Edd,First, you yourself use the word guidelines to describe the BOT Procedures Manual. Guidelines are simply that and are not binding. The only documents that is binding on AKA members and the BOT is the by-laws and the code of ethics, which is referenced in the by-laws.
Second, there is no mention in the Procedures Manual to the effect that the F&EL is for members only. As I have previously mentioned, I have always understood that such listing is a privilege of members, but it is not set out in these documents.
Third, it is true that the BOT Manual has been updated periodically, as it should be. The last update was in 2008, the one before that in 2006. I can assure you that nothing related to membership privileges was deleted. I particularly resent and object to your use of the derogatory term "messed with". The changes made in the Procedures Manual were carefully considered and debated by BOT members and were duly passed as a proposition, in accordance with the by-laws.
The lack of documentation as to who can list in the BNL has not changed in many years and has not been acted upon by previous chairmen, including Edd Kray. It is interesting that this thread started off as a suggestion that non-members should be allowed to list but has morphed into another opportunity for certain people to harass and publicly ridicule those of us who work on behalf of the AKA. Edd Kray asks "where is our leadership". I can promise him that continued insults on a public list is one of the best ways to drive away potential leaders, to say nothing of driving away potential members.
The AKA is a good organization and I have made many valuable friends by belonging to it. I think I can defend the record of the BOT over the last couple of years. We have shown good leadership and have made some important decisions. I have received a number of messages complimenting the BOT over the last couple of years. I understand that most members choose to ignore what they see as distasteful comments on killietalk but I sometimes wish they would tell the people who post them what they think of them.
The AKA faces challenges, like every other branch of the aquarium hobby. Many of these are brought about by the so-called information age, in which the internet and email are prominent components. Not the least of those is the willingness of a handful of people to fire off ill-considered and insulting messages on lists like this. I'm afraid that I think killietalk has become a platform for such behavior rather than a platform for exchange of information about the fish that was its original intent.
The people willing to show such ungracious behavior are, in fact, only a handful, but I can assure you that they are causing damage to this organization. It will take a fast talker to convince me to ever again get involved in AKA governance once my term on the BOT is over at the end of this year. Perhaps that is good news to some of you. We'll see if you can do better.
Last, to those people reading this who might be discouraged from joining this hobby or this organization, don't be discouraged. A handful of unreasonable people doesn't change the fact that the fish are beautiful and interesting and that most of the members are wonderful, generous people. Don't let these political comments stop you from enjoying the fish.
Barry Cooper Chairman, AKA Edd wrote:
Barry wrote " but I'm not sure we have a "legal" right to refuse non-members."Good grief, where is our leadership and why don't they understand our guidelines? It's been a while since I had a copy of the BOT guidelines and I realize that they've been "messed with" in the past few years, but somewhere it must state that listing in the F&EL is a "PRIVELEGE of being a member. It's always been AKA policy that the BNL F&EL was for members only. Only members can be required to follow the COE and that's a REQUIREMENT for listing. "frustrated with our leadership" Edd Kray. -----Original Message----- From: killietalk-bounces+edd=catfishnthecrawlers_com at actwin.com [mailto:killietalk-bounces+edd=catfishnthecrawlers_com at actwin.com] On Behalf Of Robert Goldstein Sent: Thursday, March 19, 2009 11:07 AM To: killifish discussion list Subject: Re: [Killietalk] Non member I think the doubt applies to a company or institution open to the public butnot private clubs unless discrimination is based on ethnicity, origin, color, economic status, or other violation of environmental justice in its legal sense. Newspapers can refuse advertisements for numerous reasons, including offensiveness to the community.----- Original Message ----- From: "Barry Cooper" <barry_cooper at mac.com>To: "killifish discussion list" <killietalk at aka_org> Sent: Thursday, March 19, 2009 12:59 PM Subject: Re: [Killietalk] Non memberKarl Doering wrote:Question?? Can a non member of the AKA list on the Fish & Egg listing in the BNLof the AKA??I can find no reference in the by-laws that speak to this issue. As the by-laws are the only binding document governing the AKA, that makes a definitive answer difficult. The by-laws stipulate that members must abideKarl Doering 24584 Raven Eastpointe Mi 48021 586-774-2245 kilikarl@ wowway.com Join the AKA at http://www.aka.org/aka/modules/content/index.php?id=9. Archives are at http://fins.actwin.com/killietalk/Modify your subscription at http://www.actwin.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/killietalkby the Code of Ethics, but the latter also do not indicate who can list inthe BNL.Having said that, it has always been my understanding that listing in the BNL's F&EL was a privilege of membership and for that reason I stated thaton the web site, although I note that it is not stated in the BNL itself, at least the recent ones.Transactions initiated through the BNL are the only ones that are protected by the AKA Code of Ethics and transactions involving non-membersare explicitly excluded from such protection in the CofE. That would lead me to believe that only members should list in the BNL but I'm not sure wehave a "legal" right to refuse non-members.The By-laws and Code of Ethics are available on the AKA web site if you wish to peruse them.Barry Cooper -- Barry J. Cooper Sweet Home, OR 97386 Join the AKA at http://www.aka.org/aka/modules/content/index.php?id=9. Archives are at http://fins.actwin.com/killietalk/Modify your subscription at http://www.actwin.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/killietalkJoin the AKA at http://www.aka.org/aka/modules/content/index.php?id=9. Archives are at http://fins.actwin.com/killietalk/ Modify your subscription at http://www.actwin.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/killietalk Join the AKA at http://www.aka.org/aka/modules/content/index.php?id=9. Archives are at http://fins.actwin.com/killietalk/ Modify your subscription at http://www.actwin.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/killietalk
-- Barry J. Cooper Sweet Home, OR 97386 Join the AKA at http://www.aka.org/aka/modules/content/index.php?id=9. Archives are at http://fins.actwin.com/killietalk/ Modify your subscription at http://www.actwin.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/killietalk