Bailamosdance
Forum Master
Dear USA Dance Members;
It is with a heavy heart that I must submit my resignation today from the positions of National Secretary of USA Dance and President of the Greater NY Chapter of USA Dance. As many of you know, I will be the fourth elected official to resign from the Governing Council of USA Dance this month. Some of you may have also read Glenn Weiss’s response to the resignations of the three (Ann, Jim & Irina,) who preceded me in which he wrote that he understood their decisions “because volunteer work is time consuming, difficult and sometimes, does not seem rewarding.” Perhaps this narrow perception of what volunteering entails is the reason that Glenn has never before held a volunteer position in USA Dance, because I have always found that the benefits of volunteering far outweigh any of the challenges. However, none of these things is the reason than any of us resigned, nor is it the reason I am resigning now.
Unlike Glenn, I have been volunteering for USA Dance for twenty-four years, almost as long as I have been a member. During these twenty-four years, while holding down a full-time job, I was the Greater NY Chapter's President for three two-year terms, and after a break of ten years, returned to that position and am once again in my third two-year term. I have either run or helped to run the Manhattan Amateur Classic for almost twenty years. I was a DanceSport Delegate for Region 5, which became District 7 when the geographic classifications changed, and I was a member-at-large on the board of the Denver Chapter of USA Dance for five years. In that role, I helped found the Rocky Mountain Amateur Classic, the first all¬¬-amateur competition in Colorado, which is now an annual event. I was the National Secretary for two terms some years ago, and when they had a vacancy last August and needed a replacement, I stepped in and volunteered; I was then elected for the position last November.
I’ve been a volunteer this long because I’ve always been dedicated to making USA Dance the best organization possible for all of its members, to supporting my fellow athletes as well as the social dancers, and to creating events which make the dance experience fun and competitive at the lowest cost possible. I have done it while serving in whatever position was most needed, even if it was not the one with the best title or the most power, and have served with many different Presidents at the helm of USA Dance, some of whom I have enjoyed working with and others of whom I have been less fond. Along the way, I have made many wonderful friends, and I am very proud to have been a part of so many important projects that USA Dance has taken on over the years.
So I’m not resigning now because of a fear of hard work, or lack of reward. Nor am I resigning because of a difference in philosophy from Glenn about what the priorities of the organization should be. I am resigning because the Governing Council is no longer a governing council, which represents the will of the members; it is a rubber stamp for whatever policies the President chooses to pursue.
In 2008, the Governing Council had a very different composition. At that time, there were twenty voting GC members, of whom only three were directors appointed by the President; all the others were nationally elected by either the membership as a whole, or a subgroup of members whose interests that GC delegate represented. For example, there were six Regional VPs elected by members from that region. So, even had the President and his or her appointees voted jointly on a regular basis, they only controlled 20% of the GC votes.
In the current GC, there are nineteen voting positions, eight of whom are Directors chosen and appointed by the President, and one of whom is a newly created VP for a Professional Dance Council, though the composition of this council has not yet been decided. This VP will eventually be an elected position, but until the next election, it is an appointed one. This means that in a fully staffed GC, Glenn and his appointees comprise ten of nineteen voting members: 53% of the GC. As it so happens, there are two Director positions vacant at the moment – to which Glenn can appoint someone at any time he wishes, subject to GC approval which is a given – but even had no elected officials resigned, and Glenn chose to never fill those spots, they would still control just under 50% of the votes.
Since the election last October, the President and his appointees on the GC have voted unanimously on every occasion, save one. This is quite a coincidence given the diversity of interests that the appointed Directors supposedly represent. Those of us who are elected do not vote unanimously. Unlike the appointed Directors, we are committed to representing the members who voted us into office, and as there is great diversity in our membership, it’s natural that we don’t vote as a unified block; a DanceSport delegate may have a different opinion on an agenda item than a VP of Social Dance, for example. But since Glenn and his appointees vote as a bloc, they essentially have the power to push through any agenda item they wish when a simply majority vote is all that is needed.
