ABATE Leadership communications

You are correct!
I'm a computer programmer .. the number ones book-ended the 2 and my computer programmer brain read the ones as "bracket". I saw [2] .. my mistake. :)

John Dale

I know I am correct. I had no idea what you were talking about when you said it listed 2 members. Our membership has been listed in the same way in the same place of the newsletter for years.

Susan Lettau

It was a humble act to admit my fault. You used it to compliment yourself.

John Dale

I initially joined ABATE because of Wayne. I believe in freedom of choice and that is why I continue to belong.

Susan Lettau

I joined because motorcycle rights are important to me, as is free speech, freedom of thought, freedom to work as I please in a free market, and freedom from slander and libel. I was also asked to join by a close friend of the founder.

John Dale

ABATE is a VOLUNTEER organization. You don't get paid to belong or get paid to do things. You say you have been ganged up on your whole life. Why do you think that is? I think you need to look at yourself a little bit closer and you will have the answer to that question.

Susan Lettau

When I was in the 1st Grade some kids up the street had a slip and slide. I asked to play with them, they happily agreed. I went home to put a bathing suit on and get a towel. When I returned they'd packed it up and were sitting on the front porch, still wet, and wouldn't speak with me. As a 6 year old, you're saying I had some culpability in that? Or, was it true that their moms just didn't like my mom? It was so petty and I never forgot how cruel people can be. I can still feel the lump in my throat of having to walk back to my house, dry and alone, on that hot Sunny Summer Spearfish day. Has ABATE ever paid anyone to do something and didn't require that person or group to volunteer?

John Dale

You asked me soon after Wayne passed away if I had a problem with you. YES, I DO! I have worked very hard all of my life to have what I have. I have a VERY HARD time with people that sit back and think that everything should be given to them. I also have a problem with arrogance. I have seen plenty of it through my job. I don't tolerate it with my fellow employees nor anyone else. One person is no better than another! You said that you have had resumes turned down. I have a hard time believing that you haven't been able to find something else to help pay the bills. I know if I was in that situation, I would try every avenue that I could to bring money in. I also find it interesting that you have a hard time being able to pay your $25.00 a year dues but you can travel to Washington, DC and tour for a month. Yes, we do notice those things!

Susan Lettau

There are are false statements here. You're not the only one who has worked hard. I don't think anything should be given to me. I have paid my own dues with my own money, and I have never asked for a scholarship or sponsorship. An MRF sponsorship was offered several times, I felt pressured, so I regretfully accepted. In the bylaws of our chapter, it states that ABATE has the right to enter into contacts and pay for services. If I can provide a service to ABATE as a member, ABATE can pay me to do that service as I understand it (I don't recall reading that ABATE chapters cannot pay members for services). ABATE chose not to pay, and that's fine. I never complained and was given permission to put a tip jar out. In the two years leading up to this year I made $5 and $4 respectively in tips playing 6 hours of music at the social hour. That's less than $.75/hr. This is a fact and I didn't complain. Still haven't, and I provided a great service that received good feedback and I was happy until I felt my recently deceased mother was disrespected. Again, I didn't complain. I just left to avoid causing a scene. This year we're struggling because of my mom's funeral costs, which ran nearly $4000 not including the time we lost coordinating before and after her death. Has ABATE ever helped anyone with funeral costs? If so, what was different about my circumstances? My daughter, Casie, won the Congressional App Challenge three years running. We spent Spring fundraising for that specifically, and we made the trip to DC so she could attend the demonstration in the Capitol building where she personally received an achievement coin from him in front of the nation's other winners. That you choose to arrogantly criticise me for our DC "vacation" is incredible! In order to save money, we camped in KY and NM. We stayed with my elderly Aunt Rose in VA. We stayed with Jess elderly parents in Austin for a few days, and we slept at Freeway rest stops in SC, VA, and TX. Connecting with family that is still living was important for us as we drove the highways from here to there and back missing the rear window in our car. We represented South Dakota very well, and under normal circumstances some doors would have opened up for us upon returning. Why did no doors open for us, Susan?

