As always Marvin beat me to the followup to my own post. You suck man!! At least you do it well
I actually have quite a bit to say on this issue because as paying members of the BRS you have a right to know the truth about the integrity of its officers and bod. You have the right to know at least some of the details of what happened. Im willig to share all the details but I do have a real 9-5 to do.
Mostly you have the right to know that these guys are your best choice for running a reef club that meets at Kelly's Roast Beef . . . and your worst to run a registered non-profit organization with financial and legal obligations to each of its members. Example: Does anyone realize that $15 x 300 = $4,500 per year? Why are we still meeting in free space that is too small for us?
When Moe resigned I wrote a short but heartfelt message about how it was a sad day because Moe was the reason I came to my first meeting and his excitement and kindness the reason I came to more meetings. I said this despite all of the difficulties that happened along the way because he truly is what brought this club to it current level. I still mean that. I still have some respect for the guy despite his support of a vendor who has nothing but bad things to say about this organization.
The reason for my bitterness is that I called these guys my friends. Despite alot of arguments along the MACNA road, they capitulated repeatedly, sticking to the party line and letting some unpopular decisions stand. They stood in Ron's living room and told Ron Marvin and I that they would continue to support us at a time when Ron was ready to hang up his hat. They let Ron, Emily and I (sorry Marvin) do 90% of the work because they were not willing to make the same committment as we (many of them admitted this quite frankly). Apparently though they were just stroking us along to get what they needed because when the chips were down they let Ron take all heat. When I got lumped in with Ron for defending him they let me go down with him. And when a certain vendor started asking for an apology from the BOD they threw Ron (and I feel me) right under the bus by telling said vendor that Ron had done all this on his own. Are these the guys you want running your organization? Guys who dont realize that regardless of what Ron did, he was just a Committee Chairperson and they are officers? Guys who don't stick by their decisions? Guys who don't stand up for thier friends? Guys who aren't men of their word?
If people want the truth I'm more than happy to supply the details as to my side of the story about Anthony and Dennis. Funny though that in my opinion Anthony and Dennis arent even the really juicy stories, they're just the tip of the iceberg. I will not do so however behind the scenes on the phone, I will not do so in private emails. If the truth is coming out it comes out in public so everyone hears the same story. I am willing to come to one last meeting to hash it out. I'd rather not type it all and commit it to the internet but will if thats the way you all want it. I have nothing to hide, I am confident in everything we did, every unpopular action that was taken.
Yes Im bitter. Bitter because Moe made me excited about this organization. I was having fun, even up until Sunday. I was looking forward to staying an officer and helping this organization buckle down and do the things it needs to do to succeed. But the more I thought about it I thought why bother, nobody really appreciates it. Sure plenty of folks told me the show was great but I didnt get a single thanks from anyone on the bod except Mike Accardi. And then I was thrown under the bus, I suspect by Mike A actually based on Jeremy's post at RC. A years worth of hard work done solely for personal satisfaction (well not entirely true I did get an RO unit, a mug and an irregular tshirt) and done at no insignificant personal monetary expediture. A years worth of battles with friends and turning some friends into enemies for the good of the organization. All to find out that none of them were there to come to my aid when I needed it. Yeah, Im bitter.
This is not a reef club anymore . . . this is a 500 member non-profit educational organization incorporated in the State of Massachusetts. There are responsibilities that come along with that. And you need committed people to run this organization, not guys who's favorite comment is that they wish we could go back to the days of trading frags at Kelly's.