Consolidatin (US O & P Politics)

Consolidatin (US O & P Politics)

1/20/1999

I hope this is my last post for a while. But in the spirit of
     dispelling suspicions and previous references to hidden agendas and
     railroading I would like to make some comments. I had to find the
     time even though I said I couldn't.

     As Charles Pritham noted in an earlier post today, in response to John
     Billock's inquiry, the KPMG Peat Marwick audit was not for financial
     indiscretions or suspicion, rather it was for process, efficiency,
     structure, organization, and overall operation. Integrity is there,
     effectiveness and efficiency were not, although the three executive
     directors (Executive Management Team) has done a great job of
     restoring much of the lost effectiveness and efficiency.

     There has never been an agenda to re-live the ACPORS situation. That
     was a different time, different place, much different Executive
     Director, mostly different elected leadership, different approach (it
     was low profile until just before the 1993 Academy Meeting in Vegas).
      Most do not realize, that ACPORS never even made it to a total vote,
     it was defeated on the debate floor by a motion from the floor at the
     Academy meeting.


     ****The most important point of this post follows:****

     Because of the KPMG Peat Marwick audit the three boards and NCOPE felt
     a FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITY to at least consider/review consolidation
     options. As stated several times in previous posts, the organized
     leadership of the sister organizations had heard this advice at least
     two times previously in this decade. There is no agenda, no intent to
     railroad, no desire to suppress one group or another. Hell, I wear
     all three hats, I pay my ABC Certificant fees, my Academy dues, and
     Duke's AOPA dues. Many on this list do the same. Most of the
     leadership are do to.

     The current elected/appointed leadership has intended to incorporate
     acceptable discussion points from the Academy meeting and the public
     debate period into the final set of by-laws that will be presented to
     the memberships for the vote. (see my earlier post on the vote format)
     All along, it has been the intention to present an option...a model
     that is an alternative to our current three sister/NCOPE relationship.
     Then the memberships decide. Fair vote, no railroad.

     If consolidation gets voted down, so be it. Put it to rest for good.
     I am taking the position/stance, that because of the KMPG Peat Marwick
     audit, and their advice and others' advice that we consider
     consolidation, that it was leadership's responsibility to study it and
     attempt it. We owe the memberships that option. Therefore, we have
     explored it and are preparing to present a model.

     I feel it is important that we allow it to go the full flight
     plan...discussion at the Academy meeting, public debate period, and
     then a final vote late in the summer or early in the fall. I can live
     with the present sister organizations if consolidation is voted down,
     as long as we continue to streamline the NSO.

     My final comment is related to some of John Billock's reflections on
     the Academy. I may be on the AOPA board right now, but I was reared
     in the Academy and the Academy will always be dear to my heart. I do
     not wish to lose the awards, the Fellowship, the esprit de cour. That
     is why the name was carefully considered to retain AAOP. For fellows
     (which I have an obvious interest), FAAOP could still be relevant. I
     am sure all of those great traditions of the Academy can be continued
     in the new Association. AOPA has over the last few years begun a
     lifetime achievement award and some other awards related to government
     relations. We could continue in the vein of professional achievement
     awards, lifetime achievement awards, and government relations
     achievement awards. Consolidation can be achieved as a NEW PARADIGM
     that retains the best of the past/present traditions/practices of the
     existing organizations and that sheds the garbage that we have been
     saddled with from a national office that grew into a beauracracy.

     Please feel free to address any criticisms or questions of my
     viewpoints to either this listserver or to my personal email.


     Respectfully,