=A0=A0=A0=A0 I have read the kind words spoken about me and I am humbled by=
them.=A0 I
feel that it is time to put out the story of the latest attempt by the MVPA
Board to influence the election by manipulating the nomination procedures.=
=A0
Here is the story so far...........
=A0=A0 I ran for the board of Directors in the last election and after the
election
was over I found that there were some "irregularities" shall we say, in the
MVPA election process. I won't go into them here as most of you who have=
read
the ad I ran in Military Vehicles last time already know what transpired. I
was
forced to "go to the membership" with my findings when the board did not
appear
to want to remedy the questionable past election process. This action on my
part was a major reason the MVPA board revised the election rules so that no
one person or group could unduly influence the outcome of the election (a
fair,
honest election was the goal) as in the past. At least that's what I
thought
at the time.
=A0=A0=A0=A0 This year I again sent my nomination in to the MVPA National=
Office. I
was=A0 later called by the Nominating Committee chairman (and MVPA VP)=
Kenton
Tucker to do a "phone interview to check my qualifications to run for the
board".=A0 After a lengthy conversation with many questions, Mr Tucker=
stated he
was satisfied that I had met all the six qualifications as outlined in the
Bylaws.=A0 My qualifications are listed at the end of this letter.=A0 This=
was the
last I heard from the committee until a friend called me right after the
Convention to tell me that, at the Board meeting, the Committee had
rejected my
nomination "for cause".=A0=A0=20
=A0=A0 The next day I picked up a registered letter from the MVPA Vice=
President
which stated the following:
" After extensive review and discussion of your credentials, I regret to
inform
you that the committee did not recommend to the board of directors that you=
be
placed on the slate of nominees. I can assure you that your resume and
interview received a thorough professional review."
=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 No reason or "cause" was given! Why could I run in the last=
election
and
not this one?
=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 I immediately tried to contact the Vice president by=
phone. After
several days, he did contact me and I asked him to explain the action of the
committee and as to exactly what the reason or "cause" was. He stated that
there was NO SPECIFIC REASON, just that the Committee had voted to reject my
nomination.=A0 When pressed by me for an answer he mentioned that while I=
was
qualified "the ad had something to do with the other committee members
negative
votes".=20
=A0=A0=A0=A0 Now, thoroughly confused, I contacted two other Board Members=
who I
consider (and still do) good friends and asked them what they knew about=
this
matter. They both had asked the Committee at the board meeting for a reason
why
I was to be excluded from the election.=A0 NO REASON WAS GIVEN TO THEM!=A0=
One in
fact=A0then voted not to approve the "slate of Candidates" if I was not on i=
t
and
the other said "We should let the voters decide".=A0 One of the two stated=
to me
that the Nominating Committee had met with the MVPA's lawyers and in his
opinion the other board members "were teaching me a lesson because I rocked
the
boat!".
=A0=A0=A0 It then became obvious to me what was going on.=A0 The Nominating=
Committee
must be=A0 appointed by the MVPA President, the board then approves them wit=
h
the
Vice President as the chairman as per the Bylaws.=A0 Let's look at who this
committee's=A0 members are; Jerry Cleveland, Reg Hodgson, Lou Moore and=
Kenton
Tucker.=A0 The first three=A0 are Board members that are appointed, NOT=
elected to
the board. THEY CANNOT BE VOTED OUT OF OFFICE!=A0 This leaves them free to=
do as
they please and not worry about repercussions from the members.=A0If they=
don't
recommend a person, he can't run (or so they think).=A0=A0 It makes a nice n=
eat
way
to keep ANYONE they dislike out of the election and the rest of the board=
can
sit back and say "it was the Nominating committee that wouldn't let him run,
not us".=20
=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 What can the members do about it if it angers them?=20
=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 NOTHING=
!!!=A0=A0 YOU CAN'T VOTE THEM OUT OF OFFICE !=A0=20
=A0=A0 =
=20
Sweet deal
right? It now seems you will have to be a friend of the Committee (and the
Board)=20
to be allowed to run for office.=A0 They now have another way to influence=
the
elections by controlling what members are "recommended" (allowed) to run for
the Board.=A0However, there is nothing in the MVPA=A0 Bylaws that says a=
candidate
MUST be "recommended" to be able to run or be put on the ballot, just that=
he
must pass the six qualifications.
=A0=A0=20
=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 On July 5th I faxed the MVPA Nominating Committee the=
following
question;
=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 "I ask the Committee to show just cause for their failure to=
present my
nomination to the Board of Directors."
=A0=A0=A0=A0 A simple question right?=A0 They should have the reason right=
now since
they
rejected my nomination "for cause" before June 3,1999 !=A0=A0 Well, as of=
today,
July 11th, I have not received an answer to this simple question.=20
=A0=A0=A0=A0 On July 5th I also faxed the Board of Directors (via MVPA HQ)=
=A0 =A0the
following question;
=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 "As a nominee who possesses all the qualifications set=
forth in Sec.
4.3 of the MVPA Bylaws I ask the Board of Directors to show just cause why=
my
name is to be excluded from the slate of suitable candidates."
=A0=A0=A0 Another simple question. So far I have not received a response.=A0=
I see
by a
posting on this list from Katie Ferencz that the MVPA president has stated=
to
her (by phone) that a letter will be drafted and sent to me with the reason
within a week.=A0Why wait a week when they should have already had the=
reason
when I was "rejected with cause" back in the beginning of June?=A0 The MVPA=
has
my phone and fax numbers and my e-mail address so it would be a simple
thing to
just contact me directly.
=A0=A0 This is the story so far.=A0 I am not looking to harm the club,=
create
discontent or to start legal action unless I am forced to.=20
=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 I just wanted my chance to run in a fair and honest=
election.
The membership should know if there is an attempt to take away their right=
to
choose who will be elected to MVPA office. The Board of Directors should not
use the MVPA election as their personal tool to punish members who disagree
with them.
Thanks for taking to time to read this,
Jim Gilmore
Qualifications for requirements for Board or Directors
James Gilmore MVPA #5843
(I) I have been a MVPA member for 15 years
(II) I have attended three out of the last four conventions and regularly
attend most of the rallies in the East and Midwest. I=
have
also attended the 45th, 50th, and 55th MVPA Normandy Tours.=A0=A0=A0
(III) I am a founder of the 1st Michigan, Arsenal of Democracy Chapter MVPA
and have served as Newsletter Editor, Vice President, and President of this
chapter. I am one of the top recruiters of new MVPA members in the world.
I am
also acknowledged by the Ford Motor Company as the leading historian on Ford
built military vehicles. I am an accredited researcher in both the National
Archives and the Henry Ford Museum. Since 1980, I have been collecting,
restoring and using military vehicles and currently own over 15 military
vehicles.
(IV) I am employed as a pressman in the Newsprint Department of the Detroit
Newspapers and have been so for the past 28 years. I also hold a Federal
Firearms license with an endorsement for the manufacture of automatic=
weapons.
(V) I have never been convicted of a felony or other serious crime.
(VI) I have never been removed from the MVPA Board of Directors.
Jim
----------------------------------------------------------
"Considered too dangerous to be allowed to run for the MVPA board"
----------------------------------------------------------
Jim Gilmore MVPA # 5843
2565 Wiethoff Inkster, Mi. 48141
313-561-8826 Phone
313-730-1652 Fax
jgilmore@oeonline.com
===
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