[Fists] FISTS Democracy and Number Lists

[David Ring]

Frank, "Yes!",

That's the point Frank.  The powers that be have chosen to not list
the old numbers.  Current numbers are listed.  Old numbers of people
who haven't paid their dues aren't.  A historical list isn't
published.

Other clubs publish historic (total) lists of members:  First Class
Operator's Association (FOC), ARRL A1-Operator's Club,   For most
clubs the older information isn't really important, but it is
interesting.

For a club where non-current numbers are VALID for awards, it becomes
more important.  Someone who knows that WB1XXX was a FISTS member, but
 no longer is has an advantage in getting FISTS awards.

Looking over my many many emails from former members, I was surprised
to see reasons that people left FISTS.  Apart from "no longer
interests me" - which of course would be in any club the most common
reason, one that I had never thought of came up:  "Undemocratic, no
elections, an appointed monarchy with no fiscal review".

They're right it seems.  All the other clubs FOC, VWOA, SOWP, MTC,
ARRL, RSGB all have both elections and members have the right (among
others) for reviewing summary financial statements, and ways of
addressing grievances.  In FISTS there is no such provisions for any
representative democracy.

Certainly FISTS has passed the numeric line of numbers of members
where less than a half dozen people world-wide run it, and if any
disagreement is had, those who disagree are told to (as one email put
it) "Mind your own business".  There is no way to appeal any
disagreement or to get reconsideration by another person.  We have
here "one person rule".  I was surprised at the number of email I
received saying that's why they had left FISTS.  In fact I never
noticed that they didn't have elections.

I've found that while disagreements are time consuming, if handled
correctly can be a course correction that solves many future problems.

It might be an argument miles out, but if left uncorrected, the ship
might be upon the rocks with insufficient time to maneuver
successfully away from a inevitable deadly collusion.  Course
corrections are done most easily earlier in time than later in time.

73

David Ring, N1EA
-30-


 On 6/28/08, frank lauri <qrpp at yahoo.com> wrote:
 > Sending CC's may delay your post. If you feel that your post needs
to go to more than one destination please send them separately.
 >
 > I was under the impression that a FISTS number is
 >  assigned to you forever...whether you are currently
 >  paying annual dues or not.
 >  I thought the  dues is for the newsletter and ability
 >  to participate in FISTS activites like KN0WCW and
 >  obtain FISTS awards...??
 >
 >  Frank - w2ix