The Wormy Apple

A warm supporting environment

2006-12-21T11:21:00.000-08:00

That what Madam President wants.
How do I know? Well this was posted today:
It was written by Clara (the queen bee at the Knitters Review forum)

This morning I received a very angry voicemail from the president of this knitting guild to complain about this thread, that it does not follow the "warm and supportive environment" I describe as the forums, and to complain about Of Troy in particular.

I am not in a position to spend an hour on the phone, long-distance, with her, defending this thread. I am not in the mood to receive the ire and flak of a total stranger for complaints someone else made on her behalf here.
There is more, see the whole thread at:
A guild in turmoil

Please remember Clara also posted this:
For that reason I recommend that you take this discussion off the forums and onto your blog. Actually I request it.So if you have comments, please post them here, not on Knitters Review.

Item 1-Madam President is SURE the Pip is Helen Griffin.
(doesn’t she know, on the internet no one knows if you are a dog?
Not that Helen Griffin is a dog, but why is she so sure the PIP is a single person?
Simple minded thinking Madam President!)

Item 2- A Warm and Supporting Environment
--oh, how do you foster this Madam President?

By disenfranchising members?

By Ignoring the by laws?

By not being true to your own words?

By holding secret meetings,

by demanding board members resign,

by blackballing any member who disagrees with you?

Which of these actions are part of a warm and supporting environment?

Why doesn’t the BAKG have Beginner Knitters workshops?
(one answer, not from Madam President but from her good friend,
“What do we want with these young knitters and their frou-frou yarns?”
(Yes, like Mr Swift, she asks: “What good is a baby?” --only she isn’t using satire.)

There are perhaps a dozen member of the BAKG who own yarn stores, (some brick and morter, some on-line) but you wouldn’t know it to hear Madam President talk.

For her, there is only one LYS-Seaport Yarns.

Now this PIP thinks Seaport Yarns is a fantastic store.
Great selection, great prices, and Andrea!

But this PIP thinks it is inappropriate for Madam President,
(even if she is also a Seaport Yarn EmPLOYEE)
to provide Seaport Yarn with SPECIAL RIGHTS and PRIVLIDGES.

IT WAS a FOREGONE CONCLUSION (and its already been announced)
that SEAPORT YARN (once AGAIN) will be the “in-Place Vendor” at the 2007 retreat.

HOW did that decision get made?

Were other member/vendors asked to submit bids, or proposals?
Was it discussed at a Board Meeting?
Does any other member/vendor feel that Madam President is SUPPORTIVE of their businesses?

Or is part of the WARM and SUPPORTING environment missing?

Or do you think that the way get ‘placed’ is to be part of Madam Presidents inner circle?

Madam President might very well be doing a fantastic job.
But her behavior gives every appearance of INSIDER DEALINGS, FAVORITISM, MISMANAGEMENT, SLOPPY RECORD KEEPING, and general contempt for the members.

She certainly can’t claim to foster a WARM and SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT.

Since a basic requirement for such an environment is HONESTY and OPENNESS.
And if there is NO COMMUNICATION, it’s not an Warm (honest, open).
And if there is FAVORITISM, it’s not a Supportive (unless you are one of Madam Presidents SELECT FRIENDS)

Want a Warm and Supportive environment?
Be OPEN
Be Honest
Follow the By-Laws
Get Members a copy of the Treasurers report
(as you promised to deliver back in NOVEMBER)
Let’s see the Minutes of all the Board Meetings held this year.
STOP Demanding Resignations
STOP PLANNING TO BLACK BALL MEMBERS

Are you familiar with Charles Deming? (a managent guru)
He states: when there are problems in an organization, its not the workers or members who are the problem.
All problems start, and can be resolved ONLY BY THE MANAGEMENT.
You are the PROBLEM Madam President and if you think blackballing Helen Griffin or any other member is going to solve the problem, you are wrong.
Blackballing is not part of a warm and supportive environment.

Nasty phone calls are not the act of a warm and supportive guild president.

The BAKG By Laws (and the BAKG Lawbreakers)

2006-12-15T17:34:00.000-08:00

The BAKG, though not incorporated in the state of NY, does (or rather in theory, does, ) operate by a Set of By Laws.
This PIP didn’t write the By Laws.
These are NOT THE PIP rules, these rule long predate the PIP.
But the Pip does expect them to be adhered to. Don’t you, too?
Copies of the By-Laws are available to members on the Yahoo BB or in the Sep/Oct 2005 issue of City Purls.
The elected Board of the BAKG is supposed to observe these By-Laws..
Here are some excerpt from the By-laws and some actions by the board that concern this PIP--the By-laws will be in WHITE, the PIP’s comments, Yellow.
Let’s start with Article IV, that concerns the officers and their duties.
I am going to HIGHLIGHT selected sentences from the By Laws.

Article IV OFFICERS AND DUTIES
The Officers of the Guild shall consist of a President, a Vice President, a Secretary, and a Treasurer. Term of office for each officer shall be two (2) years. No person may hold two offices concurrently. Officers must be Members in good standing of the Guild.
----------------------------------------------------------------
So, Madam President can’t also be Madam Vice President, or Madam Treasurer.
Seems clear enough.
GM was elected Madam Treasurer in the last BAKG elections.
GM relocated to at the end of March to Chicago.
Members of the BAKG (and the BAKG Board) were not notified till MAY.
(though it seems Madam President knew long before she ever told other members of the Board, or the general membership.
The NEW Madam Treasurer was “NAMED” in September (more on that below)
MADAM PRESIDENT was, IN VIOLATION OF THE BY-LAWS, acting as TREASURE from April till September.
That is a NO-NO Madam President. You are supposed to abide by the By-Laws.
__________________________________________________

In case of any vacancy among the Officers, a successor to fill the unexpired portion of the term shall be appointed by the President with the approval of the remaining Directors of the Board.

OK, It is absolutely right and proper for Madam President to NAME appoint a person to fill the unexpired portion of the TREASURE Position.
BUT (and here’s what Madam President failed to do)--the person who fill in, (the replacement) does so with APPROVAL of the remaining Board!
That didn’t happen! When HG asked Madam Recording Secretary about how the Board came to APPROVE the Current/Acting/Interim/Quasi Madam Treasurer, Madam Secretary claimed:
..1--There hadn’t been any Board meeting since March.
..2--She had never met the Madam Treasurer.
While other Board members might know the Acting/Interim/Quasi Madam Treasurer, they certain had no say in her appointment (except perhaps at the Nov 8th SECRET Board Meeting.)--But her appointment was announced in the Sep/Oct issue of CityPurls (as a fait acomplte!)
Which Leads us into By Law Article IV, point 3
The President shall preside at all meetings of the membership, all meetings of the Board of Directors and shall be an ex-officio member of any committee established by the Guild. The President with the advice and consent of the Board of Directors shall appoint all standing committees to be established by the Guild. The President shall keep the Board of Directors fully informed about the activities of the Guild and shall perform such other duties as shall be assigned from time to time by the Board of Directors.

NO BOARD MEETING FOR 7 MONTHS.
NO NOTICE (forget the approval the by-laws call for) to the Board.
Members and Board members alike learned about the new Madam Treasurer by reading about it in the City Purls.
Need I say more?
Next, Article IV, point 7
The Treasurer shall have the custody of all moneys and securities of the Guild and shall place same in appropriate financial vehicles and repositories in accordance with the guidelines established by the Board of Directors. The Treasurer shall keep proper books of account and sign checks as the Board of Directors may require. The Treasurer shall make reports on the financial condition of the Guild at each Annual Meeting of the Guild and of the Board of Directors and, whenever called upon to do so, at other meetings of the Board of Directors. All duties performed by the Treasurer shall be subject to the supervision and direction of the Board of Directors.

Lots of stuff here.
Remember the Retreat? Remember who you wrote the check to? BAKG.
Remember who you mailed it to? Madam President
Remember the Luncheon?
Remember who you wrote the check to? BAKG.
Remember who you mailed it to? Madam President.
Remember the WorkShop’s this fall?
Remember who you wrote the check to? BAKG.
Remember who you mailed it to? Madam President.
Look at the first sentence--The TREASURER shall have the custody of all moneys.
NOT MADAM PRESIDENT.

Why are members CONSTANTLY being directed to send money to MADAM PRESIDENT?
And you can expect, come membership renewal time, that you be requested to write a check and send it to? (Want a hint? MP, NOT MT)
Then there is this:
The Treasurer shall make reports on the financial condition of the Guild at each Annual Meeting of the Guild
So a treasurer’s report is part of the Madam Treasures responsibly.
(and sorry to harp, but WE ARE STILL WAITING!)
First, will the
REAL MADAM TREASURER PLEASE STAND UP?
Who signs the check? At who bequest?
Is it Still Madam President? Or is it Madam Acting/Interim/Quasi Treasurer?
And when did she, (if she did?) take over?
BEFORE or AFTER the BOARDS Approval (and when was that.?)
Perhaps Madam Recording Secretary can show us --oop, another By-Law, Madam Recording Secretary is DIRECTED TO KEEP Minutes of BOARD MEETINGS and to publish those minute for the MEMBERS REVIEW.
So Either the Board had lots of meeting ALL SECRET--a violaiton of the By-Laws,
Article IV,
The Secretary shall keep minutes of all proceedings of meetings of the membership and the Board of Directors. The Secretary shall assure that such minutes are published in the Guild newsletter in a timely manner. The Secretary shall perform such other duties as shall be assigned from time to time by the Board of Directors.
Or, AS this PIP Maintains, there have been very few meetings of the Board this year, and the Board has not had the opportunity to provide any over site.
Perhaps we can ask Madam Recording Secretary:
When was the Acting/Interim/Quasi Madam Treasure introduced to the Members of the board?
Who was at that Board Meeting?
And did Madam Treasurer meet with the Boards approval?
One reason for asking this, is the SECRET BAKG Financial Report, dated Nov 30th, doesn’t have a name on it.
And This PIP is wondering just who prepared that document!

Article IV,
All financial and other records in the custody of the Treasurer shall be open to the Board of Directors at all times for inspection or audit. On ceasing to hold office, the Treasurer shall surrender all records, files, books of account, moneys, securities and other property of the Guild to a successor or to such other person as shall be designated by the Board of Directors. The Treasurer shall keep accurate and up-to-date lists of Members in good standing, together with their current addresses.

Well this PIP knows, at least 2 members (perhaps more!) of the Board were in favor of having, if not an audit, at least an outside arbitrator at a meeting of the Board and members. But Madam President and Madam Treasurer VETO’d that idea.
I wonder if any member of the Board besides Madam President and Madam Treasurer have any idea about the current, (or for that matter, any monthly balance) of the BAKG accounts.
SECRETS, SECRETS, SECRETS. Layer and layer of SECRETS.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Article X CHANGES TO THE BYLAWS
1. These Bylaws may be amended, repealed or altered in part by a majority vote of those Members voting in a mail ballot, provided that the Board of Directors shall have mailed notice in writing to all full Members stating the proposed amendment(s) in full not less than thirty days prior to the postmark date for the return of the ballots.
Did you know the By-Laws have been changed?
Not legally of course, because changes to the By-Laws require that MEMBERS BE NOTIFIED and MEMBERS GET TO VOTE on the Changes.
But there is, right there in Feb 11th board meeting minutes, (see them in May/Jun issue of CityPurls!) the Board has Changed the By-laws with out so much as a by your leave.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Actually I am somewhat amazed that they even acknowledge the By-Laws exist, since more often than not, they seem to ignore all the provisions!

Article III DIRECTORS
7. Any one or more of the Directors may be removed either with or without cause, by a vote of two-thirds of the Members present at any special meeting called for that purpose. Any Director may be removed for cause by a majority vote of the entire Board of Directors, at any special meeting of the Board of Directors called for that purpose.
Did you know a member of the Board has been FORCED OUT? And told that she is NOT ELIGIBLE TO BE A BAKG MEMBER IN 2007?
(and that there are plans to FORCE out other members?)
Why was this board member forced out?
Was it for Cause? What was the Cause?
If it wasn’t for Cause, the action was illegal according to the By-laws.
Certainly the MEMBERS didn’t force her out.
Was she Remove at Board Meeting? I think not, but perhaps Madam Recording Secretary, can you please tell us the date, time and members of the board who attended the meeting that made this decision? That is if there ever was a board meeting!

That’s the way thing are DONE now days in the BAKG.
IN SECRET, by a single person saying “YOU HAVE TO GO,
and YOU HAVE TO QUIT. YOU CAN’T BE A MEMBER.
No Board Meetings, no Discussions, no Meeting Minutes, just a simple DICTATORSHIP.
Hmm, any wonder why the PIP chooses to remain anonymous?
And why so many who comment are anonymous too?
It this the kind of organization we have?
Ask a Question, and face reprisals?
Well what do the by laws say?
Article II MEMBERSHIP
Any person who is interested in the purpose of this organization may become a Member by payment of annual dues. Any person who wishes may subscribe to the newsletter. This subscription does not confer any membership benefits.
That is.
So don’t let anyone tell you:
YOU HAVE TO QUIT.
YOU CAN‘T BE A MEMBER ANYMORE.
And don’t stand by idly when they tell others the same.
The Board of the BAKG doesn’t have that POWER.
--unless we let them get away with Vicious behavior.

The BAKG-- A SECRET SOCIETY.

2006-12-13T07:06:00.000-08:00

When DID the BAKG become a SECRET ORGANIZATION?

