Soon, the members of the CBA will asked to vote for the next Board of Directors.
For many, this is considered too trivial to command even a moment’s attention. Nothing could be further from the truth. An organization must have leadership to survive, and the CBA has been around for over 40 years, so the leadership must be doing things right, to some extent.
Not everyone is interested in the inner workings or the governing of the California Bluegrass Association. To many, it may seem like an invisible force that doesn’t require any attention from the members at all.
I have sat on various Boards of Directors, and the CBA is the only one for whom the Directors are chosen by a vote of the membership. This was a wise decision on the part of the founders, because it gave everyone the chance – but not the requirement – to participate in the choosing of the leadership.
The CBA’s bylaws do require that an election receive votes from at least 10% of the members to be valid, and there have been elections where we barely met that requirement.
Surely, more than 10% of you members want to have a voice in the CBA’s direction and leadership! Even if things always seem OK to you, you should proudly exercise your chance to have your voice heard and take a few minutes to read the candidates’ statements and cast your votes.
You can vote for only the people you know. You can vote for only the people you like. You can vote AGAINST the people you don’t like. But regardless of the tack you take in your decision-making, that decision will be heard, and aggregate sum of these votes will help determine who lead the CBA for the coming year.
NOT voting is not a statement – it’s only surrender or apathy. I know most of the members I talk to are not prone to surrender, nor are they apathetic. So, please, take a little time out of your busy schedule, and vote for the candidates of your choice, and help make the CBA the best it can be!
