SPAR to "get rid of" Membership?

[jbm32206]

Nobody has said that spar or the neighborhood hasn't made great strides, and yes...spar's done wonderful things...again, nobody denies that. The problem is, they're working to exclude the membership via voting, etc...and that's wrong. They've changed bylaws and eliminated elections.

[sheclown]

Besides which, we are not really talking about the organization "SPAR" which has been in existence for many years.  We are not talking about the  general "board"  which is kept in the dark. We are talking about the current executive board's actions which are disturbing.

There is a big difference.

[RiversideGator]

My "position" has nothing to do with a general distaste for irrational hatred. 

Oh and BTW there was no riot in Riverside and I dont recall ever saying that there was no eye gouging.  I seem to recall that my main point was that you were hyping the small amount of crime that happens in Riverside in order to stir up drama to the detriment of the neighborhood.

[jbm32206]

RSG: "My "position" has nothing to do with a general distaste for irrational hatred." Clearly, you haven't the insight as to what was going on and the problems we were discussing. If our complaints were so irrational, then why did the spar board have a special session to address our concerns and are now going to hold elections? There wasn't enough time in which to fully address all of the concerns raised, but as for me, the main issue has always been: no elections and excluding the membership.

[FinnegansWake]

They are having elections because in October it was determined (by me) that with Paul Hout leaving the number of Board members had fallen below the minimum.

The "special session" was actually mine (and Alex's) idea to turn a General Meeting into a Q&A meeting.

And there is a huge difference between criticism that also incorporates suggestions to improve, and a desire to hear facts from the horse's mouth before going off into the deep end....and immediate adversarial stances based on rumors.

Phil

[strider]

Phil, as always, you are trying to be the peace maker.  I admire that and we need someone like you around to help keep things in check.  You did do exactly what you said you did and what you said you were going to do and I know about you and Alex and the Q&A session.  However, I also must also give credit to all of us "discontents" that raised our voices and said, "this is wrong!"  I was at the October board meeting and my opinion is that without "us", you and Alex would not have been successful.  And none of that changes how wrong things were handled by the SPAR Council Executive Committee to begin with.

Joe

[sheclown]

They are having elections because in October it was determined (by me) that with Paul Hout leaving the number of Board members had fallen below the minimum.
The "special session" was actually mine (and Alex's) idea to turn a General Meeting into a Q&A meeting.

True...but they would not have had the meeting without community pressure.  Joan's point is valid.

[sheclown]

And there is a huge difference between criticism that also incorporates suggestions to improve, and a desire to hear facts from the horse's mouth before going off into the deep end....and immediate adversarial stances based on rumors.

Phil

Absolutely true.  This should be a guiding light for all behavior.

[zoo]

Per strider:

Phil, as always, you are trying to be the peace maker.  I admire that and we need someone like you around to help keep things in check.  You did do exactly what you said you did and what you said you were going to do and I know about you and Alex and the Q&A session.  However, I also must also give credit to all of us "discontents" that raised our voices and said, "this is wrong!"  I was at the October board meeting and my opinion is that without "us", you and Alex would not have been successful.

Phil/Alex, didn't you guys know that you are just the mindless, manipulated for the other side? Thank goodness strider has a brain to keep all of the other idiots in Springfield protected from a misguided board and our own inability to learn, assess situations, and take action ourselves...

[uptowngirl]

Why is this always so personal?


Again, I heard from several people last night that if Strider were not involved SPAR would work with the neighbors who are not happy about the by-laws being shredded by SPAR.

What?

So is this all some personal game to people? people who live in Springfield, and have invested in Springfield just want the by-laws and articles t be followed, their representatives to be true representatives. I have always said SPAR should be HAPPY that they have members who care enough to bring items like this up. Why is one "who" more important than the total "what"? The issue is the issue regardless of "who" is talking. The issues that SPAR and/or neighbors in Springfield may have with Strider are seperate form this particular issue. Are we children or adults here? I mean I have to work with people I did not choose, nor have faith in everyday, I do not just ignore my responsibilities because I did not get to choose who I must work with? Is this professional?

[jbm32206]

Thank you, UTG....that's exactly what a major part of this overall resistance to working all of this out seems to stem from. People are allowing the issues to become twisted around a personal grudge, instead of facing the true concerns. I think it's shameful, at best. Right from the start, this all stems from the news that there wouldn't be an election, even though terms were (and have since) to expire and there were openings. Of course, from that, other issues that have bothered many of the members and/or residents of this neighborhood have been discussed.

I don't why people just can't stick to the real issues, which at this point, still haven't been resolved.

[FinnegansWake]

UpTownGirl - [snotty comment deleted by author]

Zoo - Strider knows I am not mindless. And for the record I think that all ideas deserve consideration regardless of the source. Strider has some points that are valid. 

Eeyore - if someone said the sun was hot you would disagree. If someone said "the square root of 64 is 6" you would say, "Clearly this is correct and I totally agree". Get an original thought.

Phil

[uptowngirl]

UpTownGirl - you need to make it to a meeting.

Zoo - Strider knows I am not mindless. And for the record I think that all ideas deserve consideration regardless of the source. Strider has some points that are valid. 

Eeyore - if someone said the sun was hot you would disagree. If someone said "the square root of 64 is 6" you would say, "Clearly this is correct and I totally agree". Get an original thought.

Phil

OK Finn, response deleted by author 

[FinnegansWake]

You are correct and I am sorry.

Phil

[ChriswUfGator]

Well, truth is, if SPAR ever does eliminate community membership / support, it will ultimately be their death knell. The money isn't the point, since we all know they only get peanuts from that source anyway. But what will happen is, the community members will then have no choice but to start another organization outside of SPAR in order to get anything done, and frankly this one neighborhood really isn't big enough for duplicates.

Honestly, that might even be the best solution. Even almost a decade ago, back when I had my rentals in Springfield, SPAR was still controlled by 5 or 10 arrogant and insular folks (probably mostly the same ones today), who were concerned with their own agenda, which usually never included anything that would be remotely important to the other 99% of the neighborhood.

So I dunno, honestly, rather than grousing about how hard it is to fix this organization that's clearly broken by design, it may be better to start over fresh.