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.
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Member First and Last Name NCRA ID No.
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Phone Number Personal Email Address
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Signature (electronic or scanned)