NDCA Voting Records

[DanceMentor]

Anyone know if there is any records of voting?

I think if there is it would help bring more accountability to the voting members, and also allow people who are being represented to better decide if they are truly being served by their representative.

Anyone have any records like this?
Are they published anywhere?

[DanceMentor]

Ok, I actually was able to get a response on this elsewhere (sorry to answer my own post). Here goes:
The answer is that the voting records for NDCA are recorded in the official minutes of each meeting which are sent to all Members of the NDCA. These minutes are approved and accepted by the Members for every single departmental meeting, and also for the Board of Governors meeting, so the answer to that question would be "yes," there is a record and every Member of NDCA has it.

It should be pointed out however, that there are two different categories of people involved with NDCA - the 'Members' which are the organizations and which send their delegates to the meetings - there are 19 voting Member Organizations plus the vote of the Executive Committee - the Member organizations are then responsible for dissemination to their membership of any material that they believe to be pertinent to their organization. The second group are the 'Registrants' who register with NDCA in order to take part in NDCA sanctioned events. In many instances, the Ballroom Department will send information directly to the Registrants of NDCA on matters believed to be of immediate concern to them.

Unlike USA Dance, which is an organization of people who 'join' USA Dance and become its' members , NDCA is an organization of organizations. Indeed, one of those organizational members is USA Dance, which attends all meetings with two or three delegates (this past meeting it was two, Esther Freeman and Ken Richards) and receives all minutes of all NDCA meetings, so there is nothing hidden.


Now if we can find a way to view these records. :)

[DanceMentor]

Sorry to keep bumping my own thread, but I wanted to note that I will be working on helping get more of the NDCA minutes and voting records on line in the coming months, unless someone else beats me to it.

[Me]

It would be interesting to know.

But, I make no secret of my lack of respect for the NDCA. Wouldn't help Mississippi out at all. Our ballroom scene is still in shambles. If the NDCA had actually minded their much published code of ethics or, dare I say it, taken action as the self-proclaimed governing body of ballroom dance... but they didn't. So the lawsuits and slander continues on, because nobody cares.

At least USA Dance cared enough to print a letter to the editor.

[Chris Stratton]

But, I make no secret of my lack of respect for the NDCA. Wouldn't help Mississippi out at all. Our ballroom scene is still in shambles. If the NDCA had actually minded their much published code of ethics or, dare I say it, taken action as the self-proclaimed governing body of ballroom dance... but they didn't. So the lawsuits and slander continues on, because nobody cares.

Is the person you blame for this even registered with the NDCA?

If not, then they are not an applicable governing organization.

[Larinda McRaven]

Yes, this person is. But he is a good standing member of the competitive world. To the NDCA (and the those of us that know who the parties are)... it has the tendency to sound like a bunch of "he said - she said" and sour grapes on both sides. If the NDCA had to get dragged into every situation where a teacher leaves a studio with students and pisses off the owner... they would never get anything done.

[Me]

I am sad to see that the misinformation has continued to spread. I guess he's doing a better job than I thought.

Please understand Larinda (and others who may share her opinion) that is not the case at all. Not by a long shot.

I don't want to discuss it here though.

[DanceMentor]

Yes, probably best not to discuss specific teachers.

In many ways the NDCA is a losely organized body that is composed of its members. If there are members who are not doing what is best for the people they represent, then there is reason for concern.

In addition, there are a lot or rumors and misinformation that is often spread. because much of what the NDCA does goes unpublished and unnoticed.

We need to see how we change that!

[Larinda McRaven]

I am sad to see that the misinformation has continued to spread. I guess he's doing a better job than I thought.

Please understand Larinda (and others who may share her opinion) that is not the case at all. Not by a long shot.

I don't want to discuss it here though.

I have heard your side of the story (extensively) here on DF. I have heard his side of the story.
I can make my own judgement and I stand by what I said.

[SDsalsaguy]

DM, keep in mind that the "members" of the NDCA are organizations, not people. Now admittedly the NDCA itself caused much of the confusion and misunderstanding when it used to send out membership cards and assign member numbers, but thanks largely to Larinda's prodding they finally shifted to registration cards and registrant numbers, etc.

As has been suggested earlier in this thread, my guess would be that its the member bodies that have the least qualified teachers that most object to the idea of amateurs teaching... but I do not yet know that for a fact. Since all NDCA member bodes are provided with minutes from the meetings, all we need do is track down an actual voting record so that we can stay clear of assumptions and base our discussions on facts.

[Me]

Larinda, what you initially wrote was incorrect, and your tone flippant. I would appreciate more respect for our situation (and toward me). You do have a right to make personal judgements and stand by them, but remember that others have the right to respond and correct you.

But in an attempt to TRY to steer this back to the topic... yes it would be very interesting to know what goes on with the voting process. I never took much interest until I thought it mattered to me.

[Chris Stratton]

What part of what Larinda said is incorrect? Unless you actually post something of substance, all this looks like is a difference of opinion - there's no public truth to the matter until one of you posts some.

On the topic... if you read some of the minutes the voting records (which are often in there) may not be as interesting as people expect, because a lot of issues are not voted on until the decision has already been made - often while they are in dispute or passage is uncertain they get withdrawn or tabled until the next meeting.

[fascination]

let us not ponder flippancy in the public forum on this thread ...let us take the personal concern to the private forum...thanks

[DanceMentor]

This is a very important issue affecting us all, and I hope we can help get more of the record in public view.

Probably what others were trying to say is that we don't want one specific item to damage the main focus of this thread which is Publishing the NDCA Voting Records and minutes of meetings too.

If there is a specific item regarding an issue with the NDCA it might be better to start a new thread.

[fascination]

but not on a specific issue that is geographically specific and identifiable and where part of the parties involved are not aware of the conversation taking place...thanks