Slowpoke_Rodrigo
New member
From my e-mail - Rodrigo
August 1 Neal Knox Special Report -- NRA members' strong
voices are clearly heard in the halls of Congress, but not
necessarily heard in NRA Headquarters.
Or so I'm told in countless letters and phone calls from
members angry or irritated about excessive fundraising letters,
legislative positions, improperly graded political candidates,
instructor certification problems, undelivered hats and a string of
other important and trivial issues.
I've opened one such letter, and received one such call in
just the last half hour.
A call I received last month was from a guy who lives in the
same town as an influential NRA Director; I suggested that perhaps
he should talk to him about the problem.
My caller exploded. He said he'd been talking to that
Director about the same problem for two years, and though the
Director agreed that the problem could and should be corrected,
nothing has happened.
"Now he refuses to talk about it, saying I should call HQ.
My anti-gun Congressman pays more attention to me
than my Director does," he fumed.
I told him I was working on something that might solve his
problem.
That "something" is one of the two NRA Bylaws Amendments that
Dr. Bill Davis and I are circulating petitions to put on next
winter's mail ballot.
The first Bylaw Amendment would create representational
government in NRA by modifying the way Directors are elected.
It calls for 50 of the 75 NRA Directors to be elected for one
year terms by members _within_ their states of residence.
To provide appropriate representation for the states with
larger population, 24 Directors would be elected At Large as at
present, except their terms would be for two years instead of
three, to keep them "closer to the people" (as the Founding Fathers
said about the U.S. House of Representatives).
One Director would continue to be elected each year by all
members at an annual meeting.
The idea of State Directors has been floating around for over
20 years that I know about.
What it would do is assure that most voting members in a state
would be choosing someone that they actually knew.
In every other state, the members of those states would also
be choosing people _they_ knew -- either from their state
association, or the Friends Dinners, or through a grass roots
legislative group, or at the gun shows or at a local range.
That alone would have a whale of an impact on the makeup of
the Board, for at least two thirds of the Directors would reflect
the views of the members of his or her state.
But it would also guarantee that each State Director -- who
would be running again the following year -- would pay careful
attention to the reasonable requests of NRA members, and make sure
the NRA staff paid attention. Congressmen call it "constituent
service."
I will guarantee you that if we get the required 500 validated
NRA Voting Member signatures on our petitions by Sept. 1, the Board
will oppose it.
One argument will be that it's too complicated and costly.
Nonsense. Only minimal changes would be needed in the ballots and
the dBase computer program to count a candidate's vote from within
his state.
Another argument will be that the State Director Bylaw would
result in over-representation of smaller states. But for several
years the tiny state of Rhode Island -- with probably the smallest
NRA membership per capita of any state -- has had two Directors.
Over one-third of the larger states, some with an unusually
high percentage of NRA members, have no representation on the
Board.
The other proposed bylaw amendment would provide reasonable
restrictions against NRA employees and contractors funding, or
otherwise being involved in NRA internal elections (except for
employees the Secretary assigned to help conduct the elections).
The Board will oppose that one, too, for in the last three
election cycles -- when no one except nominees of the Board-elected
Nominating Committee have been elected -- many or most of those
elected paid only a small portion (or none) of the heavy costs of
their campaigns.
I have reason to believe that most of the $40,000 or so in
advertisements directing members "Do Not Vote For" certain people
(including me, twice) were paid by NRA vendors and contractors.
I also believe vendors paid most of the cost of the campaign mailings, flyers
and election handouts that may have cost another $40,000.
I have no reason to doubt that those vendors sincerely like
NRA E.V.P. Wayne LaPierre, who approves their contracts.
But it's worrisome to think that outside commercial interests
may be influencing NRA elections -- and, therefore, NRA policies.
And I hope I'm wrong.
Putting this difficult-to-enforce Bylaw on the books would at
least make it clear that the membership doesn't want it to happen.
According to the Bylaws, if Bill and I deliver 500 properly
identified valid signatures of voting members by Sept. 1, we will
also get to write a 500-word statement which will be printed in the
election issue of the NRA magazines, which the opposing Board can
also match.
Approval will require a majority vote of the members voting.
No previous Bylaw amendment opposed by the Board has been approved.
But I think the members will like these amendments -- which
should have the support of every state association, collector
organization and other affiliated member group in every state, for it
will make it possible for them to elect at least one Director they
want.
These Bylaw Amendments would assure that the voices of the
members are heard in the Board meetings -- and in the Blue Palace
on Waples Mill.
To help make it happen, start by pointing your web browser to http://www.NealKnox.com/NRA2001/petitions. Read our cover letter
and both of the petitions, which you can print out on legal sized
paper with a click of the button. Get as many voting member
signatures -- and NRA identification numbers -- as you can, and
send to Bill at the address indicated.
Neal Knox
P.S. If you can't download, contact Bill at
bdavis123@mindspring.com and send your snailmail address.
------------------
Slowpoke Rodrigo...he pack a gon...
"That which binds us together is infinitely greater than that on which we disagree" - Neal Knox
"Quemadmoeum gladuis neminem occidit, occidentis telum est." (A sword is never a killer, it is a tool in the killer's hands.) -- Lucius Annaeus Seneca, circa 45 AD
[This message has been edited by Slowpoke_Rodrigo (edited August 02, 2000).]
