I'm sure that I'm being a little extreme and that the sky probably isn't falling.
I am also aware that Belegarth's Bylaws aren't a work of art. Don't try to turn the focus on Bel or similar organizations. There are ups and downs to every game. I am trying to be thoughtful, concise, and objective here. I ask that you be the same.
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Okay, maybe I'm a little new to this Belegarth/Dagorhir thing, but have you guys bothered to read the Dagorhir Bylaws and Contract lately?
http://www.dagorhir.com/aratari/rules/bylaws.pdf
This is so ridiculous, I don't even know where to start.
1. The bylaws are preceded with with this gem. "As with the basic premise of the Dagorhir Game Rules System, common sense supersedes perceived loopholes in these Bylaws." Common sense? Really? DBGA bylaws don't even come close to common sense as anyone who actually bothers to read them would come to understand. Is it common sense to let a coalition of geographically approximate people (I'm being gracious here) oversee and adjust the rules that a national organization follows? What about a single person (Brian Weise?). I can't think of a "common sense" precedent for this. What is common about DBGA War Council, or BoD, or Brian Weise?
2. Who the hell is Brian Wiese anyway, and why does he have absolute veto over the rulebook? Who is this guy? How can this even still happen in America of all places? Why does Dagorhir even need a War Council or BoD when you've got Brian Weise around.
3. A simple majority amongst the five elected members of the DBGA BoD can officiate a change within DBGA Bylaws and rules. 3 out of 5 "elected" board members can do whatever the hell they want, while it takes a 3/4 WC vote to expel a DBGA board member. How is it reasonable that 3 people are indisputably superior to a hypothetical infinite number of WC members? What is the point of even having a War Council when 3 out of 5 BoD members can veto whatever proposals they choose?
4. When and how do board meetings actually transpire? It's not hard to imagine a board member not being able to attend a meeting, reducing an already substantial 3 out of 5 majority to a 3 out of 4.
5. Dagorhir hotline.
![roll eyes :roll:](./images/smilies/rolleyes.gif)
6. Why are none of the BoD proceedings made public? Things like waivers collected, minutes recorded, and rules distributed are left completely to the whim of the secretary. Then everyone apparently gets irked when the rules change. "Substantial force" is now "noticeable force." Spears can now flex 90 degrees. I'm sure glad DBGA doesn't care that anyone knows these things. The treasurer is only obligated to release reports of income and expenditures to the BoD and WC. And only on request. Wouldn't it make sense for the people paying to go to DBGA events to be able to see where their money is actually going?
7. A member of the BoD structures the WC agenda. Doesn't that render WC completely obsolete? Wow. Nix any hypothetical power the WC actually has. The magistrate has absolute control for at least 2 years.
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In summation, Dagorhir (every Dagorhir chapter, event, and member) is at the mercy of a simple majority of 4 to 5 people that every 2 years might be elected by a group of geographically centered people who actually have no power to elect those 5 people. Those 4 to 5 people can make any change they want to DBGA bylaws and rules. Rule changes of course, can be vetoed by Brian Weise who could just as easily be removed by a simple majority vote of the BoD. As I understand it, it wouldn't be hard for 3 members of the BoD to completely take over and run DBGA however they see fit.
So you potentially have 3 people that have ultimate control over the direction of a national NPO.
I'm no legal expert, but how can this be right? How can an organization continue to be run like this?
Please tell me I'm wrong.
One last thing; forgive me if I'm being naive, but I'd also like to know who's a member of the BoD and WC and if any BoD/WC members would be willing to share the organizations’ rule books, supplements, periodicals, announcements, advertisements, and recruitment flyers as well as a written report of income and expenditures. I would be more than willing to keep that information private if necessary.
[EDIT]I edited out some negative remarks that I didn't think were all that constructive and major spelling errors.