We used to have a regular schedule --you knew months in advance about the programs schedule.
Look at calendar of Meeting over on the The BAKG web site.
Months of TBA’s.

Nothing on the schedule except ‘the 5 preplanned meeting’.
(January/Auction, April/Retreat/, July/Charity Knitting, September/Luncheon, December/Charity knitting.)

A calendar filled with TBA’s.
I guess the MEETING EVENTS ARE SECRET!
(or maybe Madam President is so busy lining her pockets with BAKG money, she has no time to plan anything (and perhaps no money to pay speakers?) )

We USED TO HAVE Regular issues of CityPurls, and they contained Minutes from Board meetings (frequently 2 sets of minutes!) Now, Fewer issues of CityPurls, and no Minutes printed (since Jan/Feb issue!)
(oops I forgot, there haven’t been board meetings in months, or if there have been, they are SECRET!)

We USED TO HAVE Treasurers reports too. REMEMBER the By Laws?
The BAKG ByLaws REQUIRE (not suggest, but require) that the members receive an Annual Treasurers Report. Have you received it?
NO, IT IS, and REMAINS A SECRET.

But then, We USED TO HAVE A BOARD that Adhered to the By-Laws.
Not anymore. Now Board members act like DICTATORS.
They think they are above the law.

There is no Record of what the Board has done is, is planning to do. This open communication is a thing of the past, too.
(and SECRET to boot!)

You can read the ByLaws. (well members can!) they are posted on the Yahoo BAKG BB. (OR should I say they were? Will that document be ‘removed’? (other documents, links and post are either removed or never see the light of day.)

The YAHOO BB EXIST only to say “nice things” NO CRITIZISM or COMPLAINTS allowed.
If Board members fail to adhere to ByLaws, we must not mention it on Yahoo site!

The Board (or MEMBERS) of the Board act as if the BAKG was their personal possession.
They act as if, members have no RIGHTS to any information.

They act as if BAKG Moneys was their money.
THEY ARE WRONG.
Enough of the SECRETS.
SHOW US OUR MONEY.
We want an Audit!

The more you look at it, the less sense it makes

2006-12-11T09:25:00.000-08:00

Every time this pip looks at the 2005 “Financial Report” and then compares it to the 2006 “financial Report” things looks curious and curiouser.

Let run the numbers.

First, INCOME FROM DUES.
2005 Income from dues............$7269
Divide that by........................../$25
.......................................(apx)290 members

2006 Income from dues................................ $5,592
Divide that by............................................../$25
........................................................(apx) 223 members

NOTE: in both cases, its likely that some members joined later in the year, and paid a pro-rated membership fee.

Well how many members are there?
Number of members listed in the 2006 members directory:
239 members--not 223.
(don’t believe me, pick up the Members Directory and count for yourself!)
Where are the dues from these 16 additional members? ($400!)

But wait, you might be saying, if a member joins mid year, they don’t pay a full $25. Right you are!

So let’s assume that at about 10% of the membership joined sometime other than January.
IF 10% of members paid a pro-rated members ship (let’s say on average $12.50--some paying more, some paying less, depending on when they joined.)

....239
-(10%)23
..........216 full ($25 dues) paying members.

...216 members
.*.$25
$5,400

.... 23 members
*$12.50 (at the mean pro-rated dues)
$287.50

$5,400.00
+ $287.50
$5,687.50 (income from Dues)

But the Financial report shows we “income from dues“ as $5,592, not $5,687.00
We are still missing moneys. (is $95 missing? or $400? or some other amount?)

So how did we arrive at $5,592?
How many members paid Full ($25 dues) and how many members paid less
(because of pro-rating?)
Who knows? (It's another secret!) but its hard to come up with any number of Full members and Pro-rated members that is equal to $5,592!

And Don't forget,
SOME MEMBERS ELECT NOT TO BE INCLUDED in Directory
So there very well might be more than 239 members!
(and Um, where is the income from their dues?)

At least 1 member joined at the Knit Out.

NOTE: anyone who joined that late in year, gets, in effect ‘free membership’ for last 3 months of the year.
(they receive a membership card good for remainder of 2006, and they are fully paid member for 2007)

Stuff like this, (income received in 2006, that really belongs in the 2007 ‘accounting’) is normally shown in separate area in a Treasurers Report.

Like wise, if the BAKG has once again gave a deposit of $100 for the 2007 retreat, that $100 should be NOTED but it is properly part of the 2007 EXPENSES, not the 2006 Expenses. (It’s not shown anywhere!)

An Accounting PLEASE!
One that follows the General Accepted Rules of ACCOUNTING.
Or explains why it doesn’t!

Then, INCOME From Workshops:

Income from Workshops in 2005 $1530
Expenses for Workshops in 2005 $2,118
5 workshop in 2005
Expense per workshop $323

Income from Workshops in 2006 $900
Expenses for Workshops in 2006 $721.
2 workshops (by November 2005)
Expense per workshop $360
Why do the workshops cost $40 more to run this year?
Does the income include money prepaid for Dec 2nd workshop?
Does the Expense include cost of December 2nd workshop?
Who knows? The (still secret) report doesn’t say.

Next Up, the CityPurls
Expense (6) City Purls, 2005 $3392
Where does this number come from? lets break it down.

Cost per issue
($3,392 /number of members (290) / number of issues (6) =
$3,392 /290 = $11.70
$11.70/6 = $1.95 per issue
................................Cost Per Issue= $1.95
.....................................--this cost includes postage.

Expenses for CityPurls 2006 $1,849
Cost per issue (based on the number of members from Dues income)
1,849/number of members (223)/number of issues(4)
1849 /223 = 8.29
8.29 /4 =2.07
................................Cost Per issue = $2.07
.....................................(again, postage inlcuded)

Cost per issue based on number of member from Directory count.
$1,849 /number of members (from Directory=239)/number of issues
1849/239= 7.74
7.74/4= $1.94
..................................Cost per Issue = $1.94
.....................................(Postage included)

(REMEMBER postage has gone up, so its seems natural that the cost per issue should go up too, (postage went from $0.60 per issue to $0.63 per issue)
Still what is the REAL NUMBER/COST?

............What are Printing Costs?
.......................Label costs?
...............................Mailing costs?
.........Total cost (either per mailing or Per issue?)

There should be someway of ‘figuring out” what the cost per issue is of Citypurls.
The numbers should actually be provided to members!

Especially since Madam President has made a point of handing out, rather than mailing a dozen or so issues of the CityPurls every issue.
(Where do we see these "savings"?)

ANOTHER THOUHT COMES TO MIND..
CityPurls is not a LETTER, it is NEWS.

NEW and MAGAZINES should be sent at MEDIA RATE, not FIRST CLASS MAIL RATE.

And since we have the ability to pre sort by ZIP CODE, we could be entitled to a discount for presorting the mailing. (this involves PRINTING the labels in zip code order, not someone hand sorting the mailing.)

Additionally, MOST (99.9% of Word Processing programs) will also print the USPS bar code on a label, too, and Mailers who preprinting this bar code can save on postage.
Preprinting the bar code is 3 simple steps when doing a mail merge to print the address labels.

SO WHY are we paying first class letter rate postage instead of MediaRate postage to mail the CityPurls?
If there is an interest "saving money" should we take basic steps first?

Media Rate is not available if you have paid advertising in the media, but the CityPurls does not sell ads. (It does provide, free, some promotional material of interest to members; like information on various bus trips, and LYS information--but this is allowed in Newsletters)
(check out the USPS web pages for details!)

Membership costs.
In 2005, these are $562 (for 290 members
In 2006, these are $789.32 (for 223 (or is it 239?)Members)

Well, fewer members any way you count them.
And $227 more in expenses!
What are these expenses?

And if a single mailing of the CityPurls cost about $2, (and all 3 sets of number are about $2) then the Member's Directory should cost about $2, too to print and mail.
223 * $2= $446

And the members cards?
They cost $.040 to mail (envelopes in bulk cost less than $0.01 +$0.39 in postage.)

Membership cost of are shown. $789 - $450 (lets round up the cost of Directory) =$339

Does printing up and mailing the membership cards cost $1.40?
($1 per card! +$0.40 postage?)

(NOTE also, 2005, with more members, the membership cost were $227 lower (for more members!
Wait, there was a postage increase this year!

Yes there was!

A $0.02 increase in postage cost is $2.00 per hundred members.
(or 250 (members) X $0.02 = $5 per mailing
10 mailing (10 meeting notices) =$50

So with fewer members (fewer $0.37 cents stamps) but Higher postage (that couldn’t exceed $50 for entire year,) our membership costs are sill significantly higher this year than last!

There still is the extra cost of $0.03 to mail the Members Directory
3X 223 is $6.60 or so. 3 X 239 is still under $7.25
That’s is at most, an extra $57.50 for this year.

So why are the cost so much higher this year?
There might be a valid reason for a $60 or so increase in membership administration costs.
But there is $277 increase! What is the over $200 going to provide?

Other
There still is the question of what the $403 Other expenses are for!

A Treasurer’s Report is suppose to make it easier to understand what the BAKG’s money is being spent on.

NOT harder!

Categories like Other should detail what the other expenses are, a list of other expenses (even if each expense isn’t accounted for in detail)

The issue of OTHER Expences, make this pip think--
What about Other INCOME?
Sometimes members, or non members (other guilds for example!) request a copy of City Purls.
HG noted that how she got her patterns “picked up” for the 2007 page a day calendar--a member of an other guild was also the editor of the calendar and she had seen the patterns in the CityPurls (Jul/Aug issue)
If a non member wants a copy of CityPurls, we charge them $2 an issue.
Where is that “other” income recorded? (NO WHERE!)

It might not be very much (Other Income $10.00) but shouldn’t it at least be noted?

Madam President is claiming the PIP is "just making these numbers up"
Well, resolve that, Madam President and Madam Treasurer.
--Provide the members (as called for in the By-Laws) with a Treasurers Report.

It was due to members at "annual meeting" (the Luncheon) in September
It wasn't available at the October Meeting
It was promised to members at November Meeting
It still wasn't available at the December Meeting.
No one this Pip knows has recieved on.

We are still waiting.
(your "2 weeks" has come and gone, and other 2 weeks!)
Will the Members EVER see one? ever again?

It's time to call for an AUDIT. (the By-Laws permit that.)
So members find out what your money is being used for.
DEMAND an AUDIT.

Financials

2006-12-07T09:55:00.000-08:00

The Pip rambled yesterday, (a failing!) here is a more concise recap:
In August 2005 a BAKG “Financial Report” indicates
.....1--BAKG has net income for year (over $1000)
.....2- BAKG checking account balance is $20,270.00
New “Financial Report” (dated November 2006) indicates
.....1- BAKG Checking account in January 2006 was $13,829.00
.........(this is $6441 less than it was 4 months previously)
.....2-Current (NOVEMBER) balance is (allegedly) $18,852.00
.....3-- Income for BAKG this year is (allegedly) $5,023

This is HIGHEST ON RECORD (from fewest members in a long time!)
by a factor of 3
(on average previous income was over $1,000, but well under $1,500)

Where was this income 'generated'?

The Retreat?
In March, at Board meeting Madam President stated:
The response to retreat was Very LOW (25 member/non members participating)
And RETREAT MIGHT OPPERATE AT LOSS

In May, Madam President, at May General meeting, announced
“THE RETREAT BROKE EVEN”

In November, the Financial Report shows $3, 271 PROFIT.

(Which number/statement are we to believe?
.....March (a loss,)
..........May (break even) or
................November (after the pip has been squeeking) $3,271 profit?

A profit figure I might add, that is the major part of the $5,023 “INCOME“ the guild allegedly had this year.
A profit figure that “restores" a good part of the UNEXPLAINED $6000 loss of 2005.

But are we going to have another sudden, unexplained loss in December?

Maybe.
On November 1st Madam President shared a preliminary treasurers report with some members, (not the PIP, but at least 3 others) and showed a checking account balance of $20,XXX.00 (the X were low numbers, but not remembered, About $20,000 was what was remembered)
On November 30, (“FINANCIAL REPORT”) the checking account balance is $18,852.00
What happened to $1,200 in 1 month?
Are there going to be more loses when we are not looking, they way there were last year, when we lost $6000 + last year?

You can look in the "Financial Report" some anwers, but there aren't answers to be found.

Or from the Membership?
Dues are $25. There are expenses to run a the guild:
......Membership card
......Meeting Notices to be printed and mailed
.....CityPurls to be printed and mailed
.....Meeting room fees

Let’s say that basic expenses (minus the room fee) are about $21
........-that could be too high, but it’s not too low
........--but what ever the expenses are,
.......they should be shown!
Let’s say the room fee is $75 (Madam President used that number last year!)
If we pay for a room fee 7 times a year, we need $525 from membership dues.

If each member (via the dues) is contributing $4 to room,
we need 132 members to cover room cost ($525 /$4= 131.25)
So with 132 members, we meet our basic members cost for the year.

If we have more than 132 members (and we do) then, after paying for a room,
the $4 goes to pay for Members Program’s.

If we have more than 264 members (2 X132)
then we have $525 (from first 132 members) to pay Room fee.
And another $525 available for speakers, from the next 132 members.

If there are more than 264 members, there is more money.
Income from dues is pegged a $5,592.
Divide that by $25, and it shows
About 223 members.

But the financial report shows (in Membership subtotal),
that there was $1,458 INCOME from membership and auction
Ok, the auction did raise $905--
But this still shows ($1,458-$905 = $553 of INCOME just from membership)
(again that figure is SIGNIFICANTLY higher than previous years.)