As soon as we returned, I paid my dues using my own money and never asked for help. I think your mind might be playing tricks on you. During the trip, we worked on our book. When we returned home, we finished the book and published it. For what it's worth, if you are saying these same false things to others, you may be doing and saying things that are preventing our book from selling, affecting my income. Think about that very carefully. As a leader of ABATE, you have a responsibility and duty to the truth, and if you have wronged someone, you owe it to them to make them whole. https://www.amazon.com/This-Not-School/dp/B0D6XX98M1

I have acute sinusitis that causes migraines to trigger from exertion. I have an 8mm displacement in my shoulder from a broken collar bone suffered riding BMX that is constantly pulling on my neck. I have arthritis in my pelvic girdle that doesn't allow me to sit, or to stand too long. I tore three ligaments working at Flying J truck stop saving for college that created a scoliosis between my shoulder blades. Writing is one occupation that I can do very well despite my medical issues. The Suppression of my very good work on RF is affecting my financial health and economic viability. I created a social networking software with my cousins, the Karlsons, in Whitewood. Of note - "Someone" spread a rumor there that I was trafficking in Heroin, which killed our business, which was growing and cash flowing.

That you assumed things that were false to the point where you elicited this personal and private and confidential medical information is a sign of poor leadership unless you had compelling evidence to the contrary. Did you? What was it?

John Dale

There are many reasons that the board and members responded the way we did. Our meetings have always been informal, always a free exchange of ideas and thoughts. In the past, you have asked to be added to the agenda to share ideas. Why after 2 years of being a member did you decide to handle it differently? You seem to have issues with things that you have never had a problem with before? You never had an issue before with the Rules of Order. Why now? In your time as a member it has appeared that you aren't willing to help with anything unless it is a benefit to you. That is not what ABATE is about. We are a brotherhood that DONATE our time and sometimes money for the cause.

Susan Lettau

Clearly, the RF issue is related to motorcycle profiling and safety. Yet, leaders of SD ABATE are not interested in propagating this issue. Maybe there is a good reason for that. Please share, but please make sure you due do diligence by reading this first, my work: https://plainstribune.com/rf/ For a similar presentation, after my first meeting, our chapter awarded me Member of the Month. So, what changed? Are you being extorted, pressured, or blackmailed to suppress this type of information (if you'll read my paper above, you'll see that the wireless industry is known for this tactic)? Or, is there a conflict of interest? If there is a conflict of interest, it should be disclosed as our bylaws clearly state (Roberts Rules of Order are mandated in the state bylaws, and our chapter is not allowed to override those). Our bylaws are selectively followed. I am not comfortable with that. It's got nothing to do with being casual. Not following our bylaws or following them selectively is not "informal". It would invite corruption if someone in our organization had a vested interested in 5G and/or EV, or has family members or close associates who are vested in 5G or EV. I didn't make the rules, General Robert made the rules, and I believe they should be followed for good reason. Most of the time, they are not needed, but when they are needed we can prevent corruption and tyranny by following the rules in good faith, as best we're able. I think the board responded the way they did because of lies and disinformation that created a misguided derangement. Who did that? If that person is on our board, they could justifiably resign immediately in disgrace because it so went against our mission.

John Dale

Who authorized you to do a survey at the social hour? That is an ABATE of SD event & anything that is done there needs to be approved by Brad or the BOD. Those type of things that you take upon yourself to do are why people have an issue with you and why you received the response that you did at the meeting.

Susan Lettau

As I stated in the chapter meeting, I conducted an informal survey while speaking to members from across the country. I discussed the same two issues with a dozen or so folks. Networking with other chapters is the purpose of the social, to share information and connect on important issues member-to member. It is an incredible statement to think that you can or should in any way limit what I say to other members of other chapters from around the country assuming I wasn't being a nuisance. No-one complained or left the delightful conversations we were having. Everything I did was legal, respectful, and in keeping with our bylaws (the rules). I can't believe you just wrote this in an email to be honest. It's shocking that you prevented the chapter from hearing the results of my conversations, to be honest. But on a positive note, last Sunday is the first time in two years I've ever heard anyone vote "NO" in one of our meetings.

:D

I am formally trained in entrepreneurship ,which includes conducting primary research, from the nation's top program. Entrepreneurship is in my nature, now. It's my job, and the chapter could really benefit from this volunteer work, which is meant to help foster growth by identifying key problems and overcoming them. If you mean what you say here, you should type of a list of allowable things to say for the next meeting and distribute it. Would it be a long list? Is there already an online private forum where chapter business is discussed that excludes some members?