August 1 Neal Knox Special Report -- NRA members' strong
voices are clearly heard in the halls of Congress, but not
necessarily heard in NRA Headquarters.
Or so I'm told in countless letters and phone calls from
members angry or irritated about excessive fundraising letters,
legislative positions, improperly graded political candidates,
instructor certification problems, undelivered hats and a string of
other important and trivial issues.
I've opened one such letter, and received one such call in
just the last half hour.
A call I received last month was from a guy who lives in the
same town as an influential NRA Director; I suggested that perhaps
he should talk to him about the problem.
My caller exploded. He said he'd been talking to that
Director about the same problem for two years, and though the
Director agreed that the problem could and should be corrected,
nothing has happened.
"Now he refuses to talk about it, saying I should call HQ.
My anti-gun Congressman pays more attention to me
than my Director does," he fumed.
I told him I was working on something that might solve his
problem.
That "something" is one of the two NRA Bylaws Amendments that
Dr. Bill Davis and I are circulating petitions to put on next
winter's mail ballot.
The first Bylaw Amendment would create representational
government in NRA by modifying the way Directors are elected.
It calls for 50 of the 75 NRA Directors to be elected for one
year terms by members _within_ their states of residence.
To provide appropriate representation for the states with
larger population, 24 Directors would be elected At Large as at
present, except their terms would be for two years instead of
three, to keep them "closer to the people" (as the Founding Fathers
said about the U.S. House of Representatives).
One Director would continue to be elected each year by all
members at an annual meeting.
The idea of State Directors has been floating around for over
20 years that I know about.
What it would do is assure that most voting members in a state
would be choosing someone that they actually knew.
In every other state, the members of those states would also
be choosing people _they_ knew -- either from their state
association, or the Friends Dinners, or through a grass roots
legislative group, or at the gun shows or at a local range.
That alone would have a whale of an impact on the makeup of
the Board, for at least two thirds of the Directors would reflect
the views of the members of his or her state.
But it would also guarantee that each State Director -- who
would be running again the following year -- would pay careful
attention to the reasonable requests of NRA members, and make sure
the NRA staff paid attention. Congressmen call it "constituent
service."
I will guarantee you that if we get the required 500 validated
NRA Voting Member signatures on our petitions by Sept. 1, the Board
will oppose it.
One argument will be that it's too complicated and costly.
Nonsense. Only minimal changes would be needed in the ballots and
the dBase computer program to count a candidate's vote from within
his state.
Another argument will be that the State Director Bylaw would
result in over-representation of smaller states. But for several
years the tiny state of Rhode Island -- with probably the smallest
NRA membership per capita of any state -- has had two Directors.
Over one-third of the larger states, some with an unusually
high percentage of NRA members, have no representation on the
Board.
The other proposed bylaw amendment would provide reasonable
restrictions against NRA employees and contractors funding, or
otherwise being involved in NRA internal elections (except for
employees the Secretary assigned to help conduct the elections).
The Board will oppose that one, too, for in the last three
election cycles -- when no one except nominees of the Board-elected
Nominating Committee have been elected -- many or most of those
elected paid only a small portion (or none) of the heavy costs of
their campaigns.
I have reason to believe that most of the $40,000 or so in
advertisements directing members "Do Not Vote For" certain people
(including me, twice) were paid by NRA vendors and contractors.
I also believe vendors paid most of the cost of the campaign mailings, flyers
and election handouts that may have cost another $40,000.
I have no reason to doubt that those vendors sincerely like
NRA E.V.P. Wayne LaPierre, who approves their contracts.
But it's worrisome to think that outside commercial interests
may be influencing NRA elections -- and, therefore, NRA policies.
And I hope I'm wrong.
Putting this difficult-to-enforce Bylaw on the books would at
least make it clear that the membership doesn't want it to happen.
According to the Bylaws, if Bill and I deliver 500 properly
identified valid signatures of voting members by Sept. 1, we will
also get to write a 500-word statement which will be printed in the
election issue of the NRA magazines, which the opposing Board can
also match.
Approval will require a majority vote of the members voting.
No previous Bylaw amendment opposed by the Board has been approved.
But I think the members will like these amendments -- which
should have the support of every state association, collector
organization and other affiliated member group in every state, for it
will make it possible for them to elect at least one Director they
want.
These Bylaw Amendments would assure that the voices of the
members are heard in the Board meetings -- and in the Blue Palace
on Waples Mill.
To help make it happen, start by pointing your web browser to http://www.NealKnox.com/NRA2001/petitions. Read our cover letter
and both of the petitions, which you can print out on legal sized
paper with a click of the button. Get as many voting member
signatures -- and NRA identification numbers -- as you can, and
send to Bill at the address indicated.
Neal Knox
P.S. If you can't download, contact Bill at
bdavis123@mindspring.com and send your snailmail address.
------------------
Slowpoke Rodrigo...he pack a gon...
"That which binds us together is infinitely greater than that on which we disagree" - Neal Knox
"Quemadmoeum gladuis neminem occidit, occidentis telum est." (A sword is never a killer, it is a tool in the killer's hands.) -- Lucius Annaeus Seneca, circa 45 AD
[This message has been edited by Slowpoke_Rodrigo (edited August 02, 2000).]