Again, in the intent of keeping EVERYTHING i do regarding this issue public I felt it would be germane to post the following letter I sent this morning to aniother orginal member of the Petition.
"
http://dema.org/associations/1017/files/DEMA responds to petition-6-7-10.pdf
From DEMA 11/7: Message From New DEMA Board President
From DEMA 11/5: DEMA Responds to Petition
They are just addressing some points (selectively) as they feel like it. I “think” the game plan is to say they have looked at each issue and addressed them, allowed the members to have their say and all is settled. We get dismissed with extreme prejudice from the inner circle… lol. It would have been too much for them to look at the intent and spirit of the petition.
So far from DEMA we have;
Al steps down, now what we asked for but what they thought we wanted…
They vote in a new BOD member to buy them time, after all not fair to change anything when short a BOD member. They last min. load in a PADI employee AFTER they press release that there was only two people running. (making it a third) Calling it a write in vote. Honorable intentions from DEMA and they would have press released that there was an additional person running ,the fact it wasn’t proves that to some parties the “fix was in”. In truth in a honest election the last minute write in candidate would have INSISTED on it.
They decline to change the voting structure to one member one vote
The Association votes on the term limits, they tried to do this as a “stealth” vote, knowing full well that many in the industry haven’t paid dues this year and get called out on it, now they are announcing it 2 weeks before the vote is due in. If people join just to vote, then it is very possible that DEMA wins even more, by already declining to change the vote structure it is very likely already a done deal no matter how many people rejoin this year to vote. It was an absolute certainty for them when they were planning on the Stealth method… Now they most likely get to have the motion fail and have more $$$ in the bank.
I am torn, one part of me wants to encourage people to join and get the votes needed to re-introduce term limits, BUT even if we do that there are still the other issues that they consider settled which are far from.
Only conclusion I can come to is to let them vote whatever they want, treat as a regional show, smaller booths, book hotel rooms to run seminars and starve the beast. Don’t spend an extra cent there. I’m even thinking of offering my non DEMA members dealers who attend the show a credit from EDGE for the difference between member entry fees and non-member entry fees. Won’t cost me much but the statement would be kinda fun to make.
As soon as DEMA is dead we can move on, SOMETHING WILL FILL THE VOID. I am certain of it. We have too many dive industry folks out of work, one or a couple of them will smell money once DEMA is gone and step in"
best,
Chris
"
http://dema.org/associations/1017/files/DEMA responds to petition-6-7-10.pdf
From DEMA 11/7: Message From New DEMA Board President
From DEMA 11/5: DEMA Responds to Petition
They are just addressing some points (selectively) as they feel like it. I “think” the game plan is to say they have looked at each issue and addressed them, allowed the members to have their say and all is settled. We get dismissed with extreme prejudice from the inner circle… lol. It would have been too much for them to look at the intent and spirit of the petition.
So far from DEMA we have;
Al steps down, now what we asked for but what they thought we wanted…
They vote in a new BOD member to buy them time, after all not fair to change anything when short a BOD member. They last min. load in a PADI employee AFTER they press release that there was only two people running. (making it a third) Calling it a write in vote. Honorable intentions from DEMA and they would have press released that there was an additional person running ,the fact it wasn’t proves that to some parties the “fix was in”. In truth in a honest election the last minute write in candidate would have INSISTED on it.
They decline to change the voting structure to one member one vote
The Association votes on the term limits, they tried to do this as a “stealth” vote, knowing full well that many in the industry haven’t paid dues this year and get called out on it, now they are announcing it 2 weeks before the vote is due in. If people join just to vote, then it is very possible that DEMA wins even more, by already declining to change the vote structure it is very likely already a done deal no matter how many people rejoin this year to vote. It was an absolute certainty for them when they were planning on the Stealth method… Now they most likely get to have the motion fail and have more $$$ in the bank.
I am torn, one part of me wants to encourage people to join and get the votes needed to re-introduce term limits, BUT even if we do that there are still the other issues that they consider settled which are far from.
Only conclusion I can come to is to let them vote whatever they want, treat as a regional show, smaller booths, book hotel rooms to run seminars and starve the beast. Don’t spend an extra cent there. I’m even thinking of offering my non DEMA members dealers who attend the show a credit from EDGE for the difference between member entry fees and non-member entry fees. Won’t cost me much but the statement would be kinda fun to make.
As soon as DEMA is dead we can move on, SOMETHING WILL FILL THE VOID. I am certain of it. We have too many dive industry folks out of work, one or a couple of them will smell money once DEMA is gone and step in"
best,
Chris
