Unelected President?

[justaute]

USPSA...thriving? LOL

Other than grammar, I completely agree with pjb45.

[whitedog]

Look at SASS. Say what you will, but one heck of a business model. A "family friendly sport", that managed to buy a ranch in N.M. Conventions. A "board of territorial governors" that actually has a day in the operation...yes, only to a point. But at least input. A "regulator" program that recognizes volunteers.

[ericjhuber]

I am not knocking KIm, she took over an organization from Dave. She has made some changes for the better. It is hard to make incremental changes in an organization that is slow to embrace change. The BOD, President and Executive Director need to map out a mission/vision with strategic initiatives and action plans (re: Porter). This is fundamental.

Throwing down the Porter-fu? Impressive.

I haven't been around USPSA long enough to have a credible opinion on how it should run. I think very highly of my Area 6 director (Jay Corn) and the local USPSA folks so it seems to be working well at my level. I have a high opinion of Phil Strader based on the limited contact that I've had with the man. He does a very fine job running matches, for example, and he took on a very tough job running USPSA with limited resources, a family, and a day job. I think both these guys should be wearing super hero capes when doing official USPSA business considering what they do at expense of other things they could be doing.

The biggest issue that I can see from the current governance model that USPSA has would be a situation where an elected Board doesn't get along with the elected President and you get a fat mess that is hard to resolve. Most non-profits have a governance model that has the Board of Directors appointing and overseeing the senior executive management of the organization. That CEO is accountable to the membership, but through the Board of Directors.

[outerlimits]

IBTL

[Dang It Dan]

Whitedog, no offence but you have NO IDEA what you are talking about when it comes to SASS. I am a 16 year member, a Regulator, a Territorial Governor and trust me when I say that we get sh*it on more times than not by the governing body called the Wild Bunch. Transparency? - forget it. Accountability - non existent. SASS is owned by a handful of old guys who are playing a sick game of "last man standing". The ranch you mentioned in New Mexico (Founder's Ranch) isn't owned by SASS, but is leased through a shell company owned by a couple of the guys who are also Wild Bunch members. SASS itself is cut up into at least four companies who are incorporated in four different states. We have not one, but THREE different publications that we have to refer to if we need to make a call on the rules, mainly because the founders of the game don't want to take the time to consolidate the rulebooks. The game itself is a lot of fun and it does cater to the whole family BUT the organization is so bad they are actually working on going non-profit, just like USPSA.

The only thing that's really been positive about SASS's organization is that they hired a CEO about two years ago who is full time and SHE is making a difference but only at the whims of the Wild Bunch.

I try to just pay my money and shoot the match at this point. No more politics for me.

Edited June 30, 2014 by Dang It Dan

[whitedog]

Dang it dan...all you say is true. However...

The business model they started from got them a ranch. Got them to 90k + members...yes, cut it by 1/3. Still approx 56-60 k shooting. I'm not saying follow it exactly. I'm saying take what works. And improve on it.

Oh...yeah I WAS all of that also, until one of the wild bunch pissed me off. Member #40029.

Edited June 30, 2014 by whitedog

[pjb45]

justaute

Other than grammar, I completely agree with pjb45.

Grammar?? No dangling participles, adverbs. Split Infinitive--oh wait I have five Infinity guns, I won't split them!

Everything else is fair game.

[jester121]

Wait, didn't USPSA buy some swamp land with money from membership dues and activity fees, and later learn that it's protected wetlands or flood pain or something like that? That's almost as good as a dude ranch...

Edited June 30, 2014 by jester121

[Jaxshooter]

They also purchased the Steel Challenge for who knows how much. Now there is a group in Piru sp? Starting another upscale SC match there because the left coast bunch doesn't want to travel.

[Dang It Dan]

Whitedog,

Well Howdy Pard. SASS #13202. Just a clarification, the "ranch" isn't owned by the members so we basically bought Tex and The Chisler a ranch which they are making money on because they have a long term lease from SASS. SASS as far as I know doesn't own anything except the trade-marked name and the idea. Hell, they don't even print the Cowboy Chronicle anymore - it's all digital now.

Other than that, what you say is true but there is one main difference between the two, which in my opinion, can not be applied to USPSA. That is, 90% of the folks in SASS come to the match to socialize and not to compete. In USPSA, 90% of the folks come to the match to compete and not socialize. That's why we don't have entire families shooting together like we do in SASS. This is more of a personality trait than anything. It's why we don't get a lot of cross-dressers who shoot both.

See you down the trail.

Edited June 30, 2014 by Dang It Dan

[wgnoyes]

The biggest issue that I can see from the current governance model that USPSA has would be a situation where an elected Board doesn't get along with the elected President and you get a fat mess that is hard to resolve. ...

The BoD does yearly salary/performance reviews of the president and they can remove him if things are bad enough.

[ericjhuber]

Thanks, Bill. That's good to know. That means it's a lot less like the elected sheriff/county board of supervisors model that was discussed before and much closer to a traditional non-profit governance model where the Board provides oversight of senior executive management.

[whitedog]

Dang it dan, howdy. Yup, when the original group set it up it was a series of shell companies. Front money was supplied by grant thru EMF.

My point is membership involvement. SASS figured out early to get people involved. Yes, about 50% is illusion, but the other 50 is a good idea.

Our sport needs involvement. In what form I'm not sure. But I believe people doubt a thing when they don't know a thing. If we had a full time prez, maybe he could go to matches, as tex did. Or someone from corporate could do it...at least there would be a "face". I'm aware of nationals..I mean monthly matches or state chamionships. Get out there and talk to people.