RE: From Sharon McLean, Secretary & Coordinator Liaison
Carole Heiman Kezios
Sharon,
I’m really sorry that you have been frustrated by whatever has occurred. I’ve not followed the events you refer to in your resignation letter, however I am flabbergasted … really, that does not even describe it, I’m actually at loss for words to read yours regarding BJ, and I can only assume that your response is coming from a place of sheer frustration and that you did not think clearly when you wrote these words:
“ I do not want to have the early departure from life that BJ predicted he would have over DG from the same stress that Andy, Linda and I are experiencing.”
I can only hope that your last action using the Clubexpress email list will be to publicly retract and apologize for the callous, inconsiderate, cold and really quite immature statement that you have just made to 2000 individual regarding BJ’s death.
Carole Kezios
From:
mai...@mail2.clubexpress.com [mailto:mai...@mail2.clubexpress.com] On Behalf
Of The Saints
Sent: Saturday, March 06, 2010 9:33 AM
To: cke...@gmail.com
Subject: From Sharon McLean, Secretary & Coordinator Liaison
Importance: High
March 6, 2010
To Members of The Saints:
From: Sharon McLean, Secretary/Coordinator Liaison
Thanks to all who responded with CONSTRUCTIVE opinions and suggestions and your thoughts on the SPOTLIGHT, AND DONATIONS rather than the ones that used it as a platform for insults AND NASTY REMARKS. That is such unSaintly behavior and only adds to my reasons for the following. Shame on you!
There is a quote that says “Be careful what you wish for because you just might get it.”
Due to the fact that two persons set out to maligne and discredit me and other members of The Saints’ Board of Directors, you need to blame the one that started this whole mess. When one person with cronies can cause irrevocable damage to volunteers who have worked hard and contributed many hours of volunteer work and accuse people of being OLD, LIERS, THIEVES, CHEATS, HITLER, NAZI, GESTOPO, DOGS, DICTATORS (just a few of the name calling) and with her ever popular last words going out the door “you’re going down,” she may be right but I am not going down before letting the membership know that “you just might get what you have asked for”. I do NOT like to surround myself with their mean spirited attitude that is injurious to my health and well-being. I want to be happy and enjoy my life and just sit back with no responsibility just like Jim Venskus and Deborah Granite. ON THE BOARD WITH NOTHING TO DO BUT GIVE MY OPINION AND VOTE.
After being a member of The Saints since 1991, a Coordinator since 1999, and Board Member since 2003, I find that I do not want to be around those selfish, misguided, self serving people who only want to be in control of an organization because they are hell bent on their own agenda. It is no longer a joy to give hours and hours of time and money for phone calls (top one $112.00 a month plus paper, ink etc.) and the many secrets I have on paper and in my head as violations by her and others) and energy, to constantly argue nor do I want to tolerate person(s) who:
1. do not believe in majority rule (for two years plus has demanded transparency and democracy but denies it to others)
2. do not adhere to Saints’ rules, Coordinator rules, Banning rules, etc. If “Deborah Granite” had followed the Ban rule just as others have accepted their banning, none of this situation would have happened.
3. cannot hold a position on the Board and does nothing but micromanage and complain
4. call other Board members derogatory names
5. went outside the organization to further her own ambitions
6. blame everyone but themselves for their errors
7. have tantrums and hissy fits at Board and General Meetings
8. have to have the last word
9. are disrespectful to other Board members
10. instigates persons as “plants” in Board Meetings and General Membership Meetings and telling them to “scatter” so they won’t be obvious.
11. are allowed to usher by Coordinators at venues that sign up a Ban Member with a false name (alias D Stone) and Coordinators and Board Member/Coordinator that had full knowledge of falsehood but who did not report it to Coordinator Liaison either.
12. is a Persona Non Grata Board member that is not in “Good Standing” for this year and next membership year.
13. knows of a coordinator that sent e-mails of threats to me on my personal e-mail and telephone (I may now do something about it).
14. who knows one as Don Diego who thinks he is immune to punishment
15. is aware of multiple “anonymous” e-mails when we have no member by that name and many bcc’ed board documents being sent to unauthorized persons -(however - do know who some are). In addition, one Coordinator cc’ed a Board document to a banned member before it was announced to members. This same person has put all these Coordinators at risk of loosing their positions.
