The president, who is retired and has no stake in the game of stenographic reporting, wrote on page 7 of his “From the President” diatribe in October’s JCR magazine about how “we’re learning that it’s the human component that is the most important part of the business of the public record.” Yeah, he knows how important it is to be the human behind pressing a record button before those spoken words (and voiceprints) are processed through an AI tool which then becomes the property of that AI company.
Yes, we believe that his and the CEO’s goal is to get all of us to sing Kumbaya with our “friends across the aisle” who use their voices to “write realtime” and are members of affiliate organizations. In case you missed church the last few weeks, the president also gave a sermon about the golden rule, storms, and showing a little kindness.
He says that “we all share the same mission: Making sure the record is captured accurately.” He goes on to say that kindness is what is needed to “… keep raising the bar and make sure everyone – no matter how they make a record – feels welcomed and valued.”
All of us here at WUNCRA want the president (who, again, is retired and no longer has a stake in our game) and the CEO to know that they exist at NCRA to represent Stenographic Reporters — and Stenographic Reporters only. They need to read the by-laws – NCRA’s Constitution.
FYI, there was EXCITING news on page 12 of September’s JCR magazine about a new court reporting program that is starting in the fall 2024 at Wallace Community College in Dothan, Alabama!
We got suspicious (apparently the president, CEO, Board of Directors, and the Editor of the magazine did not) when we saw that the program is a one- and two-year program. After a cursory web search, the first sentence of the course description says, “This course is designed to give participants a thorough understanding of how to be a digital court reporter, as well as broad training for covering legal proceedings.”
So now we have Exhibit No. 999 showing how your president, your Board of Directors, CEO, and Editor of the JCR Magazine are undermining the profession – OUR PROFESSION — of Stenographic Court Reporting.
Mr. President and Mr. CEO, it is time to turn the page, and for you to step down. We don’t know why* you are both actively and passively taking actions that, in our opinion, will destroy the profession of stenographic court reporting, but we believe that it’s plain to see that that’s where your actions (and failures to act) are taking us.
WAKE UP, NCRA!
FRANK N. SENSE
* Common sense tells us that the CEO is just trying to hold on to his very lucrative job, and the president probably just needs to be “one of the bros.”
P.S. The definition of propaganda is: information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote a point of view.
While your Executive Director complains about keyboard warriors and anonymous voices contributing to the destruction of society, and your President is offering platitudes about overcoming obstacles being the key to our success, members of the STRONG Committee are invited to, showing up for, and continue to fight for stenographic reporters in forums that matter.
Apparently, a member of STRONG was invited to speak to what they believed to be a state bar association meeting, but in reality was a cybertech symposium with big AI tech lawyers.
Instead of summarizing, the rundown of the meeting has been posted on social media that we will quote here, beginning after the big tech symposium introductions:
“… it was clearly evident I was about to be fed to the wolves!!! I squared my shoulders and went to battle. Right off the bat, hands started shooting up and, even though I had said we would do Q&A at the end, I thought, ‘I’m not going to let them think I’m scared of them!!’ And I called on them.
“It became quickly evident that there was no need to be scared they were going to burn me at the stake, but a GREAT DEAL of fear for the future of the legal profession [sic].
“Here are just a few of the nuggets I was asked: After discussing the new rules that were being implemented across the country requiring attorneys to be personally responsible/liable for the risks of vendors utilizing AI, to include the very detailed specifics of traceability and authentication, I cited the research that 90% of AI companies would not stay in business due to myriad factors such as insufficient funds and lack of product marketability and sustainability.
“’Q: So we should only use the 10% that stay in business????’
“Yeah, that would work. Are you best friends with Nostradamus? And can I get stock tips from you?’
“After discussing the very proud claims of AI being 80% accurate: ’Q: Some companies clearly will be better at this than others, so what if we only use the 80% accuracy companies?’
“’You understand that that is on their best days, right?’
“’Not every time? That’s the best it ever gets?’
