GAMA Fall Meeting
At the GenCon breakfast meeting, GAMA President Don Perrin could not answer the question of whether or not GAMA members would be allowed to attend but promised to consult with the rest of the board and get back to us. Finally, 12 days before the meeting, they have announced that a block of time would be open on Tuesday morning, but the rest of the meeting would be comprised of "closed working sessions" which the membership would not be allowed to sit in on. The GAMA Retail Board, on the other hand, invites the membership to attend *their* meetings, which will be taking place at the same time, in the same venue.
For the last month, it's been my intention to attend the fall meeting as a GAMA Full Voting Member if allowed to do so by the Board. Of course, now it's far too late to get a decent price on a plane ticket.
Would you like to attend the meeting, but can't get away? Can't afford to attend now that we're in the "under 14-days" window? Would you like to have the chance to have your specific questions (about the bylaws, about the Origins Awards, about GTS and the new venue, about the status of the search for an "excellently qualified executive director," about anything...) presented to the board of diretors, to get official answers? Would you like to have someone there to report back exactly what it is that they're accomplishing, since they're reportedly "working 40 hours a week" on GAMA issues behind closed doors?
I know I certainly would like to see someone from the membership attending these meetings and I'm sufficiently motivated to try a crazy scheme. If I can come up with $300, I can get a plane ticket and a room and attend this meeting. It's too much for me to commit myself on short notice, but for anyone willing to donate to the cause, I will attend the meeting on your behalf as well: give me your questions, your statements, your requests. I will bring them to the board in person, and will attend the open portions of the meetings, and dutifully report back what transpires.
If I don't get enough responses, or collect enough to attend the meeting, I will refund any donations that I do collect.
For the last month, it's been my intention to attend the fall meeting as a GAMA Full Voting Member if allowed to do so by the Board. Of course, now it's far too late to get a decent price on a plane ticket.
Would you like to attend the meeting, but can't get away? Can't afford to attend now that we're in the "under 14-days" window? Would you like to have the chance to have your specific questions (about the bylaws, about the Origins Awards, about GTS and the new venue, about the status of the search for an "excellently qualified executive director," about anything...) presented to the board of diretors, to get official answers? Would you like to have someone there to report back exactly what it is that they're accomplishing, since they're reportedly "working 40 hours a week" on GAMA issues behind closed doors?
I know I certainly would like to see someone from the membership attending these meetings and I'm sufficiently motivated to try a crazy scheme. If I can come up with $300, I can get a plane ticket and a room and attend this meeting. It's too much for me to commit myself on short notice, but for anyone willing to donate to the cause, I will attend the meeting on your behalf as well: give me your questions, your statements, your requests. I will bring them to the board in person, and will attend the open portions of the meetings, and dutifully report back what transpires.
If I don't get enough responses, or collect enough to attend the meeting, I will refund any donations that I do collect.
For some reason, I don't find it at all surprising that the new GAMA board would decide to shunt everything off to a member's-only given, what, a recent board member who willing accessed private email ... ah, nevermind ... too easy.
Every time I read about these folks of late, I'm just outright stunned by the lack of professionalism.
Good luck with the meeting, though. ;)