Should ROA change how it elects its national officers? Currently, only department delegates attending the national convention decide who will govern ROA. The President's Working Group for the 21st century did exhaustive research on this subject and recommended to the Executive Committee (ExCom) that a direct vote by members would allow for greater participation by members. The three 2008 service vice presidents drafted an amendment to the ROA Constitution to bring about this change. ExCom then recommended this change.
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- ReserveOfficer
- The Reserve Officers Association is the professional association for all uniformed services of the United States. Chartered by Congress and in existence since 1922, ROA advises and educates the Congress, the President and the American people on issues of national security, with unique expertise on Reserve issues. ROA advocates for adequate funding of equipment and training requirements, recruiting and retention incentives, and employment rights for all members of the Reserve.
11 comments:
Read the FAQs: http://www.roa.org/FAQS_direct_vote
With declining attendance at the ROA onventions, it makes logical sense to allow members to vote using their computers/direct mail. The President Elect position is important to the leadership of ROA and the future of the Association. Give the vote to everyone rather than a few who can afford to attend the national meetings.
AGAINST: Our National Charter is clear. officers will be elected at the Annual Convention.What's not to understand? Let's try out the one Annual Meeting first and see if we have improvement in attendance. Then, if necessary, go for a change to the Charter and then our Constitution.
1st, I challenge everyone to actually read the charter.
2nd, when the election occurs is not at question. Whom is allowed input and to vote is! Why should the drilling reservists deployed not be allowed to vote!? No one that I know would think to omit a vote from military deployed. Why do you choose a different standard for ROA?
The Direct Vote (internet voting) amendment impresses me as illconceived and illtimed. The principal argument in favor is anemic attendance at the summer National Conventions which are now moved to the time/place of the traditionally more heavily attended former "Mid-Winter". Perhaps we should allow the hoped for improvements of rescheduling the National Convention to set in before we make further changes.
With all due respect to my friend Rafael, we elect our Department leadership to represent those of us who cannot attend the National Convention. Why have Departments?
Our U.S. National Presidential election wisely uses the Electoral College, to evenly distribute votes by population.
ROA should keep our current process unless it fails to serve us in the new meeting schedule.
Rick Howe
FOR: let's leverage the tools and technology of the modern age to facilitate greater involvement and participation in this organization. ROA is a professional and lobbying organization whose success depends on the involvement of its members.
FOR:
I'll never attend a convention because it is too expensive and unless they change the convention to be more about education and less about internal business, I'll never get my unit to pay. And my department is defunct. It would be nice to have some voice in the process because it seems to me that all of our leadership cares more about internal processes than our external advocacy efforts. I'd like to have a say in who gets elected.
How will a quorum be established and certified such that only a very few wind up electing the ROA National leadership?
What is to be gained by an election either by ballot or electronic if the integrity of the election is not maintained and verified?
Though it sounds great to have the total membership cast a ballot, the system in place whereby the Departments which are the active bodies in the organization do in effect represent the total membership and do elect the leadership based on direct knowledge from the department membership.
I agree with Rick Howe. Why have Departments if the leadership is elected through electronic or mailed ballot without Departments acting as a filter. Who is to say that the leadership elected by general ballot will not be elected by only one person casting the vote?
Edward W. O'Grady
I attended the last convention in Orlando. I sat in on the Saturday morning meeting to watch how business was done. What I saw is a group of retirees arguing over Roberts Rules of Order. They didn't care to listen to those still standing the watch when they voiced their concerns about not extending early retirement benefits or other issues. They, the retirees, new better. If this organization does not infuse youth into it's organization, it will become less credible on the Hill. Today's reservists are used to conducting business via webconferences, VTCs, conference calls, and by email. It is the domain they live in. If ROA can't move forward to this level of engagement, don't expect to have our reserve officers attach themselves to our organization. I suppor moving forward with the this new voting process. It's a virtual world out there. Engage or be marginalized as an organization, and as a member.
Mike Seward
Thirty seven years in ROA and here is my two cents. Annual Conventions have been summer months, nice places in the East, Central, or Western US. Lower costs in most cases. A retirees dream trip. Except for a small number of dedicated members who had the funds to go to both meetings, the National Convntion was primarily we "silver hairs" and mid-winter the younger generation of Reservists. Now, we have the one meeting, where it belongs, (Washington, D.C.), and when Congress is in session. Before we change the voting process, lets go along with Rick Howe's recommendation for two conventions and see if the attendance improves among our drilling reserve force and department delegates. If no improvement in participation, go for the Direct Vote Option.
I am a member of three national organizations that use direct voting. Like most members, we have little or no clue what the candidate is really about, except what the bio says. At least with our system, I know they are Chapter and Department veted, and if I can be at the convention, I get to meet the candidate.
RT Carlson, PNP 1986-1987.
A major part of the problem is that the ROA Conventions have "priced" most of the delegates out of the process. With a $500 registration fee, $250 per night hotel, $500-800 airfare, and another $100-150 incidental expenses, The cost for a delegate to attend is over $2000.
It is getting increasingly difficult to get people to volunteer to serve in leadership positions in Chapters and Departments, let alone asking them to spend that kind of funds to represent their constituents at Natiional meetings.
But, this problem goes beyond just voting for National Officers. We need grass root delegates to meet,discuss,debate, and make decisions regarding important issues regarding the Association. THAT ISN'T BEING DONE TODAY AND CAN'T BE DONE BY JUST INTERNET VOTING AND BLOGGING.
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