doug ronan removed as director from copa

[BGH]

I haven't replied to anything in this thread since very early,but have continued to follow it.I could have written an I told you so to all those who believed that a director would vote as they instructed & not as the other directors told him to.My personal opinion is that the only way to correct copa's problem is to starve them of cash - that is the only message that they will understand.
I was a member for over 22 years & have been an aircraft owner for almost 31 years.
I voted with my wallet & it wasn't for copa.

Daryl

[MrWings]

I was a member for over 22 years & have been an aircraft owner for almost 31 years.

When long time members like you
and the Colonel and his family opt out,
that speaks volumes.

[Pop n Fresh]

Time to form a replacement club?

Pilots Existing Across Canada Harmoniously.

Great idea...but

Having been down this path with another not for profit I can attest that no matter how hard fixing COPA is...it's easier than starting from scratch. Done both so that's first hand.

It is now in the members hands.

If there are really that many out there that are convinced COPA is no longer following the mandate and playing by the rules its time to involve the various levels of government to pull in an investigation.

It is also time to vote with petition demanding a dissolution of the current board and new elections.

But both of these things take large numbers of members willing to stand up...are there large numbers of members willing to stand up?

Canada needs a national organization that represents recreational. private and general aviation, it is how the aviation is going to survive through our lifetime.

So...fix it or replace it...we still need it.

In my highly biased personal opinion

Sorry for leaving. I had stopped messing with making an acronym and did not realize I had posted.

I am like you and would rather fix something than replace it but, I believe the shenanigans at the AGM are proof that it is broken beyond repair.

[Gord001]

I hope the nay Sayers are wrong. I for one an going to attempt to do what ever I can to get involved at a national level and see what can be done to solve the members concerns. Please send me any suggestions as I would like to see some amendments to the bylaws to prevent this in the future.
Happy Canada Day

[fleet16b]

I hope the nay Sayers are wrong. I for one an going to attempt to do what ever I can to get involved at a national level and see what can be done to solve the members concerns. Please send me any suggestions as I would like to see some amendments to the bylaws to prevent this in the future.
Happy Canada Day

The first step would be for the Board to come clean on what has happened behind doors .
The Boards credibility has been greatly damaged by what is happening
This infomation is the business of all of us , there should be nothing held back for the boards eyes and ears only.

What level of involvement do you have with COPA ?
Do you hold a position either Nationally or within your Chapter ?

Maybe you should start by posting these questions in the COPA Forum section .
A fair and transparent Board would have no reason to shut down the discussion if they have done no wrong.
It is healthy for an organization to debate such things

[CpnCrunch]

The problem seems to be that most of the members aren't aware of what is going on. Taking avcanada as a small sample, it appears that the majority of members disagree with the board once they have the full facts (or at least, what appears to be the full facts, although we still don't have 100% of the story). The reason most members voted for the bylaw change is simply because they believed the 1-sided argument put forward by COPA.

Was there no debate about this during the AGM? Were there no questions asked about the legality of Doug's removal? I was hoping that spafloats (or someone else) would speak up at the AGM and convince the members to vote against the bylaw change and get Doug reinstated.

[kamikaze]

Wouldn't have helped, the people AT the AGM are a small minority of voters, with most voters represented by default proxy, I believe?

The whole concept of proxies going to someone "by default" is kind of bizarre and rather anti-democratic. That's like saying Harper decides my vote if I abstain from voting federally. gee wiz, I wonder what he'll do!

In this day and age, they should just put the AGM online, and let people participate virtually, IMO (including voting). the auction houses can do it!

I was waiting for the AGM to happen, not much seems to have moved, so I think I'll work on getting out of it ... (I use both the VIP and home/auto policies through them).

[spafloats]

In reply to Cpn Crunch: I was at the meeting and tried my best to ask questions but was cut off, ruled out of order and a called a few things that were slanderous. The "fix was in" before this meeting even started and was being run to a script.

Spafloats

[MrWings]

The problem seems to be that most of the members aren't aware of what is going on.

