA BoD and for CORSA's greater good.?  Yes.  We may need to hire a teenager as a media specialist. I was glad to read we now have a new membership committee chairman.  When I get his e-mail address, I will send him the seven (7) word.doc of the discussions we have been having in a most civilized manner.   I've been a busy coping and pasting them.  Good stuff.  And I will contribute as time and money allow to his mission.  I'm not hard to find.  

All this said, the CORSA BoD has done many remarkable things in the last near 50 years.  I believe all Corvair people, even the ankle bitters, would be worse off if CORSA did not exist.  It deserves our support via membership.   We all can make it better by doing whatever we can, whenever we can.  Are you in, or a spectator?  I'm in as much as time and money allow.  Been in since the mid-70's to a greater of lesser degree, as time and money have allowed.

As a last thought ...or two...for now...how many of you have a COSA decal on your cars windows?  Not just your Corvair.  While I expect the membership Committee will develop some easy to use hand-outs, a decal identifies you as a member of the Corvair Society of America.  While talking Corvairs to folk, you can also talk CORSA, which supports your Corvair hobby. 

I know many within the CORSA community who are also involved in religious communities.  While not wanting to leave anybody out, my religious community is a Baptist church.  Your religious community probably is different   Follow me here.  Part of our organization's, our community, is to spread the Gospel as we understand it as the opportunity presents itself.  Keep following me here.  Back when I was on the BoD, I wrote a Director's column in December 2000 Communique, I used the term "missionary".  The term has what I assume is a universal understanding: to tell others about what you have found to be a good thing.  So far as I know, all religious communities use the term and try and practice the concept. What each of us can do for CORSA, within the Corvair community, which is way bigger than CORSA,  and the car enthusiast community, is to tell others about a good thing you've found and enjoy: the Corvair and the club that supports our hobby. That would be CORSA.  Are you in?  Are you a missionary? 

Historically Yours,
                    James Rice
                    CORSA member since the mid '70's

                    Former Chairman of the CORSA Competition Committee     

                    Former member of the CORSA BoD               

                    Occasional contributor to the CORSA Communique. 