Check above and its shows Members dues are providing $553 (from 223 members!)
And that’s after we pay for the Room Fee!

That’s way more income than we have ever gotten from membership dues.

(And remember, postage went up this year, so the basic costs of mailing meeting notices and the CityPurls is higher this year than last!)

That is an amazing accomplishment, isn’t it?
(or is it a lie?)
Maybe there really isn’t $1,458 Income available.

(and curiously enough, the membership chair puts membership closer to 300, --so the “income” from dues seems to be about $1875 (75 members X $25 dues) short!)

Do Madam President and Madam Treasurer belong to the Ken LAY (Enron) school of accounting, where LOSS can be counted as profits? And income is there to be skimmed?
Where this PIP has to ask, is the almost $2000 in missing ‘Dues‘?

And you have to ask, why isn’t membership income being used to provide members programs?
The programs this year have been pretty sparse.

I love Nicki Epstein, but how much should we be paying her to promote her newest book?
Same with Linda Skolnik and Janice MacDaniels, (they, too, were promoting their book.)
And did we pay Nancy Thomas to give, what was in effect, a trunk show of Tahki/Stacy Charles line of yarns and promote a book to use these yarns?
(no yarns were available at discount.. If you want these yarns, please proceed to nearest LYS and pay full price.)
The other meeting where "share the talent" programs, and the presentors were not comp'd for their effort.

Or the Workshops?
In spite of rather high expenses (un accounted for expenses) for the workshops, they too are showing a tidy profit this year. (unlike last year)
But at the November general meeting, Madam president announce that the November workshop was going to be run at a loss.

Exactly how many people attended Arlene Mintzer’s workshop?
And how many people attended Tatyana Mirer’s workshop?
And how many people PRE PAID(before Dec 2nd) to attend Nicki Epstein’s workshop?

Is the $900 of income shown on the “Financial Report“ for 3 workshops, or for 2?
Are the “Costs” show for 3 workshops? Or for 2?

Who knows? And the Financial Report doesn’t say either.

Who is behind all these "intereting numbers"?
The Current Acting/Interim/Quasi treasure was the “OFFICIAL, ELECTED” treasurer in 2005. But there are no detail about how we went from having $1000+ “INCOME” in August of 2005 to have a $6.441 loss by December 31st.
(its one of the great unsolved mysteries of our time!)

And if someone actually looked at the BAKG checking account balance, what number would be there?
$18,852? (November Financial Report )
$20,xxx? (allegedly what was there in November 2006)
$13,829? (what was there in January of 2006)
Or some other number? (guess!)

Copies of the August 2005 Financial Report can be seen
Here.
For a copy of the November 2006 report, send an email to
a_pip_ squeek (at)Yahoo.com. replace the (at) with an @

The Excel spread sheet had 22 formatting errors (the numbers in the report were generated from another UNAVAILABE SECRET SPREAD) and as a result, only a small portion of the Financial Report could actually be read.
This PIP has not yet received a complete and total report.
NOR have most members.
Though, one MEMBER, a Close FOC claims she has.
I guess she is some sort of SPECIAL MEMBER and is accorded SPECIAL rights and privileges not available to general members. I guess you have to be a FOC’s and to get any real information about the BAKG.

A final NOTE
Oh, and by the way, Madam President, in her letter to membership, in the Jan/Feb issue of CityPurls reports that we raised $334.50 for Habitat for Humanity at the November Meeting.
But the Financial Report states we donated $224.50 What happened to the other $110?

and don't forget--Let Madam President and Madam Treasurer know what you think..

send them a copy of this blog posting and ask them to resign.

Secrets and Lies--a long awaited Financial Report

2006-12-06T09:20:00.000-08:00

is sort of available.
I say 'sort of" because:
There is document available--A secret-- not to be shared with members (--pesky members, thinking they should have a say in how thing or run or be owed any information about what their money is being used for) document.
(read to the end to find out how you can get your very own copy of this secret document!)

It is an UNSIGNED document, (that is, no one has put their name to it…So it is unclear who prepared it--that’s a secret, too, I guess) that is pretending to be a Financial report of the BAKG (note, it is not, nor does it claim to be, a Treasurer’s Report!)

It has an end date, (as of November 2006,) but not a start date.
If a ninth grader handed in a report like this for homework,--that is, unsigned, and with out a start date and an end date--(and preparing a simple Treasurer’s Report, is part of 9th grade math) they would receive a failing grade.
Should we expect less from BAKG leadership (a word used rather loosely in this context!) than is expected from a 13 to 14 year old? I don‘t think so!
But that is not the most glaring thing about this document..
One of the first things that caught the Pip’s eye was
Balance carried forward in January 2006-- $13,829.00
Wait! The “financial report” hand out dated August 2005 showed a “balance” of $20,270.00 (and showed the BAKG as operating in the black, (with income!)

But 5 months later, there is $6,441 less money!
(what you don’t still have a copy of the August 2005 “Financial Report”?
No matter, you can see it
here
Just where did $6,441 go?!
What ever did we spend $6000 on? How did we lose more than $6000 in 4 months!?
(There is just no accounting for it-- Literally or figuratively!)

Do you think, (as I do,) that maybe the August 2005 report had puffed up numbers to make the report look good and silence people who demanded a treasurers report before the elections?

And now, they are being forced to admit, the August 2005 report was phonied up.
NO WONDER THIS NEW FINANCIAL REPORT A SECRET DOCUMENT!

Of course, they want you to believe this new report (this, still officially secret, report!), that this report is, um, TOTALLY ACCURATE.
(just trying saying that with a straight face!)

And they want you to forget that this report, is brought to you by the same, um, PERSON OR PERSONS UNKNOWN that phonied up the August 2005 report!
But Wait, there is more!
There is this item: Meetings $1,997!
So lets figure this out. There are 2 meeting are Charity meeting at Mickie’s house (does she charge for use? I don’t think so!), 2 meeting are “off site” , (the luncheon and the retreat.) and no meeting for August. Out of 12 months, we meet at LGCC 7 times a year.
So, $1, 997.00 / 7=$285 cost per meeting!
Gee, those must be some meeting!
We must have high price speakers, and refreshments. NOT.
So what is $285 per meeting paying for? Do you know?
(maybe cab fairs for Madam President and her entourage? )

Helen, Nancy and Barbara presented a “share the talent meeting’--they were comp’d nothing for their effort. (so there is one meeting that had little or no cost. )
Did Elaine and Raye get paid big bucks when they did their share the talent presentation in May? (and if they did, why did they get comp’d when Nancy, Barbara and Helen didn’t? --there isn’t one set of rules and reg’s for FOC, and another for others, is there? )
Does Barbara Kerr get comp’d for the membership project meeting?
(and is so, how much, and why don’t other members get comp’d when they run a presentation at a meeting?)
If these members’ didn’t get comp’d for presentation, just what costs are there for meetings?
Can you tell me, Madam President and Madam Treasurer,( and the members), please, just what we are spending $285 a meeting on? (for sure, this "Report" doesn't explain!)

At last report, the room at the LGCC cost $75.
If it really cost $285, we could be getting a ball room in a Manhattan hotel for 4 hour for that much money! So exactly what does the room cost us?

Shouldn’t that basic information be available in a treasurers report?
Shouldn’t there be some explanation of what we are spending $1,997 ($285 a meeting!) on?

As of November 2006 we had 2 workshops (September 16, Nov 14) Expenses for these workshops?
$721 (2 room rentals, 2 instructors fees.. $721???)
What is the room fee? Is it the same $75? Or more? $100? ($200 for 2 workshops?)
And instructors fees? $125 to $150 is about normal for a 4 hour workshop.
(this is bases on publicly available information from speakers like Anne Modisett and others who post their fees on their blog/web pages. )
If we are paying more, you have to ask why?

So, $200(2 room fees), plus $300 (2 instructors fees) =$500, what’s the other $221 going to? Kick backs? Or other fiscal fudging?

And what are the OTHER expenses?
In 2005 there were $957 worth, this report shows $403.
$400 on What? What are the other expenses?
Are there receipts for these expenses?
EVERY PENNY-after 17 months its not unreasonable to expect every penny to be accounted for.
$400 of unaccounted for OTHER just doesn’t cut it.

As this PIP read the report, and it seems as if numbers where picked up out of the air.

Some things, like the Hurricane Katrina fund where collected in November of 2005 and (should have been!) dispersed in 2005, so what are they doing in a 2006 report?
(padding it?)

Look in the March/April issue of City Purls, and the minutes note that the guild had received a receipt from Habitat for Humanity.. (by Feb 11th meeting date.)
Making it seem all the more evident that the donation properly belongs in the 2005 accounting.

We wait 16 months, and get dished up a mess of numbers that have no details, no explanations on how they were arrived at, and no one accepting accountability for the report! There are months of information are missing, and $6000, too!

Do you think this document is doctored? --just like the August 2005 one clearly was?
And the August 2005 clearly was doctored, --how else can you explain “a Balance of $20,270 in August” and “a balance carried forward of $13,829”a scant 4 months later?

Remember HG and other members made a stink about an election being held with not Treasurers report available. That document that came out, the August 2005 document, and it purported to showed good stewardship.

Do you think Madam President would have been re-elected if members saw a $6,441 loss to the clubs reserve fund? Do you think the August 2005 report was a bit self serving?

And given, that the August 2005 document was filled with lies, (and what else could it have been if 4 months later the balance carried forward was $6,441 less!?) on what basis should we accept the SECRET November 2006 document as being a true picture of the BAKG finances?

What are we to make of this secret document?
It this document just another lie to shut up HG and the Pip and other members?

Moneys come and go, details remain elusive.
It’s easier to pull teeth than to get a proper accounting.

The mess of number is just that, a mess of numbers.
It can be called a lot of things, but a treasurers report? Hardly.

It doesn’t even claim to be a Treasurer’s Report!
After 17 months this is the best that they can come up with?

This is an accounting? This is a FARSE!

And why is this document being kept secret from the members?
Maybe they are afraid to be questioned about these numbers?

Maybe they realize that you can fool some of the people all the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can’t fool ALL OF THE PEOPLE ALL OF THE TIME.

And there are a group of members who aren’t going to be fooled by this.

Are you fooled? This PipSqueek isn’t.
And who receives the Bank Statements?

(and what proof does anyone have that the stated balance is the actual balance? )
Has anyone on the Board, beside Madam President ever seen the Bank statements?

Do you want to believe the people who are trying to dish up this mess and call it a report?
I don’t.

Do you want a copy-an error ridden copy of the secret document? Send an email to:
a_pip_squeek@yahoo.com (note: there are _(underscores) between a and pip, and pip and squeek)

And remember, August 2005 report is available at the link above.

Don’t trust me, ask me to verify.. I will send you the same document I recieved.

What about the Board?
Will they come clean?
Will they show where these numbers came from?
Will the show bank statements, and canceled checks?
Will they ever account to us, what they are doing with our money?
Or will they operate in secret, and continue to lie to us?
They will if you let them. Don’t let them.

Why don’t you send a copy of this posting to Madam President and to Madam Treasurer and let them know, You are fed up and not going to stand for this any longer.

Demand their resignations.
Don’t know their email addresses?
Here they are:
eclair218@aol.com Madam President
suzysimon@optonline.net Madam Treasurer

Just highlight the address, and hit Control and C together to copy it,
then hit the envelop icon below
In the new window that opens up,
Paste the address into the TO: field by hitting Control and V.
Add your comments, and hit the send button.
Do it now.

or post your thoughts in the Comment section (or both places!)

Remember, you heard it here first!

2006-12-02T09:10:00.000-08:00

Sometime (before my time in the BAKG started) a “members project” was started.
Two outgoing hard working members, discovered Horst Schultz, and Modular knitting.

They organized a project. They taught classes. The project start out with a great deal of enthusiasm. It was, by all measures, a success.

Then, the years passed, and interest withered. But the project lingered on.
The one of the founding member of so called current project, is one of the members who has voted with her feet, and left the BAKG!

Its now 2006, (and very nearly 2007) and a new membership project is needed.

What should the BAKG Members Project be?
I Dunno! Let’s Ask the Members.

If it’s a Membership Project, Members should have a say.
First, the members should be asked for ideas, and the ideas discussed and voted on.
There should be a time limit to the project.
It should be started, worked on, completed.
And then another project should be started.

Specifically, What sort of project should there be?
Here are a few ideas. Are these the best ideas? Nope.
They are just idea’s to get members thinking.
Let's get a list together--these ideas (not all the Pip’s by any means!) and others, and lets discuss and vote on a project.
1--Knit NY-- get a map - (real or stylized, perhaps even subway map)
Maybe include parts of LI, NJ, outlying suburbs to north, too.
Make the map into grid (25 X 25 squares--or about 255 pieces)
Blow up (enlarge) each grid square at least 10 times.
Each member gets a square (or more if they want) to knit.
New knitters can chose waterways (and knit plain blue squares) or park area's and knit green squares.
Experienced kniters can knit intarsia, maybe someone with an i cord knitting maching can make miles of i-cord (for subway lines, or City/countly lines) Members can chose to knit their home square, or the square that represents a former home, or shcool, or favorite place in the city.
--Eventually join the squares back together to have a 100 X100 foot square knit map of NYC and area!
Part of this project (and the next two projects!) should be working with local museums to have a short (3 month or so) special exhibit of the finished project.
The finished product could be auctioned off, and the proceeds donated to a worthy cause.

