GSDCA-WDA BYLAW Change Proposal - Page 12

Openmind for President!

GCK, I second the motion!!!!!!!!

Openmind:  that is truly interesting how the power of the organization has wound up in 3 hands.  Coming from a financial background and seeing this lopsided world of the WDA, I was wondering how the matter of finances are regulated and supervised and if in fact a 2 sets of eyes system is in force.  Who does the accounting and is only one signatory on checks required?  I have never seen any financials from the WDA so I would be so pleased to see their budget, their tax returns and any other data.  Is this like confidential stuff not open to the membership?


Just questions after questions.  If I felt I had someone on the board that I could address these questions to that would answer them, I would have prefered to have done so.  The monitored Facebook page is obviously not conducive to any query not according to party line.


According to my notes the President of the club was sending out a copy of the past D&O insurance policy to all the board members.  I also would like to see this policy in its entirety.  Would not a copy be made available to all members as it covers the board for any negligence in respect of decisions made during their tenure?

Who are the three hands?  I do not do FB.

Non profit organizations must file a 990 Tax form which is actually public record and is accessible to any individual wishing to view it. 
 
The Foundation Center has a great website which provides online access to non profit’s filed 990 Tax Returns.  Here is their website.  http://foundationcenter.org/findfunders/990finder/
 
Using the GSDCA-WDA’s EIN number, 25-1620274, you can search and find their filed tax returns from 2005 through 2010.
 
What is also interesting is that I found, buried at non accessible links, on the GSDCA-WDA website copies of the clubs 2004 and 2005 990 filed tax forms.  What that means is that at one time the club did make their tax returns accessible to the members.  So why did that change?  Why the secrecy about budgets, accounting process and tax returns?
 
Here are the links to the 2004 and 2005 tax returns on the GSDCA-WDA website.
http://www.gsdca-wda.org/finances/2004Taxes.pdf
http://www.gsdca-wda.org/finances/2005Taxes.pdf
 
Would anyone like to take bets that these links will mysteriously disappear???
 
What members now need to see are the corresponding budgets and detailed financials that support these filed tax returns.
 
I hope that everyone finds this information useful!
Chris
 

Openmind: if you are a WDA member you should write for the magazine.

I am not a WDA member so I have questions for you members.  Since the Attorney group hired by WDA to protect WDA has ok'd the three ballot measures, why are they so bad?  Why does this Attorney group support these measures?  Why does the Attorney group help the Board and not the membership?  This whole thing seems like such a joke.  Well, I do not get to vote, but do wonder why on so many items.

Since you are going to be out-voted, why stay?  Why not go out and start another schutzhund national group or just join another schutzhund group?  As the old saying goes -- stop beating a dead horse if you do not win this ballot joke.

I do not belong to Any schutzhund group, so I am neutral.  Why not join UScA?  They hate WDA and maybe they would like for you to join them.  Then you could help them in their goal of destroying WDA.  UScA is open to all breeds, I think.  If there are so many of you, leaving WDA would make them weaker with less members and say UScA would be stronger to destroy WDA.

Just some thoughts.  And oh, I do Not do FB and never plan to do so.  Too dangerous, I have heard.

I just want to enjoy showing and trialing my dog.  This is just a hobby (albeit an expensive one). My first thouht is to just ignore the politics, afterall, it doesn't affect my ability to show or trial my dog. But when I think a little deeper, it really does.

I will add my voice, enough is enough. I do not understand this board's agenda but I do see how dangerous their actions are for the organization and the membership.

I am frankly so tired with the Facebook response: "We are only volunteers working our fingers to the bone on the members behalf and everyone loves us for it except for a few whining, mean spirited, trouble makers."

Has anyone else noticed that when they can't answer a legitimate question or concern, they pull out the, "I am a volunteer and look how much I give..." line and then turn on the poor member answering the question? This is the oldest political trick in the book. Pound on your chest long and hard enough about what a martyr you are and hope everyone forgets the questions asked or the fact that the answers were never given.

I not only will vote NO but I will also start watching more closely and I will tell everyone willing to listen to do the same.

Personally I think the WDA and UScA leadership exists mostly to serve themselves.  I don't think one is any better than the other.  The only people that really matter are the ones like you, me and anyone else out training every week and trialing and having fun with our dogs and each other.

.