“But let’s just entertain this hypothetical and say it’s always 80%. That’s good enough for you? You’re ok that 20% of your client’s testimony is made up? Wrong? Or just not there? Which 20 words out of 100/40-plus words per page are you okay with just not being there or created out of whole cloth or by robot? Do you have any idea how many words 20% constitutes in a 300-page transcript? And you’re good with that?’
“I was asked how a court reporter would prove their accuracy. BEST ANSWER OF THE DAY!! I said, ‘First, I would sign an affidavit that AI was not used in any way to create this transcript, and then I would get on the stand with my stenographic notes and we would put them on the big screen and I would walk you through every steno outline (you would see hieroglyphics) that would represent every syllable of every word that was spoken, by the correct speaker, in real time as it was said. And those steno notes are as personal as my fingerprints. Each reporter refines their writing to become unique to them. Better than a watermark?’ SHAZAM!!
“I will only give you one more as this is already too long. ‘Q: What if the government comes up with a stamp to certify AI companies?’
“’Yeah, let’s talk about that fantasy world. Yup, if the government can come along and vet all the new companies and their products and find the ones that don’t hallucinate, have catastrophic dumps, data shift, with no biases and inaccuracies due to gender, race, dialect, and the other defects in their product, and put their approval on that software, then I guess it will be up to you if you decide to put your license, your case, and your client on the line for that sticker.’
“All in all, this experience has left me stunned at the lack of comprehension for the catastrophic impacts that are on the line with the implementations that are being proposed by BIG TECH!!!! I have a profound fear for the future of the legal profession.”
Did the Executive Director, the President, or the Board of Directors even KNOW about this symposium? We all doubt it because they disbanded the STRONG Committee and there are no longer safeguards to stay in front of the MOST PROFOUND issue facing our profession in the last 100 years.
The game has changed regarding stenographic reporting, and we have an ED, a President (retired from reporting), and a Board of Directors that don’t even realize that the game has changed!
The STRONG Committee is what machine stenography needs RIGHT NOW! Membership DEMANDS that the STRONG Committee be reconstituted, and we beg those STRONG Committee members to rejoin.
And membership MUST assure that leadership fully funds and supports the STRONG Committee!
WAKE UP, NCRA!
FRANK N. SENSE
P.S. Thank you to all of those that sent this VERY IMPORTANT information. Please keep it coming.
A “Tech Tip” to “watch out for AI-enhanced video evidence in legal proceedings”? THAT is the answer?
One thing that all of us at WUNCRA agree with about the foolish “tip” is that artificial intelligence remains a contentious issue. We are lucky that it is still a contentious issue, and that there is still time to save the profession of stenography. THAT is why the STRONG Committee MUST be reconstituted. Members should be begging the STRONG Committee to please come back. Members should be DEMANDING that the Board of Directors override the DUMBEST MOVE of NCRA in the past 100 years!
Let us tell you, Tech Tip People, the STRONG Committee has made membership acutely aware that we should be watching out for artificial intelligence for years now. Where the hell have you been?
Members do not trust the current president and executive director to protect our profession. A LOT of damage will be done in one year without the STRONG Committee’s advocacy. The current president is retired and no longer has skin in the game for machine stenography. And, as we said before, it is time for an executive director that believes in and will fight for the profession of machine shorthand reporting, and not just for the business of NCRA.
We’ve heard that the ED has that Board of Directors so wrapped around his fingers that they FEAR speaking out against him. Have you noticed that individual board members never talk about their personal feelings about an issue? We understand that’s because there are “all for one, and one for all” rules imposed by the executive director: The Board MUST speak as one voice. And if a board member speaks out of line, there are actually impeachment rules to evict them from the board.
Here’s a solution, Board of Directors: A majority of board members need to demand that the STRONG Committee be reconstituted. What do you think will happen? Will they impeach all of you? It is time to show membership that YOU believe in the profession, and take some action!
STOP LETTING THE TAIL WAG THIS DOG!
WAKE UP, NCRA!
FRANK N. SENSE
All of us here at WUNCRA believe that the NCRA Board of Directors has received a MANDATE from its MEMBERSHIP for major changes by resoundingly voting down the $50 dues increase.
