So Long, Winch.

[Tim Ponsot]

It’s been an open secret for a while in our club that ending operations of the winch has been a longtime goal of the current board. I’ve been very curious as to how they would try and make the case to our club that this was both the correct decision and that it is what the general membership truly wants. In the end, the board made the expected decision to sell the winch, in the expected manner, which is to say, without bothering to ask the members.

I’m going to tell you all a series of stories in an attempt to call your attention to a pattern.

After the current Board was elected, a noticeable shift in the tone of board meetings occurred. I, along with other very active club members who had the experience to weigh in on important operational matters, wasn’t invited to sit in on meetings anymore. Fair enough. I was merely a guest who had previously been invited to observe the oversight of the club, and it was not my place to question the reason why that invitation was withdrawn.

There was a more serious problem. A nonvoting member of the board was also no longer invited to meetings. Clearly an attempt was being made to draw a division between the Board and the Membership of our club, this time unconstitutionally. I observed this growing divide with great interest and concern.

I wanted to believe this would be the first and last time the Board would attempt to violate the constitution of our club. It was not. Last winter, I was embroiled in the workload of graduate school and attempted to decompress by coming out to the field for some power flying. Mistakes were made. I left the hangar door open, filled entries in the fuel log days late and was, in general, alarmingly forgetful owing to the occupational stress I was enduring. I learned some important lessons about airmanship and the IMSAFE checklist that I hope I can share with you soon. It would have been completely understandable for board members to approach me as concerned fellow pilots and note their observations. Instead, board members cornered me and attempted to bully me with threats to kick me out of our club.

I’ve worked to make our club a better place since I was 10 years old. I hope some of you reading this would agree. It may interest you to know that these threats were unconstitutional and would have required the collective vote of you, the membership, to enact. They would have needed to convince you that my forgetfulness was an offense so serious that I deserved to be removed from a place I call home. I hope that I have earned your trust and respect over the years to the extent that you understand how deeply betrayed I felt by such an attempt to intimidate and belittle me. Equally importantly, it showed me (and I hope it shows you as members) exactly what this board feels it can get away with.

What else don’t they want to ask members about? Alienating flight instructors by financially disincentivizing us? Demanding “special assessments” for projects they and they alone suddenly decide to be immediately essential?

Now, after the resolution of an accident that happened in the traffic pattern, they have unilaterally decided that aborting a winch program we’ve placed a lot of time, money and effort into is in the best interests of the club, once again behind closed doors. In the same message, they’ve asked members for their input after a decision on the matter has already been made. I very much question the sincerity with which members’ true opinions will, at long last, count for something in their decision making process.

I’m not trying to have a bad attitude about this. I’m not trying to start a smear campaign. The board has attempted to take drastic actions to protect its members from entities it feels to be a threat, including the likes of Tim Ponsot, Larry Kase, old tow pilots, a Tost Winch, and financials involving CFIs. Maybe some of you can sympathize with the Board’s concerns and feel that moving our club in this direction is helpful.

But it may be wise, as a dues, paying club member, to ponder why no one is asking you.

 

Respectfully Submitted,

Tim Ponsot, CFI

[John Phelan]

Tim,

Interesting point of view.  I don’t have the Club Constitution handy.  Can you please cite the parts of that document you feel have been violated and in what manner?  Thanks.

John F. Phelan
(S20 Mobile)

[Tim Ponsot]

Hi John,

Thanks for the question. Please see below, taken from the constitution of our Club.

• Subsection pertaining to Larry’s exclusion from BOD meetings

 

Article VI — Board of Directors

 

<u>Section 2.1</u> The person who has served as President of the Club immediately prior to an annual meeting of the members of the Club or another meeting of the members called for the purpose of election and who is replaced as President by a vote of the members at that meeting shall become the Immediate Past President of the Club and shall also become an informal, non-voting member of the Board of Directors and entitled to attend meetings of the Board until a new President is elected at a subsequent annual meeting or at another meeting of the members called for the purpose of election.

 

• Subsection pertaining to “Special Assessments”, “Overhaul Funds” and raising dues for flight instructors with no vote taken from the general membership. Also listed under Article VI — Board of Directors.

