MVPA in Distress
SAVE the MVPA
MVPA Executive Committee Delivers Sledgehammer Blow to Membership's Rights
Due to recent actions taken by the MVPA Executive Committee, it is imperative that all members who share a concern for the longevity and well being of the organization familiarize themselves with a
recent group of Policies and Procedures implemented by a secret vote of the directors. The vote on these items was forced thru by the Executive Committee with no open discussion in a public MVPA
Members inclusive forum. Three of the current directors stated objection to the secret vote, and implored the Executive Committee to withhold any action until all new Policies and Issues could be
adequately discussed at the next MVPA Public Forum, the Winter Board meeting. These objections, on behalf of Membership Rights were ignored by the Executive Committee, and the vote was taken by email
balloting. The three Board Members, that had stated objections, refused to vote as they determined this vote to be an unethical, if not illegal, action based on the current MVPA bylaws and Missouri
Statutes.
As some of you may be aware, the MVPA Board of Directors has been the subject of much controversy over the past eighteen months. Issues raised by the concerned membership seeking answers to questions
concerning the Board's actions have gone unanswered during the last two Summer Board Meetings. Although the meeting at Dayton this past summer was highly contentious, with much energized dialogue, the
President has fallen far short of his stated goal of reuniting all members of the organization thru his mediation. The President's approval of the new Policies voted on, in essence change the MVPA
Bylaws without the vote of the full membership, contrary to the existing Bylaws and Missouri Statutes.
As the discussions and actions of the Board Members, promoting an agenda that is only known to themselves, are executed in a backroom secretive manner, the membership has no objective source of
information as to what is going on. Many changes that affect the future of the organization are made with no discussion or general membership input. Past practices, demonstrated by the Board, are to
highlight, sanitize and whitewash the reported minutes of meetings, presenting the view that all Board Members are in lockstep agreement. This fact was made blatantly obvious at the summer Board
Meeting in Dayton.
With the new Policies, the Board is now able to manipulate who may be nominated to run for the Board, both geographically and philosophically, thus predetermining the outcome of the elections. This is
not a far stretch as the Board in the past has allowed a non-member to run and win a board seat, as well as creating a permanent appointed position for a past board member that lost his re-election
bid. As there will be No Recorded Minutes of any of the Meetings, the reports issued to the membership will also be used in a manner to disseminate information which will be useful in promoting their
agenda.
As the truth needs to reach the membership that wish to be informed, and the Board controls all information put forth in club publications, it is necessary to once again utilize the internet and paid
advertising in other publications. If you want to be a part of ending the secrecy of the MVPA Board, and restoring the Voice of the Membership, we urge you to visit the g503.com message boards for the
relevant information. The New Policies, in their entirety, are posted there for your review under the MVPA Discussions Forum. For those that do not have Internet access, copies of this correspondence
will also be sent to all affiliate groups. In a nutshell, the new policies prohibit any recording at meetings, allow the Nominating committee to select candidates for board positions based solely on
geographic location and a new seven page background check form for potential candidates, force all directors to swear allegiance to the board (no, we're not making this up) and sign a resignation that
would be "accepted" should the rest of the board feel that the allegiance has been broken, and a popular motion passed at the summer meeting concerning the Judging Committee Chairman will be
rescinded.
As today's MVPA was formed 20 years ago as the result of a battered organization rising from the ashes of controversy created by the actions of self serving officers, we urge you to end the apathy,
become informed, join the discussions, share your views with others, contact the Board Members with your concerns and work together to preserve the future of the MVPA. Don't let our organization be
blindly led to a repeat of the destructive actions of times past. Our organization is founded on History and Preservation, let's preserve what we have built by learning from the history of our MVPA's
turbulent past.