16. may cause persons to ”EXIT” like BJ from stress. Just to let you know that BJ thought it would be better to let Deborah Granite back in The Saints thinking that she would do less damage in The Saints than outside. He was dead wrong.
17. because we had a past president that did not discipline a former treasurer who spent over $5,500.00 for accounting firm, primarily to do data entry and never got any reports from the firm and who purchased software and never entered figures in the software. The past president had this issue on the Board agenda three times and passed over it. When new President tried to get answers everyone thought he was picking on the poor former treasurer.
I also do not want to socialize nor associate with these persons because they add no quality to my life. In fact, my health has suffered. No one even wants to sit near them at the Board Meetings either.
Basically, this is not the organization I joined and is no longer a joy to serve. It has become a burden rather than fun. We as a Board have been told by certain Board members that if we are having fun, we are not doing our job. Well, try as we may, we cannot get much done for all the above reasons and we are having NO fun.
We made our biggest mistake by changing a STANDING RULE so a certain person (who was PNG and still is PNG at the Auditorium) could run. Run she did, and thought she was so valuable that she could do anything including breaking any rule she did not like. We tried to stop her but to no avail. I have a letter from a dead man and would be happy to show anyone. However, let me remind you that this person cannot hold a position while having a PNG (whichmakes the person not in good standing). You have to live by the existing ByLaws and Standing Rules until they are changed. The person who wants to be President, Treasurer and Secretary and also covets being Coordinator Liaison (all in one) will give you what you want/deserve.
We cannot even have an Executive Session for a Board meeting without someone opposing it. Some say our Confidentiality Agreement is not enforceable and so it means nothing. Then they turn around and say the President violated Confidentiality for communicating with the memebrship – oh please, make up your mind. They say our SPOTLIGHT statement means nothing regarding confidentiality although it was initiated by a lawyer. We were also told by one person that Coordinators should not have a FREE lunch. No wonder we cannot get anything done and statements like that take all joy out of planning anything.
Hugh is absolutely INcorrect. Andy DID discuss all phases of the letter he sent and asked for input for arguments from Board members. Very funny that the one person who always comments did not come up with a plan but did the usual criticism. One Board member always wanted to be President but he will also have to fight alias Stone because he once said that “The Saints is all she has”.
Listening to tapes of the Board Meetings it is apparent that 3 and a half members (one very wishy, washy, sits on the fence) never agrees to anything unless they think of it themselves or they agree only if it may make them look bad if they don’t, i.e. BJ Nelson memorial event. That was a shock to have agreement. The one person that always disagreed even said we would be shocked that she agreed.
Therefore, I am resigning from my office of Secretary/Coordinator Liaison on The Saints Board of Directors. I will remain a member of the Board of Directors until my term expires May 31, 2010. I will remain a Coordinator of the Saints, that is, if I do not get “fired.” which I would expect coming from your new leaders (the ones who want to be President and may have to duke it out).
I cannot retrieve the time I have lost or will loose with my family on any more volunteer hours to The Saints and I no longer wish to be insulted, maligned and unappreciated by some. I am sure others feel the same way I do and hope my replacement will be someone with the volunteer spirit, believe in majority rule and honor the rules of The Saints .
Thanks to all those who have followed the rules and made the effort to make The Saints the organization that I once loved to serve with fun and friendships. Thanks to those who have expressed their opinion only on the issues, and again, rather than personal insults which is so juvenile and so political.
My only regret is not finishing the Coordinator /Appreciation Event and especially the BJ Nelson Memorial Open House but will continue as a member of that committee only. However, it is time for someone else to try to tolerate the original violator of the Saints world.
Sincerely,
Sharon McLean
P.S. So, now you can berate me for sending this out to the membership. But, since ethics and confidentiality are out the window as some of you say, try to get rid of me like we could NOT get rid of “you know whom”.
Maybe I will see some of you at the Art Institute, Field Museum, Museum of Science and Industry-all of which I belong but have had no time to visit. Also I may get enough sleep without being anxious to see who is insulting who and what NEW problem has DG thought up to disturb one of us. Boy what a relief that will be! I do not want to have the early departure from life that BJ predicted he would have over DG from the same stress that Andy, Linda and I are experiencing.
You Got HER, you are welcome to HER. You got what you asked for. THE REAL culprit.
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