[amsat-bb] AMSAT Leadership Explanation ...

[Rich Gopstein]

Could you clarify "unauthorized"?  Not disclosing the expenditure after the
fact is different from authorization.  Just trying to understand why the
expenditures were not authorized.  I took a look at the bylaws, and it's
clear that officers can be given latitude to make expenditures on behalf of
AMSAT without board approval for each expenditure (as you would expect - it
would be impractical for the board to have to approve every expenditure).

Rich
KD2CQ




On Sun, Jul 12, 2020 at 11:20 AM Michelle Thompson via AMSAT-BB <
amsat-bb at amsat.org> wrote:

> The unauthorized expenditures have been admitted to.
>
> Months of attempts to call a board meeting and address it internally have
> been made.
>
> This failed.
>
> Legal advice was sought. We proceeded carefully, and documented what we did
> along the way.
>
> This worked.
>
> Patrick and I are in the clear.
>
> The officer and employee who signed these checks are not.
>
> They claim the entire board knew about it.
>
> There are no records of this contract. It was not disclosed to us when we
> joined. Adding in denial of access, we have problems only an election can
> solve.
>
> Unlike other things we do, this isn't rocket science.
>
> Speaking up to give members a chance to get a functional board, before an
> election, is simply the right thing to do.
>
> I didn't select the weekend the nominations to the board were announced.
>
> Preferring I resign instead of allowing a large amount of unrepentantly
> unauthorized spending to continue is a mistake. Understandable though. This
> is upsetting. Please try not to shoot the messengers too many times.
>
> Members should get real value out of the membership. They should not have
> to pay for secretly hired law firms. Especially for such trivial and easily
> resolved reasons.
>
> Criticism isn't an existential crisis. Unauthorized spending definitely is.
>
> If members agree with spending their money this way, then they will vote to
> return the same people to their jobs.
>
> I have faith in great potential for improvement. There are candidates that
> will follow the law and the bylaws and were willing to step forward.
> Robert, Howie, and Jeff.
>
> We are fortunate to have a choice. This year it makes a big difference.
>
> Michelle W5NYV
>
>
>
> On Sat, Jul 11, 2020, 00:52 Alan via AMSAT-BB <amsat-bb at amsat.org> wrote:
>
> > I read the recent allegations by Directors Stoddard and Thompson of
> > improper
> > behavior on the part of some AMSAT Officers and Directors with concern,
> but
> > also caution. Concern, because nothing remotely similar has occurred in
> the
> > 30+ years I have been a Member and sometimes Board Member. Caution,
> because
> > the nature of the accusations and particularly the timing during a
> holiday
> > week in the AMSAT election cycle had all the hallmarks of a cynical
> > political hit. That is now the most plausible explanation. If they
> believed
> > the serious allegations to be true, it was irresponsible not to have
> > brought
> > them to the attention of the Members before now. These accusations were
> > either carefully crafted for maximum political effect, or to put the most
> > charitable face on it, represent genuinely honest concern but egregious
> > errors in judgement by the accusers.
> >
> > I call on Directors Thompson and Stoddard, in light of these unwarranted
> > accusations, to apologize publically to both those they have so
> grievously
> > misrepresented, and to the Members for the harm they have caused AMSAT.
> It
> > would be honorable to resign because of how badly they have broken trust
> > with the organization and its Members. Lacking that, at a minimum they
> > should pledge not to seek reelection. If as they claim they represent a
> > vision with wide support, surely they can find genuinely qualified
> > candidates to replace them without their baggage.
> >
> > Hopefully AMSAT Members will consider carefully which current Board
> > candidates have either expressed support for these failed Directors, or
> > been
> > endorsed by them. There are other, better, proven candidates.
> >
> > Alan Biddle
> > WA4SCA
> > Past Board Member and Corporate Secretary
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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> > 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.
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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
>