2- Bushels of Apples.
Members knits (and if desired, also felts) an apple--or a strip of garter stitching (something like a scarf)
Maybe we can convince Nicky Epstein to allow us to use her design for knitted apples for this project, though anyone who wants to design their own apple can!

The garter stitch strips get woven (and felted) into Bushel baskets (or perhaps someone who is a geek wants to design and make a cornucopia-) The knit baskets get filled with knit apples.

NY state is the second largest producer of apples in US. Our guild is the big apple guild.
Apples come in many colors, (golden, green, red, mottled, russet), many sizes, (think of crab apples or ladies apples, right on up to Rome Beauties) and many colors.

This project too, should be exhibited--at least for a short while.

After, members can elect to reclaim the apples they knit, or the project could be auctioned off. In either case, the project needs not just knitters, but PR experts, and Photographers, and someone to find an appropriate place to display the finished work.

3--Knit Shakespeare in the park
Knit the DeLeCourt theater, and ‘characters’ (in costume!) for a production of a Shakespeare play from NYC’s free Shakespeare in the Park
Decide on what scale, what production, (newer knitters can knit the Central park grass for the ‘base’)
This project, too, needs an exhibit space (any BAKG member also a member of the Friends of Central Park? Anyone work for NY Public theater? Or the NYC Dept of Parks? --or on the board of The Museum of the city of NY? or active with the Crafts Art Council?

Hey all of these above projects could be displayed at the NYKnit Out!

4--Design and create a BAKG Calendar. (a 16month calendar)
The Guild has some well known designers, (Lily Chin, Nicky Epstein to name a few!)
Many others members also design. Members who have online or brick and mortar LYS could be listed as sources for the materials.
Other members could be photographers, or test knitters, or editors. Some members could take on the job of PR’s, and notify Knitting Magazines and On Line sources.
(Some members could end up being MODELS! (not this Pip for sure, but we do have some members who could!)
Now days, with Print on Demand services, the whole calendar could exist on a server and be printed and picked up by purchasers at a Kinko’s . If someone doesn’t have a local Kinko’s, well Kinko has Fed Ex service--it could be FexEx’d to them.
Sell the Calendar from the BAKG web site, (via paypal)
No inventory to store, no envelops to address.. All of it done by Kinko’s (or perhaps an even cheaper service provider!)

5--A members Knit along.. (or more than one knit along going at once.. Remember we do have 250+members--with all sorts of skill levels and interests)
Could it be an Aran sweater, (or afghan?) a Fair Isle sweater (or ensemble, with hat and mittens!) a Moebius scarf and Klein Bottle hat. --or maybe a 4 knit along’s planned for every year.. Skill building project for beginners, sharing opportunities for members, with several knit alongs going on at once, the needs of many different members could be met at once.
At least one of the projects should be dedicated to a specific charity.

6--A Stitch and Pitch outing. (this pip has to confess, I think watching a baseball game is as exciting as watching paint dry.. But who cares what this pip thinks?) Stitch and Pitch is now being sponsored by TNNA, in co-operation with the National Baseball Associations.
Obviously, this pip is out of step with hundreds of knitters interests!
Information about Stitch and Pitch can be found at their web site.

Is anyone of these project perfect? No.

There are problems organizing and coordinating all of them.
Are there better idea’s out there? ABSOLUTELY.
This pip wants to be put in her place. Show me all the flaws in the ideas presented, and present an idea of your own!
Let's get a discussion going.. And eventually, a Vote, and then on to a great project!
Do we want a members project that the members contribute (donate) their work and it gets auctioned off?

Or do them members what a project that showcases their work, but allows them to keep it?

Should the project have an aim? Should it be a fund raiser, or just a show off piece?

This pip doesn’t have all the answers, (and besides, my answers are just that, my answers) the members of the BAKG should decide, collectively what they want their membership project to be.
I mean, isn’t that want a membership project is all about?

And remember, when Madam President presents theses idea’s, where she got them from.
If she presents them, (as her own, as ideas she has ‘collected’) it's not leadership, it’s theft.
She’d rather not admit to knowing about this blog. (but she’ll gladly steal ideas from it and present them as her own!)
Just remember where you heard them first!

Another week has gone by

2006-12-02T08:33:00.000-08:00

It’s a new month, too!

Remember, on November 1st, Madam President, of her own volition, shared with some members (and instructed them not to tell other members!) the beginning of a Treasurer’s Report she was preparing.

On November 8th, there was a semi-secret, emergency meeting of the Board (was there a quorum? Exactly how many board members showed up? Who knows. Not this pip.
Well, in any case, it seem evident there wasn’t a Treasurers Report at that meeting, because on

November 11th there was a general meeting, and Madam President said “there report will be ready in 2 weeks. (Madam Interim/Acting/Quasi Treasurer was not at the meeting, nor was Madam Recording Secretary)

November 25 came and went with no Treasurers Report, and the Special meeting one board member tried to set up no get set up, to help settle these issues never happened (unless of course it was double secret!)

Madam President had time to spend sitting knitting at CitiCorp on Wednesday November 29th, and she report heself being at P&S (a LYS that is closing and has a clearance sale) on Friday, December 1st, (so clearly she has some free time) but here is its, December 2nd, and still no treasurers report.

The last treasurers report, dated August, handed/mailed to members the first week of September 2005, is the last report members have received.

The last knowledge we have about the $20,000 of the guilds funds.

..1....August 2005
........--a hodge podge of numbers alleging to be a
........treasurers report is handed/mailed out.
..2....September 2005
.........--income/outgo from annual luncheon to report on
..3....October 2005
..4....November 2005
..5....December 2005
...........--income/outgo from fall workshops (in Oct/Nov/Dec)
..6....January 2006 (membership renewal income)
..7....February 2006
..8....March 2006
..9....April 2006
.........--annual retreat income/outgo to report on
..10. May 2006
..11...June 2006
..12...July 2006
..13...August 2006
..14...September 2006
.........--income/outgo from annual luncheon, and a workshop, too
..15...October 2006
.........--income outgo from workshop
..16...November 2006
.......--income/outgo from workshop
And here we are in
..17.. December 2006
........--with another workshop scheduled today, more money
......going into the BAKG bank account (or is it?)
......and still no Treasurers report.

Well Madam President, what do you have to say for yourself?

Are we ever going to see a Treasurers Report?

This is OUR MONEY not YOURS. Show us the MONEY.

Do you read all the comments?

2006-11-30T12:22:00.000-08:00

A recent comment:
Why don't you just go to a guild meeting and publicly demand an accounting in a forthright manner? Keep going and politely demand an accounting until something is done. I think your behavior is passive-aggressive: an anonymous blog that rips someone to shreds is not going to accomplish the goal.

Valid, perfect valid.
Let’s go through line by line.
Why don't you just go to a guild meeting and publicly demand an accounting in a forthright manner?
This has been done. Not once, not twice, but repeatedly.
Members ask why we aren’t receiving treasure reports and other information, and Madam President curtly replies. “this is not open for discussion now” If an other member repeats the question, her reply is “asked and answered” (but, in reality, the question hasn’t been answered, its been ignored.)
Ask again, and Friends of Madam President chine in and say “You are disrupting the meeting!”
After a while the questioner gets disgusted and quits. 200 member have quit in 2 years.
--(did you see The Wormy Apple: An Apple Polisher Speaks up? (see November archives, Nov 1st entry) Former board members who have worked with the current Madam President ECHO, this Pip’s concerns. They don’t stand up to defend her.

Keep going and politely demand an accounting until something is done.
Madam President won’t even give an accounting to her other members of her board.
One board member called for a special meeting to address the Pip’s (and other pip’s) concerns, and Madam President refuses to have a meeting.
We’ve tried polite. It got us no where.

I think your behavior is passive-aggressive: an anonymous blog that rips someone to shreds is not going to accomplish the goal.
Am I ripping her to shreds? Have I called her a thief? NO.
Am I suspicious? Damn right I am. If she has nothing to hide why is she hiding not just from general members but at this point from her own board?

As I said above, a board member approached Madam President and attempted to set up a Board meeting to discuss issues raised by the Pip and others and Madam President refuses to attend such a meeting. And Board meetings that used to be regularly held just before General meetings are not either not held, or held in secret.

How is a member suppose to raise this issue quietly and politely when, for 7 months there were no Board meetings to raise it at? And when a board meeting was final convened (after the Pip pointed out there had been No meetings!) it was held in secret. (With a scant 24 hours notice to board members?)

How is a member supposed to accomplishing anything when for 3 (our of 10 general meetings this year) Madam President hasn’t even shown up?

How is a member supposed to accomplish or ask anything when at the October meeting, THERE WASN’T A SINGLE MEMBER OF THE BOARD IN ATTENDANCE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING?

The By-Laws BAR an executive officer from holding 2 posts, yet when the duly elected Treasurer resigned, Madam President had her name added to the Guild’s bank account, --and simultaneously stopped having Board meetings!

She set her self up as ‘treasurer’ and took hold of the Guild funds, and stopped meeting with the board. She sends out notices for guild functions (and runs ads for her business in the notices!) and directs members to send money’s to her.

So she collects, she deposits (hopefully!) and she writes checks, and she answers to no one.

The Pip is a nom de plume, but it is an open blog.

Your comments have value (and you are not the only one who has expressed concern that this is not the best way to deal with the BAKG issues.--just the first to offer them as a comment in writing. ) But other avenues have been tried.

This is not the first choice, nor the second choice, it is a last ditch effort to get something done.

Madam President has at her disposal many means to address these issues.

The BAKG has a Yahoo message group (only open to BAKG Members)
She has meetings, she is responsible for a Presidents Letter in every issue of the CityPurls, (the guild newsletter). She could post a response here.

The Pip didn’t delete your comments, --the Pip is not interested in censorship.

She does nothing
......--except sit back and wait for members to quit.
President, of this organization, of almost any organization,
is a term of office that is SERVED.
.....Her responsibility is to MEMBERSHIP.
.....She is not acting responsible.
.....She is not serving the members or the guild.
.....She, more than anyone else, has shut done all means of
.........communication.

Every Single Penny

2006-11-28T12:57:00.000-08:00

should be accounted for--Don’t you agree?
Madam President, we are still waiting.
Your self imposed deadline has come and gone, and still we are waiting.
You can stall, you can delay, but we are not going away.

Every day there are more and more members reading what this little pip has to say, and every day, more and more members are squeeking along with this pip. (Did you see the counter? Lots of people are looking, there are lots of silent pips.)

Our Madam President? I guess she is still engaged in her creative writing exercise.
I mean a treasurer report is pretty simple.
It shows income (membership, workshops, the retreat , the luncheon)
It shows outgo, (members services like meeting notices, room fees, CityPurls)
Its shows gain or loss.

In a year, The BAKG can’t be writing more than 100 checks.
12 months to the year, but there is no meeting in August, so 11 printing fee checks, 11 postage checks, 11 labels/printing labels checks, That’s 3 checks every month for meeting notices.
7 times a year, room fee checks--since twice a year the meetings are at Mickie’s, and 1 month there is the luncheon, 1 month is the retreat.
6 times a year (or in this year 5) 3 checks, (printing, postage, labels) for CitiPurls

Once a year, a half checks for the retreat. One each for the deposit, a partial payment, a full payment, and finally compensation checks for the instructors. Don’t forget we’ve already counted the checks for printing, postage and labels for the retreat flyer as part of the meeting notices.
The luncheon has the same half dozen checks required.
Count them up--that only 75 or so checks.

Of course both event do generate income, and deposits, (and these checks too, need to be recorded and accounted for.) The retreat, with options, is the most complicated, but, still that was only 25 or so checks this year. The luncheon is a lot simpler--every income check is identical, and there are a few checks associated with that.

There are once a year fees too, like the fee to maintain the BAKG web page.
What else? Speakers fee? --Did we have speakers?
Do we com'p guild members? Some of them?
Well that's another whole discussion.

The BAKG is not a huge multi division conglomerate. It’s a small organization.
A competent person should be able to have a decent report together in a few hours.
If they used Excel or QuickBooks, it would take less time.

But CREATIVE WRITING, well that is hard. Accounting for miscellaneous stuff is harder still. Remember, last year there was over $1,000 in miscellaneous stuff? Well, that’s not going to fly this year. I think, after all this time, we are entitled to know where every single penny went. Don’t you agree?
I intentionally left out the income from the auction. That fund raiser generates a lot of cash payments. And I think we should plan on looking closely at how much income it generated last year.
PS--You do know The Wormy Apple has gone public, don’t you?
There are posts with links on Knitty, Craftster, the TKGA, and lots of other places.

More pip's keep adding to the pulp.

2006-11-27T12:54:00.000-08:00

A BAKG member who asked to remain (at least for now) anonymous wrote the Pip
(and referred to a comment in Other Pip’s squeek, too, blog entry.)
The Pip said:
We don't seem to be attracting the new young upcoming designers. Just look at Debbie Stohler's books Stitch and Bitch and Stitch and Bitch Nation. Many of the designers featured in those books live and work in the NY area--but they are not members of the BAKG. These designers often have on line Knit alongs that attract hundreds of knitters.. but they are not being invited to run workshops at the BAKG.

Another PipSqueek said:
when it comes to something’s that were posted on the blog.
1) it's about the young and upcoming designers and the increase in interest in knitting. as stated, the BAKG is not reaching out to younger knitters. as far as i know, there is 1, yes 1 member who is under 25 (correct me if i'm wrong). and now that i think about it, i haven't seen her there in a while.

