[TheForge] accountability in abana

[George Dixon]

I have been asked about the issue of accountability in abana.  Best to 
answer it here.
Accountability within the abana board is a serious concern.  This is 
true in finances, bidding and actions taken by the members of the board 
on its behalf.  Over a decade ago there was a similar situation to what 
we have now.  The board (then) decided to 'run'  a conference which had 
a 'chairman' off the board.  The off-board person had no leverage with 
the board, so they overwhelmed him.  The outcome of this abana 
conference was described to us as new board members some years after the 
event as a cautionary tale. The accounting for that event had run afoul 
of a variety of pitfalls.  ABANA was under the danger of an audit (as a 
501(c)(3) by either the state or federal folk) that would have revealed 
these 'shortcomings' until their seven year statute of limitations 
expired.
  ABANA's written conference procedures clearly give oversight 
accountability to the entire board in order to create a firewall between 
conference director and the overseeing board of abana.

The point is; who is in oversight today?  Answer, the same people who 
ran the 2002 event from their board positions. We again have a Board 
overseeing themselves.  I hear that the blame game has begun, names are 
being held up for 'accountability or responsibility'  (read: mud 
slinging).  They are the names of folks with no authority and no board 
position (hence, no responsibility).   Only sitting board members have a 
charge of responsibility for the oversight in advance and during, 
as-well-as the outcome of abana events.

ABANA does not need ongoing power trips and petty politics. It needs a 
strong commitment to Dan Nauman's Education Committee plan for starters 
coupled with some house cleaning and honest answers.

The membership needs good accounting for board member's actions and 
budgets openly arrived at with bids cleanly handled.  It needs to see 
that its rather weight dues fee is not squandered.  Sunlight does not 
lend itself to political misadventure by board members.  What we have in 
abana today is dark, fertile ground for abuse where the foxes appoint 
themselves to run the chicken coop.

George Dixon