Some of the reasons behind the negative vote that we’ve heard about are:
NUMBER 1: The dissolution of the STRONG Committee that has fought so hard against the biggest threat facing STENOGRAPHERS in the last century.
NUMBER 2: The installation as president of NCRA of a RETIRED reporter that no longer has skin in the game and has REALLY BAD ideas for the future of the organization. Why would he even want to remain in the position when the majority does not want him there?
NUMBER 3: Many members are offended by the apparent flippant, “gotcha” attitude of the Executive Director at the business meeting over the issues of the dissolution of the STRONG Committee, the desire for more financial transparency of the organization, and the voluntary resignation of the current president.
NUMBER 4: The same old, same old people at the business meeting that still have TOO MUCH say in the organization. One past president is chair of the Constitution & Bylaws Committee and it is time to for them to leave. Their little tweaks to the C&B are chipping away at the membership’s ability to bring important issues forward. The latest “innocuous” C&B tweak requires anyone asking for an amendment to the C&B to have 15 members’ signatures instead of three. Why is that so important that the C&B had to be changed? That past president also actually “called the question” on the Petition before those issues were fully vetted by members at the business meeting, causing a long diversion because the folks running the meeting couldn’t get their acts together to figure out how to count the vote. One member wrote that if they heard “yee-haw” at the business meeting one more time they would “blow a fuse.” And yet another past president patronized a maker of a motion from the floor by saying that it was a good motion, but that it should go through the proper channels of the C&B Committee. SHUT UP, PAST PRESIDENTS! It is time to stop intimidating and to let the next generation’s voices to be heard!
We just received a note from a member that said that they don’t understand why the STRONG Committee can’t continue to do their VERY IMPORTANT work while the Government Relations Committee (GRT) begins their charges. “GRT” doesn’t seem so “great” to this member.
The BIG DEMAND continues to be for the RESIGNATIONS of the newly installed President AND the Executive Director.
Board of Directors, your fiduciary duties MUST BE to the members that YOU represent!
WAKE UP, NCRA!
FRANK N. SENSE
P.S. Please send this to all of the NCRA members that you know so that they know that the unnecessary divisiveness still continues at NCRA.
P.P.S. We’ve been asked if a Go Fund Me has been set up for the diversion of the $50 dues increase to the STRONG Committee so that they continue on with their work.
P.P.P.S. Another question was asked about whether NCRA received a big donation from a 1-800 company that uses digital/AI tech to buy themselves back into the organization. We believe that NCRA should require the 1-800s to sign a statement that they do not use digital/AI tech if they want to be involved in NCRA, and that statement should be published to membership.
Apparently, there was a problem when sending out last week’s blogs, and some recipients received MANY emails containing error messages that were mistaken for spam. We apologize, sincerely. We’re thinking that possibly one or more of our providers was a victim of last week’s update glitch that impacted so many companies.
So, we are re-posting both of last week’s important blogs below.
THANK YOU FOR UNDERSTANDING!
FRANK N. SENSE
OH, MY!
A PRESIDENT-ELECT THAT IS APPARENTLY A NONWORKING REPORTER WHO DISBANDED, ON HIS OWN MOTION, NCRA’S MOST IMPORTANT COMMITTEE IN AT LEAST THE LAST 50 YEARS; AN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR WHOSE ONLY CONCERN SEEMS TO BE KEEPING HIS JOB AT ALL COSTS; A BOARD OF DIRECTORS THAT DOESN’T LISTEN TO ITS MEMBERSHIP; A MEMBERSHIP VOTE FOR A DUES INCREASE; AND A PETITION TO REMOVE THE PRESIDENT-ELECT.
When members go to the NCRA website to see who their Board of Directors are, these are the words that are seen before the board intros: “NCRA Board members are elected by and serve the NCRA membership. Board members serve as fiduciaries to steer the organization toward a sustainable future by adopting sound, ethical, and legal governance and financial management policies, discuss issues, and set NCRA strategy and policy.”