Yes, this Pip is no spring chicken, and this member is so right. The BAKG is a semi geriatric organization! (Is menopause an unspoken requirement for membership?)
She(he?) continued:
2) what determines membership? is it paying the fee at the beginning of the year and leaving it at that? or is there more to it.
in an organization, all fee-paying members should have a say in things. it seems like here it's not.

for example... meeting place? i mean come on! that is a trip for EVERYONE except a few, and on top of that it costs.

another member told me " We used to meet in libraries all over the city.
We got too big for most library spaces and LaGuardia was free. Now they are charging.
We keep suggesting that we look into other spaces for the same or lower cost but we are ignored. It is a short bus ride for madam president"

i'll have more rants for you later.

Pip would like to point out, one of Madam Presidents passive aggressive ploys here.

If you attempt (as has been done) to speak to her, She “dumps” responsibility, rather than sharing it. She says “Do it” but never discusses what the BAKG can afford (and since there is no communication on the budget or the treasury, it’s not as if this is common knowledge)

There are consideration too, (handicapped accessibility comes to mind to start) and there are no doubt others. But they, too, are not discussed. There is no opportunity for discussion. A members suggested is not treated seriously.

And if a member knew about an other meeting place, would they be empowered to just ‘sign us up”? (Well they shouldn’t be!) Could it be discussed at a Board Meeting? Well, maybe--If we ever had Board Meetings!

There is never an open discussion of why we meet at LACC, and what other options exist. A quick glance at the member’s directory shows several members with EDU email addresses.

Could they be taped to arrange something at their institution? --Perhaps--Maybe there is something is available at the same (or even a lower cost) Something that is perhaps more convenient to a Majority of the members, not just to a select few.

Could we arrange for a more central location? Who Knows? It’s not something Madam President wants to discuss (and again we must ask ourselves, WHY?)

No discussion (passive behavior) results in HER WAY being the only way (aggressive behavior!)

The Emperor’s New Clothes.. Or how a con works

2006-11-26T12:03:00.000-08:00

You know the story--
Visitors come to town, with many amazing things--jewels, and novelties, and Wait, special, just for the most important person (the Emperor!) some wonderful fabric
Not only is it beautiful, but its is magical.. It can only be seen by those who are truly suited to their position in life…
And out comes NOTHING.
But no one will admit it. The emperor won’t, nor will the minister, nor will the master of the wardrobe, nor will the royal tailors, now the royal maidservants.
NO ONE want to admit, that perhaps they are not the best suited for their job.
Finally --it takes a fool.. A nobody, who has nothing to lose to point out there is nothing there.
But by then, the con artist are long gone.. And everyone, from the Emperor on down, has to admit to being taken in--every one, including the Emperor has to admit, I was a fool.
------------------------------------------
In real life, the police will tell you, no one wants to admit to being taken in. No one wants to play the fool on their own. And there is no Emperor to admit it first.

Con artist don’t just take money. They rob their victims of a sense of self worth.
Money is easy to replace. But our sense of self, our personal belief in our own good judgment, our sense that we are smart, and world wise, the we know good from evil, that we are not fools--that we value even more than we value money.

Why hasn’t Madam Recording Secretary joined in and public seconded the PIP’s request for a Treasurers Report? Why hasn’t she stood up and said, “This is not Right.”?

THE BAKG has an elected board, and they each have their responsiblities, and its not right that Madam President is SOLE arbitrator of everything.
So Madam Recording Secretary, are you still going to stand by, and do nothing, when by now, it must be clear, things are not right?

Are you embarrassed? Have you realized you've been conned? Have you found yourself marching down the main road, clothed in NOTHING. Have you, like the Emperor, realized, There is no magic fabric.

This Pip thinks, our Madam Recording Secretary has been robbed of her confidence of self. She has been lead astray. And now, when faced with the facts, she will join a huge number of FFOC (former Friends of Madam President.) The number is legion.

Likely, she’ll drop out of BAKG. (look how many who have served with Madam President have)
She’ll be come closed mouthed. Not because she doesn’t have anything to say, but because its will be too painful to recount. You have to look far and wide to find a FFOC's who is still a member of the BAKG.

Con Artists count on that. When the police investigate cons they find victim after victim, but few (fewer on average than 1 in 7), is willing to come forward and publicly admit-- “I was a taken in by him/her. I allowed myself to get played”. They have lost money. But more than that, they have lost self confidence, self esteem. They have no desire to publicly admit to their misguided beliefs. No one wants to stand up and say, “I was a fool”. It’s too embarrassing. Better to just cut and run, tail between their legs. They accept their loses, and try to hide from their embarrassment.

Former treasurers, former VP’s former what ever’s.. So many of them gone.
So many of them, once active vital members of the BAKG, now hiding out.
Now resigned, not just from their former office, but from the BAKG entirely.
I am sure Madam President has an explanation.. “disgruntled, negative members”
(Unless they are crazy or worse.--or maybe they are just jelious, or sore losers, or anything at all but right!) And just how did they become that way? Do you think maybe they were conned? That maybe they were played the fool?

So Madam Secretary, are you, too, becoming too embarrassed to show your face?
Will you cut and run? Or will you stand up?
The BAKG board is elected to serve the membership.
You still have 1 year in office.
......Will you stand by and do nothing?
.....Will there be another 7 or 8 months with no Board
.......meetings?
.....Will there be another 16 months with no treasurers
.......report?
.....Will you be the ONE--that stand's up and bears
........testament to being conned?
Or are you one of the seven who refuse come forward and publicly admit, I was taken in.
All of us have foolish moments. We hope and trust you can get over it.
You might have been played a fool for a short while, but this PIP doesn’t think you are a FOOL, even if you were fooled.
You aren’t a fool, you were just played by a con artist. It happens to the best of us.
Even the emperor was taken in.

And what should we do with Madam President?
Should we let her go on her merry way, do we let her take our dignity, and our money?
Or should she be called to account for her actions?

.....Let's start with a Treasures Report. It is long overdue.
.......And along with that, a through review of all the BAKG bank
.......accounts.
.....Let's see what the balance of the BAKG accounts stand at
.......--not just what Madam President says they stand at.
.....Let’s see who’s been signing checks--and for what.
.....Let’s see if all the money’s due to the BAKG has
........ been deposited in the BAKG account.
.....Let’s see who’s been receiving the BAKG bank
....... statements.
.....Let’s see what the BAKG money is being spent on, and if there
.......are receipts to justify those expenditures.
.....Let's stop pretending that
......."Things are fine."

They aren't. 16 months and counting, and no Treasures Report is not fine.
These are not the radical ideas of some disgruntled member. These are sound practices of any well run organization.

This Pip has been a fool in the past. But not anymore. Who else has been fooled?

The Day has come, Madam President.

2006-11-25T07:40:00.000-08:00

Madam Presidents favorite little jingle goes something like this:
.....Delay, procrastinate; procrastinate, delay
.....If I stall them long enough, maybe they,
.....(And all their questions) will just go away!
Alas, MP, its not going to happen.

Remember the last general meeting? Remember your words?
“There will be a treasurers report in 2 weeks”
Guess what? Two week have gone by! (Amazing isn’t it how fast times flies!)
Just think, its been 16 months (a calendar year and quarter and month!) since there has been a public treasurers report. But now, we member are going to get the facts.

Should I sit by my mailbox waiting for the delivery?
Do you think I will be disappointed?

Did you know that MP shared (with some members) some paperwork on NOV1st--that perportated to be the treasurers report?
(Which reminds me to ask; JUST WHAT WAS THE PRESIDENT DOING?
Isn’t a TREAURERS REPORT, by DEFINATION, prepared by the TREASURER?)

And here we are 24 days later, (16 month later), still waiting?
(always, later, alway, not now, but soon; alway delay.
Delay, delay, till the questions go away)

What are we waiting for?
If there is NOTHING TO HIDE, then show us the money!
After all it is OUR MONEY, not Madam Presidents.
And it’s sure not being spend on our behalf.
Its not going to members programs
Its not being spent on printing an mailing the CityPurls.
Its not working to make the BAKG a better organization.
Just what is being done with our money? And who is doing it?

If you won't say, this Pip has to wonder WHY?

Other Pip's Squeek, too

2006-11-17T07:05:00.000-08:00

It's not just this pip squeek who's making noise... Have you read the comments that have been added to various posts? here there are.

From So many tracks to cover...
Anonymous1 said...
It seems that madam president has plenty to hide which is why she WON'T produce a financial statement.
Has madam president already emptied the treasury?
If so, producing a financial statement would expose her scheme!
She needs secret meetings to either cover her steps or to get any remaining funds out of the bakg and run.
Producing a financial statement is only problematic when there's something to hide.
Why are you members so apathetic? Organize and kick her the hell out.
REMEMBER, IT'S YOUR MONEY SHE IS TAKING!
Never would I have thought that madam president was such a THIEF. Could the D.A. get involved and investigate bakg?

Anonymous 2 said...
Madam President also mentioned the January yarn auction. I remember when it was a yarn swap that was much easier on the checkbook. I know I was never consulted about the change in policy. Since I don't know where the funds raised are going, I am not going to contribute much this year. I have just been giving my excess yarn to those who need them and they have responded in kind. 12:39 PM, November 13, 2006

From Our Treasurer....
Anonymous 1 said... This fiasco sounds like the wolf guarding the hen house!!!
What do you think about calling the D.A. to investigate?
How do you think madam president would look in stripes? Of course, they would not be knitted.
3:42 PM, November 14, 2006
Anonymous 2 said...

What a funny comment. I do agree that something needs to be done. That's really sad that all this is happening. I'm not around NY anymore, but I did enjoy the meetings when I was.
Why not start a new group after you investigate this?
4:34 PM, November 14, 2006

From Twinkle twinkle

Anonymous1 said... Most of the members may not be interested in an instructor but they are only a small percentage of the knitters in NYC. Workshops are not announced early enough or announced outside of the BAKG.

Yes, that is a very good point. It used to be, with so many members, (over 500 just a few years ago) that the BAKG represented a huge portion of NYmetro area knitters.

Now, membership is down, and many long time members have left. And at the same time, there are many new knitters in the BAKG. It's natural, with the increased popularity of knitting that we should have many new members, and that many of those new members are younger, hipper knitters, and that their needs and desires might be different than the previous demographic.

I like to think of the old girl scout song.. Make new friend, but keep the old, one is silver, the other gold. We seem to have lost our 'golden' members. and are not providing for the needs of the silver, either.

We don't seem to be attracting the new young upcoming designers. Just look at Debbie Stohler's books Stitch and Bitch and Stitch and Bitch Nation. Many of the designers featured in those books live and work in the NY area--but they are not members of the BAKG.
These designers often have on line Knit alongs that attract hundreds of knitters.. but they are not being invited to run workshops at the BAKG.

For many years, the BAKG was the only knitting group in the NY metro area. Now there are groups in every boro, in all the out lying suburbs. Knitters reach out and meet each other through yahoo group, through knit lists, through knitting BB's.

What is the BAKG doing to reach these knitters?

Twinkle, twinkle little star….

2006-11-15T06:51:00.000-08:00

How I wonder where you are!

Has anyone ever met Staryl Casey at a BAKG meeting? Does she exist?

In all my years attending BAKG meetings I have never met her.
And I’ve asked others--the information I get is “She’s really tight with Madam President”
D’oh! As if this Pip didn’t know Madam President hand pick a board of “Yes’M”!
(Yes’M’s are like yes men, but they are ladies.)
Starly has a stellar record--she didn't attend (from what I can see in the minutes recorded in the CityPurls) any meetings last year, and the same this year. Our Star is a black hole!

Well who is she you might ask? Why should I care?
She is, supposedly, the Program Chairperson.
Think about this year, and the programs.
Remember all the Workshops we had in first Quarter?
No? well don’t worry, you’re not going senile, there were none.
And the meetings this year? TBA’s --for months. NO PLANNING.

But what does Staryl care? She never comes to meeting anyway!

And remember last’s years workshops? They all lost money. It just takes 5 attendees to make a workshop break even. But none of the workshop generated enough interest to attract a scant 2% of the membership. Do you think maybe she is out of touch with the membership?

This year, some workshops are again having trouble attracting attendees.

So lets see, last year, a workshop run by Instructor X failed to attract enough member to make it break even. .. So this year, invite Instructor X back again.
And again, the workshop that fails to attract enough members to break even.

Ok, the workshops aren’t/should be fund raisers.
So lets return the price to $35*--and have full classes of 10-- $350 will more than cover the costs. But 3 attendees at $45 won’t.
----Just who (and when?) authorized the increase in workshop fees?

If Madam Instructor is “so MUCH in demand” that we are going to pay her even if we cancel the class, then there should be no trouble selling out her class.

You can’t have it both ways--IF she is in demand, people will sign up and attend.
If people don’t sign up and attend, there is no demand for this instructor or her classes.

Maybe she is Wonderful instructor..
And the membership is just saturated.
We’ve had our fill, (perhaps just temporarily) of her.
Why do we have the same few instructors time after time? Rumors hint there are ‘irregularities’ about how they are compensated. Any one know the facts?
PS. There is more to the workshops than meets the eye.. Discerning readers will see that.

Our Treasurer: Susan Schlager Simon

2006-11-14T06:45:00.000-08:00

Do you know her? Personally or even just by sight?

This Pip knows her, just barely by sight. But knows nothing else about her.
Other member’s (the Pip asked at the November meeting) don’t even know her by sight. Well Madam President knows her.
She was the BAKG Treasurer from 2003 to 2005.
So we can get to know her by her reputation right?
We can look in back issues of the CityPurl, and see her work there, right?