This is essentially it. If it wasn't for AvCanada, I wouldn't know.

COPA's failure to address the incident essentially kept the incident quiet. That is why they chose to do it. It was a local issue. Surprising there wasn't a great turnout considering the meeting was in their backyard.

[AirFrame]

Wouldn't have helped, the people AT the AGM are a small minority of voters, with most voters represented by default proxy, I believe?

The whole concept of proxies going to someone "by default" is kind of bizarre and rather anti-democratic. That's like saying Harper decides my vote if I abstain from voting federally. gee wiz, I wonder what he'll do!

If the board were smart, they'd now change the bylaws to allow default proxies for all votes. Then nobody would ever be able to gather enough proxies to counter anything the board wanted to do... All the defaults would go to someone on the board (usually the president or chair). Companies work that way, but generally not non-for-profits.

However, the proxies for this AGM were not defaulted if you didn't send one in. Only proxies that were sent in were used for voting. From discussions i've had with people who were in attendance, it sounds like there were ~600 people present in person or by proxy at the AGM, but COPA has something in excess of 10000 members (someone correct me if i've got that wrong).

[fleet16b]

Well
It looks like Kevin P has announced his retirement from COPA

[jasmantle]

Well
It looks like Kevin P has announced his retirement from COPA

Much earlier in this thread I had posted that I would not be renewing my membership with COPA. I didn't.

About 2-3 weeks ago I had a member of the Board give me a phone call. The trigger was that I had not renewed, and she (maybe all members of the Board) were calling through the list of non-renewed members inquiring why they had not renewed, and asking if I would rejoin. Let me give full marks to the Director (and maybe to the entire Board) for taking their time to work the phones, and to reach out to members.

It was a good conversation. This individual really cares. That said, I declined to rejoin, and shared my reasons why. Basically, nothing has changed.

With today's announcement: let the speculation begin. Maybe, after 18 years, Kevin P thought it was time for a change. Maybe others thought it was time for a change.

The audited Annual Report notes that an $80K payout is due to certain member(s) of COPA management under certain conditions. Let's see if that payout gets triggered.

[jump154]

Well
It looks like Kevin P has announced his retirement from COPA

And this is an opportuinty to change. Throughout this discussion, I have been seeing odd similarities with what has been going on with the Ontario Curling Association over the past 15 months--- an executive director who has been in for 15 years, a hand selected board of puppets, mismanagement, executive members terminated for no reason and not by the proper methods etc.. Curiously similar. Some of us took a stand last year, resulting in 2 SGMs, 3 no confidence votes. At the first SGM the ED took it to himslef to invite the local constabulary as he was afraid what we might do -- yes a bunch of curlers- quite surreal (and very similar to what I read about with last year's COPA meetings).
Result - the ED 'retired', a new ED was hired. The OCA was forced to form a ByLaw review committee which is now giving it's reports - to bring the association into the 21st Century.

For good reports on the SGMs, see this link - Bob Weeks curling blog

and for the outcome so far see OCA Notice to Members

It can be done - by the membership. Takes some people to stand up, get together and fix the thing.

Doug?

[photofly]

There's only one man to replace Kevin Psutka, and we all know who it is.







Colonel Sanders for president.

[H Christensen]

A new chairman of the board is in place while the search now begins for a new president.
It's a start at rehabilitating what once was -- and can be again -- an ethical association.

[sportingrifle]

Just re-joined. Not renewing my membership was an attempt to send a message, now hopefully my renewal will send another one. I support you , now get it right.

sportingrifle

[AirFrame]

There's only one man to replace Kevin Psutka, and we all know who it is.

Colonel Sanders for president.

He'd get my vote.

[BGH]

If they want me to rejoin then they can send me an email & ask me,they still owe me a year of dues as they didn't give me a refund when I told them to cancel my membership.

Daryl
Former 1500860

[2R]

ATAC

[jjbaker]

If they want me to rejoin then they can send me an email & ask me,they still owe me a year of dues as they didn't give me a refund when I told them to cancel my membership.

Daryl
Former 1500860