NSS-CDS Board of Directors

[Dominick Gheesling]

I would like to make a motion that Brett Floren be shown the door and not allowed re-entry

 

[The Chairman]

Dominick, please post the following message for me on Scubaboard. up until now, I have never had a ScubaBoard account. I just created one to respond to Richard Dinnon's comment, but since I'm new, I don't have privileges to post yet on this forum

Send me his user name or email and I'll get him right in. I know someone, who knows someone else, who actually knows someone who knows me.

 

[Capt Jim Wyatt]

I will vote against that By-Law change. We have a hard enough time finding talent and energy as it is now. Why would we further reduce the number of qualified people? Crazy...

 

[kensuf]

Let's see what actually comes in the ballot. If it's the by-law change to get rid of paper ballots and support electronic voting ONLY, then please vote for that. If it's the by-law change to exclude people from running (I'm sure with an exemption for current serving board members so that those that are franchisees of a training organization are excluded), then vote no.

 

[Capt Jim Wyatt]

I agree with that @kensuf

 

[kensuf]

Here's their proposed bylaw changes. I am copying this from Facebook.

Wow!!! Just got this from an anonymous source! Seems like the inmates are running the asylum, tin foil hats and all!
Board:
I am making what I believe to be a much needed motion to amend the bylaws to address any future potential “conflicts of interest”. This is something that is not currently addressed in the bylaws, but personally I believe is long overdue. If this motion is seconded, and we take it to discussion, I respectfully request that if any BoD member has any specific point addressing this proposed amendment that you bring it forward immediately so that discussion can be promptly conducted. The motion, if approved, will need to be added to the proposed bylaws changes for the membership to vote on in the upcoming election and time is of the essence to get that information posted online.
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Motion:
I hereby make a motion before the board to approve that the following actions be taken and brought before the membership for a vote:
ACTION: 

“Amend [Article III: Board of Directors] of the NSS-CDS bylaws to add the following requirement to [Section B. Qualifications] as a sub-section to be named [Conflicts of Interest].
TEXT TO BE ADDED:
“Any individual that is nominated for or is presently serving on the NSS-CDS board of directors that currently, or at a later time while serving on the board, comes to hold any of the following positions;

(1) board member.
(2) executive director or non-executive director.
(3) officer.
(4) employee.
(5) ownership interest in an LLC or similar business structure.
(6) shareholder of a corporation with at least 15% equity.
(7) sole proprietor or partner.
with any of the following types of organizations;

(1) Any organizational or business entity, other than the NSS-CDS, that is considered a scuba diving certification agency.

This paragraph is not intended to include independent instructors, educators, or scuba diving retail outlets whom issue training credentials only through the use of either the NSS-CDS or some other independently operated certification agency to their students and/or customers.
(2) Any scuba diving related for profit or non-profit membership based organization other than the NSS-CDS.

(3) Any organization, other than the NSS-CDS or NSS, that owns, manages, or controls access to caverns or caves used for diving in any commercial, recreational or scientific manner.
is disqualified from holding and many not be nominated for, elected to, or appointed to any NSS-CDS board of director position. Any current NSS-CDS director, upon becoming subject to any of the stated disqualifying conditions, shall immediately become ineligible to continue to serve on the board of the NSS-CDS and shall be immediately removed from the NSS-CDS board without any further action being required. “

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Thanks,
Brett

 

[kensuf]

Looks very much like it's designed to exclude some people. I bet they're planning on grandfathering the two people on the board that are also the franchise owners for a European scuba training agency.

 

[tursiops]

Looks very much like it's designed to exclude some people. I bet they're planning on grandfathering the two people on the board that are also the franchise owners for a European scuba training agency.

It reads more like getting rid of those two people. "Any current NSS-CDS director, upon becoming subject to any of the stated disqualifying conditions, shall immediately become ineligible to continue to serve on the board of the NSS-CDS and shall be immediately removed from the NSS-CDS board without any further action being required."

 

[Manatee Diver]

Well I received a bit of a surprise this morning, a ballot for the NSS-CDS BOD election and bylaw change. I never joined the NSS-CDS, so I never checked the membership lists that Adam posted but I did after receiving the ballot and find my name on the list. Not sure how that happened.

 

[bradymsu]

I also got a ballot this morning. I attempted to join CDS in January. I never received any membership details and my payment was refunded. But I did the due diligence, read all the candidate platforms looking for specific proposals for reform, did a bit of external research on social media, and voted.

I voted against the by-law change because it was presented as one long item with multiple changes rather than specific bylaw amendments.