John Dale

We didn't know anything about your mother passing until you told us at the meeting. We expressed our sympathy at the time. I can't answer whether there was a card sent to you or not. That is not my responsibility. I am the treasurer and membership secretary. On that same subject, it was extremely unacceptable for you to think that it was fine to put out a container for donations for expenses for your mothers burial. It is unbelievable that you would think that is appropriate!

Susan Lettau

Saying, "well that's ballsy" to a member asking for help fundraising for a funeral is not as helpful as politely declining, which would have been fine. I can't say for sure why that was so emotionally devastating. Maybe it's because my mom had just passed away and we were close. It was just best for me to leave. That was an awful thing to say to someone but I'm embarrassed to say how much it hurt. But that's not even the issue, here. Who cares.

John Dale

You have shared many ideas about issues that do not pertain to motorcycling. You don't participate in functions unless you feel they will benefit you. You seem to have a strong interest in cancer causing agents as you have brought that up many times. Maybe you would be happier in a different organization relating to that. We will happily refund the dues you have paid and wish you the best.

Susan Lettau

It's silly to think we could never discuss anything not relating to motorcycling directly. I have signed several grievance cards for others while in meetings and I was completely fine with that. The leadership of our chapter is building me into a straw man by implying things about me that are just not true (that I don't work, don't want to work, or don't have things to contribute to the topic of motorcycling, or that I don't have a reason for the way I conduct my life or that there isn't a good and understandable reason for my family's financial predicament). This is what makes our meetings tense, not that I have done anything wrong. Poor leadership is the root cause in my opinion. I would like to know if there are conflicts of interest with respect to our chapter, SD ABATE, and wireless technologies, which are germane to motorcycle rights, motorcycle profiling, and motorcycle safety as I demonstrated in my paper. Why won't the Black Hills chapter or ABATE SD cover this topic? Suppression of my work creates financial hardship for my family. My family and I are on a strict budget for reasons you clearly do not understand. I attended the Snow Ball last year with no expectation of getting paid. I had a great time and got to know two other members and reconnected with an old associate, Jim Thompson. The false statements you're making about me, and your judgement of me and my family are arrogant. Who else are you saying these things to? How dare you.

Susan - you've blown up at other board members in a meeting with a tirade of profanity. You've verbally abused a member (me) who was trying to volunteer to help with the website and FaceBook. Without justification, I believe you have mis-characterized things about me to others that damaged my prospects of getting work in my chosen field. I believe you have made incorrect assumptions about my willingness to work while demonstrating poor leadership on important issues like 5G. The chapter voted to make me member of the month for my presentation on the dangers of EM/EMF, then you criticize me and ask me to leave the chapter for the same (this is what I want, for my work on motorcycle safety to be distributed to members of ABATE for consideration). It's these types of things that make it difficult for me to support the leadership of our chapter, but I still support the mission of ABATE, which would be better served by better leadership. I have two verifiable medical conditions that limit my job options - it's why I research and write. it doesn't matter what you find hard to believe. All that matters is what is true. The chapter could, in keeping with its bylaws, compensate me for the paper I wrote about 5G and motorcycle profiling and safety. I'm not asking for or expecting this, but I'm merely pointing out that it was an option that was never considered for reasons that defy credulity. I'm within my rights to question, "why?" That is, until the list of allowable things to say comes out then I'm not sure. If you publish this list, I will likely leave the chapter. So, knock yourself out.

It is true that Darlene was out of order to decline asking for disclosure of conflicts of interest. It is true in my opinion that the board was unprofessional and cruel in our last meeting. It is true that information about 5G is being suppressed, as is information about what I discussed with members of other chapters at the Whitewood Social, now. I have no intention of quitting the chapter. Given the facts of this matter, if you refer me to the next state meeting for expulsion, this becomes a very big story in my opinion. I'll be very interested in digging into the conflict of interest issue as 5G infrastructure was installed in Sturgis, Spearfish, Deadwood, and elsewhere by people that, given the size of our community, I'm assuming we must both know. My research indicates these technologies are dangerous to motorcycle riders in multiple ways.

Please dispense with the false bravado. This is a problem caused by our chapter's leadership or some other reason that has yet to be disclosed to me, and I'm not going to be falsely blamed regardless of how far you decide to take this silly little tyranny.

John Dale