In that little blurb, there is nothing said about the fiduciary responsibilities in serving membership. The fiduciary responsibilities are all about steering the business of NCRA. In our opinion, that is the focus of the Executive Director: Legal governance and financial management policies, which allow him to keep his job. We believe that it’s time to move on from him, and to find someone to lead the organization that always has membership at the top of mind. If the focus is on membership and what membership wants, everything else will fall into place.
As far as all of us here at WUNCRA can tell, the biggest issue right now is the disbanding of the very important STRONG Committee. If the petition floating around is correct, the president-elect disbanded the STRONG Committee without first receiving a majority vote by the Board of Directors, violating Article VI, Section 6 of NCRA’s Constitution and Bylaws.
Yes, you’ve read that correctly, NCRA members, the president-elect, who we’ve been told is retired, and appears to no longer have any skin in the profession, “broke the bylaws” and disbanded the most important NCRA committee of at least the last 50 years. NCRA Board of Directors, unless the above blurb is simple feel-good word salad, prove to your membership (whom you are elected by and are supposed to serve) that you are listening to them, and impeach the current president-elect, unless he chooses to step down.
All of us here at WUNCRA are thinking that it’s kind of nervy to ask for a $50 dues increase when important issues are not being heard by membership. Hmmm, perhaps we should think about diverting that $50 increase directly to the STRONG Committee so that they have the funds to continue their important work.
WAKE UP, NCRA!
Frank N. Sense
P.S. Send this to all NCRA members that you know, so they can know about the latest out-of-touch craziness by the Exec Director, President-Elect, and Board of Directors.
P.P.S. We will post a separate blog with the current petition floating around (below).
P.P.P.S. Thank you to everybody that updated all of us here at WUNCRA about the latest shenanigans.
PETITION
Thank you to the folks that sent the petition below that’s been floating around. Please keep the information flowing.
WAKE UP, NCRA!
FRANK N. SENSE
We, the undersigned, hereby submit the following to NCRA Executive Director XXXXX:
Whereas President-Elect XXXXX gave notification of the disbanding of the NCRA
Strong committee without first receiving a majority vote by the Board of Directors (BOD), which is required under Article VI, Section 6, of the NCRA Constitution and Bylaws;
Whereas the Strong committee was never asked by the president or president-elect if the Strong committee believed it had completed its charges to:
- Meet regularly to help organize many grassroots actions and provide a toolbox for members to utilize in educating the public and legal community regarding the importance of utilizing stenographic reporters nationwide;
- Raise awareness in our external audiences about the dangers and pitfalls of electronic recording usage through articles in state and national newsletters;
- Work with state affiliates to create materials to be utilized by members of both the state and national associations and distribute to key decision-makers and end users to educate them in a very fact-based way;
- In concert with NCRA’s Government Relations staff, conduct legislative review and analysis of electronic recording-related legislation in the states and coordinate advocacy response efforts and small rapid response forces in geographic regions. These rapid response forces would be able to have constant contact with state leaders in their region and serve as an early warning system when these electronic recording issues arise;5. Work with NCRA’s Government Relations staff on analyzing electronic recording legislation and its impact, and to identify courts and levels of freelance jobs that could be specific targets for the introduction of electronic recording;
Whereas the need for an up-to-date toolbox for members to utilize in educating public and legal community regarding the importance of utilizing stenographic reporters nationwide continues to exist, along with the critical need to continue to raise awareness in our external audiences about the dangers and pitfalls of electronic recording usage, most especially in association with the existential risk AI poses to the court reporting, captioning and the justice system;
Whereas the Strong committee has continuously advocated for court reporting and captioning professionals for years by sounding the alarm on serious issues and addressing them rapidly, most specifically relating to AI and its unregulated use in legal proceedings, culminating in the recently published white paper, which could be invalidated by virtue of the committee being disbanded and there being no further updates to keep it current;
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! We demand change. We demand action. We demand that the NCRA Board of Directors and its Executive Director take the concerns of your members seriously and make significant changes to NCRA’s policies and procedures to address members’ concerns when they arise. We demand transparency. We demand regular accountability of funds being expended by virtue of quarterly financial returns being distributed to members.
