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Editor's comments on “Short call-in notice”
Thoughts and Comments
Well, now comes the news from www.BlueCapPatriots.com that the Legion Politicians leading the Department of California have announced to Department Executive Committee members only, that Committee-to-Elect (Political Cronies) endorsed Commander Art Castro has ordered a "special meeting" of the DEC to be held on Sept 9, 2017, at 9 a.m., at the Orange Post in District 29.
This what would be a most peculiar way of governing if the California Legion was not governed modernly by an autocracy composed of a small cabal of Legion Politicians who treat the DEC, and the Blue Cap members, like a group of sheeple instead of people, to be headed about on command by tricky hooks or crooks.
It is peculiar, indeed, that the Department, through appointed Adjutant John (Doc) Bart, would send out this "special meeting" notice after 9 p.m. on a Friday night, Sept. 1, well beyond the Department's normal 4:00 p.m. business day.
It is peculiar that it is designated as a "special meeting," yet does not disclose the subject matter on which the DEC members are called upon to act, as is required for "special meetings" under Roberts Rules of Order. Instead, it states the "Agenda" will be "made known at the meeting."
The DEC is to gather up on command to take action on they know not what. This is so under the terms of the "special meeting notice" although they are, legally, the "Board of Directors" of the California Legion Non-profit Corporation. As such, each owes a "fiduciary duty" to every Blue Cap Member, including honesty, reasonable prudence, candor, and placing the interests of the members above their own interest in their own Legion political careers.
I is peculiar in that the notice states that the "special meeting" will be a "closed meeting" limited only to DEC members, effectively depriving the right of all Blue Cap Members to attend all DEC meetings, including Special Meetings.
Nowhere does Commander Castro, or Adjutant Bart cite the authority of the Commander to bar all Blue Cap Members from a meeting of the DEC. There is a good reason for that: There is no authority for the Department of California to bar its members from meetings of their DEC, their board of directors, who are to serve the members, not the other way around.
It is also peculiar that the Department to the date of this writing, has published no notice to Blue Cap Members -- or even to Post Commanders and District Officers other than Commanders -- that this "special meeting" is going to be held, although only matters of great urgency, of interest to the Blue Cap members generally, could be the subject matter of a "special meeting."
Yet, there is not a word of it on the Department website under the leadership of Commander Castro and Adjutant Bart. I learned of the "special meeting" only by reading about it on www.BlueCapPatriots.com, not the Department's website, www.CaLegion.org, on which members could rely before the political ascension of John (Doc) Bart to the position of Adjutant.
Finally, alas, Commander Castro and Adjutant Bart, and the political cabal of Legion Politicians calling the shots in the Department, forgot that the Bylaws were changed at the June Convention 2017 to require ten (10) days notice of special meetings, not just five days, even when notice is given electronically (e.g., email).
For all these reasons, this "special meeting" as ordered by Commander Art Castro and carried out by Adjutant John Bart is fatally flawed and in violation of the Bylaws, as well as the DEC's own rules. It should be rescinded as it is all but inevitable it will be challenged for impropriety, at the meeting itself, or in court.
It is peculiar only in the sense that such autocratic misrule should be foreign to the American Legion, and expected only in autocratic organizations or governments ruled by one man, or one tiny "Politburo-like" cabal of politicians, or by one political party.
This noxious notice is but one more example of the transformation of the California Legion from a democracy under the Legion's Founding Fathers, in which the Legion politicians served the members as sovereigns, to an autocracy of Legion politicians to be served by the members instead of
the other way around.
BC Rees
Why not $anger?
You will understand why on Saturday.
BC Floyd
BC Floyd
Makes sense to me!
BC Michael