President Dave Ogé's President's Letter, a 16 Apr 2004 PDF file, gives us a summary of the recent changes in the Executive Suite. If you can't handle a PDF file, please click here for a plain text view of it.

I have, and will explain below, a contrarian's view that the actions taken in that chaotic week were improper under the Bylaws of the Association. I believe, even further, that the actions taken were intended to achieve what was effectively a coup d'etat.

The interpretation of the Bylaws is stated in the President's Letter thus (I change it only from all upper-case to standard casing):

... With the assistance of our volunteer in-house attorney Doug Veith of the great class of '67, there was a recognized unanimous general consensus in the interpretation of our bylaws. Basically, the Association VP with the most time-in-service accedes to the position of the President. ...

The Association Bylaws sections which should govern the filling of vacancies among the officers and on the board are:

  5.04.  Vacancies
A vacancy in any office because of death, resignation, disqualification, or otherwise, may be filled by the Board of Directors for the unexpired portion of the terms

  5.06.  Vice-President
In the absence of the President or in the event of his inability or refusal to perform to act, the Vice-President (or in the event there be more than one Vice-President, the Vice-Presidents in order of their election) shall perform the duties of the President, and when so acting shall have all the powers of and be subject to all the restrictions upon the President. Any Vice-President shall perform such other duties as, from time to time, may be assigned to him by the President or Board of Directors.

The critical phrases regarding the order of succession are, according to the present officers,
      "... the Association VP with the most time-in-service ..."
but, according to the Bylaws,
      "... the Vice-Presidents in order of their election ..."

My view of the matter is that:
- The position now titled Vice-President - Operations is the descendent of the original Vice-Presidential position;
- On the ballot for the last election, in the Trichter report of that election, and in the Trichter masthead the position of Vice-President - Operations appears above the position of Vice-President - Advertising.

It strikes me, from the nature of their position titles, that the VP Operations is more important to our survival than the VP Advertising ... and I've never seen the Association do any advertising.

The statements and conclusions above, other than identified quotations, are my personal opinion.

- Pat Skelly, Class of 1952