SPAR revolt?

[jbm32206]

I don't want to see the board go away, just revamped into what would be, those who really are interested in the betterment of Springfield and not just what's good for a few.

[walter]

Well this is just tasteful.  I have been watching the posts here for some time.  Today is my first post.  This is the biggest reason that I do not post here.  The crudeness and rudeness is really not called for.  It drives people like me away.  It may be easy to just write me off as someone who really would have nothing to contribute anyway and that might be true.  Or, it might be false.  You may never know.  Worse yet, I would guess that there are many others like me out there.

sounds to me more like a moth drawn to a flame.  you try to stay away, but the crudeness and rudeness keeps drawing you back in.  keep lurking.

[AlexS]

And there have been many wonderful people who have wandered on and off of the SPAR board over the years.  In fact, at least two of them, Jack Meeks and Page Dampier, have earned my personal respect and admiration in profound ways both on and off the emotionally charged residents group.

I am glad to say that Jack Meeks is back on the SPAR board as of a few weeks ago. All SPAR Board members unanimously voted for him as a great asset to Springfield and are pleased to have him back.

[fatcat]

SPAR needs young blood. One of the greatness of George Washington is term limits. Unfortunately, SPAR did something exactly opposite. It is ostentatious to think some SPAR leader is more valuable than George Washington. It is uber stupid to think the area is so lack of talent. 

[Midway ®]

SPAR needs young blood. One of the greatness of George Washington is term limits. Unfortunately, SPAR did something exactly opposite. It is ostentatious to think some SPAR leader is more valuable than George Washington. It is uber stupid to think the area is so lack of talent. 

Funny you should mention George Washington.

The people on SPAR actually knew George Washington.

[gatorback]

It's not untipical for organizations such as SPAR to lose focus of their mission. Do they have a mission statement?

[AlexS]

It's not untipical for organizations such as SPAR to lose focus of their mission. Do they have a mission statement?

This is from the SPAR Bylaws which are posted here:
http://www.sparcouncil.org/images/stories/Bylaws_2008.pdf

ARTICLE 2 - PURPOSES
The purpose of the Corporation is to stimulate preservation, reinvestment, and community
activism in Springfield Historic District, while maintaining the integrity of its structures and history.
The mission of the Corporation is to provide leadership to the residents of Historic Springfield
to revitalize, preserve, and restore the community through its diverse programs.
In addition, the Corporation is formed for the purposes of performing all things incidental to, or
appropriate in, the achievement of the foregoing specific and primary purposes. However, the
Corporation shall not, except to an insubstantial degree, engage in any activities or exercise any
powers that do not further its specific and primary purposes.

[jbm32206]

I too have heard good things about Meeks....and I couldn't agree with you more, Moved....and this is one of the problems with SPAR, failure to really communicate with it's members.

[thelakelander]

It sounds like some of you all should join SPAR.  That would go a long way to getting some of the things you would like to see in the neighborhood, take place.

[jbm32206]

I'm already a paying member, as are many of the others who have been posting....and no, it hasn't helped, not as far as SPAR goes. However, we've worked very hard towards the betterment of our neighborhood. We have pride and we work hard...but getting SPAR to act on certain things...well, they haven't.

[thelakelander]

Is there a way to do more than pay a general membership fee?  Is there any way to actively participate with the group of individuals making decisions?

[jbm32206]

yes, and we do...but the majority of their business is handled by those sitting on the council.

[uptowngirl]

I am a paying member too (it makes no difference), but won't be this year! When the neighborhood spoke up about the Main St. design, and how we would want pedestrian walks as were provided on 8th St lectures ensued on not supporting the “original pioneers who designed as best they could at the time”. SPAR needs to move into the future, there are new residents with different wants/needs, what worked for SPAR in 1992 is not going to work for 2009; the needs and demographics are too different. I have attended meetings where no one is supposed to talk (except board members) but developers are allowed the floor whenever they so choose. Many have tried to voice concerns on houses being demolished left and right, without any communication to the neighborhood (preservation is part of the SPAR mission statement) but they don’t like people speaking up about this, just like they don’t like a person speaking up much about anything that contradicts their vision. I had to ask someone what a LOLA was, but now that I am "in the know" I have to agree.

SPAR has a trend of "selecting" board members instead of voting them in, this much I do know. In this case at least it sounds like they selected someone for reasons other than being so and so's friend.

I have heard good things about Jack, so maybe this is a good start for some change.

[32206livedraps]

Is there a way to do more than pay a general membership fee?  Is there any way to actively participate with the group of individuals making decisions?

They don't want the input of their members. They believe that their neighborhood isn't capable of thinking so they must do it for them

[jbm32206]

I totally agree with both, uptowngirl and livedraps...you both nailed the problem!