NSS-CDS Board of Directors

[rddvet]

The amount of people that have messaged me or texted me that have said that they had the same issues with the CDS and with the staff who I've pointed out were part of the problem is surprising. This isn't a few solitary issues. This is multiple members having the ball dropped on their requests multiple times. This is multiple members emailing with Adam, Renee, and others who basically don't get responses or get an initial response of "I'll take care of it" to then never hear a single word again.
It's ridiculous, and there is zero excuse for it. It doesn't matter if you're a volunteer or a paid employee, you need to do your job and follow through no matter what else is going on in your life. I've got personal issues that come up in my life, but I still do my job or I wouldn't have any customers.
If this was a solitary problem it would be understandable. Multiple people with the same issues year after year and board members dropping off the face of the earth with every single one of them is inexcusable.
I'll try to stop my rants. It's a little frustrating because I'm hearing about the same issues from a bunch of people, but I'm the only one willing to share.

 

[Dominick Gheesling]

The amount of people that have messaged me or texted me that have said that they had the same issues with the CDS and with the staff who I've pointed out were part of the problem is surprising. This isn't a few solitary issues. This is multiple members having the ball dropped on their requests multiple times. This is multiple members emailing with Adam, Renee, and others who basically don't get responses or get an initial response of "I'll take care of it" to then never hear a single word again.
It's ridiculous, and there is zero excuse for it. It doesn't matter if you're a volunteer or a paid employee, you need to do your job and follow through no matter what else is going on in your life. I've got personal issues that come up in my life, but I still do my job or I wouldn't have any customers.
If this was a solitary problem it would be understandable. Multiple people with the same issues year after year and board members dropping off the face of the earth with every single one of them is inexcusable.
I'll try to stop my rants. It's a little frustrating because I'm hearing about the same issues from a bunch of people, but I'm the only one willing to share.

You are absolutely correct about the issues with membership purchasing, renewal, family memberships, etc. being tragically screwed up at the moment. There are reasons for this including individuals on the board working against efforts to correct the situation. For quite some time, the infighting of the BOD has precluded even publicly acknowledging that there are problems.

Fortunately there is an election coming up and there are three excellent candidates running, who acknowledge that there are problems and have proposed solutions that I would suggest voting for if you'd like to see any improvement.

Those candidates are Renee Power, Andy Pitkin, and Charlie Roberson.

These three individuals will be transparent, will put the members interests first, wish to restore our relationship with the NSS, and do not want to continue with the clearly broken, business as usual model that has been established.

They need votes and they're going to need some people willing to do some work on various committees.

I'll be voting and I'd be willing to work for any of these three candidates.

 

[rddvet]

Never mind.

 

[kensuf]

I've heard through the grapevine that there is currently a motion on the NSS-CDS board email list to bar people that serve as directors of other 501c3 organizations that have anything to do with cave diving from also serving on the board of the NSS-CDS.

So if you're a director of the NFSA, for example, you couldn't also run for the board of the CDS.

Interesting.

 

[CptTightPants21]

I've heard through the grapevine that there is currently a motion on the NSS-CDS board email list to bar people that serve as directors of other 501c3 organizations that have anything to do with cave diving from also serving on the board of the NSS-CDS.

So if you're a director of the NFSA, for example, you couldn't also run for the board of the CDS.

Interesting.

Do they want to kill another cave diving organization.......because THIS is how you kill a cave diving agency!

 

[kensuf]

Well, given that two of the board members are also the North American franchisees of a foreign training agency (that also happens to have technical and cave programs), it's quite possible they are trying to kill it.

 

[tbone1004]

I've heard through the grapevine that there is currently a motion on the NSS-CDS board email list to bar people that serve as directors of other 501c3 organizations that have anything to do with cave diving from also serving on the board of the NSS-CDS.

So if you're a director of the NFSA, for example, you couldn't also run for the board of the CDS.

Interesting.

I mean considering the NFSA formed because the CDS was a cluster and wouldn't get out of training to focus on conservation, I'm sure it's pointed directly at the NFSA...

 

[Capt Jim Wyatt]

I've heard through the grapevine that there is currently a motion on the NSS-CDS board email list to bar people that serve as directors of other 501c3 organizations that have anything to do with cave diving from also serving on the board of the NSS-CDS.

So if you're a director of the NFSA, for example, you couldn't also run for the board of the CDS.

Interesting.

I do not believe the BoD alone can make that happen. I think it would have to be in the By-Laws, and the BoD alone cannot change the By-Laws.

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B. Qualifications. Directors and candidates must be current members of the NSS-CDS or the CDS in good standing for at least one (1) year prior to being nominated for a directorship. The Training Director and candidates for that directorship must also be current and active NSS-CDS instructors in good standing.

======================================================

The above paragraph is what the By-Laws state as who is qualified to serve on the BoD.

 

[tursiops]

I do not believe the BoD alone can make that happen. I think it would have to be in the By-Laws, and the BoD alone cannot change the By-Laws.

The By-Laws have never seemed very important to the BoD. Use them when it is convenient, ignore them when it isn't.

 

[Capt Jim Wyatt]

The By-Laws have never seemed very important to the BoD. Use them when it is convenient, ignore them when it isn't.

Can you cite an example of when this happened?