Posted on 12/03/2002 6:02:37 PM PST by Dan from Michigan
Due to recent actions of the volunteer Board of Directors at Michigan Coalition for Responsible Gun Owners, a group of concerned current and former members have formed a new Committee to Restore MCRGO, the intent being to return MCRGO to it’s former status as a successful non-partisan grass-roots member-run organization.
The present volunteer Board of Directors appears to have forgotten that they work for the members and MCRGO is not their private domain. We want this board back under member control and we’re seeking the following remedies:
1 No more secret board actions. All action taken by the volunteer Board of Directors needs to take place during meetings which are open to concerned members and minutes have to be made available to any member who requests them. These minutes need to document discussion issues and volunteer board member votes.
2 No rush actions by the board. Major decisions affecting the organization need to be put before the members and members must be given a chance to respond and give input and feedback to the board before the organizational structure is changed or major expenditures are approved.
3 A budget must be produced and provided to any interested member. Also members must be provided with copies of expense reports and fiscal audits upon request.
4 Bylaw changes shall not be made unilaterally by the volunteer board of directors but only by the members by ballot in accordance with election rules. 5 All members MUST have the opportunity to run for any and all elected positions within MCRGO. The current by-laws only provide for a BOARD APPOINTED election committee with the board of directors’ current policy being an election committee that will have full authority over all nominations and elections. A new by-law is required that provides for a MEMBER ELECTED election committee with the same full authority, to insure both fair and impartial nominations and elections. The current process allows the board to appoint FAVORED, BOARD CONTROLLED members to the election committee and that is not acceptable.
6. The decision to hire Chuck Perricone as Executive Director without any consideration of other candidates or notice to the membership must be reviewed and the volunteer board of directors shall not sign Perricone or anyone else to a contract until a proper search committee can be formed that will seek out and interview other qualified candidates using objective criteria. We want the best person for the job, not the only person that the volunteer board asked.
7 An end to the current partisan slant that the volunteer board has given this organization. MCRGO is a non-partisan organization, not an arm of the Republican Party. (Dan: - For the record I personally AM a Republican, and we have other Republicans and democrats supporting us)
MCRGO was built by many members and until this year it has been run by a volunteer board of directors acting with the consent and consultation of the membership. The volunteer directors—David Felbeck, Pat Alzady, Rollie Brengle, Jim Kliemann, David Aviles, Phil Webster, Dale Shantz, Glen Griffith and Todd Adkins—have systematically stripped the members of any oversight or control which the members have always held over the volunteer directors. They have taken this organization down a new and dangerous partisan path that we believe has led to the worst election results in our organization’s history. We want reform and we want our volunteer board of directors back under the supervision of the membership again. To that end, we have created a new website to get the message out to our fellow members because the volunteer directors have begun to heavily censor our member e-mail systems and the official website, to prevent the communication of grievances amongst our peers. The new website is www.restoremcrgo.org
We ask that members and former members of MCRGO review this new site and if agreeing with our stated mission, please sign on as a supporting member. And please be advised that contrary to the statements of our volunteer board of directors, we do not wish to destroy MCRGO or start a new organization. Rather we want to stop current actions which we feel are detrimental to the success of our once-effective group and return it to it’s former status, that being one of the most effective non-partisan, grass-roots pro-gun groups in the country.
I first heard about MCRGO when I was on the CNN message board. I saw a post by then webmaster Stephen Wire in early 2000. I followed the website and watched all the daily updates, and I then heard about the Million Moms and Mackinac 5 months later. I met then VP and founder Ross Dykman up there. I decided to join the group up at Mackinac. I joined this group because they work hard, and put their money where their mouth is on activism. They got results.
Later, I attended the meetings and events starting in Ingham County and Jackson County when I could. Later they had them at my home county – Livingston. I had a perfect attendance record in Livingston. I met members, leaders, and legislators at those events. I became an active campaigner for local politicians that supported our rights and went after those that did not. I have volunteered on many campaigns and a party event, from the Livingston County GOP, to Lt. Governor Dick Posthumus’s gubernatorial campaign. . In my county, we had a 5% higher turnout than normal, and gave 62% of our vote to Posthumus. We all did our part here. I mention this since I put my money where my mouth is. I’ll yap, but I’ll back it up.
I had some great times with MCRGO, specifically from 2000 to June 2002. I won’t forget the Mackinac Bridge Walks, to taking the Million Mom’s event away from them at Mother’s Day. I won’t forget when there was a call for help at Kent County’s gun board meeting. I won’t forget when Judge Giddings told Ingham County Prosecutor Stuart Dunnings “Case Dismissed”. I won’t forget the Supreme Court hearing, the raffles, and most importantly, I will never forget the decision when the Supreme Court ruled in our favor making Michigan the first state to get CCW before Columbine. This was due to the ‘old guard’ of MCRGO. In October 2001, I became PAC treasurer of MCRGO.
