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Discussion starter · #41 ·
Well, well...the chickens have come home to roost.

Many of us in CCA-MD who were there from the beginning identified the myriad of organizational problems long ago. Just like the CBF, after millions of dollars donated and wasted by these (and similar) organizations - not to mention the millions of donated man hours by volunteers - where is the state of conservation of The Bay compared to 5 years ago? 10 years ago? 20 years ago?

The main problem is that CCA is not a conservation organization. It's basically a sport fishing club. Another problem is that you have a paid state executive director whose job it is to raise money through banquets and donations so his salary can be paid. You see, I'm not afraid to call a spade a spade.

Hammer is one of the finest men I have ever known. To do this to him speaks volumes about CCA, it's current leadership, and it's direction. So many good people have donated to and volunteered for CCA and yet the insatiable beast still hungers.

Read the book Chesapeake Bay Blues by Howard R. Ernst (Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.) for a real eye opener on this subject.

And Chumbucket, you are my all time favorite SMIB in world history. All men make mistakes in judgment. Few men admit them. Now you know the rest of the story...
Jim, it occurred to me after I started this thread I should have added you to that list...You of all people I should have listened to...
 
Although I'm in that chapter, I don't know what would cause the Executive Board to do this. I know Bill from many years back...he recruited me into CCA. Have watched him pour hundreds if not thousands of volunteer hours into getting CCA MD up and running and politically engaged. I have trouble finding one hour a month for my VFW meetings...I don't know how Bill does it. CCA needs thousands of guys like Bill.

Guess I need a new chapter. Even though I fish out of Solomons, CCA Solomons meets on Wed nights when I teach Confirmation at church. Maybe the North Anne Arundel chaper?

Dave

aka
 
Echo & Gerald - things are going well. I took a tugboat job to supplement my charter fishing income (times are tough) so haven't been around TF much. Still livin' in NC fishin' in VA and NC!

I saw this post and it brought back a flood of emotions. Like the late, great Yogi Berra said "It's deja vu all over again"...

For all those who are not aware (and thanks for many your b-mails and e-mails) - I will get back to you with details. I was involved in CCA from the beginning - recruited by Chris Coile, Sherman Baynard, and many others. Served on the Board and donated mucho deniro, charter trips, time, Joe Judge Fishing Derby, went to the banquets, spoke at meetings, recruited dozens of new members, CCA YP Projects, Creek cleanups, political lobbying, blood, sweat, and tears, etc. I wanted to be a part of Bay CONSERVATION. As time went on, the goals of CCA changed to pro sportfishing and raising money to pay a highly paid executive director - and away from CONSERVATION. These were my main complaints. Of course, there were other complaints - all fell on deaf ears.

Pushing one of the best volunteers CCA ever had - Hammer - out for CCA political reasons is FLAT out wrong - no "spin" will ever convince anyone who knows Hammer any different.

End of soap box - for now.
 
Capt. Jim - you touch on a very valid point.When people volunteer it is alot different then when they get paid.

Some of the things I have done for free - you could not pay me enough to do as a job :D.I can not explain it but it is true.

When a volunteer organization starts paying people it changes fast and IMHO - not for the better.Soon benefits are being paid,offices rented,staff hired and before you know it- 90% of funds raised go to salary instead of the cause intended.Then the ones being paid are not as vocal in fear of losing out on donations or paid memberships.

The best groups IMHO are grass roots ran by volunteers out of a home or church basement :yes:.No one is in it for the money- they give 100% trying to help and expect nothing in return.
 
Sanitized version of the CCA-S.Md bloodbath:

I tend to get long-winded and the CCA issue is very complicated so I will try to give you the highlights with a separate quote.

There has been a long-standing dispute between our State Executive Director (ED) and our treasurer, Don Gardiner over banquet settlements. CCA MD has struggled for years with the accounting software mandated by CCA National, the State kept getting it wrong, and Don kept sending the ED back to get it right. Don wasn't about to give anyone money from our treasury that they didn't have coming - that's what a treasurer is supposed to do.

As a result, an "uncomfortable" relationship developed that was allowed to taint other, innocent, members of our chapter to the point that we were characterized as a "bunch of grouchy old men just sitting around crying about politics."

When the ED's new assistant came to work, she was bright, capable and responsive. We were delighted and we had high hopes for her. The ED, her supervisor and mentor, sent her alone into the lion's den to collect the debated 2007 banquet money, there was another dispute, and our relationship with the State became a trainwreck just waiting to happen.

It took a while but she finally complained that two of our guys weren't "being nice to her." Instead of the State coming to the chapter for help with this "alleged" problem, they went directly to Houston with it. They never interviewed the transgressors, never formally accused them of anything, never contacted the chapter president or the chapter board, and never saw the written complaints by the "offended" employee. No one but me ever bothered to validate any of the complaints.

The train was already racing down the tracks out of control and I was unable to head it off. As a member of the State Management Committee and the SMD Chapter Board, I met with the transgressors, got a commitment from them to play nice, they were never accused of anything, I thought it was all over, and I am sure they upheld their end of the deal I struck. The ED reported that the employee was satisfied with what I had done and the Management Board thanked me for my efforts. No harm, no foul - or so I thought.

