Conspicuous by it's sudden, unexplained and frankly inexplicable absence is the thread regarding the recent episodes at the AAW Board principally regarding Gregory Schramek, Jimmy Clewes and Ken Ledeen.
I now believe the referenced thread was absolutely a political discussion.Al, this was not a political discussion by any reasonable definition. And as I said earlier there is no more appropriate place for people to have this discussion. In fact there actually isn't any other place.
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I have to wonder what the membership is supposed to do with its legitamate questions?
You may not agree with the two points above - but it is what I believe.
The AAW board is preparing a statement about this whole situation. As a Junior administrator recently brought on board to help Bill, I can say that I have been trying my best and something like this was not on the job description. Bill has been a bit under the weather but he’ll be back soon. Bill and I run the forum for the AAW with their guidance.
Maybe we should post this in it’s own thread.Start a new one, and leave this one here too.For many years the AAW Members’ Forum has effectively served our woodturning community as a source for positive member engagement about woodturning ideas, problem solving, and inspiration, which are all essential to AAW’s nonprofit educational mission. The community we serve, including those who are expressly dedicated to supporting AAW’s nonprofit mission, deserve an experience consistent with those ideals and should not be subjected to personal attacks and innuendo, whether directly or by embedded references to other social media sources. The discussion posts in question were in violation of the AAW Forum’s longstanding policy forbidding uncivil behavior and have been removed for that reason.
AAW Board of Directors
Phil McDonald, AAW Executive Director
Thank you. When I asked Bill about my “job” description, we definitely did not talk about something like this, LOLThanks for the update, Emiliano. As a former moderator on an extremely large and active forum, I can certainly appreciate and sympathize with the awkward position this matter has put you in. I believe the term, "Being the meat in a @#$% sandwich" accurately describes the position you've been placed in. In my opinion you've handled it very well.
Is this the statement that you are referring to that was posted on July 7th in the Upcoming Board Meetings page or is there another statement forthcoming?
https://www.woodturner.org/common/Uploaded files/About/BoardDocuments/20200707AAWBoardResponseClewesB.pdf
Edit: Posted simultaneously as the post from Kim Rymer/Phil McDonald
Makes sense to me Mark. We the people have legitimate questions and concerns about what two people have said the board has done to them. The board steps in and says our conversation is uncivil and shuts down the talk. Problem solved.I agree with Glenn Lefley. I do not agree that removing the thread was necessary.
I, too, look forward to hearing from the Board. But I have to wonder what the membership is supposed to do with its legitamate questions?
For many years the AAW Members’ Forum has effectively served our woodturning community as a source for positive member engagement about woodturning ideas, problem solving, and inspiration, which are all essential to AAW’s nonprofit educational mission. The community we serve, including those who are expressly dedicated to supporting AAW’s nonprofit mission, deserve an experience consistent with those ideals and should not be subjected to personal attacks and innuendo, whether directly or by embedded references to other social media sources. The discussion posts in question were in violation of the AAW Forum’s longstanding policy forbidding uncivil behavior and have been removed for that reason.
AAW Board of Directors
Phil McDonald, AAW Executive Director
I saw nothin uncivil in thread, like someone else said if there was that particular post should have been deleted, not the entire thread.
So, any questions regarding decisions by the Board are now considered to be "uncivil behavior"?For many years the AAW Members’ Forum has effectively served our woodturning community as a source for positive member engagement about woodturning ideas, problem solving, and inspiration, which are all essential to AAW’s nonprofit educational mission. The community we serve, including those who are expressly dedicated to supporting AAW’s nonprofit mission, deserve an experience consistent with those ideals and should not be subjected to personal attacks and innuendo, whether directly or by embedded references to other social media sources. The discussion posts in question were in violation of the AAW Forum’s longstanding policy forbidding uncivil behavior and have been removed for that reason.
AAW Board of Directors
Phil McDonald, AAW Executive Director
But they were not in the thread, only linked to the video.several posts were deleted. if you consider the first post- it directed readers to a YouTube which had many emails in it some of which were political and others were derogatory toward individuals.