Jun 25, 2010, 7:54 AM
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USPA Members: Please vote for online voting (USPA link) -- online voting plan may be cancelled
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Just got email. From what I heard, this is suddenly urgent. I think this one is quite important, people... (link) ---
From: BJ Worth <bj@theworldteam.com> Subject: Please Help Skydiving and Skydivers
Hello fellow skydivers,
I am kindly asking for your help and support – on behalf of USPA. This is the first time that I’ve ever reached out to my skydiving friends for help with procedural matters affecting our national organization. But a very important issue has surfaced, so I am now calling on you to help our organization be able to help our fellow members better than ever before.
In 1957, USPA’s founding fathers could not anticipate the technological world that we live in today. The regulations adopted by USPA at that time are hand-cuffing our effectiveness in today’s world. The vast majority of USPA’s current board of directors and the USPA staff want to elect the Board of Directors via online voting over the internet. The regulations in the State of New York (where USPA is incorporated) require that a quorum of 10% of the membership must vote to make such a change to our voting process.
This requirement, although well intended, is impractical to say the least. So USPA is asking for members to give the board their one-time proxy vote so this 10% requirement can be achieved. No surprise that skydivers have more important things to do (such as skydiving) than to attend General Membership Meetings. The plan to adopt online voting for the current election is in jeopardy if USPA doesn’t receive the required number of proxies in the coming days.
I implore you… if you love our sport, and if you want to see the fairest possible, highest voter representation, and most transparent elections of our organization’s leaders, can you PLEASE take a few minutes – right now – to send your proxy to USPA. You can easily and quickly fax or scan and email your proxy without leaving your desk.
--- [Mark's note to new skydivers here who probably didn't know there was a USPA voting process -- BJ Worth is a well known person in skydiving, and is a World Team leader (400-way world record). Very well-regarded person. Just ask other long time skydivers who know him.]
(This post was edited by mdrejhon on Jun 25, 2010, 8:38 AM)
Jun 25, 2010, 6:09 PM
Post #9 of 140
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Re: [mdrejhon] USPA Members: Please vote for online voting (USPA link) -- online voting plan may be cancelled
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Anyone know why USPA is incorporated in New York? Just cause it has always been? If the proxy effort fails, how about they just re-incorporate it somewhere else that doesn't have that rule? I know there's a lot of obscure laws out there but this is ridiculous. I thought it was just USPA's bylaws (which I have no interest in reading) that required 10% response.
Jun 25, 2010, 10:21 PM
Post #10 of 140
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Re: [mdrejhon] USPA Members: Please vote for online voting (USPA link) -- online voting plan may be cancelled
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I'll not be sending in my proxy, and here is why. This proxy was always intended to be written very specifically with the EXACT changes to the Governance Manual spelled out clearly.
In a nut shell, that proved to be too much for the BOD to agree on. Something as important as this issue takes a back seat at meetings so other frivolous matters can be hemmed and hawed over.
In essence this proxy is a blank check being given to the BOD, and quite frankly I don't trust the BOD as whole that much. If this were written so as to give the Executive Director (Ed Scott) the power to make the changes , then maybe, but not as it stands now.
Besides, isn't there a certain irony to BJ's plea being made on this site to the very members he ridiculed and disrespected at the last general Membership Meeting?
Jun 26, 2010, 5:44 AM
Post #11 of 140
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Re: [diablopilot] USPA Members: Please vote for online voting (USPA link) -- online voting plan may be cancelled
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In reply to:
I'll not be sending in my proxy, and here is why. This proxy was always intended to be written very specifically with the EXACT changes to the Governance Manual spelled out clearly.
In a nut shell, that proved to be too much for the BOD to agree on. Something as important as this issue takes a back seat at meetings so other frivolous matters can be hemmed and hawed over.
In essence this proxy is a blank check being given to the BOD, and quite frankly I don't trust the BOD as whole that much. If this were written so as to give the Executive Director (Ed Scott) the power to make the changes , then maybe, but not as it stands now.
Besides, isn't there a certain irony to BJ's plea being made on this site to the very members he ridiculed and disrespected at the last general Membership Meeting?
