Hello all, This is my second year in PBS. I have not been here long enough or made enough connections to volunteer, or I would. From what I have seen people have been beating up the board over a mistake Robin made when she posted online what was intended for PM. The fact is that none of us lives free of mistakes. The PBS fulfills a need in the lives of all of us or we wouldn't be here. If some of us don't like the way leadership has done things in the past, YOU have the opportunity now to do better [or worse]. If PBS still fulfillls a need in our lives, then some of us need to step up and serve or there will not be a PBS; and THAT WILL NOT BE BETTER! On 8/8/2023 9:48 AM, Michael Loos via pbs wrote: > Hello All, > > I agree that with a job description, a volunteer to fill the position may > be more easily found. > > All groups have difficulties with filling leadership positions. From local > university Extension programs to PBS or NARGS, many people simply avoid > moving into these positions because it makes them easy targets for > adversarial complaints. Having first hand knowledge of this, it is no > pleasant task. (Even now I hesitate to get into this conversation.) > Regardless of the amount of work accomplished, of which there are ample > examples, we should always be grateful that someone volunteers for these > positions. They are important and required to maintain a 501(c)3 > non-profit identity. > > My thoughts are quite different regarding the SX/BX. > > From the PBS homepage: > We welcome all to come forward to join us in the celebration of bulbs and > in mastering the challenge of gardening with bulbs. Our emphasis is on > successfully growing bulbs in our yards and gardens and in sharing our > successes, and our failures too, with our fellow members. Through that > sharing, we will all learn to be better bulb gardeners. > > As far as I understand, the distribution of seeds and bulbs within the PBS > is not considered to be a money maker. Sharing not only our experiences, > we share seeds and bulbs with other growers. It is a task enjoyed by both > the person who donates and the individuals that receive the donations. > Money is collected to break even, not to increase a bank account. For this > reason, perhaps it is not a matter of governance or finances, but more a > social exercise. > > The second, and I believe an important idea, is that many of these plants > are rare, some even endangered in their habitats. The distribution of > these seeds and bulbs may keep an endangered species from > disappearing altogether. Now, more than ever, it is important to have as > many people as possible maintain a collection of plants that may include > legally obtained/distributed threatened or endangered species. Creating a > situation in which people are able to do that, as inexpensively as > possible, may get these plants into more hands than having them > available at greater cost. > > Do we really believe there have been mistakes with finances? I do not know > of them. We are not here to bankroll money from bulbs. We are a > not-for-profit organization. Through PBS, there are minor gifts and > financial awards given. That's better than some other 501(c)3 > organizations with far more money. Creating a larger bank account means > more accountability for the organization and more work for unpaid board > members. I think it is far better to keep a volunteer organization lean > and as streamlined as possible to avoid complications caused by large > amounts of money. > > As far as the creation of a nominating committee, it may be necessary. No > one has volunteered, no one has suggested another person to volunteer. It > becomes complicated and messy. Sometimes older processes need to be > implemented in spite of modern social constructs. Who do we need? That > person should have a decent amount of free time, a good horticultural > background, leadership skills, and who is of nimble mind and pure of > heart... oh wait, that's a different fairytale. > > With respect to all and great appreciation of our board members, > Michael Loos > Interlaken, NY > > > > On Tue, Aug 8, 2023 at 8:50 AM Mike via pbs < > pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net> wrote: > >> Hello All, >> >> Forming a nominating committee. Really in 2023. >> >> I frankly find it elitist and condescending. Also haven’t we had enough of >> this back room politics ? No we need transparency., >> >> I have a much better idea to discuss. Janes committee should be focused on >> building coherent job descriptions for each position. Typical duties and >> responsibilities. The most important thing would be an annual review to >> goals. >> >> Imagine understanding what the job was knowing how the job was going to be >> measured and then deciding if you want to participate what a novel idea >> >> We have languished for 4 years in a limbo of ineffective governance why? >> Because we still use a system designed to allow the original founders to >> stay as long as they wanted and leave when they got bored. >> >> I will provide just one example of how poorly we are doing and have done. >> >> Let’s agree that the BX and SX have the role of generating income for the >> group in fact should be the number one income generator. This is fact >> >> What is the percent of members who have made one donation to the BX/SX in >> the last two years ? I can assure you its way below 1/2. >> >> So this is our life blood and yet, I rarely if ever hear anyone on the Exec >> board other then the two hardest working people in PBS. Jan and Bridget. >> They are not discussing it in the same way an executive should. This has >> been one of the biggest blunders allowed to fester in PBS. Our primary >> executive should have been the BX/SX biggest cheerleader period. Reminding >> all what it does and encouraging everyone to participate. This never >> happened. >> Let’s go further down this rabbit hole. We have a few big hitters that >> easily donate over half the products sold at our events….What has our >> executive done that is immune to the will of the membership, only beholden >> to a few who are also either out of touch, new or want to be president? >> Not a very good group to govern and manage an executive is it. I have seem >> some of these big fish actuallly antagonized by our executive team. >> >> What if they pack up and donate their time and amazing bulbs to other >> groups….maybe its already happened? >> >> These are the members our next President should be close with. I hope our >> next president makes it very clear we are all bound by the honorable common >> sense rule to share..meaning provide and take. >> >> What should we do? The folks that donate. All of us should be noted in the >> winter bulb garden in a Growers. Circle. >> >> The big hitters meaning the top 5 donors in each of the SX and BX should go >> into the President Citcle. >> >> Isn’t that a simple and cost effective way to help solve a huge problem? >> >> It’s time for the whole executive structure to be scrapped. >> >> >> >> All of the members I’m acquainted with are very smart and busy people. I >> have a feeling that if they could see job descriptions. They are all mature >> enough to decide if they want to throw their hat in the ring. >> >> In fact in 2023, we need an executive comfortable with social media…so that >> person will chose to participate on their own. We don’t need or want a >> person who, own their accord is not aware they have the calling to >> volunteer . >> >> >> The nominating committee model is outdated smacks of cronyism and has no >> place in the mgt of a bulb group in 2023. >> >> I expect a lively discussion, you should all be outraged that the group is >> run this way. >> >> One last thought we have never had a shortage of volunteers we have had a >> shortage of people willing to work under a bullying manager , as a good use >> of their free time >> >> >> >> Respectfully >> >> >> Michael Lowitz >> >> San Diego >> _______________________________________________ >> pbs mailing list >> pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net >> http://lists.pacificbulbsociety.net/cgi-bin/… >> Unsubscribe: <mailto:pbs-unsubscribe@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net> >> PBS Forum latest: >> https://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbsforum/index.php/… >> > _______________________________________________ > pbs mailing list > pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net > http://lists.pacificbulbsociety.net/cgi-bin/… > Unsubscribe: <mailto:pbs-unsubscribe@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net> > PBS Forum https://… _______________________________________________ pbs mailing list pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net http://lists.pacificbulbsociety.net/cgi-bin/… Unsubscribe: <mailto:pbs-unsubscribe@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net> PBS Forum https://…