Subject: 2 Cents More from Newest Most Outspoken Member
From: "John D Haefele" <[email-masked]>
To: "Char Olson" <[email-masked]>, "Dan Boulden" <[email-masked]>, "George Vanderburgh" <[email-masked]>, "Henry & Pat Russell" <[email-masked]>, "James Roberts" <[email-masked]>, "Jim Kirchstein" <[email-masked]>, "Karen Nelson" <[email-masked]>, "Kay Price" <[email-masked]>, "Kenneth Grant" <[email-masked]>, "Mary or David Schweitzer" <[email-masked]>, "Perry Huntoon" <[email-masked]>, "Rodney Schroeter" <[email-masked]>, "Tracy Heron" <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 19 Aug 2011 16:04:17 -0500

Everyone,

Some of you have said the Plan we drafted last year is not in use for never
having been finalized, which means the obviously "necessary" (on that
everyone did agree) and core goal that we set out to accomplish, after
discussing it for nearly a full-and apparently wasted-day, was tabled and
forgotten.  Only that was not my understanding at the time (probably my
mistake), for I took away from the meeting "a good plan now," which we would
strive to make perfect while moving forward, by building on the five topics
given over to smaller, more specialized groups; in those we focused our
expertise and interests.  My comment is this: wherever and however we did
not do this, a full year has been wasted; not only that, but by the time we
"officially" do go back we will end up by reliving the same meeting again.
I have had considerable experiences in my career along these lines, and here
are some of the problems we have for not utilizing a plan:

.         Events which are haphazard

.         Newsletters that serve no real purpose

.         Inability to take advantage (or even recognize) opportunities when
they come

.         Lack of focus (e.g., on increasing membership, or what to include
when we reprint brochures)

.         Lack of progress (revisiting without end every issue, and delays
trying to get everyone on board)

.         Personalities and emotions that trump common sense

Respectfully (but impatiently, too)

John