June, anybody?
Forgive my ignorance, but to what are you referring?
USOC Blue ribbon panel that will decide who is or is not on the USAT BOD. Ruling was due at the end of April, still waiting…
Barebones update:
**On March 29, Thurgood Marshall, Jr., chair of the Blue Ribbon Panel, wrote to Dan and me to ask that we forbear from taking steps to force USAT to send out a ballot on the proposed bylaws amendments contained in the petition. In this letter, Marshall states, and I quote: “Second, the Panel anticipates that the grievance will be fully heard and decided within the next 30 days.”
**This request presented a dilemma for us. The people signing and submitting the petition had done everything required under the initiative provisions of the bylaws - and once that happened, all that was left was for USAT to do ITS job. In other words, send out the petition for a vote. The BRP had a very limited grant of jurisdiction - determine whether the 2003 election was valid - and could take no more power than possessed by the entity granting the same. The panel’s power came by grant from the USAT Board of Directors - but, and this is important, the right of initiative in the USAT bylaws was a power RESERVED by the owners/founders of USAT (the annual members). Because of that, it was (and is) superior to any powers granted by the members to the board in the bylaws.
**In other words, Dan and I didn’t have to comply with Marshall’s request . . . but, given his promise of swift action, we decided it was the responsible thing to do.
**The 30 days “anticipated” by Mr. Marshall expired on April 28, without word one. On May 12, I called the office of the USOC deputy counsel Gary Johansen to inquire as to the status of the proceeding. He has not yet returned my call. The next day, I made a simiiar call to the office of Mr. Marshall; it was announced to me that he was “out of the country”, but they would send him an e-mail. No response to date from him either.
**After talking about this last night, Dan and I have decided our well of patience has about run dry.
Thank you Lew (and Dan) for the update and your actions. I have to .think that there must be some format for the BRP and/or the USAT board to issue some kind of statement, update, or even the acknowledgement that they still exist after six weeks. Unless I have missed something, all-in-all very unimpressive.
Mr. Kidder,
This is crazy and unacceptable. I can understand your well of patience running dry. I feel the same.
What do you think are the options of the membership at this point? What about starting a parallel ‘governing body’ with race insurance for Race Directors (and racers) that undercuts USAT rates? We do that and in a couple of years the USAT will exist only in the dustbin of history.
Any other thoughts?
I paid my $27 to re-up with USAT for another year this week. Burns my ass - I gotta be timely with my payment but USAT and defactor USOC thorugh the actions of the BRP can not live up to their committments in a timely manor.
I second the establishment of another governing body. At least paying these due wont scorch my keester!!!