This proxy effort is not a blank check, it is very specific and clearly states "for online voting only". That is how it will be used. It was decided to keep things simple so members would not have to pull out the Governance Manual and study it to find out what was being proposed. That was an intentional decision. Everything that came before the board passed the first time. Sure, there were board members who preferred more detail, you rarely get a 100% vote on matters with detail, but to say disagreement is the reason for the limited wording is just wrong !!
BJ appealed to no one here, that is a reprint that someone posted here.
I am hopeful that the proxy will pass and you will see that your distrust was unwarranted.
Members, please take a moment to print out the proxy link below, sign it, then scan, fax or take a photo with your camera and send it to USPA as instructed on the form. You can do it in two minutes without leaving your desk !!! USPA needs to move into the current century.
Jun 26, 2010, 6:11 AM
Post #12 of 140
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Re: [VTmotoMike08] USPA Members: Please vote for online voting (USPA link) -- online voting plan may be cancelled
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In reply to:
Anyone know why USPA is incorporated in New York? Just cause it has always been? If the proxy effort fails, how about they just re-incorporate it somewhere else that doesn't have that rule? I know there's a lot of obscure laws out there but this is ridiculous. I thought it was just USPA's bylaws (which I have no interest in reading) that required 10% response.
Any yes, I sent mine in.
Thanks for sending the proxy. The requirement for a 10% quorum is found in the USPA Governance Manual, Article II Section 1.
For those who may have trouble getting to sleep at night, I highly recommend the Governance Manual as a proven method of getting to sleep without drugs.
Jun 26, 2010, 6:51 AM
Post #13 of 140
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Re: [EDYDO] USPA Members: Please vote for online voting (USPA link) -- online voting plan may be cancelled
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In reply to:
Members, please take a moment to print out the proxy link below, sign it, then scan, fax or take a photo with your camera and send it to USPA as instructed on the form. You can do it in two minutes without leaving your desk !!! USPA needs to move into the current century.
I guess I'm one of the few people who do not own a printer, and I don't own a scanner or fax machine. For me it would take a lot longer than two minutes.
For you computer-literate folks out there, what does it take to create a modifiable pdf form? State and federal tax agencies use them to simplify filling out tax returns.
Jun 26, 2010, 6:59 AM
Post #14 of 140
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Re: [BobMoore] USPA Members: Please vote for online voting (USPA link) -- online voting plan may be cancelled
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In reply to:
I guess I'm one of the few people who do not own a printer, and I don't own a scanner or fax machine. For me it would take a lot longer than two minutes.
For you computer-literate folks out there, what does it take to create a modifiable pdf form? State and federal tax agencies use them to simplify filling out tax returns.
Bob
I am just guessing you can't have an ONLINE proxy without having ONLINE voting... Thus the root of the problem.
Jun 26, 2010, 7:00 AM
Post #15 of 140
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Re: [mdrejhon] USPA Members: Please vote for online voting (USPA link) -- online voting plan may be cancelled
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It's saturday. Everyone print out 20 of the proxies, take them to your friends at the DZ, have them sign, and then send back in bulk via the DZ's fax machine...
Jun 26, 2010, 7:11 AM
Post #16 of 140
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Re: [BobMoore] USPA Members: Please vote for online voting (USPA link) -- online voting plan may be cancelled
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In reply to:
I guess I'm one of the few people who do not own a printer, and I don't own a scanner or fax machine. For me it would take a lot longer than two minutes.
For you computer-literate folks out there, what does it take to create a modifiable pdf form? State and federal tax agencies use them to simplify filling out tax returns.
Bob
Bring up the form and hit print screen key on your keyboard. Open paint and then edit/paste, the form will appear as a picture and you can edit it. Signing with the mouse is the hard part but it can be done.
DSE (D 29060)
Moderator
Jun 26, 2010, 8:18 AM
Post #17 of 140
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Re: [fasted3] USPA Members: Please vote for online voting (USPA link) -- online voting plan may be cancelled
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you can also take a photo of your signature with a cell phone, email that to yourself, use the photo in your photo editor to "sign" the petition. Then it's entirely digital, no paper needed. It then can be sent to USPA as an email.
