The very people screaming the loudest about my "unprofessional" and "discourteous" behavior are the same ones who have repeatedly IGNORED me when I've emailed them, sometimes about time-sensitive issues directly related to recruitment activities for the FSP.
Since I wasn't one of the ones screaming, I can't directly comment on this. My personal experience is mixed, but I tend to get emails from some of the leadership on near daily manner, and others I never hear much from. I'm not saying the leadership is perfect, in fact, I've said the opposite: the way to fix it is to get more involved. I'm not known for being meek... If I feel I'm getting ignored, I tend to cc people I know will light a fire under the butt of whoever it is.... with mixed results, but results none the less.
Sandy, please feel free to cc: me if you ever want butt fires lit.... (grin).
I politely and courteously requested access to the Organizers list so that I could participate in private strategic discussions with the rest of the leadership. Then I asked again. Then I asked again. I'm aware of at least two other very active members who have both contributed a lot over the past year or more who requested admission to that list and were also refused.
This one I can comment on... I was strongly in favor of adding you and others. I was overruled by the majority opinion... When I cc:ed 'outsiders' to discussions I felt they should be part of, I was told to stop that. I won't name names, but suffice it to say, I agree with you: yur complaint _was_ a valid one.
The organizer list is now closed (kicking me and others off it, leaving it for the Board alone, with plans to shut it down fully), and Doers is the only real 'organizer' list. You are on the Doers list, so at this point, it's moot.
So my emails get ignored, I'm denied access to private discussion lists, I have absolutely no way to judge if my posts on this forum are read and/or discussed by the leadership (for example, on the thread about changing the mission of the FSP), because they don't respond on the forum, the meetings are closed, and the minutes are empty. And then I get pilloried for saying what needs to be said, and discussed, and DEALT WITH, on the only remaining place available to me.
1) Some do respond on the forum. Not everyone, but percentage-wise MOST do.
2) There are plenty of open meetings - the weekly volunteer conference call for one...
3) The entire minutes question is pointless. Discussion isn't in the minutes and shouldn't be, except noted as 'Discussion followed'.
The vote is what matters. If you feel that you want to know the discussion, ask someone on the board privately. Stop asking for dirty laundry to be aired in public, it wastes your time and pissed off those who have to wear the clothes dirty or clean.
Meanwhile, the oft-heard cry of "Don't just bitch, DO something, and then you'll be considered trustworthy" is tossed about. I can name at least three times where I volunteered to do something and was either ignored or was told flat out "No thanks, we don't need your help with that."
Nik is doing a great job. No argument that in the past, getting new people involved was difficult. Nik and Tim are changing that, with the support and blessing of many of us.
Look around on this forum if you don't believe me. I've seen it happen to other people, too. Hell, on this very thread, Dada offerred to help post FSP news mentions on the website. Not only was his offer not accepted, he was insulted for offering!
Dave doesn't know the difference between bad press and good press. Sorry, but it's true. He's a bad choice, and many of us are opposed to putting the PR reins in his hands. This isn't new, he's gotten that same message before, numerous times from of us, and he has yet to acknowledge the lesson. Tom posts things just fine... and the next gen of the website will be more automated (so that when Google News picks something up, any of a number of trusted people can put it on the front page OR not, depending on the PR value of it.)