There are some things which our bylaws require be determined by more than a mere majority of GC votes, but since the GC can also vote to change the bylaws of USA Dance without membership approval – something which was not the case in 2008 – this protection is rapidly being eroded as well. Glenn called for an urgent email vote this week to change the bylaws to require only a 66% vote to remove a sitting GC member rather than 75%, and the change was passed. Since bylaws changes take effect immediately and all GC actions are public record, this is not confidential information; it has simply not yet been posted on the website. Since there appears to be no reason for this urgent email vote other than to change the bylaws without a discussion, which would be documented in the minutes of the next GC meeting, I can only assume this was done with the intent of using this power as quickly as possible.
Even if my departure from the GC were not inevitable regardless of whether or not I resign, USA Dance is not just a volunteer organization – it is a non-profit corporation. The GC is simply another name for the Board of the corporation. By law, all Board members of corporations have three obligations by law: duty of care, duty of loyalty, and duty of obedience. In simple terms, we are obligated to make decisions in the best interest of the organization itself, to ensure that the organization uses its funds wisely; that its activities advance its mission, and that it acts in accordance with ethical practices. Not only can I no longer fulfill those legal duties because my vote has been nullified due to the ongoing and unethical use of a unified vote by the President and his appointees, I am ethically bound to resign rather than continue to materially support the Board’s actions by devoting time and energy as the Secretary.
My resignation does not mean I will now sit back and do nothing. Multiple members who are concerned about what is happening have approached me, and I plan to send out another letter shortly outlining the next steps, which I believe are crucial to reversing the current direction of USA Dance. If we stand together – athletes, professionals, and social dance members – we can once again make USA Dance a truly membership-run non-profit organization that is devoted to the ideals that originally guided USABDA and USA Dance.
Yours truly,
Daphna Locker,
Ex-National Secretary of USA Dance
Ex-President of NY Chapter
Ex-DanceSport Official
Ex-Registrar NCDC
Ex-DanceSport Delegate Region 5 (District 7)
It is with a heavy heart that I must submit my resignation today from the positions of National Secretary of USA Dance and President of the Greater NY Chapter of USA Dance. As many of you know, I will be the fourth elected official to resign from the Governing Council of USA Dance this month. Some of you may have also read Glenn Weiss’s response to the resignations of the three (Ann, Jim & Irina,) who preceded me in which he wrote that he understood their decisions “because volunteer work is time consuming, difficult and sometimes, does not seem rewarding.” Perhaps this narrow perception of what volunteering entails is the reason that Glenn has never before held a volunteer position in USA Dance, because I have always found that the benefits of volunteering far outweigh any of the challenges. However, none of these things is the reason than any of us resigned, nor is it the reason I am resigning now.
Unlike Glenn, I have been volunteering for USA Dance for twenty-four years, almost as long as I have been a member. During these twenty-four years, while holding down a full-time job, I was the Greater NY Chapter's President for three two-year terms, and after a break of ten years, returned to that position and am once again in my third two-year term. I have either run or helped to run the Manhattan Amateur Classic for almost twenty years. I was a DanceSport Delegate for Region 5, which became District 7 when the geographic classifications changed, and I was a member-at-large on the board of the Denver Chapter of USA Dance for five years. In that role, I helped found the Rocky Mountain Amateur Classic, the first all¬¬-amateur competition in Colorado, which is now an annual event. I was the National Secretary for two terms some years ago, and when they had a vacancy last August and needed a replacement, I stepped in and volunteered; I was then elected for the position last November.
I’ve been a volunteer this long because I’ve always been dedicated to making USA Dance the best organization possible for all of its members, to supporting my fellow athletes as well as the social dancers, and to creating events which make the dance experience fun and competitive at the lowest cost possible. I have done it while serving in whatever position was most needed, even if it was not the one with the best title or the most power, and have served with many different Presidents at the helm of USA Dance, some of whom I have enjoyed working with and others of whom I have been less fond. Along the way, I have made many wonderful friends, and I am very proud to have been a part of so many important projects that USA Dance has taken on over the years.
