 Dear
NASMA Members,I hope this letter finds all of you having a
great holiday season. It is the time of year to spend time with
family and friends and reflect on the past 12 months. Each year
there seems to be many changes in our lives.
NASMA is also going through major changes. After several years of
a small group of NASMA Officers and Executive Committee members
ignoring NASMA By-Laws and Rules, you, the membership said “Enough
is enough”. Enough of you responded to call a special meeting
October 22, 2005 to rescind the elections of July 6, 2005 The past
Officers and entire past Executive Committee was removed by you, the
membership. You also asked for the resignation of the NASMA
Executive Secretary.
New temporary officers were nominated by you, the membership, and
approved by a majority of the elected NASMA Board of Directors on
November 20, 2005. It has not made the former officers and Executive
Committee members very happy to have lost their strangle hold on
NASMA and its members.
The Secretary of the State of Texas maintains the Charter of The
North American Saddle Mule Association, file number 131713301,
Articles of Incorporation June 17, 1994. Contrary to what you may
have heard, all documentation is in order. The State of Texas
established the guidelines which you, the membership, followed in
the NASMA By-Laws to take your organization back.
It saddens me deeply to announce that we have had no choice but
to seek the ruling of twelve impartial citizens of the State of
Texas to make the final determination of the wishes of the members
to elect new officers for NASMA. While we were hoping to avoid this
civil action, it has become clear that a very small number of
individuals have refused to honor the wishes of the membership and
the majority vote of the Board of Directors and have engaged in
activities that are not in the best interests of our members. We
will keep you posted on the progress of this civil action but are
confident that you, the members, will prevail and that our assets
and properties will be returned to the leaders you have chosen.
The new officers will make sure none of your membership dollars
are used by anyone for a legal defense, nor will we ask for monies
for such a fund. As a matter of fact, it would be a violation of our
Charter and of Texas law to ask for money from members to pay for
any legal services not related to the promotion of mules and
donkeys.
I am not an installed President from an Executive Committee that
has been removed by its membership. I am the President that you, the
membership, elected and I serve you, the membership.
The official NASMA web site,
www.nasma.net, has not been “Hood winked by a small group of
members”. It has been returned to “You”, the membership, by the web
master.
It was also voted to move the NASMA office back to Texas, where
all official records of NASMA are recorded with the State of Texas
and the legal Registered Agent of NASMA resides.
I will not get into a “war of words” with the removed officers of
NASMA. You have elected me to move NASMA forward. The membership has
given NASMA back to its members and it is now time for the members
to get more involved in NASMA. I realize that in the past you were
not encouraged to participate in NASMA. That is changing today.
We will keep members informed of NASMA events in
Mules
& More,
Western Mule Magazine and the
Brayer. Each
publication has received a NASMA press release update for its next
issue, January 2006.
We currently have openings for Board of Directors in Zones 1, 3,
4, 5, 6, & 9. We also have directors in other zones that are up for
re-election in 2006. If you or anyone you know, would like to serve
on the NASMA Board, please fill out the enclosed Director Nomination
Form or go to www.nasma.net to do
it online.
We would also like to get more members involved in NASMA
Committees. You will find a list of committees on the back of the
Director Nomination Form. If you or someone you know would like to
serve or chair a NASMA committee, complete the Committee form and
send in to the NASMA office or go to
www.nasma.net to do it online.
Now is the time for those members who have been discouraged to
participate in NASMA to step forward. NASMA is YOUR organization,
not that of any small group of people or Committee.
If you have any comments, ideas or problems, give me a call or send
me an Email.
Sincerely,
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