ABATE of the Black Hills Served with Cease and Desist
A collection of statements preceded an irregular meeting culminating in hard feelings between members
John Dale's membership in ABATE of the Black Hills is unclear due to the haphazard invocation of process by the ABATE of the Black Hills Board of Directors. He looks forward to receiving clarification that he is a member in good standing and in seeing the performance of the ABATE of the Black Hills Board properly and legally evaluated and improved.
"Domestic organizations using Robert's Rules of Order reduce corruption, increase thrift, and build more trust. ABATE is an organization with great potential for good, especially when adhering to these rules, even if that seems like a lot of work sometimes." -- John Dale
The dust-up occurred after censorship of this article and in John's preference to use Robert's Rules of Order in meetings (declaration of conflicts of interest). As it happened, during the process John was dealing with the recent passing of his mother, Nancy Fry (pictured).
Mr. Dale thinks it is worthy of some investigation by neutral parties to sus-out the facts and correct misunderstandings. John Dale has concerns.
"The ABATE of the Black Hills Board is acting irregularly."
After the production of a video calling the board out on its actions, the board moved hastily after John Dale did his best to understand and apply the rules and promote following the organization's bylaws.
"As I read the Robert's Rules of Order, to avoid mistakes and to prevent corruption, the board's president appoints impartial committees to look into serious issues. The committee should be comprised of members chosen efficaciously and should sit down with the accused to discuss causes for concern. Robert's Rules of Order seeks a balance of power to protect the rights of individuals who pursue important causes in line with the mission but encounter resistance due to conflict of interest. Conflicts of interest aren't always illegal, but they should always be disclosed so voting members can weigh the opinions of those standing to benefit from a vote. Often times the process of management of an organization becomes commandeered, and Robert's Rules of Order are there to prevent such runaways from causing an organization's failure. Right now I'm not seeing humble, fair, good management reflected in the board's actions and I would like to see the board's performance improved."
John Dale served a cease and desist notice to the ABATE of the Black Hills Board in person at a regular meeting. The cease and desist addressed in writing the causes of concern. It also contained a suggested list of things to do to cure the situation, and a list of reasons why the state board could consider in the removal of one or more of the ABATE of the Black Hills Board.
"I thought it best to put my claims down in paper and hand deliver it to the board during a regular meeting. Because the board didn't schedule meetings about this issue during regular meetings, the process defied credulity. I have a list of grievances that I have shared, and we'll see what comes of it when they carefully and methodically review the information we've sent each other. Our review of the information indicates some injuries occurred because of the way this process has been managed."
Mr. Dale volunteered dozens of hours recruiting affiliate members, attending state meetings, providing entertainment at events, and providing feedback and help on the chapters website. Whatever course of action that is pursued should be in the interest of improving ABATE's adherence to rules of order. John Dale's desire to be "just a member that shows up to every meeting no matter what" is sacrosanct.
"I love the mission of ABATE and its history as an organization that champions individuality and other important motorcycle issues. I love riding, but I don't want to be part of a Motorcycle Club. I am already civically engaged. ABATE is a great fit, and I would like it to use Robert's Rules of Order like its bylaws state to enhance its mission to promote communication, and to meet its duty (in my opinion) to uphold free speech values especially between its members and in person at meetings where participation peaks at around 20% of the reported total membership. I think more people should join and attend the meetings and spread the word about important motorcycle safety and profiling issues like my article."