FloridaPilot
Pattern Altitude
I became an ICS member a little while ago and I don't know exactly what's going on with the members over there but it's been very negative. The most negative I've ever seen in General Aviation. I posted, wondering what was going on and I didn't get an explanation on why people are so bitter over there. Could someone enlighten me about it...Please send a PM if you want to remain anonymous, I'm staring to believe I joined the wrong group.
Here is the letter: (Extensive reading)
Ladies and Gentlemen
For sometime we have had two individuals within ICS who, through website and social media postings, plus mass emails to the whole society, have been disruptive to the membership. Their actions have been counter-productive to almost everything the Board has tried to do or achieve, for the benefit of the members. Their postings were consistently full of distortions and false information with an occasional grain of truth included in an attempt to give their postings an air of credibility. These very public airings have upset many of our members, a number of whom have left us due to their actions and the perceived �in fighting.� In the last months of 2018, ICS experienced an unprecedented drop in our membership, a lot due to these behaviours.
One of these individuals was a Tribe Chief who had not completed a tribe election since 2015. Since the ICS By-Laws state that Tribe Reps must be elected annually, the ICS President determined that the Tribe Rep be suspended until such time that Tribe completes a legitimate election. The Board of Directors agreed and thereafter, the NE tribe has been without board representation.
On numerous occasions, ordinary members, Tribe Chiefs, Members of the Board and the President have spoken to one or both of these individuals in an attempt to find out the reasons for their actions and behaviours and to try to come to some agreement to cease their disruptive activities and work with the elected officers for the benefit of the Society and the members as a whole. All these efforts have been futile.
Since the continual disruption and false information was untenable, The President, with the support of the Board, agreed to set up an Ethics Committee of professionally respected, independent members to investigate these two individuals and their actions. The Ethics Committee presented their findings to the Board recently and as a result of this report two hearings were convened, in accordance with Roberts Rules, which I insisted should govern proceedings on this occasion. These actions were conducted in accordance with Roberts Rules, as provided by our by-laws.
The hearings into these individuals� actions against the Society was held on 2 February 2019 and the Board concluded that both of them repeatedly violated the ICS Ethics rules.
ICS Bylaws, Article 1, Section 3:
Conduct and Ethics. ICS Members:
A. Are encouraged to participate in ICS activities and committees.
B. Should encourage both ICS and non ICS members to associate with ICS.
C. Shall refuse to knowingly provide or pass on false information.
D. Shall give thoughtful consideration to the comments of other members.
E. Shall conduct themselves with proper decorum as emissaries of ICS.
It is with a heavy heart therefore that I have to tell you that the conclusions of the board were that we should revoke the membership of these individuals. Therefore, as of this day, 2 February 2019, Ms. Christina Stumpf (NE Tribe), and Mr. Les Thomas (SE Tribe) are no longer members of the International Comanche Society.
I can state that whilst all actions that the Board has taken are verifiable, and we retain all the emails and paperwork to prove our actions, one of the most telling statements in the investigation was, when asked why they had distributed unverified information in their emails and posts on websites and social media, the response was ; �it was not up to us to verify anything that we wrote� !
As a consequence of this flagrant disregard for the truth, these two individuals have upset many of our members, a number of whom have left our society due to their actions and the perceived �in-fighting�. There will be a number who still think that these individuals have done no wrong. But I assure you that the actions taken by your Board are just and are for the good of the whole society and its future.
The Board and Tribe Reps are all volunteers and serve for the benefit of the members, with the common aim of supporting our great aircraft and pilots. Many of these volunteers go to great lengths and considerable personal expense to further our society, all without pay or financial reward, and I salute them for that.
We now go into 2019 with vigour and a renewed mission to promote our great society and its membership.
Thank You
Kate Burrows
ICS President
© 2019 International Comanche Society
Here is the letter: (Extensive reading)
Ladies and Gentlemen
For sometime we have had two individuals within ICS who, through website and social media postings, plus mass emails to the whole society, have been disruptive to the membership. Their actions have been counter-productive to almost everything the Board has tried to do or achieve, for the benefit of the members. Their postings were consistently full of distortions and false information with an occasional grain of truth included in an attempt to give their postings an air of credibility. These very public airings have upset many of our members, a number of whom have left us due to their actions and the perceived �in fighting.� In the last months of 2018, ICS experienced an unprecedented drop in our membership, a lot due to these behaviours.
One of these individuals was a Tribe Chief who had not completed a tribe election since 2015. Since the ICS By-Laws state that Tribe Reps must be elected annually, the ICS President determined that the Tribe Rep be suspended until such time that Tribe completes a legitimate election. The Board of Directors agreed and thereafter, the NE tribe has been without board representation.
On numerous occasions, ordinary members, Tribe Chiefs, Members of the Board and the President have spoken to one or both of these individuals in an attempt to find out the reasons for their actions and behaviours and to try to come to some agreement to cease their disruptive activities and work with the elected officers for the benefit of the Society and the members as a whole. All these efforts have been futile.
Since the continual disruption and false information was untenable, The President, with the support of the Board, agreed to set up an Ethics Committee of professionally respected, independent members to investigate these two individuals and their actions. The Ethics Committee presented their findings to the Board recently and as a result of this report two hearings were convened, in accordance with Roberts Rules, which I insisted should govern proceedings on this occasion. These actions were conducted in accordance with Roberts Rules, as provided by our by-laws.
The hearings into these individuals� actions against the Society was held on 2 February 2019 and the Board concluded that both of them repeatedly violated the ICS Ethics rules.
ICS Bylaws, Article 1, Section 3:
Conduct and Ethics. ICS Members:
A. Are encouraged to participate in ICS activities and committees.
B. Should encourage both ICS and non ICS members to associate with ICS.
C. Shall refuse to knowingly provide or pass on false information.
D. Shall give thoughtful consideration to the comments of other members.
E. Shall conduct themselves with proper decorum as emissaries of ICS.
It is with a heavy heart therefore that I have to tell you that the conclusions of the board were that we should revoke the membership of these individuals. Therefore, as of this day, 2 February 2019, Ms. Christina Stumpf (NE Tribe), and Mr. Les Thomas (SE Tribe) are no longer members of the International Comanche Society.
I can state that whilst all actions that the Board has taken are verifiable, and we retain all the emails and paperwork to prove our actions, one of the most telling statements in the investigation was, when asked why they had distributed unverified information in their emails and posts on websites and social media, the response was ; �it was not up to us to verify anything that we wrote� !
As a consequence of this flagrant disregard for the truth, these two individuals have upset many of our members, a number of whom have left our society due to their actions and the perceived �in-fighting�. There will be a number who still think that these individuals have done no wrong. But I assure you that the actions taken by your Board are just and are for the good of the whole society and its future.
The Board and Tribe Reps are all volunteers and serve for the benefit of the members, with the common aim of supporting our great aircraft and pilots. Many of these volunteers go to great lengths and considerable personal expense to further our society, all without pay or financial reward, and I salute them for that.
We now go into 2019 with vigour and a renewed mission to promote our great society and its membership.
Thank You
Kate Burrows
ICS President
© 2019 International Comanche Society