A few weeks later, the employee resigned without documenting anything further and representatives from Houston came to MD to shut down our chapter. So, the lawyers decided that the best way to avoid litigation over what had allegedly happened to her while she was an employee was to close our chapter weeks after she had already resigned. My repeated requests for an explanation of how this was supposed to impact her litigation options, if she was planning to go there, have gone unanswered.

It gets worse. As part of the "plan," the original motion stipulated that officers and chapter board members of the dissolved chapter could not hold similar offices for a period of two years to counter "potential" hard feelings among other members besides the two "transgressors." When they realized that would prevent me from being the ***** *********, they voted in an amendment to allow special dispensation from whatever new chapter I was assigned to.

It will be a cold day in hell before I kiss anyone's ass to become a volunteer, especially when I didn't do anything wrong. However, I think the special dispensation option indicates this wasn't aimed directly at me to answer your other question. The careless, casual way they threw our other members and their accomplishments under the wheels of the runaway train is especially disappointing.

I'm not sure any good would come of this entire explanation ending up in print. There is no question that CCA's accomplishments have been significant, I still believe it is the best game in town for our fishing resources and I don't want to tear any of that down. Exposing all of this now will not rebuild what they so carelessly destroyed or make our members feel any better about what has been done to them. However, everyone deserves a better explanation than they got in that letter.

So, here is my quote.

"A minor conflict between one of our SMD officers and the CCA State office was allowed to fester and resulted in an "uncomfortable" working environment for everyone concerned. Various local options for resolution of this conflict were never pursued by the State and, instead, the resolution was eventually referred to CCA's National office in Houston Texas after our Assistant Director resigned. As a way of mitigating a potential litigation threat, CCA National mandated that the SMD chapter be immediately dissolved and that all officers and chapter board members be restricted from holding similar offices for two years. No one was ever formally accused of any wrongdoing and this "paranoid net of suspicion" was thrown over all of our members.

While I can't explain or defend the apparent casual disregard for an entire chapter of members with significant accomplishments, I can assure those who see some sinister cover-up of criminal activity, embezzlement, etc. as a reason that this is not the case.

I sincerely hope that CCA will learn from these mistakes and will emerge as an even stronger advocate for our resources with a better appreciation for its volunteer army. CCA's accomplishments have been significant and it has been one of the leaders in the battle to protect and conserve our marine resources."

Thanks.

Name deleted

(This is from a friend who tried in vain to stop the "train wreck". As a result of all this, Bill Curry has been hog-tied and castrated and the Southern Maryland Yellow Perch Restoration Project and all its ancillary activities will be transferred to another 501 (c) 3 organization whose members are interested in conservation, rather than political chicanery.)
 
You've more or less got it, Chris - of course, who was feeding National all of the information that caused their legal guy to pull our plug to avoid a suit?? And, as the author of the post above points out, no reasonable explanation was given as to how closing the chapter weeks after the complaintant quit would/could protect CCA-Md. or CCA National if she sought litigation later (even now).

In my opinion this was a Machiavellian political move to close our (difficult do-nothing) chapter and neutralize Bill Curry.
 
Oh, and Chris, remember that the accused NEVER got to hear or see the charges against them, never had a chance to defend themselves at any management or administrative board hearing. Bill Curry himself was charged with something he hasn't a clue about to this day - but it effectively neutralized him in defending the other accused.
 
--Damm Angle , Wanted to BM you on this --geo.
 
Glad I'm not the only one who had the chapters confused.
Scott (Crowbait) and his dad both give 110% to their chapter :clapping2: and I was really confused how it could be shut down - my mistake.If fact Scott was pictured in last week's Bay Weekly tending to oyster floats :thumbup:.

It is tough keeping people fired up about the bay.You beat your head against the wall at the meetings/hearings and one day you decide to stop going because it hurts too much :rolleyes:.

It is time for a new fishing group made up with FRESH FACES - not a "new" group headed by the same 10 people who always are on the boards.Really need a 2-3 year cap on who can serve on these boards.Fresh blood means fresh ideas :yes:.
Why does one need fresh faces when the old ones are doing a great job? Agree we need fresh ideas but if noone comes forward what can/could we do? I also agree that Scott has done a great job with his new chapter but I do have a problem with him voting to dissolve this chapter and really wonder what his reason was. And this wasn't the first time he screwed this chapter.
 
It's NOT Scott's Pax River Chapter that is being talked about here. It's the Southern Maryland Chapter unfortunately.
Too bad it had to come to this is all I can say.
 
Hammer , Chum call me --A CCA member wants to ask ya all a Question --geo.
 
"Why does one need fresh faces when the old ones are doing a great job?" :

Singularly, in the instance of Hammer this is true.

Sadly, the rest of the bunch in CCA and CBF need replacing. In fact, the whole system of Bay conservation needs replacing and I would wholeheartedly support Hammer for leading the way with a new organization. We talked about this before and Brandon supported it.

What we all need is a true Chesapeake Bay conservation organization. CCA and CBF have failed - let's face it. Neither of these organizations will ever realize that goal. All of our time and billions of dollars with them has been completely wasted. We are in worse shape now with the Bay than we were when they started - just look at ther own CBF assessments:

Chesapeake Bay Foundation - Save the Bay:

The paradigm of Bay repair of band aids over open sores is akin to maximum sustainable yield of fisheries management - we lose and keep on paying.

Sorry for the rant guys, it just turns my stomach what they are doing, especially to my friend Hammer.
 
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