Restore MCRGO

Press Release

For Immediate Release

12-03-02
Due to recent actions of the volunteer Board of Directors at Michigan Coalition for Responsible Gun Owners, a group of concerned current and former members have formed a new Committee to Restore MCRGO, the intent being to return MCRGO to it's former status as a successful non-partisan grass-roots member-run organization.

The present volunteer Board of Directors appears to have forgotten that they work for the members and MCRGO is not their private domain. We want this board back under member control and we're seeking the following remedies:

1. No more secret board actions. All action taken by the volunteer Board of Directors needs to take place during meetings which are open to concerned members and minutes have to be made available to any member who requests them. These minutes need to document discussion issues and volunteer board member votes.

2. No rush actions by the board. Major decisions affecting the organization need to be put before the members and members must be given a chance to respond and give input and feedback to the board before the organizational structure is changed or major expenditures are approved.

3. A budget must be produced and provided to any interested member. Also members must be provided with copies of expense reports and fiscal audits upon request.

4. Bylaw changes shall not be made unilaterally by the volunteer board of directors but only by the members by ballot in accordance with election rules.

5. All members MUST have the opportunity to run for any and all elected positions within MCRGO. The current by-laws only provide for a BOARD APPOINTED election committee with the board of directors' current policy being an election committee that will have full authority over all nominations and elections. A new by-law is required that provides for a MEMBER ELECTED election committee with the same full authority, to insure both fair and impartial nominations and elections. The current process allows the board to appoint FAVORED, BOARD CONTROLLED members to the election committee and that is not acceptable.

6. The decision to hire Chuck Perricone as Executive Director without any consideration of other candidates or notice to the membership must be reviewed and the volunteer board of directors shall not sign Perricone or anyone else to a contract until a proper search committee can be formed that will seek out and interview other qualified candidates using objective criteria. We want the best person for the job, not the only person that the volunteer board asked.

7. An end to the current partisan slant that the volunteer board has given this organization. MCRGO is a non-partisan organization, not an arm of the Republican Party. (Dan: - For the record I personally AM a Republican, and we have other Republicans and democrats supporting us)

MCRGO was built by many members and until this year it has been run by a volunteer board of directors acting with the consent and consultation of the membership. The volunteer directors-David Felbeck, Pat Alzady, Rollie Brengle, Jim Kliemann, David Aviles, Phil Webster, Dale Shantz, Glen Griffith and Todd Adkins-have systematically stripped the members of any oversight or control which the members have always held over the volunteer directors. They have taken this organization down a new and dangerous partisan path that we believe has led to the worst election results in our organization's history. We want reform and we want our volunteer board of directors back under the supervision of the membership again. To that end, we have created a new website to get the message out to our fellow members because the volunteer directors have begun to heavily censor our member e-mail systems and the official website, to prevent the communication of grievances amongst our peers. The new website is www.restoremcrgo.org

We ask that members and former members of MCRGO review this new site and if agreeing with our stated mission, please sign on as a supporting member. And please be advised that contrary to the statements of our volunteer board of directors, we do not wish to destroy MCRGO or start a new organization. Rather we want to stop current actions which we feel are detrimental to the success of our once-effective group and return it to it's former status, that being one of the most effective non-partisan, grass-roots pro-gun groups in the country.