[at-l] AT Journeys

[Sloetoe]

--- Walt Daniels <wdlists at optonline.net> wrote:

> There is a difference between the old board and the
> new board. The old board was highly effected by the
clubs and regions. This did not guarantee a good mix
of skills needed to govern an organization. It tended
to be older and frequently people who came up through
the maintenance ranks. The current board recruits for
specific skills, e.g. financial people, deep pockets
or fundraising skills, ecologists, land specialists,
lawyers, etc. This results in a board that should be
able to give good advice on the issues facing us.

### Walt, you have your finger on the issue exactly,
but what you count as a credit, we count as a
detriment. As the Conference decided it was no longer
to be the head of the gathered clubs  (as in
"conference"), but instead be it's own animal, pulling
the clubs to where the ignorant-but-good-hearted sheep
were willing to follow, it lost its *real* root.

Without trying to appear too esoteric, it is the
difference between a leadership of hikers with
expertise, and a leadership of experts who happen to
hike. It is the difference between a 20 pound pack
with a week of food, and a 35 pound "Backpacker"
cover-photo wart-on-your-back (but hey, full of all
the "right equipment"). One type is flexible,
comprised of dual or triple use components, and able
to handle issues with a minimum of fuss; the other is
full of solutions-looking-for-a-problem, targeted
single-use items, and has never been able to let a
"good" solution be tried before a "perfect" solution
(via high-priced consulting experts).

In simple terms, experts don't
Use it up.
wear it out;
make it do,
do without.

This is the backcountry maxim we all find instinctive
even in the city, in the family, in the organizations
we admire and participate in and lead.

And we see this lacking in everything "ATC," right
down to a dang name change. Owwwww.

Hope that helps.

Spatior! Nitor! Nitor! Tempero!
   Pro Pondera Et Meliora.