X-Message-Number: 31088
Date: Sun, 28 Sep 2008 23:43:23 -0600
From: "Finance Department" <>
Subject: Re: what's up with the Venturists

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David Pizer says "We had to switch to a Director electing system like Alcor
just to handle things because of lack of interest."

While it apparently was not the reason Alcor went to a self-perpetuating
board, it is certainly the reason Alcor continues to have one:  lack of
interest among most of its members, and in their case, in challenging the
current board which sits illegally.

David says "At one time there were well over 100 cryonicists who were signed
up as Venturist members and paying dues.  Since then there have been about
100 other people who have called themselves Venturists or gotten involved in
some way or other. But as of the last few years we have no one who wants to
volunteer..."

Does that mean a current total of 200 members, or that the second 100 you
mention replaced most of the first 100 who dropped out, or what?
Regardless, even if you only have 100, that seems like a reasonably sized
group to elect a governing board.  If you think none of them are interested
in that, and in volunteering, have you asked them?  (I'm not talking about
asking for more members, which you are now doing.)

David says "I am hoping that if we can add several new members to our Board
who want to do some work that we can revitalize the organization and get
enough energy going that we can switch back to where the members elect the
Directors."

The time to correct the problem is now, not to wait until you have a few
more members who like to volunteer for things.  Besides, I see no
relationship between members with the right to vote, and members who may or
may not want to volunteer for things.  Unless I misunderstood your
membership number completely and the only members you actually have are all
on the current board, there is no excuse for the current board not to change
whatever bylaws you have to permit all the members to vote.   For a while
you were campaigning for Alcor to change their ways; it looks like the
Venturists also need to do so.

It is also possible that if the cryonics public sees that the Venturists is
an open organization with its board duly elected by all members who wish to
vote, there might be a bigger chance of your getting more people to join up
and to volunteer.  This might be especially so among CI members for whom a
democratically elected board is a given.

FD

PS to Alcor's Board:  Same applies to you. Change the paradigm.

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