[penguicon-general] Bylaws bullshit - oh, give it up already!

[Dawn Wolfe]

People,

Have you heard that saying that the fighting in the academy is so
vitriolic because the stakes are so small? Of course, I'm sure that, to
the upper-level profs and students involved, things like tenure and
etc. are huge; but those outside of the fight can only look on in
either wonder or boredom depending on how much the cultural anthropolgy
of group dysfunction interests them.

This discussion, or at least parts of it, have descended to that level.

I have no doubt that, to each partisan of a particular point of view,
that point of view is truly "important, damnit!"

Of course, as I tried to say very gently earlier, we each get to decide
what is more important - that "I am RIGHT, damnit!" or that, "Ya, I
might be right, but the potential costs of this particular rhetorical
battle in lost social cohesion make being right less important to me." 

Those who are sniping - yes, you might be right. Who the hell cares, if
you're driving people out? If you want to be right, damnit, in a room
by yourself or one filled only with your cronies, fine. I'd rather be
out having fun with people for whom getting along with others is more
of a priority than their own viewpoints.

Because, let's face it - the stakes here aren't that big. Penguicon is
a social organization run by volunteers, like most of the rest of
fandom. I'd like to see it continue. Tracy, our past Con Chairs and
Concoms and now John Guest, have given and are giving the lion's share
to keep it going. Why? Not to promote world peace and a chicken in
every pot, so to speak, but *so people can continue to get together for
a weekend every April or May or so and have fun.*

That's it. And the bitching of a few is making the creation of this fun
weekend a lot less fun for the rest of the folks. 

A mission statement just tells people who we are and what we are not.
Bylaws are necessary evils that will keep people who like to do more
than just bitch from perhaps someday taking this shiny, fun, pretty toy
away and doing ugly things with it. And btw, the Board of this
organization is, unless the law has changed or my understanding of it
is incorrect, legally responsible, including financially responsible,
for this organization. We get sued - they pay. Therefore, they have the
absolute right and responsibility to create a structure that protects
themselves, future board members, and the organization as a whole. 

We are about to lose Tracy, one of the greatest peacemakers among us,
because of all of this internal, unnecessary bitch-slapping. That has
to be the saddest commentary of all. 

Flame away, if you'd like, but do it privately.

Dawn Wolfe Gutterman
ConChair's assistant



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