So I’m not resigning now because of a fear of hard work, or lack of reward. Nor am I resigning because of a difference in philosophy from Glenn about what the priorities of the organization should be. I am resigning because the Governing Council is no longer a governing council, which represents the will of the members; it is a rubber stamp for whatever policies the President chooses to pursue.
In 2008, the Governing Council had a very different composition. At that time, there were twenty voting GC members, of whom only three were directors appointed by the President; all the others were nationally elected by either the membership as a whole, or a subgroup of members whose interests that GC delegate represented. For example, there were six Regional VPs elected by members from that region. So, even had the President and his or her appointees voted jointly on a regular basis, they only controlled 20% of the GC votes.
In the current GC, there are nineteen voting positions, eight of whom are Directors chosen and appointed by the President, and one of whom is a newly created VP for a Professional Dance Council, though the composition of this council has not yet been decided. This VP will eventually be an elected position, but until the next election, it is an appointed one. This means that in a fully staffed GC, Glenn and his appointees comprise ten of nineteen voting members: 53% of the GC. As it so happens, there are two Director positions vacant at the moment – to which Glenn can appoint someone at any time he wishes, subject to GC approval which is a given – but even had no elected officials resigned, and Glenn chose to never fill those spots, they would still control just under 50% of the votes.
Since the election last October, the President and his appointees on the GC have voted unanimously on every occasion, save one. This is quite a coincidence given the diversity of interests that the appointed Directors supposedly represent. Those of us who are elected do not vote unanimously. Unlike the appointed Directors, we are committed to representing the members who voted us into office, and as there is great diversity in our membership, it’s natural that we don’t vote as a unified block; a DanceSport delegate may have a different opinion on an agenda item than a VP of Social Dance, for example. But since Glenn and his appointees vote as a bloc, they essentially have the power to push through any agenda item they wish when a simply majority vote is all that is needed.
There are some things which our bylaws require be determined by more than a mere majority of GC votes, but since the GC can also vote to change the bylaws of USA Dance without membership approval – something which was not the case in 2008 – this protection is rapidly being eroded as well. Glenn called for an urgent email vote this week to change the bylaws to require only a 66% vote to remove a sitting GC member rather than 75%, and the change was passed. Since bylaws changes take effect immediately and all GC actions are public record, this is not confidential information; it has simply not yet been posted on the website. Since there appears to be no reason for this urgent email vote other than to change the bylaws without a discussion, which would be documented in the minutes of the next GC meeting, I can only assume this was done with the intent of using this power as quickly as possible.
Even if my departure from the GC were not inevitable regardless of whether or not I resign, USA Dance is not just a volunteer organization – it is a non-profit corporation. The GC is simply another name for the Board of the corporation. By law, all Board members of corporations have three obligations by law: duty of care, duty of loyalty, and duty of obedience. In simple terms, we are obligated to make decisions in the best interest of the organization itself, to ensure that the organization uses its funds wisely; that its activities advance its mission, and that it acts in accordance with ethical practices. Not only can I no longer fulfill those legal duties because my vote has been nullified due to the ongoing and unethical use of a unified vote by the President and his appointees, I am ethically bound to resign rather than continue to materially support the Board’s actions by devoting time and energy as the Secretary.
My resignation does not mean I will now sit back and do nothing. Multiple members who are concerned about what is happening have approached me, and I plan to send out another letter shortly outlining the next steps, which I believe are crucial to reversing the current direction of USA Dance. If we stand together – athletes, professionals, and social dance members – we can once again make USA Dance a truly membership-run non-profit organization that is devoted to the ideals that originally guided USABDA and USA Dance.
Yours truly,
Daphna Locker,
Ex-National Secretary of USA Dance
Ex-President of NY Chapter
Ex-DanceSport Official
Ex-Registrar NCDC
Ex-DanceSport Delegate Region 5 (District 7)