However things changed in June of 2002. Our executive Director, Ross Dykman, was forced to resign by the Board of Directors. Ross was our legislator liaison, our lawyer, and our representative to the organization to the media. He was a leader and helped us get results. This decision was also made a month before our August elections hurting our cause, and also hurt us in November. There was no replacement for 6 months either. When Ross was fired, Chuck Perricone’s (former speaker of Michigan house) firm was hired, New Era Consulting. There was a new Direction.
I stuck with the organization through that and even stayed on as PAC treasurer. After the primary endorsements, I had some major disagreements. I stepped down as PAC treasurer. I gained some issue advocacy experience in the 2002 primary with another group and had a plan ready to implement for the general election. It was met with uncooperation and delays from the Board.
In September, the general election endorsements came out. An anti-gunner was endorsed, and some good people were snubbed. Two very pro-gun leaders were backstabbed as their opponents got an ‘acceptable’ rating, which is a mealy mouth way to give a dual endorsement. The endorsements were softer than the worst to come out of the NRA. It partially due to games by a local NRA official that was a leader in the backstabbings. The Board of Directiors and PAC committee went along with that. That is unacceptable. Because of the loss of credibility, I stepped down from all leadership positions in MCRGO after that. I also alerted members on the MCRGO boards the problems with the sham endorsements. In response, I was banned from the message boards there.
The elections passed without any direction from MCRGO’s leadership, although several members worked their butts off. Politicians learned that there was no fear from MCRGO, nor extra help, depending on where they stood on the issue.
What has happened in the last 6 months? We lost several chapter chairs, our PAC treasurer, several active members, and had no direction going into election season. That is unacceptable. Members that questioned decisions were browbeaten by members of the Bod, specifically the Board’s president, David Felbeck.
Most recently, the Board hired two people. A communications director, and Chuck Perricone as executive director, without member input. I later found that MCRGO has no budget. When Ross was there, there were two people with salaries. Now we have at least 4, with no budget(this was admitted by the board). Can we afford this? I doubt it. The Board also raised dues as well, without any membership input.
This is a membership organization. I am a dues paying active member, as are others here. I have spent hundreds of dollars and hours in this organization trying to further the 2nd amendment and Article 1 section 6 in Michigan. We need to bring that back, and we can.
I don’t like to go public with a fire fight, but I believe there is no choice left for me to make. I’m going public for one reason. I want MCRGO to be back to where it was at one time, the BEST gun rights group in Michigan. We have ONE SHOT to do that. ALL NINE Board members are up for re-election next year. We can take our group back where it belongs. I want MCRGO to be ready for the 2004 elections, not to mention improve on the CCW law passed in Michigan in 2000. It’s tempting to start a new org or say “The hell with it” and walk away. It took MCRGO 5 years to pass CCW. I don’t want to have to spend 3 years (what I estimate with the best leadership) and rebuild the infastructure to go back, not when there is a shot to take back what still is a viable group.
If you want to help do that, please go to Restore MCRGO and if you agree with us, please sign up and support us if you are a member or former member of MCRGO. I am a member of the steering committee and I can vouch for the credibility of all members of the committee. These were some of the ten most active people in MCRGO during its heyday. I know all of them and they are good people. Many other members there also gave their support. Some of those people that supported this didn’t always get along and some flat out hated one another. They all put their personal differences aside for this. This is a team effort all the way. Here’s our mission.
Our Mission
The Committee to Restore MCRGO is dedicated to the restoration of MCRGO as the premier gun rights organization in Michigan.
Our concern calls us to action and we pledge to work tirelessly for the establishment of the following goals:
1. A Board of Directors that is selected through a fair and impartial means.
· Bylaws that allow for direct nomination of candidates by the general membership through petition or other reasonable means.
· Elimination of a Board appointed election committee.
2. A Board that is responsive to the members and will work for their interests.
· Bylaws that recognize the inherent right of individual members to have a meaningful voice in the direction of the organization.
3. An annual operating budget that is available for review by the membership and subject to periodic audit by a qualified third party in a manner that complies with generally accepted accounting practices.
4. A return to a non-partisan politics and Grass Roots Activism.
Thanks to you all, and wish us the best of luck. This won’t be easy, but it is possible, and we will be working the best we can.
Dan
Former PAC Treasurer - MCRGO
Disclaimer – These comments are mine and mine alone. They do not speak for The Committee to Restore MCRGO or any other group or organization. If you want more information, let me know or sent an email to the address on the restore mcrgo website.
Keep fighting the good fight.
Then you got those that want to make a name for themselves as individuals, PO'ed at those that get the credit, and think they can run the joint. Team that up with one that wants to takeover and has a 'professional' reputation and its a recipe for disaster. In the process they drive away the workers, like many of the supporters and those on the steering committee.
The problems arise when those who do nothing but take the credit, begin to talk about those who do the work as "threats" and "disgruntled," and begin to muscle them out into the cold.
LOL. It IS the NRA(at least one person there)
Because when that happens, next time there will be less people willing to go the extra mile, because there is less trust.
And then we ALL lose.
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