We have lost confidence in the incoming leadership team at NCRA. Pursuant to NCRA’s Constitution and Bylaws, Article IX, Section 5 – Business at the Annual Convention, a) If any Member or Members shall feel aggrieved by any action or decision of the Board of Directors, such action or decision of the Board of Directors may be appealed to the Voting Members at the annual business meeting by filing with the Executive Director at least thirty (30) days prior to such meeting a written statement of such complaint signed by at least ten (10) Members. The complaint shall set forth the action or decision of the Board of Directors complained of and a brief statement of the reasons for the complaint, together with a motion of the action or decision requested by such Member(s). Such complaint, statement, and motion shall be read by the Executive Director at the annual business meeting. If such motion is passed by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Voting Members present and voting at a meeting at which a quorum is present, it shall be binding upon the Board of Directors to act accordingly.
The proposed motion is hereby made to seek the voluntary resignation of incoming president XXXXX for choosing to disband NCRA Strong at a time when additional advocacy is needed, not less. XXXXX has failed to provide transparency and disclose information requested by state leaders and the membership regarding his decision. His actions have caused irreparable harm to NCRA and have laid to waste the extensive work of dedicated volunteers, as well as the substantial financial resources expended by the association for the development and adoption of the white paper. It is our opinion that his actions are a breach of his fiduciary responsibility in serving on the BOD. If he does not voluntarily resign, a vote for his removal by the board of directors should be held.
_____________________________________
Member First and Last Name NCRA ID No.
_____________________________________
Phone Number Personal Email Address
________________________________________________
Signature (electronic or scanned)
Thank you to the folks that sent the petition below that’s been floating around. Please keep the information flowing.
WAKE UP, NCRA!
FRANK N. SENSE
We, the undersigned, hereby submit the following to NCRA Executive Director XXXXX:
Whereas President-Elect XXXXX gave notification of the disbanding of the NCRA
Strong committee without first receiving a majority vote by the Board of Directors (BOD), which is required under Article VI, Section 6, of the NCRA Constitution and Bylaws;
Whereas the Strong committee was never asked by the president or president-elect if the Strong committee believed it had completed its charges to:
- Meet regularly to help organize many grassroots actions and provide a toolbox for members to utilize in educating the public and legal community regarding the importance of utilizing stenographic reporters nationwide;
- Raise awareness in our external audiences about the dangers and pitfalls of electronic recording usage through articles in state and national newsletters;
- Work with state affiliates to create materials to be utilized by members of both the state and national associations and distribute to key decision-makers and end users to educate them in a very fact-based way;
- In concert with NCRA’s Government Relations staff, conduct legislative review and analysis of electronic recording-related legislation in the states and coordinate advocacy response efforts and small rapid response forces in geographic regions. These rapid response forces would be able to have constant contact with state leaders in their region and serve as an early warning system when these electronic recording issues arise;
- Work with NCRA’s Government Relations staff on analyzing electronic recording legislation and its impact, and to identify courts and levels of freelance jobs that could be specific targets for the introduction of electronic recording;
Whereas the need for an up-to-date toolbox for members to utilize in educating public and legal community regarding the importance of utilizing stenographic reporters nationwide continues to exist, along with the critical need to continue to raise awareness in our external audiences about the dangers and pitfalls of electronic recording usage, most especially in association with the existential risk AI poses to the court reporting, captioning and the justice system;
Whereas the Strong committee has continuously advocated for court reporting and captioning professionals for years by sounding the alarm on serious issues and addressing them rapidly, most specifically relating to AI and its unregulated use in legal proceedings, culminating in the recently published white paper, which could be invalidated by virtue of the committee being disbanded and there being no further updates to keep it current;
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! We demand change. We demand action. We demand that the NCRA Board of Directors and its Executive Director take the concerns of your members seriously and make significant changes to NCRA’s policies and procedures to address members’ concerns when they arise. We demand transparency. We demand regular accountability of funds being expended by virtue of quarterly financial returns being distributed to members.