Jun 26, 2010, 9:56 AM
Post #18 of 140
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Re: [DSE] USPA Members: Please vote for online voting (USPA link) -- online voting plan may be cancelled
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If you are desparate and don't want to use a fax machine, I believe http://www.echosign.com is legal. It is free too.
It allows you to SIGN an Adobe PDF document with your COMPUTER MOUSE ... and EMAIL the SIGNED document!
The website allows you to sign Adobe PDF documents with an electronically handwritten signature on your laptop's touchpad or computer mouse. Just make sure you customize it so that you place the signature directly on the PDF document, and select "sign with mouse" instead of the default typed signature. It can even memorize your signature for future document signings, through the same Echosign website.
Recent law changes, have made electronic signatures legally binding, and this is an avenue if you have no access to a fax machine. This may need to be confirmed with USPA first, but this may speed things up for those people who do not have easy access to a fax machine or scanner.
It is faster if you already have access to a fax machine, but if you are stuck at your desk at the office (without a fax allowance), you could pull this off during your lunch period. Echosign (http://www.echosign.com) allow 5 free digital signatures a month.
I use this system to get timesheets signed and approved by my manager, for contractor billing. The agency agreed to use them, so I can avoid printing out timesheet/invoices, and just email them instead.
There was a ceremony where the U.S. president did an electronic signature on the legislation authorizing electronic signatures as a legal method of passing legislation. It's already legal at the federal level already.
(This post was edited by mdrejhon on Jun 26, 2010, 10:08 AM)
Jun 26, 2010, 10:37 AM
Post #19 of 140
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Re: [DSE] USPA Members: Please vote for online voting (USPA link) -- online voting plan may be cancelled
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In reply to:
you can also take a photo of your signature with a cell phone, email that to yourself, use the photo in your photo editor to "sign" the petition. Then it's entirely digital, no paper needed. It then can be sent to USPA as an email.
Don't be so sure that our friend has a camera phone; mind you, he doesn't have a printer. He may very well have this model of cell phone:
Jun 26, 2010, 12:38 PM
Post #22 of 140
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Re: [BobMoore] USPA Members: Please vote for online voting (USPA link) -- online voting plan may be cancelled
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In reply to:
I guess I'm one of the few people who do not own a printer, and I don't own a scanner or fax machine. For me it would take a lot longer than two minutes.
For you computer-literate folks out there, what does it take to create a modifiable pdf form? State and federal tax agencies use them to simplify filling out tax returns.
Bob
Well Bob, there is always the old tried and proven method. Tear the card out of parachutist, sign it, address the envelope, put a stamp on it and let the mailman deliver it.
If we get enough of those, you won't have to go through that at election time.
Jun 28, 2010, 11:27 AM
Post #23 of 140
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Re: [diablopilot] USPA Members: Please vote for online voting (USPA link) -- online voting plan may be cancelled
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In reply to:
I'll not be sending in my proxy, and here is why. This proxy was always intended to be written very specifically with the EXACT changes to the Governance Manual spelled out clearly.
In a nut shell, that proved to be too much for the BOD to agree on. Something as important as this issue takes a back seat at meetings so other frivolous matters can be hemmed and hawed over.
In essence this proxy is a blank check being given to the BOD, and quite frankly I don't trust the BOD as whole that much. If this were written so as to give the Executive Director (Ed Scott) the power to make the changes , then maybe, but not as it stands now.
Besides, isn't there a certain irony to BJ's plea being made on this site to the very members he ridiculed and disrespected at the last general Membership Meeting?
Jun 28, 2010, 4:10 PM
Post #25 of 140
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Re: [JerryBaumchen] USPA Members: Please vote for online voting (USPA link) -- online voting plan may be cancelled
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Hi Jerry, Am I missing something? I think online voting is a good idea, and this seems like the way to get it. The proxy does not appear to be a blank check, as it specifies this single issue. What is the problem?
Just cause it has always been? If the proxy effort fails, how about they just re-incorporate it somewhere else that doesn't have that rule? I know there's a lot of obscure laws out there but this is ridiculous. I thought it was just USPA's bylaws (which I have no interest in reading) that required 10% response. 
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