Andy's E-mail

[Laurien...@aol.com]

 

Why is Andy trying to fix a problem that does not exist:  Over all the years as I have ushered with hundreds of Saints never have I heard anyone complain about the cost of the Saint's membership dues.  If the cost was so prohibiting why do we have 2000 members?

Maybe if Andy ushered more he would see how very fortunate we are to be members of the Saints.  We get so much when we usher that we are the luckiest volunteers anywhere.  We do minimal work for anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour and get to see wonderful plays, see magnificent dance and hear extraordinary music.

Anyone who doesn't feel we owe something to the theater community for allowing us to do this doesn't deserve to be a Saint.  If there is someone who wants to take this $20.00 off his taxes there has to be another way. Every organization I belong to tells me how much is tax deductible.

I can only conclude that Andy willing to hurt the organization and cause disruption so that he can get re-elected.  How sad if the rest of the board allows or enables him to do this

                                                                Laurie Nagatomo

[thailand]

I recently sent the following to all Board members:

To all members of the Board of The Saints:

I will NOT respond to email addresses set-up by Mr. Lingras. I do not
trust him. His definitions of democracy and transparency seem to be
unique to him, and his use of the words are a mockery of their real
meanings.

I am outraged by the latest attempt of Mr. Lingras to achieve what he
has already admitted it HIS personal goal for the Saints, It is
obvious that Mr. Lingras has NO understanding of the place that The
Saints holds within the performing arts community in Chicago. Why?
Because he does not participate in it.

The latest email sent by Mr. Lingras to the membership (isn't this in
direct contradiction to the current Confidentiality Agreement?) is an
attempt to garner support for his PERSONAL goal by providing only that
information that he feels we mere mortals would understand - a
reduction in dues.

He has stated that if donations to fund the Grant program are
voluntary rather than mandatory:
"" the Grants and Donations program will not be eliminated. It will
be funded from voluntary contributions in one case or from mandatory
collections included in membership dues in the other case."

This is ludicrous. If not all members participate, we are no longer a
charitable organization. Such grants will no longer be funded by The
Saints, but rather by a group of individuals, most of whom would
probably find it just as easy to make direct donations to the
organizations of their choice. This is even more likely as The Saints
has continually denied the members the ability to deduct any portion
of the dues, in spite of the fact that dues paid to other similar
organizations (art museums for example) are fully deductible. In
order to do so, they would have to actually keep sound financial
records.

It is time for the Board to act like a Board and represent the
members.

Susan Gray