I don’t know whose idea it was to start the “President’s meetings,” but I think it was a good one. The idea, as I understood it, was for UCO president Dave Israel to meet every so often with a handful of association presidents, giving them an opportunity in an informal setting to ask questions and voice their opinions. I had the picture of this being almost like a “fireside chat” time with the boss, especially geared for the less active association representatives who knew little of the ropes.
A couple of weeks ago, Avis Blank called me and said time had been set aside for me and several others to meet with Dave on Friday, October 28. (Who can refuse Avis? She is a charmer.) We met, and it was a good time, informative, with a number of questions asked and answered.
It wasn’t quite what I expected, though. I expected a time with the several of us alone with Dave. Instead, there were other UCO personnel in attendance, including all the vice presidents, and they did a lot of the talking. It may have been helpful to have “answers from the whole staff” available to the small group of us, but I felt something more important was lost: the sense of an intimate session with the UCO president. If I had been a new association president struggling with my duties, I would have found the session intimidating. It was the difference between having a friendly chat with the C.E.O. and appearing before the whole board of directors.
I appreciate the vice presidents and others taking time out to attend, but I think the better format would be “just with the UCO president” for these sessions.
I agree, Lanny: A few association presidents and just the UCO President would definitely be a more enlightening and useful meeting.
ReplyDeleteThat's one meeting I would attend: a "fireside chat" with our wise president, without his "elves."
ReplyDeleteAfter all, isn't this meeting called the "President's Meeting"?
I agree with you Lanny. I went to the first one and Phyllis Richland marched in. I was invited to a president's meeting, not a vice-presidents meeting. By the time your meeting took place all VPs jumped on the band wagon. I think if the VPs want to meet with Association Presidents they should hold their own meeting and not jump into the Presidents meeting. It totally waters down meeting the President.
ReplyDeleteI agree Lanny. We want to meet the real unencumbered Dave, no platform, gavel, or VPs. That would be worth the trip to a fireside chat.
ReplyDeleteThe VPs can take the time to ride their quadrants, find and help the associations with dead trees, rusty dumpsters, shaky Boards, etc. You need to look to find – they will not come in to UCO.
Maybe the President should tell the VP's(elves) that this meeting is just for the President. He has the power to do so. I am sure some VPs' thought they were being helpful. Believe me, I am sure they have other things to keep them busy.
ReplyDeleteI agree wih all of you, this was a meeting with the president, at least this is how it was presented.. What were they trying to accomplish????
ReplyDeletebefore any of you start to vilify the vp's why don't you ask why the president invited all of his officers into those meetings? the president is the one that asked us , the officers, to attend.
ReplyDeletebefore you do what the reporter did and make assumtions without facts ask those that are involved what actually went fore.
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ReplyDeleteTHANK YOU PHYLLIS, for speaking up and letting people know what is happening. The truth is refreshing.
ReplyDeleteAt least the Reporter staff knew how to write, Phyllis.
ReplyDeleteWhy are you so on the defensive, Phyllis? Many of us understood the "President's Meeting" meant just that, a meeting with the "wise" leader of our village. Everyone at U.C.O. needs to relax in knowing that the majority of C.V. residents appreciate all the work you do and support you.
ReplyDeleteThank you for giving a bit of the history of the meetings. Why should I attribute any but the best of motives for all those who joined in? All the UCO volunteers are hardworking, their time is valuable, and no doubt Phyllis meant only WELL when she popped in, and others then followed suit. And if Dave encouraged this, that settles the matter. My point was ONLY an opinion, that from the point of view of a new association president, a "chat" with only the president might not seem so overpowering. If Dave didn't know the answers to some of the questions (what C.E.O. would?), I think no one attending would hold that against him, especially if he said, "I'll check into this for you," and then perhaps he has Phyllis or Dom or someone else call the person with the answer.
ReplyDeleteto mllwpbfl, i am not being defensive,mllwpbfl, i am just trying to get the record straight. if the president is such a wise man as you say why is he not on the blog answering all the postings and telling it like it is?after all the blog is his baby, he developed it as an answer to the devisive q&a that was.it seems to me that the wise president is letting his vp's take the heat. i guess this is what you would call being in campaign mode.
ReplyDeleteOh dear Lanny, you have broken the 11th commandment :
ReplyDeleteThou shalt not question the ways of UCO Officers.
Barbara & Phyllis, I think that any person can understand a Presidents Meeting. It was not called a UCO Meeting to meet the Association Presidents it was a President's Meeting to meet the Association Presidents. That is the way it was explained to me when I was invited. Dave answered all the quesitons that were asked of him without a VP's help.
ReplyDeleteIf they had better things to do Barbara than they should have been doing them rather than barging into a meeting with the President.
It seems that some of the VPs have their own agendas and axes to grind. We have had enough of that and egos that need to be left at home.
Hi Grace, Maybe the only one who can really answer this question that you might believe is our President himself. Why don't you call him.
ReplyDeletei am not here to argue just get to the truth.
Hi all,
ReplyDeleteAs I recall this issue, Phyllis inquired about attending, I saw no reason to exclude Phyllis nor any other VP who wished to attend.
I did not insist that any VP attend, nor did I exclude any Officer of UCO from attending.
The aggregate experience of our UCO Officers is very significant, and I most certainly do not know everything.
Officer attendance has been variable depending on their work load, and their attendance has been helpful.
Today I believe that two Officers were present and were welcome.
No group thus far has complained during the meeting about the presence of the UCO Officers, I regret that this has caused such controversy.
These meetings have proved most successful, and I would hope to continue them in future.
Dave Israel
Dave I think you are missing the point of these comments, that the preference is 'no VPs'. Apparently 2 VPs today are also missing the point. I am sure your invitees do not want to ask VPs to leave, however, wait until it is my turn.
ReplyDeleteDAVE, IF YOU RECALL THE WAY IT WENT DOWN, I ASKED YOU IF YOU WANTED THE QUADRANT VP TO ATTEND THE MEETINGS OF THOSE PRESIDENTS FROM THAT PARTICULAR QUADRANT. YOU SAID TO ME THAT ANY AND ALL OFFICERS WOULD BE WELCOME.I THOUGHT THAT IF A QUADRANT VP WAS THERE AN ISSUE COULD BE DEALT WITH EITHER AT THE PRES. MEETING OR THE VP COULD ATTEND AN ASSOCIATION MEETING .FACTS,DAVE, FACTS.
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ReplyDeleteThanks David for answering the question as to the VPs' being at the meetings. I am sure Elaine if you request the VPs' not be there they will accommodate you. I am sure the VPs' will also not attend if asked by David.
ReplyDeleteLets just all try to get along to be productive.