OK, you guys/gals just don't get it. The KBOO Bylaws are written so that a small group of consistent members can retain control. "Democracy" at KBOO depends on only the right people paying attention, showing up, and voting. Of course the "right people" are FOAH.here
There was a board meeting scheduled for August, but nothing meaningful was done. The petition to remove was presented by not acted on, due to quorum issues. Then a special meeting was scheduled for Sept 9th. That meeting is/was crucial to the outcome of this mess. No one is fessing up to having attended (don't have a fucking cow again that I ask) and there are no minutes posted, so what did or did not happen?
All I can infer from the KBOO website is that the existing 8 members are still seated. Unless KBOO has been slow to update the web page.
So, the real danger isn't from the ballots for the four open seats. We know the KBOTs will win those four seats. The real danger is that an annual meeting is a meeting, open to the public, and there are ways to get items on the agenda. TM and KBOTs will attempt to push through the petition, in real time recall members of the BOD, then if they succeed, there will be instantaneous openings and an attempt to get more KBOTs on the board will happen then and there, in real time.
Sending in your ballot in person or by mail is useless if you care. You HAVE to be there, participate and vote. The real action will only be done by those who show up in person.
KBOO is fucked. I won't be there. But if anyone who reads this blog cares, this is your only chance to stop TM.
I think people do get it. They've been saying KBOO was fucked for years.
"The KBOO Bylaws are written so that a small group of consistent members can retain control."
True. Yet its all gone sideways and Mitchell/Ani have lost control anyway. So while that may have been the intention, clearly it's not watertight or Theresa wouldn't be screaming on social media to rally the troops.
All she has to do is get a majority voting her way in person at the meeting. The only law is the bylaws.
"Democracy" at KBOO depends on only the right people paying attention, showing up, and voting."
Deliberately making it hard for people to vote could/should be illegal.
"We know the KBOTs will win those four seats."
How? 4 seats, three confirmed KBOTS are running. Mitchell isn't even endorsing one. I guess she's trying to look impartial. Mixing it up. Or making it all women power. Some propaganda bullshit. You yourself said it wouldn't matter if Mitchell got on the board because she was outnumbered.
You've declared someone not a KBOT who has voted and commented in a way that indicate they support the status quo. Only if existing board members don't resign from being harrassed or being sick and tired of it all, and don't get voted out during motions during the meeting would TM remain outnumbered. Remember, the strategy for decades is harass out of office anyone who disagrees with AH and TM, then replace with KBOT. The only hope for KBOO is if the existing eight members of the BOD survive this meeting this weekend.
"The real danger is that an annual meeting is a meeting, open to the public, and there are ways to get items on the agenda."
Yes, screaming and yelling. Cuz that's what it boils down to.
Nope. It's called Roberts Rules of Order. If you care you better study it.
"Sending in your ballot in person or by mail is useless if you care. "
Why? Those ballots will be thrown out or something? What you wrote here:
Can that completely wipe out the results of ballots mailed in or dropped off the day before? That's ballsy as fuck and almost certainly illegal.
Not illegal at all. It's possible because of bylaws. You're focused on only the four seats normally in play each year out of twelve. The point is that those four are already gone. What happens in person by motions from the floor, or already on the agenda at the meeting which is not at all on any ballot will determine the future of KBOO.
"But if anyone who reads this blog cares, this is your only chance to stop TM."
If you are right... and I'm not saying you are... a tiny band of web warriors armed with nothing more than anti cult facts, lulz and cat memes isn't going to make a difference either.
True. But the memes at least are fun. Wish I was good at making them, thanks to those who did.
This is a very cogent assessment on the subject:
Discouraging people from voting...directly or by making it unreasonably cumbersome... is a big Jim Crow no-no.
Consider you could be one of those people terrible at presenting your case. You definitely don't have an instinct for what "grips" people about this clusterfuck.
CAB is important but.....snooze.....zzzzzzzzzz.
Ani Haines credibly accused of sexual harassment after making a career of fighting the patriarchy...that perks people up.
Then they might listen to the CAB stuff.
Just an example.
The CAB is a joke. Look at the minutes over several years. Some really good people were on the CAB and then left in disgust. I know some of them and have spoken with them. Those who left know KBOO is a joke. The CAB only exists to get CPB funding. If anyone goes after that, tell the CPB that two meetings ago, only four showed up and half were paid staff (why are paid staff voting in a CAB meeting?) and the last meeting in May all the participants were paid staff. It's a fucking joke, just like everything else at KBOO. I already told Per Fereng years ago on these boards, not to fear a CAB as KBOO could make a fake CAB and get all the funding they like. Apparently, they listened.
Take your evidence and talk to a lawyer and ask who, if anyone, you should report this shit to.
Tell them this exact thing: The KBOO Bylaws are written so that a small group of consistent members can retain control.
Make sure you can back it up.
And find out if that is legal.
There is no one to speak to as anything done that meets the letter of the bylaws is legal. It's bullshit but it's legal. The bylaws have been altered over the years to make it tightly controlled, just like nearly every non profit I've ever encountered. Your only recourse if you don't like it is to go the press (some have done so) or hire at your expense an attorney and sue KBOO. Good luck with that.
Don't worry about the election.
Either the fix is in, and Mitchell and Ani will get roasted afterwards, or Mitchell loses and another drama is created.
My .02
Either bring numbers to the meeting, or change the minds of the KBOTs by speaking at the meeting (long shot, but after my aborted run for BOD more folks than I thought possible came up to me and said I had made sense, and I think I was the person who got fifth place for four seats, after asking people not to vote for me as I was quitting KBOO). I'm amazed that the existing BOD and manager have gotten this far, perhaps they actually have a plan how to keep control of the meeting? In any case, if you still listen to KBOO, or if you still care, I'd say get in touch with them.
I'd say that was my 0.05 ... good luck