 

<u>Section 2</u>. The Board of Directors shall have the power to make all necessary contracts on behalf of the Club, to purchase equipment and supplies, to borrow money on behalf of the Club and to secure the same by mortgage or deed of trust on the property of the Club, to pay and discharge all debts of the Club, and to carry out all matters and things necessary or incident to or in aid of the carrying out of the aims and purposes of the Club. The Board of Directors shall have charge and control of all Club property. The Board of Directors may also levy assessments upon the members, provided, however, that any assessment levied by the Board of Directors must be approved by a three-fourths vote of the entire membership entitled to vote before becoming effective. The vote on any assessment shall be by written ballot. Any decision of the Board of  Directors may be repealed by vote in favor of repeal by three-quarters of the entire membership entitled to vote by written ballot.

 

• Subsection pertaining to threats to remove me from the club

 

Article XV Suspension, Expulsion and Removal from Office

 

<u>Section 1.</u> A member may be removed from office, suspended for a period, or expelled for cause for violation of any of these the Sky Soaring Inc Constitution and Bylaws, or the Club Flight Regulations, or other rules of the Club, or for conduct prejudicial to the best interests of the Club. Such removal, suspension or expulsion shall require a two-thirds vote of all members entitled to vote at a meeting of members, provided that a statement of the charges against such member and a notice of the time and place of the meeting shall have been mailed to such member at least fifteen days before the meeting.

 

Tim

[Tim Ponsot]

Reposted due to a messaging error…I (and several others I queried) didn’t get an email confirmation that this posted.

Hi John,

Thanks for the question. Please see below, taken from the constitution of our Club.

• Subsection pertaining to Larry’s exclusion from BOD meetings

 

Article VI — Board of Directors

 

<u>Section 2.1</u> The person who has served as President of the Club immediately prior to an annual meeting of the members of the Club or another meeting of the members called for the purpose of election and who is replaced as President by a vote of the members at that meeting shall become the Immediate Past President of the Club and shall also become an informal, non-voting member of the Board of Directors and entitled to attend meetings of the Board until a new President is elected at a subsequent annual meeting or at another meeting of the members called for the purpose of election.

 

• Subsection pertaining to “Special Assessments”, “Overhaul Funds” and raising dues for flight instructors with no vote taken from the general membership. Also listed under Article VI — Board of Directors.

 

<u>Section 2</u>. The Board of Directors shall have the power to make all necessary contracts on behalf of the Club, to purchase equipment and supplies, to borrow money on behalf of the Club and to secure the same by mortgage or deed of trust on the property of the Club, to pay and discharge all debts of the Club, and to carry out all matters and things necessary or incident to or in aid of the carrying out of the aims and purposes of the Club. The Board of Directors shall have charge and control of all Club property. The Board of Directors may also levy assessments upon the members, provided, however, that any assessment levied by the Board of Directors must be approved by a three-fourths vote of the entire membership entitled to vote before becoming effective. The vote on any assessment shall be by written ballot. Any decision of the Board of  Directors may be repealed by vote in favor of repeal by three-quarters of the entire membership entitled to vote by written ballot.

 

• Subsection pertaining to threats to remove me from the club

 

Article XV Suspension, Expulsion and Removal from Office

 

<u>Section 1.</u> A member may be removed from office, suspended for a period, or expelled for cause for violation of any of these the Sky Soaring Inc Constitution and Bylaws, or the Club Flight Regulations, or other rules of the Club, or for conduct prejudicial to the best interests of the Club. Such removal, suspension or expulsion shall require a two-thirds vote of all members entitled to vote at a meeting of members, provided that a statement of the charges against such member and a notice of the time and place of the meeting shall have been mailed to such member at least fifteen days before the meeting.

 

Tim

[John DeRosa]

Tim,

Your recollection is incorrect. Larry was invited to a Sky Soaring Board meeting each month and attended many of them.

Best Regards,
John DeRosa

[Tim Ponsot]

John-

I think it’s best to let Larry speak directly to my first point.

I’d sure appreciate the Board’s explanation, or, quite frankly, an apology, with regard to the other two.

-Tim

[Author]

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