Looking over recent BOD posts (messages on the board of directors mailing list), I have some thoughts I wanted to express. Please bear with me.

1) The election seems to be stymied by fear of (tax) liability.

2) I seem to recall, when I arrived at the meeting with Mercant (an attorney visited by Dallas and Steve Schiffman on behalf of SCOUG), (admittedly late) that there were going to be measures to smooth over short term problems with IRS/FTB. I don't see anything about this in the LOE (Letter of Engagement) after my cursory inspection. (long term, yes, short term no.) Maybe the intent was that we needed to get an accountant to contact them to assure them we were not ignoring them, but something needs to be done on this. Maybe we need to get organization ironed out first, if so let's reiterate that viewpoint here on the BOD list. Yes, Mercant does not do taxes, but someone will have to.

3) I don't feel like being stampeded to go immediately with the LOE. I feel like maybe the main thing should be that members and potential candidates feel comfortable with this course. If so, they can run for office, if not maybe we need to see another lawyer or accountant, we need to find out what will satisfy the people that might run for office. Have they been shown the LOE? I don't see any deadline on the LOE.

4) Mark A. had some questions about the course of action, and I think some other people did. I don't think these question are unreasonable. I know Mark is not trying to be disruptive, he raises questions based on his experience with non-profits (much more than me and probably anyone else on this list).

5) My take on the incorporation thing is that by forming a 'new organization', and moving all the money from the old 'association', it is proven that (whether the word was used or not) the old organization was holding the money in 'trust' for the stated purposes, proving that is was an association by moving it on to a non-profit corp. with similar goals. Anyone disagree or see flaws in this interpetation?

6) To me, two of the reasons to see a lawyer were:
a) set a course of action, based on circumstances and goals, based on professional advice.
b) psychological well being, "vibes", confidence.

These are inter-related. If we are paralyzed with fear, no plan of action will do any good. If there is no plan of action, fear will prevail.

It seems key to me that not just the current BOD, but Rocky and any of the candidates *considering* running feel confident with the LOE, that this answers their questions.

7) Maybe the current board was supposed to torture Steven Levine until he signs a letter of confession that he is responsible for the club not being incorporated because he basicly crystallized this information. Maybe this is what people want as far as full disclosure about the club's status. Maybe we were all supposed to sign some kind of confession of guilt to satisfy this need for full disclosure. But that is not how I feel. Levine finally cut through a lot of hearsay to the truth, and for that we should thank him. We were ignorant, now we know what the true status is. There should be less fear now, because we know what things need to be done. We should be thankfull that we are no longer stumbling along in the dark.

I'd like to hear some agreement on this point.

Regards,

Dallas E. Legan II  /  leganii@surfree.com  /  dallasii@kincyb.com

"The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear,
and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown."
          -  H.P. Lovecraft

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