[amsat-bb] Another call for forensic accounting and an inventory

Sun Aug 9 22:53:26 UTC 2020

If AMSAT had regular board meetings, preferably monthly, then things like
this would be taken care of quickly and efficiently.

We would all be reading detailed minutes about all the "boring ordinary"
stuff that should be going on - in the Journal.

However, AMSAT has a majority of the board (5 out of 7) that flatly refuses
to meet. Bylaws require three board members to call a meeting. Or, the
President could call meetings. It's part of his powers to do so.

I think things would go a lot better with Directors that are cooperative,
collaborative, and civil.

Secretly hiring a law firm with member money to attack new Directors and
figure out time-wasting ways to keep new Directors from getting their
graspy little hands on the records is not cooperative, not collaborative,
and not civil. Plastering a badly-written and defamatory "explanation" on
the organization's website (instead of meeting as a board to resolve
the unauthorized expenditures as repeatedly requested) is definitely not
civil.

This is a very bad and very public hill to die on. There was not unanimous
consent to that writing. It was not the result of any official action.

All of this public discussion is directly related to individual officers
publishing that letter here, on this mailing list, instead of meeting in
private to discuss the unauthorized expenses.

Do we want the public discussion to stop? Then that letter needs to be
retracted. Meetings need to start.

Very simple easy things.

I am optimistic that things can and will improve.

-Michelle W5NYV

On Sun, Aug 9, 2020 at 12:04 PM H. Stephen Nipper <stephennipper at gmail.com>
wrote:

> All of the things that the FIVE amigos keep addressing, should be done at
> the board level.  Doing an inventory should be done at the board level,
> doing an audit should be done at a board level.  The general membership
> doesn't need to know this.  The general membership needs to know that a
> policy exists to monitor and control property of the organization.  If a
> policy doesn't exist in the by-laws add one.
>
> Don't whine.  The time to campaign is over.
>
> Stephen Nipper
> N7DJX
>
> On Sun, Aug 9, 2020 at 12:11 PM Michelle Thompson via AMSAT-BB <
> amsat-bb at amsat.org> wrote:
>
>> Clayton Coleman called for an inventory, and called for specific and
>> reasonable expense reductions, over a year ago on the BoD mailing list.
>>
>> We lost a valuable IP donation from AHA.
>>
>> A Rincon AstroSDR went missing for over a year. It  resurfaced after I
>> started asking questions about it.
>>
>> We need a better grip on what we own, where it is, and who has it. This
>> can
>> be done.
>>
>> It's not a bad idea at all to resolve to take inventory as soon as
>> possible
>> and do a better job.
>>
>> Don't get offended at an honest critique paired with proposed actions.
>> Those things lead to better solutions for the organization.
>>
>> -Michelle W5NYV
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On Sun, Aug 9, 2020 at 8:43 AM Jeff Johns via AMSAT-BB <
>> amsat-bb at amsat.org>
>> wrote:
>>
>> > I didn’t say anyone stole anything. I haven’t heard anyone say that. The
>> > membership, however, has learned of inappropriate spending by a group of
>> > legacy BoDs. It would be in the best interest of AMSAT, no matter who
>> is in
>> > office, to make the dark cloud of FUD to go away. The only way that will
>> > happen is to have an independent, third-party investigate finances and
>> to
>> > perform an inventory.
>> >
>> > AMSAT is a business. A business is valued by its cash on hand,
>> receivables
>> > and assets. A customer base can also be used as part of the valuation
>> of a
>> > company. All of the information, combined, gives an indication of the
>> > stability of a company (organization).
>> >
>> > The membership deserves to have the FUD removed and there’s only one way
>> > this can occur. Nobody wants to invest in a business that has
>> questionable
>> > finances. In this case members and donors will be less likely to invest
>> in
>> > AMSAT as long as there are questions about the governance of AMSAT and
>> how
>> > that governance handles the organization’s money.
>> >
>> > If I were on the board, I would want to cloud removed to show that I,
>> as a
>> > Board member, was being a good steward of the members’ money.
>> >
>> > So, I once again ask that a thorough examination of AMSAT’s finances and
>> > assets take place so that the organization can show members and
>> investors
>> > (future members and donors) that the organization is sound and that
>> money
>> > is appropriately spent.
>> >
>> > This seems like a no-brainer to me. I’m not sure why any reasonable
>> person
>> > would take issue with the membership wanting to know, for sure, that the
>> > organization’s finances are sound.
>> >
>> > Jeff WE4B
>> > http://we4bravo.com
>> >
>> > > On Aug 9, 2020, at 8:45 AM, Jeff Davis via AMSAT-BB <
>> amsat-bb at amsat.org>
>> > wrote:
>> > >
>> > > 
>> > >
>> > >>>>> On Aug 9, 2020, at 3:23 AM, Jeff Johns via AMSAT-BB <
>> > amsat-bb at amsat.org> wrote:
>> > >> The call to ask them to step-up and help ease the minds of many
>> members
>> > was not answered. Why? It could be a myriad of things but because they
>> will
>> > not (so far) step forward and help promote financial transparency is
>> very
>> > disturbing. If there is nothing astray, then there would be nothing to
>> > worry about other than the cost for a third-party to perform the audit.
>> > >
>> > > Yes. I see the “plot” clearly now. A few grifters decided the best way
>> > to get “rich" was to join a ham radio organization. They would lay low
>> for
>> > 10-30 years so as not to arouse suspicion. They would volunteer their
>> time
>> > and efforts for decades to provide an smokescreen so other members
>> wouldn’t
>> > suspect that they would one day steal money and inventory from the
>> coffers
>> > and then refuse to provide a detailed accounting when requested…
>> > >
>> > >
>> > > Jeff, KE9V
>> > >
>> > > _______________________________________________
>> > > Sent via AMSAT-BB at amsat.org. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available
>> > > to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership.
>> > Opinions expressed
>> > > are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views
>> of
>> > AMSAT-NA.
>> > > Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite
>> > program!
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>> > _______________________________________________
>> > Sent via AMSAT-BB at amsat.org. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available
>> > to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership.
>> Opinions
>> > expressed
>> > are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views of
>> > AMSAT-NA.
>> > Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite
>> program!
>> > Subscription settings: https://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
>> >
>> _______________________________________________
>> Sent via AMSAT-BB at amsat.org. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available
>> to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership.
>> Opinions expressed
>> are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views of
>> AMSAT-NA.
>> Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program!
>> Subscription settings: https://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
>>
>
>
> --
> Stephen Nipper
> Boise, Idaho
> N7DJX
>
>
>