What!? You don’t save all the issues of CityPurl? Well in any normal organization, there is a record. Just ask Madam Secretary to refer to her notes--and to the record she has (of previous years) or ask Josephine Colmenares (former CityPurls editor) to verify.

If anything here seems to outlandish, unreal, something so strange, it seems the Pip must have made it up, DON’T TRUST ME. Read the back issues of CityPurls and see for yourself.
2004
The Jan/Feb issue (2004) issue of CityPurls contains the Board Meeting minutes from November 2003. (Item 1 on the minutes, a treasures report)

Mar/Apr issue, the Board Meeting minutes from the XX Meeting.
4 items of business, but nothing from the treasurer.
(this doesn’t bode good does it?)

May/Jun issue has 2 sets of Meeting Minutes
-- The March 11 2004 minutes has -6 items, not one is a treasurers report.
-- The April 10 2004 starts also has 6 item, and start out with a treasurers report.
This is first we hear from Madam Treasurer Susan Schlager.

Jul/Aug issue has June Meeting minutes, and while the success of the retreat is discussed (Item 1) there is no treasurers report to be found in the 5 items of business.
--How do we measure the success of retreat?
--Isn’t financial success one measure?
--So how successful was the retreat? Do you know? I don’t.

Sep/Oct issue No Board Meeting minutes at all.
Nov/Dec issue the October Minutes appear.
5 items of business. No treasurers report.
On to 2005
Jan/Feb 2005 issue.. Here we find the November Meeting Minutes, and treasurers report. (and Susan Schlager is in attendance at the meeting)

Mar/Apr issue--What? I misplaced this issue? Well there was (a very short) report of the Minutes of some meeting.. (I’ll track down the info and update as soon as I can!)
One thing for sure, it didnot contain an end of year treasurers report, nor was one presented at the annual meeting in September 2004.
May/Jun issue has the March 11 and April 9 2005 Board meeting minutes
These are interesting board meeting.
On March 11th only 2 members are present. (madam President and Madam recording secretary. Is that a valid meeting? Don’t the By-Laws call for a quorum?
(oh silly Pip, Madam President doesn't have to abide by the By-Laws does she?)
April’s meeting--just 3 members, Madam President, Madam Secretary, and the “Member at Large”--Again not a quorum. But business is enacted anyway.
The items of business are down to 4, no treasurers report anywhere in sight.

Jul/Aug issue has the June 11th Minutes 4 board members attended--but madam treasurer is not among them.
First order of Business, is the Preparation of a Financial Report for the Annual Luncheon Meeting--well here is a bit of good new!
Second Item of Business---Preparation of Nominating Form to be included in the July Issue of CityPurls. (more on that later!)
Sep/Oct Issue No Board Meeting Minutes, but a Note about irregularities of the nomination/election.
Nov/Dec Issue (again, I just can find this issue right now.--but I will find it, and I will update this post)
Now it clear, Minutes lag behind--how else could it be?
So lets go to the 2006 issues of CityPurls and find what other business occurred in 2005, (looking for Minutes from Novembers or Decembers Board Meetings.)
2006
Jan/Feb 2006 2 sets of Minutes, Oct1 and Nov 19th
4 members at the Board Meeting at the October 1st meeting.
Item 1 is labeled “treasurers report” is list 3 recent check written for the BAKG business.
3 Members at the November 19th meeting. (is this a quorum?)
Item 1 is labeled “treasurers report” it notes a check being written for the retreat

Mar/Apr 2006 has the minutes of the Jan14th Board Meeting. Item 1 is treasures report prepared by Susan Schlager. She is not present, but the newly elected Treasurer is.
NO INFORMATION ABOUT THIS REPORT HAS BE PRESENTED AT ANY GENERAL MEETING
NOR WAS THIS REPORT EVER PRESENTED IN CITYPURLS
If we go back to 2003, we find the March Issue of the CityPurl not only has Board Meeting Minutes, but a end of year statement of the BAKG finances.
Something that has not been seen again in the CityPurl.

Now to be fair there was a hand out at the 2005 Annual Luncheon meeting, that was later mailed to all the members.
----It purported to be a Annual Report.
----It had a end date but not a start date.
----It was a collection of numbers, half a treasurers report, and half a balance statement.
----It had $1000 in unaccounted for Miscellaneous expenses.
----It was UNSIGNED.
----It was purported to be from the Treasurer.

This is what I know about Susan Schlager Simon.
If I were a supervisor rating her performance, I would give her a failing grade.
She doesn’t show up at Board Meeting --which as previously noted, are held just before general membership meetings-so she doesn't attend general meeting.
One can only guess she wasn’t at the secret November 8th meeting, since Madam President said there wasn’t a treasurers report available for the November 11th meeting.
And she wasn’t at the November 11th meeting either.
The record showed she failed to produce regular reports to the Board. And the Financial Report purported prepared in 2005 by her was sloppy, inadequate and poorly organized. There is no record of any Financial Report ever being produced in 2004. (NONE was presented at the 2004 annual luncheon)
So Madam Treasurer,(or should I say Madam Quasi, Interim, Acting Treasurer?)
Please answer some questions:
When where you first introduced to the BAKG Board?

When was your name added to the BAKG Bank Accounts?

Who was previously signing checks and acting as Treasurer?

Did you receive a proper accounting of all BAGK funds at the time of Transfer?

Why didn’t you have a Treasurer’s report available for the November meeting of the BAKG Board (held somewhere Wednesday evening Nov 8th? )

And why wasn’t it ready by November 11th?

How are the BAKG records kept?
----- Are they in a book?
-----Or do you use an electronic register, such as QuickBooks or Excel?

Do you have reciepts for all recorded expenses?

And Finally,
What reasons can you give me to have confidence that your performance, --one that is clearly inadequate as demonstrated by your 2004/2005 record--will improve?

Members, this is your money. It’s there to provide members with services.
Its not there to be spent and not accounted for
What is being done with the money? Its not being spent on general meetings
There are so far, only 4 issue of CityPurl, not 5, (and the question of the Nov/Dec remains open).
Well-- there was the raffle at the November meeting.
Whoop-de-de!
There was a raffle of pencils and pads of paper. Reminds me of my history lessons.. As the Roman leadership became more and more corrupt, there was beer and circus’s for the common folk at the coliseum.. To placate them.
Wow! Did you win a pencil? What about the BAKG treasury? Who won that?

So many tracks to cover, and so little time

2006-11-13T07:30:00.000-08:00

As mentioned, Madam President has been busy at the meeting on Nov. 11th,
HG asked: Who is the Treasurer?
Madam President answer: Susan Schlager Simon

HG: She’s been introduced to the board, and approved?
Madam President answer: Of course!

Not asked: When did this take place?

Back in the beginning of September, Madam Recording Secretary, when asked a question about the new madam treasurer, stated:
There hasn’t been a BAKG board meeting since March.

Since then, she has sputtered something about meetings being held.
I’d like to see the minutes of those meeting. And to know when and where they were held, since other board members have stated the same--no board meeting from March to September!

So lets run a time line:
The BAKG board meets in January --that meeting was held, as it was common for years, just before a general membership meeting. There are Minutes of this meeting in an issue of the City Purls.
February; another meeting. Again, this meeting took place before a general meeting, and the minutes of the meeting where published in the CityPurl.
March; a meeting. This we take Madam Secretary’s word for, but there is no public record of the meeting--guess there hasn’t been room in the CityPurls--but I am going to go out on a limb here, and guess, it too, was held just before a general membership meeting.

April; the retreat,--no meeting at the retreat, (since not all board members attended the retreat) and no other meeting.
May; --no meeting
By May, its become common knowledge that the newly elected Madam Treasurer, Germana, has relocated, and resigned her office.
June; No meeting--a board member who re-arranged her schedule to get to LaG CC early to attend the board meeting was a bit ticked. (Foolishly, she had presumed there would be a meeting --well we all know what happens when you presume!)
An other special feature of the June Meeting--Madam President doesn’t attend.
July; another month with no board meeting, --and another General meeting that Madam President doesn’t attend.
August; there were, in years past, summer picnic meetings, but now there is no general meeting in August. And for at least the past 3 years, no regularly scheduled board meeting in August. So, no surprises here, no board meeting.
September; 2 general meetings really, the Annual Luncheon Ggeneral meeting, and The Knit Out.

I think we must consider the Knit Out a special meeting of the BAKG.

The Craft Yarn Council promotes the BAKG as a co-sponsor of the NY Knit Out, and provide a booth (well, 1 side of free standing booth) to the BAKG. Other participants (yarn stores, etc) paid as much as $400 for the privilege of having a booth.

But neither of these general meetings are conducive to board meetings--still, Madam President does have the right to call a board meeting anytime--and with the publication of the CityPurls, that meeting could have been announced publicly, as to day, time and place--but there wasn’t any notice.

There was the September surprise--there in CityPurls, not a notice of a Board meeting, or Minutes of recent Board meeting, but instead, there is a notice that Susan Simon is the new treasurer.
When did this happen? Who approved it? The By-Laws provide that Madam President can replace (with the approval of the Board) an officer who leaves, but since there was no board meeting, how could there be a new treasurer?

As for the Treasurers qualifications, well that is the subject of a whole separate essay!

More to the point--who’s been signing checks since May? Who is the authorized signature on the account? And who authorized the changes?
October; Well the October meeting was a special one. Not only was there no board meeting, but come 1:00 not a single member of the board is present. Nada,not a one.

Well, to quote her, “the quasi acting treasurer” is there, but she stood around acting as useful as tit on bull. She didn’t stand up and introduce herself, nor did she call the meeting to order. Members come up to HG, not once, not twice, but repeatedly asking when the meeting is going to start.

HG was not prepared (nor is it her responsibility) to call the meeting to order.
And to be honest, she didn’t--she didn’t hand out a sign up sheet, she didn’t ask for members to share show and tell, she didn’t have a treasurers report, or other news and information about the BAKG. To make it perfectly clear, she didn’t run the meeting.
But then, it wasn’t her responsibility was it?

November; -- the Pip has started squeeking.

And the response? A secret, last minute board meeting.
Now, remember, the By-Laws do provide that Madam President can call a Board Meeting when every needed.As the November general meeting approached, Madam President must have realized some members might have been reading the Wormy Apple.
And so the cover up begins.

A last minute, secret meeting. If everything about the BAKG is on the up and up, why a secret meeting? Just what is going on,, that the first Board meeting in MONTHS has to be at a special time, in a secret location, with less than 24 hours notification to board members?

And this secret meeting means there was no board meeting before the general meeting.

No public board meeting means there is no opportunity for a member to ask questions of the board--Not just of Madam President, but of all the board members. Is this a Board of a public organization, or is it a Star Chamber?
Just what is being hidden?
If nothing, why not a meeting at, what for years, was the usual time and place?

Wouldn’t it have been interesting to be a fly on the wall for that meeting?

We know something about it--
There wasn’t a treasurers report! If there was, it would have been available at the general meeting, and as previously noted, Madam President told HG, the report will be available ‘shortly’ in 2 weeks or so--(don’t hold your breath waiting for it!)

So our so called “treasurer” is not off to a good start. But then maybe its not her fault. Maybe she is really only a quasi treasurer .

I think an audit and examination of the BAKG’s bank account is in order.

Let’s see what checks have been written, when, and who signed them.
Let’s find out who’s name is on recorded as the signature for the BAKG Fund’s, when changes were made, and by who.
And BY WHO’s AUTHORITY? It couldn’t have been by the BAKG Board’s authority, since, as the time line shows, there hasn‘t been a board meeting to discuss or authorize anything in months!
Forget the Treasurers report; Let’s have a report on Who Is The Treasurer?
We have a right to know--Who’s got the money? And what have they been doing with it?
And if the Board doesn’t see the need for this, well, maybe we need a totally new board, not just a new treasurer!

Truer Words are seldom spoken!

2006-11-11T17:44:00.000-08:00

Today when HG had the nerve to ask for a treasurers report (What? A member wants to know what going on, the nerve!) Madam President had a moment of truth..
Her reply to HG was it will be ready in 2 weeks.. To wait.
The clincher? “The Big Apple Knitting Guild isn’t going any place!”
True, true. Sadly all to true.
More on the meeting next week--but this little apple pip thinks madam president has been visiting the wormy apple, and reading the reports here. She looked busy covering today, it a lot of work to to cover so many tracks--so busy she didn‘t have time to whip up something that looks like a treasures report--Even though she started to work on it more than 2 weeks ago or so a little bird told me.
(Which raises the question, why was madam president hard are work on the treasures report?)
PS. there more to this report than meets the eye.. ask your friends if you don't know the secret.

Keep Those Cards and Letters Coming In.

2006-11-09T12:31:00.000-08:00

The problems with the BAKG can’t all be laid at Madam Presidents feet, but her behavior is a major part of the problem--she has her had pick Greek chorus as members of the Executive committee, and she has disentranced the other elected members of the board.
But we the membership and stood by and let this happen.

Yesterday the general electorate of the US sent a message and we’ve change the HOUSE and SENATE. Its quite possible for the membership to change things at the BAKG too.

MOST important, is that all the apple pips make a squeek’s--otherwise, Madam President will stand there, lips drawn, eyes down cast, a perfect ‘poor Claire’ face, and ignore this. She’ll claim, if pushed, it’s the work of one disgruntled, disruptive member.
She claim it’s normal to have fluctuation in membership, and sure people left the BAKG, but that’s normal, and she’ll claim that everyone is perfectly happy with the way things are.