We have lost confidence in the incoming leadership team at NCRA. Pursuant to NCRA’s Constitution and Bylaws, Article IX, Section 5 – Business at the Annual Convention, a) If any Member or Members shall feel aggrieved by any action or decision of the Board of Directors, such action or decision of the Board of Directors may be appealed to the Voting Members at the annual business meeting by filing with the Executive Director at least thirty (30) days prior to such meeting a written statement of such complaint signed by at least ten (10) Members. The complaint shall set forth the action or decision of the Board of Directors complained of and a brief statement of the reasons for the complaint, together with a motion of the action or decision requested by such Member(s). Such complaint, statement, and motion shall be read by the Executive Director at the annual business meeting. If such motion is passed by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Voting Members present and voting at a meeting at which a quorum is present, it shall be binding upon the Board of Directors to act accordingly.
The proposed motion is hereby made to seek the voluntary resignation of incoming president XXXXX for choosing to disband NCRA Strong at a time when additional advocacy is needed, not less. XXXXX has failed to provide transparency and disclose information requested by state leaders and the membership regarding his decision. His actions have caused irreparable harm to NCRA and have laid to waste the extensive work of dedicated volunteers, as well as the substantial financial resources expended by the association for the development and adoption of the white paper. It is our opinion that his actions are a breach of his fiduciary responsibility in serving on the BOD. If he does not voluntarily resign, a vote for his removal by the board of directors should be held.
________________________________ ______________________________
Member First and Last Name NCRA ID No.
________________________________ ______________________________
Phone Number Personal Email Address
_________________________________________________
Signature (electronic or scanned)
A PRESIDENT-ELECT THAT IS APPARENTLY A NONWORKING REPORTER WHO DISBANDED, ON HIS OWN MOTION, NCRA’S MOST IMPORTANT COMMITTEE IN AT LEAST THE LAST 50 YEARS; AN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR WHOSE ONLY CONCERN SEEMS TO BE KEEPING HIS JOB AT ALL COSTS; A BOARD OF DIRECTORS THAT DOESN’T LISTEN TO ITS MEMBERSHIP; A MEMBERSHIP VOTE FOR A DUES INCREASE; AND A PETITION TO REMOVE THE PRESIDENT-ELECT.
When members go to the NCRA website to see who their Board of Directors are, these are the words that are seen before the board intros:
“NCRA Board members are elected by and serve the NCRA membership. Board members serve as fiduciaries to steer the organization toward a sustainable future by adopting sound, ethical, and legal governance and financial management policies, discuss issues, and set NCRA strategy and policy.”
In that little blurb, there is nothing said about the fiduciary responsibilities in serving membership. The fiduciary responsibilities are all about steering the business of NCRA. In our opinion, that is the focus of the Executive Director: Legal governance and financial management policies, which allow him to keep his job. We believe that it’s time to move on from him, and to find someone to lead the organization that always has membership at the top of mind. If the focus is on membership and what membership wants, everything else will fall into place.
As far as all of us here at WUNCRA can tell, the biggest issue right now is the disbanding of the very important STRONG Committee. If the petition floating around is correct, the president-elect disbanded the STRONG Committee without first receiving a majority vote by the Board of Directors, violating Article VI, Section 6 of NCRA’s Constitution and Bylaws.
Yes, you’ve read that correctly, NCRA members, the president-elect, who we’ve been told is retired, and appears to no longer have any skin in the profession, “broke the bylaws” and disbanded the most important NCRA committee of at least the last 50 years. NCRA Board of Directors, unless the above blurb is simple feel-good word salad, prove to your membership (whom you are elected by and are supposed to serve) that you are listening to them, and impeach the current president-elect, unless he chooses to step down.
All of us here at WUNCRA are thinking that it’s kind of nervy to ask for a $50 dues increase when important issues are not being heard by membership. Hmmm, perhaps we should think about diverting that $50 increase directly to the STRONG Committee so that they have the funds to continue their important work.
WAKE UP, NCRA!
Frank N. Sense
P.S. Send this to all NCRA members that you know, so they can know about the latest out-of-touch craziness by the Exec Director, President-Elect, and Board of Directors.
