The TCANites Outreach Committee’s four
members have met with four members of the board five times
– April 21, 26 and May 5, 12 and 19. We expect to have
ongoing meetings. At this time, we believe it is appropriate
to provide the membership an update on our work. This update
is provided within constraints of the agreed-upon confidentiality
of these meetings. The support of TCANites has been crucial
to our effort, and we thank you.
Many issues and perspectives have been aired,
vented, debated and discussed at these meetings. We have had
“full and frank” discussions on many of the problems
which led up to the rupture of TCAN, and which continue. The
meetings have enabled us to understand that we have very different
perspectives on the same sets of actions, issues, facts and
circumstances. We do not believe that real resolution is attainable
without greater commitment to substantial change by the TCAN
Board.
The TCANites Outreach Committee has presented
three major proposals for consideration by the Board: 1) formal
facilitated mediation with all issues “on the table,”,
2) substantial bylaw and governance changes, and most recently
3) open and free election of all Board members by the membership
in the near term.
We are focusing on what we believe are needed
changes in the governance of TCAN to bring about greater inclusion
of membership, and representation of the views of members
and volunteers. These changes are necessary for the long-term
growth and health of TCAN. These proposals were developed
by the TCANites Governance Committee, which has worked diligently
on examining these issues. There is, of course, great resistance
to change by the TCAN organization.
Again, the support of TCANites has been crucial
to this effort, and we thank you. We believe that TCANites
attending the upcoming “REMIX” meeting should
understand, and carry the message that “healing”
TCAN alone will not bring about the needed changes in its
basic foundation of governance. We believe TCAN cannot permanently
heal until the Board commits to change, and becomes formally
answerable to and responsive to the community.
Throughout the course of conversations with
many parties, apart from these meetings, we have been accused
of destroying TCAN. How can we discourage volunteers, support
and donations from the very thing that we love? The answer
is that these actions are necessary to bring about change
to an organization that is resistant, and to a board that
seems to hear only strong messages. We want the Board to bring
speedy closure to these issues, and to avoid any decline in
TCAN. Please continue to support TCANites’ efforts to
achieve this.
The Outreach Committee
Lee
Mendenhall
Melanie Phillips
Lindalee Lawrence