So, if case you missed these comments, from other pip squeaks, I present them here.
And I’ve made a change. At the end of each post, there is a envelope icon. You can click on it, to mail a link to any you think might be interested--so share this site, and if you have a blog of your own, link to it.
Click on the word Comments to add your own comments.
If you’d like to contribute an essay, not just a comment, send it to
a_pip_squeekATyahoo.com. Just replace the word AT with an @ sign.

Anonymous 1 says:
Finally, some one has exposed the bakg. HOORAY!!I have served on the board B.C. (Before Claire). The early board members worked very hard to establish the guild, find great guest speakers, plan the retreat and get the best teachers available. The retreat was always profitable and attendance at the luncheon grew to 100+. Members looked forward to guild activities. Why haven't the majority of guild members called a special election for a new board? Do they even know about the by-laws or been given a copy? Who monitors the honesty of the elections? Who verifies that ALL candidates are on the ballot? Candidates names have gotten lost in the past couple of elections. At my last attended meeting, I wanted to know what the justification was for raising dues when, at that time, there was about 16k in the treasury. The only response I got was from Claire's cronies who stood up and called me "hostile". I've had to ask several times for a financial statement. When one was finally produced, it was incomplete. What were they trying to hide? Since I could never get a straight answer, I had had enough and dropped out. If there was nothing to hide, then why resist disclosing a full financial statement.I miss the old bakg days.
Anonymous 2 says:
When wse vote with our feet,we leave the surplus in the treasury for her to spend as she pleases. No wonder she wants the complainbers to quit.
Anonymous 3 says:
It is reassuring to read your words about the BAKG, and apparent takeover by the President. I am one of the members who has "voted with her feet" and let my membership expire, since the comraderie and general sense of women coming together to share their craft was not visible in the meetings. Since Inever attended Board Meetings I felt I hadn't the right to complain about leadership that is essentially volunteer. However, if there is suspicion that monies are not accounted for, and by-laws are being ignored, how is it that no one else has been elected to be the new President?
Anonymous 4 says:
why not get rid of claire....I was a member that left, as many others have for the same reason..she should know she is not wanted, we can then have a good BAKG again and all get back together.

Leadership Vs. Dictatorship

2006-11-08T14:09:00.000-08:00

There is a difference! Leaders work with others--they encourage participation, they listen to other’s ideas, they build cohesiveness.

Dictators are only interested in doing things their own way. They make all the decisions, they shut others out, they work by being divisive.

Leadership shows up in all sorts of ways.
Take the BAKG web page.
Ask your self (or madam president)
Why? Why does the BAKG have a web page?

Her answer (if she doesn’t just stare at you lips tightly sealed!) is because. Because why?
No doubt if pressed, she'll its because we have to have a web page. Everyone has a web page. Its important to be one the web. In other words, she has no idea.

It's really not a fair question, since many people madam presidents age don’t really use the web or understand how to use it. Its even hard for the Pip, since the web is growing and changing so fast, and usefulness changes by the day.

Still there are some things the web and web pages are useful for:
Web pages can function like brochures, and provide basic information

Web pages can function like stores and sell things

Web pages can be informational resources like libraries

Web pages can be interactive like person to person meetings

Web pages can be like snap shots, and show a single image of something

So how does the BAKG page measure up?
Well until this year when we got a new webmaster, its was pretty unchanging.
It functioned as a snap shot of the BAKG from about 2002. Nice picture, but like an organization, the BAKG is not the same as it was in 2002.
(nor should it be, it should be growing!)
A snap shot is nice.. But it becomes dated quickly.

The web master has been busy doing a good job cleaning up old out dated links and making all the links look better, and work better, but its not a web masters job (well it could be, but its not in the BAKG) to define the purpose of the Web page.

What do the Members want it to be? I dunno. But then, neither does Madam President, because she never asks.

I know some of the things I like it to be. And I bet, there are plenty of ideas besides mine.

First I would like the BAKG to be current.
If the page is going to have photo’s, they should be current photo’s.
Why aren’t there any? Madam president often brings piles of snap shots she has taken at the retreat or the luncheons, but these never make to the BAKG web page?
Why not? Back in the last century, in the early 1990’s, the discovered you could get digital images when ever you developed a stand roll of film. Back then, the digital images were a few $’s extra, now days, they are often free.
Why doesn’t Madam president get digital images as well as snap shots?
Certainly, the BAKG could pay what ever extra it cost to get the digital images.
Maybe even pay for the film, and developing too, and then the BAKG would own the images! I think that’s fair. And maybe it should be Madam presidents job.

Maybe she should find a photographer in the guild. I bet there are members who would be willing to take digital photo's for the web and CityPurls.

But that's not what happens. What happens is, Madam President takes photo’s, gets hard copies, and while she sometimes shares them, they end up in her living room, not in the CityPurl or on the web page. Old fashioned photographic images are useful, but digital files that can be shares are infinitely more useful.

Madam president doesn’t have to be a computer wiz kid to get a CD made as she develops her photographs, all she needs to do is check off a box.
Having current photo images (and not images from 4 years ago!) would help the web page. If the web page going to function merely as photo book, at least it should be an up to date photo book.

But why stop at that? Why not make it an interactive page?

Why can’t people who visit the page join the BAKG on line, using PayPal?
Why can’t members and visitors sign up for classes and workshop the same way?
Why can members and visitor register for the Retreat on line?

Its not hard to get web pages to do this.
The web master can’t make all these changes (well, actually she could if she chose to act like a dictator, but she doesn’t) on her own. The Executive board exist to provide leadership. But if the board doesn’t meet, then the business of the club becomes the decision of a single member-- the current dictator, Madam President, and she isn't able or willing understand what a web page can be, and why is should be more than a snap shot.
Madam president announced back in May that a contract has been signed to have a retreat next year. She announced who the instructors would be. DO you know? Does anyone know? Why not? Why isn’t this information on our Web page?
The BAKG web page only has information about the 2006 retreat --not the 2007 retreat.
(and there are no photo images of the 2005 retreat to be seen anywhere--not in CityPurls, not on BAKG.org, not on the Yahoo site.)

The reason Why? Well, partly because the web master, is not a mind reader.
If Madam president make decisions, and sign contracts and does it all her self, with out the board, well, its all in her head. And not on the web page.

But what is the Program chairperson doing? Shouldn’t some of this be the programs chair job? Isn’t part of being president working with others, giving them responsibility, developing their leadership? When madam president acts as madam Dictator, (poor Claire, burdened with every job, doing it all, with no help and not a lick of thanks!) she undermines the entire leadership of the organization.

And unless the Dictator knows everything, about everything, the are bound to do a poor job.

The program chair should be involved with planning the retreat, and part of that job should be getting information, by hook or by crook, to the web master, who can then add the information to the BAKG web page. The information should just be on the web page.
It should be out there, on every SnB group page, on Crafterster and other TKGA and every other knitting BB-- there are lots of knitters who’d love to come to a knitting retreat in NY. We should be turning knitters away, not canceling classes as we did this year because of the poor response.

But that is not likely to happen. The old retreat information will hang out on the BAKG page, old, dated information, until a few weeks before the next retreat. Then the information will be mailed out, to the members. And finally, the webmaster will be able to post it, (after she retypes it in, since chances are it won’t come to her in electronic format)
And the BAKG web page will continue to be tired, dated sort of scrap book. And the BAKG will shrink a bit more.

CityPurls

2006-11-05T12:03:00.000-08:00

Remember the CityPurls? Miss it? I do!

It’s a fount of information..
Just look at the March/ April edition--oops-- I mean the May/ June edition. (read the dateline in on footer of the June issue and you’ll find both dates referred to!)

In fact, in the dateline footer is the only place you’ll find a reference to the March April edition. but that's another whole seperate mess.

Still the June issue is such interesting reading. Here are some nuggets that struck me..

Tucked into the Presidents letter is a plug for one of her bus trips. Yes, she seems to have trouble keeping track of what is BAKG business, and what is her personal business. Could it be early onset Alzhiemer’s? -I don’t think she is stupid, so there must be some reason she has trouble separating the two.

Of course it could be that she thinks the BAKG is her personal business. And that she really doesn’t have any responsibility to the membership. She often seems to behave that way.

Then there are minutes of the February Meeting, on page 3.
In September, Madam Recording Secretary said that March was the last Meeting of the Board, --since then, when challenged-- she has sputtered something about there being regular board meetings, but it they have been held, they have been held in secret! February minutes are the last made available to the BAKG Membership. (and here it is, NOVEMBER!)

Meanwhile back on Page 3 of June issue of CityPurls, there are some interesting notes.
Item 1.
The signatories have been changed on our bank account to reflect the new Treasurer.
Presumably, this transfer was to Germana Martincigh.
Since then, Germana has moved out of state, and resigned her office.
Who signs the check now? Who knows? Okay, you’re right, that’s beating a dead horse.

Item 2 (or if you prefer, II.)
Notes that there is only one BAKG tote bag left.
Is it just me, or has accounting for the tote bags (and income from the sale of them) been just glossed over in the past 3 years? I think an audit of tote bags sales in in order.

Item 5
referred to a discussion about the ongoing revisions to the by-laws--AND to A CHANGE of the by-laws.
The minutes report that the board members present voted unanimously to change the by laws, and that, in the future, only the four officers (President, VP, Treasurer and Recording Secretary) will be allow to vote.
That’s interesting. The Current by laws require that all changes to the by laws be presented to membership, and that the general membership have to approve them before they become part of the established by-laws.
So tell me, members, have you been asked you opinion on this change to the by-laws?
Do you approve of this change? I know I don't.

We elect not just the four officers, but others. We expect them to have a vote. By disentrancing these elected official, WE MEMBERS are being disenfranchised.
Talk about a lack of representation!
We now have fewer board meetings then ever before, with fewer officers, and less and less input by the members..
I know what this reminds me of--George Orwell’s Animal Farm.. You know, where every animal is equal, but some are MORE equal. --you remember, the PIGS were “more equal”.

Item 8
refers to the BAKG renting a post office box for a central mailing address for the BAKG.

That hasn’t happened. So it’s nice to see the board is actually doing something --NOT.

The September issue of the CityPurl had neither Board meeting minutes or a treasurers report. Interesting reading wasn’t it? Obviously, we members are just getting in the way of the board. If they could just get all of us to send in dues, and then quit, the place would be ideal for them. They could spend all the BAKG money, with out bothering with meeting or pesky members.

An other pip squeek pipes up.

2006-11-03T19:23:00.000-08:00

from anonymous,( for right now). a pip squeek had added some notes in orange

1) Claire started organizing bus trips to various knitting shops and events. She uses City Purls to advertise her trips without paying for the advertisements. Claire keeps the profits for herself. Rightfully, those profits belong to the BAKG.
Madam President recently (September) send out a BAKG mailing about "up and coming events" and include two of her scheduled bus trips.

I can't tell you how many peoeple think these trips are BAKG events.

They are not, as many of us know. They are Madam President's personal business.
It a fine business, and it fills a need, but Madam President needs to seperate her business (a for profit business) from BAKG business. They are not one and the same.

It is total unethical for Madam President to advertize her business in BAKG mailing (unless of course she is paying HERSELF for the printing & postage.) Its fine for a business to plug a not for profit (even an unincorpated not for profit) but its not fine for Madam President to use BAKG funds to plug her business!

2) There should never be only one signature on the BAKG account. Claire controls the treasury and spends BAKG money as she pleases. What's really infuriating is that it's our money that she's controlling. No financial statements, no voting on how the money is spent and no disclosure!! Dues was raised to pad the treasury for her use.
Hmmmmm......

We can only speculate.. (remember, there haven't been any Treaurer reports, so we don't know for a fact that there has been abuse.
Though, if something smell rotten, and looks rotten, and feels rotten, we can only guess that there is something rotten about how the Big Apple guild is being run.

3) PEOPLE WAKE UP! Get rid of Claire before she depletes the entire treasury then steps down from the presidency.

4) Charity.... BAKG used to have a wonderful Charity Chairperson. Lots of sweaters, etc. were donated and thank you notes were in City Purls.
Now, BAKG does very little for charity. Two charity meetings per year are scheduled and very little is collected. What charity is the recipient of those contributions?
Even though BAKG is not incorporated, charitable organizations still send "thank you" notes. Has anyone ever seen them?

Well, every once in a while, burried in the president's letter in the Citypurls, there is a comment about a thank you from some organization about recieving donations from BAKG. But these are far and few between.

There have only been 3 issue (not the scheduled 5) so far this year, and Madam President wasn't at the June, July or October general meetings, so communication between the president and the membership has been rather sparse!

To be fair and honest, Madam President has read 1 thank you note from someone (to be honest, i forget who it was from)this year. So the donations being made to BAKG for charity's are getting to some, at least some of the time.

PS--the first posting of this blog has received several comments. Scroll down and read them.