P.P.S. We will post a separate blog with the current petition floating around.
P.P.P.S. Thank you to everybody that updated all of us here at WUNCRA about the latest shenanigans.
Why did the Board of Directors need to go into an EXECUTIVE SESSION for 32 minutes and come out of that executive session with a MOTION to poll the membership about potentially allowing voice writers as Professional Members of TCRA? Why the big secret of an Exec Session?
FYI, the motion PASSED with ELEVEN board members approving and ONE lone abstention. Is there some bullying going on? Do some board members need to be voted off of the board because they’re pushing a crazy agenda? These are the sorts of questions that are raised when there are secret executive sessions and shenanigans happening on a board.
If you are a TCRA member, be sure to VOTE NO! in the poll!
The Texas Court Reporters Association is an organization that represents and advocates for STENOGRAPHERS. Don’t water down that representation and advocacy by adding voice writers to the mix!
Texas Court Reporters Association Board of Directors Regular Meeting
June 10, 2023 – Zoom Conference Call
8:30 a.m.
MINUTES
[Excerpted]
Motion to go into Executive Session by T.B. at 8:47am; seconded and passed with 12 in favor and 0 opposed.
Motion to go out of Executive Session by S.T. at 9:19am; seconded and passed with 12 in favor and 0 opposed.
Motion by D.T. to poll the membership about potentially allowing voice writers as Professional Members to TCRA; seconded and passed with 11 in favor and 1 abstention and 0 opposed.
Motion to adjourn by P.F. at 9:21am; motion seconded and passed with 12 in favor and 0 opposed.
WAKE UP, TCRA!
FRANK N. SENSE
P.S. Please forward this to every TCRA member that you know so they can know about the SHENANIGANS going on at their Board of Directors’ meetings, and they VOTE NO!, too.
That’s right!
Everybody on the NCRA Board should RESIGN!
The Strong Committee is the only committee of NCRA that really cares about protecting our stenographic jobs!
Go to the NCRA website and look at all of the research and facts the Strong Committee has uploaded.
Everything that the Strong Committee has done should be implemented as the Strategic Plan for NCRA for the next five years.
Recently, the Strong Committee even blew the doors off the stale Ducker Report that has been used as the backbone for many of our past “leaders” launching their lucrative new careers in competing industries under the guise of the impending shortage of steno reporters. Why hasn’t the NCRA Board even said a word about it?
RESIGN NCRA Board members!
It is our belief that NCRA’s business is simply to protect the continuation of the business of NCRA, and NOT the livelihoods of stenographic reporters.
The only way that members even have access to the board is through the buffer of NCSA. Why is NCSA even necessary? The board members are so elite and out of touch that they need a buffer from their members!
RESIGN NCRA Board members!
The current president has always been very vocal on social media in the past. He became president, and we hear radio silence. But you get to listen to his “town hall” addresses if you sign up for them. Why does the board keep their membership at arm’s length?
Please, NCRA Board, for the good of the profession, RESIGN! And let the steno reporters who care about the profession lead us into the future!
Let’s all get STRONG again!
WAKE UP, NCRA!
FRANK N. SENSE
P.S. Hmm, now we’re kind of curious about who was in leadership around the time of the Ducker Report. Whose idea was it? Why was it even necessary? How much was spent on it? Why did membership even need to pay for a report that contained one short sentence that had such a negative impact on stenographic reporters and became “manna from heaven” for so few?
P.P.S. And while we’re digging into history, what happened to all of the money from the sale of NCRA’s fully-paid-for building?
All of us here at WUNCRA are happy to let you know that the videographers were NOT SUCCESSFUL in their bid to change the bylaws of NCRA!
That’s the good news!!!
The bad news is that overheard at the convention was that the videographers are planning on submitting ANOTHER bylaw amendment next year!!! But hopefully the Board of Directors have gotten the message from the membership that they represent that enough is enough, and adding turmoil again next year will just be way over the top after two years of the same old thing.
Thank you to all of the members who were informed and voted!!!
WAKE UP, NCRA!
FRANK N. SENSE