Charity Begins at home

2006-11-02T08:08:00.000-08:00

The BAKG has a charitable function.. Remember, that one of the goal listed on the BAKG web site and in CityPurls.
But the BAKG is not incorporated as a not for profit organization. It is an unincorporated group. (Remember, that was one of the comments the Greek chorus provide as a defense of madam presidents behavior)
So, any contributions of charity knitting (or funds like last year’s fund raising for Habitat for Humanity) made to BAKG can’t be declared on your taxes.
Now, I know, most of us don’t have the kind of income that puts us into a position of making charity donation JUST for the tax write off. Most of us contribute to charities with if not purer, at least more generous motives. We do it to help others.
Still, most of us have to render unto Caesar what is Creaser’s.* When we give to a recognized, incorporated, not for profit organization, we can get a break on what we owe to Caesar in the way of taxes, and we like that!
(*FYI if you are unfamiliar with this phrase, it from the new testament (gospels) and refers to the fact that we live in a civil world, even if we are also religious--and that tithing, does not absolve us from paying taxes.. We must pay our taxes as surely as we pray!)
Word is --from one board member-- at the October General meeting of the BAKG that our new members project will be knitting scarves for the Seaman’s Institute.
2 Issues
1--When was a new members project discussed? When did the City Purls have an article asking for idea for a new members project? When did the members get to have a say?
What kind of Membership project is this!?
2--If a BAKG member knits a scarf for the Seaman’s Institute, and donates it directly, they can receive a receipt and tax credit for their donation.
If a BAKG member knit’s a scarf for the Seaman’s Institute and donates it to the BAKG --and the BAKG donates the that scarf (and many others) to the Seaman’s Institute, than no one gets a tax credit or deduction.
The pip squeek is not against charity knitting, or even against the idea that for the next year or so, we devote most of our charity effort to making scarves for the Seaman’s Institute.
But is this charity work a membership project? is a membership project something different than working toward the genearal goal of the organization?
And don’t the members get a say in a Membership Project? And if the BAKG is concerned (and our goals say we are) about Charity work, shouldn’t we incorporate as a not for profit organization?

An Apple Polisher Speaks up

2006-11-01T11:44:00.000-08:00

The pip squeek got this in the mail: it is presented unedited, (the pip squeek couldn't improve this message--even if they made an effort!)

I have never posted to a blog, and am not too sure from the email how to post, so I'm sending you an email instead. Hope this works for you. I was very happy to see your complaints, and think that they are long overdue.

This would have been my posting:

It is sad to hear what has become of the BAKG recently, and to infer where it is headed.

I speak from a position of one who attended the birth meeting at the Grand Army Library, Brooklyn; there may have been twelve of us in the little meeting room talking about a purpose, a name, dues, and meeting agendas. Grace Shanahan, a librarian, became our first president, and me subsequently met at various libraries.

Until 1999,
- there was a real board of directors, and regular board meetings, and a board who actually answered to the members;

- treasurer's reports were presented to the board monthly; they were printed in City Purls twice a year. At any meeting curious/interested persons could ask to see the monthly report;

- well-known knit/crochet teachers/fiber artists/designers/authors were paid to make presentations at eight or nine meetings a year;

- there was a constant struggle to find larger and larger restaurants to accommodate the crowd that wanted to attend the annual luncheon;

- the retreat usually had three or four nationally known knitting teachers who attracted many members and turned a profit;

- the meetings were technically informative, intellectually stimulating, and socially rewarding; and

- the board adhered to both the spirit and the letter of the mission statement and worried about satisfying the members.

When Claire became president, I stopped attending meetings and let my membership lapse. I am wondering how the membership became so apathetic that it allowed undistinguished people to become unresponsive to the membership.

From the former multi-year treasurer, Renee Katz

PS You can sign it with my name when you post this. Thank you for starting the blog. I really miss the old BAKG.

Crazy like a fox.

2006-10-26T08:29:00.000-07:00

As mentioned, complaining about Madam President’s behavior incites her cohorts to jump to her defense and label complainers crazy.

Is madam president crazy? No… but she could be called crazy like a fox. Madam P is famous for her tight lipped suffering. And her curt “this is not the time or place to discuss this” . She is a master of passive aggression.

Passive aggression is a behavior. Its not a crazy one, in fact, in can be very effective.

Don’t hold board meeting (and then there is no discussion or dissent) a passive behavior

Make all the decisions your self.--aggressive behavior

Don’t comment or explain your behavior to anyone who questions it --passive behavior

Complain how hard you work, how you get no support and everything is on your shoulders -aggressive behavior.

Madam presidents cohorts (or should I call them her Greek chorus?) defended her actions (and let me make this clear, these complaints are about ACTIONS not personality)And claimed:

The BAKG is a social organization.
The BAKG is not incorporated and doesn’t need to adhere to by-laws
Madam President can run the organization any way she see fit.

Are these statement truthful? Factual?

Well lets look a them one by one.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The BAKG is a social organization.

From the BAKG web page we get:
The BIG APPLE KNITTERS GUILD (BAKG) is an organization of over 300 knitters in New York City. We are women and men, young and old, of all races, religions and sexual orientations with one common passion: knitting!
Our mission is:

Preserving and supporting knitting and all forms of fiber arts.
Educating all who want to learn these arts.
Awakening awareness to these arts and fostering appreciation and respect for their place among other arts.
Providing a harmonious network among its members who come together for these and all purposes.
Returning to society the products of our craft.

First bullet: Preserving and supporting knitting and all forms of fiber arts-- this is an conservation and support goal.

So the BAKG is, at least partly, an conservator organization, like a museum or historical group

Second bullet: Educating all who want to learn these arts.

So the BAKG has an mission to education.

Third bullet: Awakening awareness to these arts and fostering appreciation and respect for their place among other arts

A three part’er, Awareness, appreciation and resects.

Fourth bullet: Providing a harmonious network among its members who come together for these and all purposes

OK, there it is, a social group.

Fifth bullet: Returning to society the products of our craft

The BAKG serves a *charitable function. ( *more on the charity functioning of the BAKG to come!)

So is the BAKG a social organization, yes, but it not simple a social organization, socialize is just a small part of its mission.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Next Statement: The BAKG is not incorporated and doesn’t need to adhere to by-laws

Part one: The BAKG is not incorporated
Absolutely true.

Part two: doesn’t need to adhere to by-laws
Conditionally true.

Right now there are by-laws and the executive board of the BAKG is supposed to operate under these by laws.

Can that be changed? Yes. Should it be changed? I don’t know.
There is a simple resolution. Put out a referendum. Ask the general membership if they want to change from being an organization run by a board of directors to an organization managed by a single person.

Lots of co-op and condo boards hire managers to manage them. We could change to a simpler board of 3 or 4 members, who’s job it is to oversee a manager.
The Manager could have broad powers to sign contracts, receive organization funds, write checks, hire instructors, plan meetings and other duties.
Do I think this would be an improvement? No. but it could be done.

Currently the elected officers are not sworn in, they are not asked to promise to abide by the by laws, they are trusted to do so.

There is very little in the current bylaws that addressed how to deal with failures of trust.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Third statement: Madam President can run the organization any way she see fit.

Well, no, actually she can’t. She was elected to serve as a president, (not a dictator) and under the current by-laws she has failed in her duties.

She has the power to set changes in motion, and revise and edit the bylaws, but any changes must be presented to, and voted on and approved by the general membership.
Usurping power is not permitted, nor should it be tolerated.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So what is this all about? A few pennies? No, actually, in the last fiscal report (Jan of 06) the BAKG had a reserve fund of about $40,000.00 This is about twice the annual operating budget, (about $20,000 a year in past years).

These are rough numbers, (remember there are almost no records or treasurers reports to work from; there was financial report in Sept of 03, and then again, (reluctantly) in Oct of 05, and one in Jan of 06.

And in 2003, the membership there were over 500 members, (membership dues make up about 25% of the operating budget) and now there are a scant 300 or so members. The loss of membership also means a loss of income (about 10% overall).

When there were more members, there were more donation and more money spent at the annual yarn action. So income from the auction is down, too (but how much? Who knows, remember there haven’t been any treasurers reports!)

When there were more members, attendance at the annual retreat numbered about (give or take) 100; in 2006, attendance was about 25 members).

This meant there were only 2 instructors, (not 4 or more) and few classes available.

In 2003 (and perhaps in 2004 and 2005) the retreat was also a substantial source of income for the BAKG. This year, there was a verbal report that the retreat “broke even” --you have to take madam presidents word for it though, since (do I sound like a broken record?) there have been no treasurers reports to the board or to the general membership, nor has anything been presented in the club newsletter (the CityPurls).

Attendance at the annual luncheon, (can you guess?) was down too.

But madam presidents cohorts are sure everyone is happy with things just the way they are. Sure, as people get unhappy, and ask questions, they are told to quit! And they do!

reports from a pip squeek on the wormy apple

2006-10-25T12:05:00.000-07:00

There is something rotten in NY.. The Big Apple Knitting Guild has grown to be a rather wormy apple.
Last year, (an election year) the ballots defined the responsibilities of elected officers.

The Presidents job was to hold regular monthly meetings.
The Treasures job, to present reports at every meeting (to the board) and quarterly reports to the members.
The secretary job to record the minutes at meetings.
The vice president presides at meeting that the president misses, and assists the president in performing duties.

(are these requirements a surprise to anyone?)

There are other posts, program chairs, membership chairs, an editor of the newsletter (city purls) a webmaster, a librarian, and a few others.
The By-laws of the guild require that there be 4 individuals in the top four executive positions.
(A VP can’t also be a treasurer--but a VP could be a webmaster. Or a membership chair could also be (and right now is) a webmaster
The By-laws also require that, for both board and general meeting , Roberts rules of order be used as a guideline for how to conduct a meeting.

Really is any of this radical? Unusual? Difficult to understand? I mean I tend to think knitters are superior thinkers. And besides, these rules are ones most of use are familiar with from PTA’s or Co-op/Condo boards, or other civic associations.. Even church organizations tend to have similar rules.
Now as for the BAKG.. Well the president hasn’t held a meeting of the board for over 7 months.. (yes, that’s right SEVEN months.. OK, to be fair, we don’t have a regular (general membership) meeting in August, so maybe we should let that one month pass.
Still there were no meeting of the governing Board in April, May, June, July, September, and October.
Did I mention that the By-laws state that any executive member who misses 3 consecutive meeting is deemed to have resigned (unless there are special circumstance to consider.) So when the President fails to convene meetings for 6 months, it would seem, to a general observer, that she (or he) has resigned, right?

No meeting means there have been no treasurers reports for these months, and none have been made available to the general membership, either as a report to review at a general meeting or published in the membership newsletter.

These are clear cut, easy to document facts.

Oh by way, the president hasn’t bothered to attend the last 3 general membership meeting . She did attend September’s Annual Luncheon.. (a guild activity that cost another $35 over and above the general membership dues) where she no doubt attended free.
(Actually, I think she should be comp’ed the lunch, since as a hostess, she is really required to “work” during the meeting.. I just think that it should be recorded in the minutes (that is, recorded after someone has made a motion to that effect, the motion has been seconded, put to a vote, and passed! I mean, isn’t that the standard way thing are done?)

It gets worse. The elected treasurer resigned. --life happens.. A job transfer out of state made it impossible for her to attend meeting.

What happened next? Well obviously, the board didn’t meet to discuss, nominate and appoint a new treasurer.. (remember there haven’t been any Board meetings.)
Instead, the president (contrary to the club by laws) had her name added to the guild’s checking account. --and the she announced (with out discussing it with anyone) that the former (previous term) treasurer would be the new treasurer.

Well, that might work---except the former treasurer failed for the 2 years of previous term (Jan 2004 to Dec. 2006) to present any treasurer reports (she might have had telephone conversations with the president, but nothing was presented in writing. She also didn’t attend any meetings (she too, had moved out of state!)
Well, to be fair, she might have sent reports but if there was any thing ever presented, it was not mentioned in the minutes of meetings. Certainly, nothing was ever presented to the membership (not even an end of year fiscal report.) and nothing was printed in the newsletter.

So the “treasurer” has a well documented history.. (and its not a good one.)
And to be honest, I heard her describe her self as “Sorta, quasi, acting treasurer” (talk about modifying adjectives!)
So while we ‘sorta’ have treasurer, the real power (the check writing and signing) is in the hands of the president.
And she reports to no one.
So basically the elected board of the guild is non functioning.

Any attempt to raise these issues are considered a personal attack on the president.
Her close friends and supporters (a small cliché of women) maintain she doesn’t have to report to the board or to hold board meetings.
Nor does she have to follow the by laws. And what’s more, when someone confronted her, the direct responce from her cohorts was "if (they) didn’t like the current state of affairs, to quit" other options included being told to “shut the F*** up” , that she was crazy (psychotic), that she was an A**H***, and saving the best for last, that she was from Queens. (oh yes, a transplant from the south, thinks the that people from Queens don’t quite rate as a NY’er. (no doubt she rates herself a real NYer.)

Isn’t that a nice piece of work! These comments obvious reflect a well thought out position, and shouldn’t be construed as personal attacks--yeah, that’s right, asking elected leadership to do the job they have taken on is a personal attack, but name calling is OK.

What does the general membership think? I mean, am I just disgruntled pip squeek?
Well 5 years ago, there were over 500 general members. Now there are just under 250 members .

5 years ago general membership meetings had 75 to 100 members in attendance. You had to get to the meetings early to get a seat.
Now, we consider 35 a good crowd! Some recent meeting have even had 25 members in attendance.

At a time when interesting in knitting is growing by leaps and bounds, the BAKG is hemorrhaging members.

Is the general membership dissatisfied? I think we can safely say they have voted with their feet!
I suppose I could too, but then, why should I? After all, don’t I have a responsibility to the organization to help make it run right?
What have your experiences been?
Afraid of retaliation? Post anonymously.
Do you support the current leadership? Feel free to say why.
Profane and vulgar remarks will be edited or removed, but all opinions are welcome.