X-Message-Number: 30246
Date: Fri, 4 Jan 2008 20:13:26 -0800 (PST)
From: david pizer <>
Subject: Re: Alcor: "Greatest idea yet known to mankind"
Thank you Brian for expressing your thoughts. I would
like to reply to them. First of all let me remind all
of you that are following this discussion what Brian
was replying to and so here is the part of my original
message that he was addressing:
DAVID HAD ORIGINALLY SAID
> > We can change all this by making the Alcor members
> > feel they are a part of Alcor management. We can
> once again rebuild the enthusiasm that Alcor used
?>to own.
(THE ABOVE WAS PART OF MY PRESENT ARGUMENT THAT IF WE
CHANGE THE WAY DIRECTORS ARE ELECTED, THINGS WILL
RETURN BACK TO THE WAY IT USED TO BE FOR ALCOR).
BRIAN REPLIES TO MY ABOVE STATEMENT BELOW AND I THEN
ANSWER HIM AT THE END OF EACH OF HIS MAIN POINTS. I
AM WRITING NOW IN CAPS SO MY WORDS CANNOT BE CONFUSED
WITH HIS.
BRIAN SAID.
> I remember those days well. They were days a
> large percentage of Alcor members were activists,
and drove growth with regular meetings and outreach to
like-minded associates. They were days when
> Cryonics magazine chronicled organizational ups
> *and* downs in such detail that waiting for the next
monthly issue was like waiting for the next
installment in a story. They were days of
30% year over year growth, sustained for several
years. What is different now compared to then? It
> certainly was not the way the directors were
elected, which is the same now as it ever
> was.
DAVID REPLIES TO BRIAN'S THOUGHTS ABOVE.
BOY DO YOU REMIND ME OF JUST HOW GOOD THOSE DAYS WERE.
THE GREAT MAGAZINE ARTICLES, THE WONDERFUL MEETINGS AT
MARCE'S, RUSS'S AND SAUL'S HOMES, WHERE MEMBERS
GATHERED AND THOUGHT OUT THE PROBLEMS. BACK IN THOSE
DAYS THE MEMBERS WERE ALL INVOLVED AND WHEN THEY LEFT
THOSE MEETINGS THEY KEPT ON WORKING FOR ALCOR DAY AND
NIGHT UNTIL THE NEXT MONTHLY MEETING AND THEN IT
STARTED ALL OVER AGAIN.
AND I BELIEVE THAT IF WE MAKE THE RIGHT CHANGES NOW WE
CAN RETURN THAT ENTHUSIASM AND SUCCESS, I DO NOT THINK
IT WILL BE THAT HARD. I WILL TELL YOU WHY AND HOW
BELOW.
BRIAN, YOU ARE RIGHT THAT THE *MECHANICS* OF HOW
DIRECTORS FORMALLY ELECTING DIRECTORS ARE THE SAME,
BUT THE FORCE OF THE WILL OF THE MEMBERSHIP DRIVING
THE ELECTIONS IS NO LONGER PRESENT.
IN THOSE GOOD DAYS THE MEMBERS REALLY ELECTED THE
DIRECTORS DEFACTO. THE SUSPENSION MEMBERS DISCUSSED
CANDIDATES AMONG THEMSELVES AT THE MEETINGS AND IN
PRIVATE, THEY MADE THEIR CHOICE, THEN THEY TOLD THE
EXISTING DIRECTORS WHO TO VOTE FOR, AND THEN THE
EXISTING DIRECTORS ELECTED WHO THE MEMBERSHIP HAD
CHOSEN. THEY EVEN VOTED FOR PEOPLE TO REPLACE
THEMSELVES IF THE MEMBERSHIP ASKED FOR IT.
IN THOSE GOOD OLD DAYS, MOST OF THE MEMBERSHIP SHOWED
UP AT THE MEETINGS. THE MEMBERS WERE JUST AS ACTIVE
IN THE DISCUSSIONS AS THE DIRECTORS, IN FACT THEY WERE
MORE ACTIVE, AND THEIR WILL WAS ALWAYS REFLECTED IN
THE VOTING THAT FOLLOWED. THE DIRECTORS DID WHAT THE
MEMBERS TOLD THEM TO DO. BEING A BOARD MEMBER WAS
JUST AN HONORAY POSITION. IT WAS KNOWN THAT THE
SUSPENSION MEMBERS WOULD MAKE THE DECISIONS AND BOARD
MEMBERS AGREED TO OBEY THEIR WILL.
THE MEMBERSHIP FIRST AGREED ON WHAT THEY WANTED TO DO
ABOUT EACH MATTER AND THEN THE BOARD VOTED AS THE
MEMBERSHIP INSTRUCTED THEM TO.
THE REASON FOR THIS IS BECAUSE A LOT OF THE REAL
LEADERS OF ALCOR WERE AFRAID TO BE ON THE BOARD BACK
THEN. IT WAS NOT YET SAFE TO BE AN ALCOR BOARD MEMBER
IN THOSE TIMES. IT WAS NOT REALLY SAFE UNTIL AFTER
SOME OF US MOVED ALCOR TO ARIZONA WHERE THE POLITICAL
CLIMATE WAS BETTER AT THAT TIME.
BACK THEN, THERE WERE RISKS IF YOUR FRIENDS OR
EMPLOYER FOUND OUT YOU WERE AN ALCOR BOARD MEMBER - IN
FACT THEY DIDN'T EVEN KNOW YOU WERE SIGNED UP, YOU MAY
HAVE KEPT IT SECRET. MANY OF THE BETTER MINDS WERE
AFRAID TO COME OUT OF THE CRYONICS CLOSET. SOME
PEOPLE SERVED ON THE BOARD JUST BECAUSE NO ONE ELSE
WANTED TO AND THOSE BOARD MEMBERS JUST LIKED THE
PRESTIGE OF THRILL OF BEING ON THE BOARD SO THEY LENT
THEIR NAME AND DID AS THE MEMBERSHIP DICTATED.
ALCOR'S 3RD PRESIDENT, (THE RED HEADED GUY BEFORE
DARWIN, I DON'T EVEN REMEMBER HIS NAME), DIDN'T EVEN
CARE ABOUT CRYONICS. I DON'T THINK HE IS EVEN STILL
SIGNED UP. NOT BECAUSE HE THINKS IT WON'T WORK BUT HE
DOESN'T EVEN CARE. A LOT OF THE BOARD MEMBERS FROM
THOSE DAYS ARE NOT EVEN MEMBERS OF ANY CRYONICS
COMPANY TODAY. THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT CRYONICS AND I
DON'T THINK SOME OF THEM NEVER DID CARE MUCH. THEY
JUST LIKED HAVING SOME ATTENTION ON THEMSELVES. THEY
DIDN'T CARE ABOUT CRYONICS BUT THEY WERE PERFECT BOARD
MEMBERS BECAUSE THEY DID WHAT THE GENERAL MEMBERSHIP
WANTED AND LEFT THE REAL CONTROL TO THE SUSPENSION
MEMBERS. THE SUSPENSION MEMBERS REALIZED THAT THEY
WERE THE ONES RUNNING ALCOR AND SO THEY PUT THEIR
WHOLE HEARTS AND SOULS HELPING ALCOR GROW.
FURTHER, JUST BEING IN THE GREAT MASS OF BEING SEATED
AMONG THE GENERAL MEMBERSHIP AT A BOARD MEETING HAD A
GREAT INFLUENCE ON THE BOARD MEMBERS. I PITY ANY
BOARD MEMBER WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT OF NOT VOTING AS
THE GENERAL MEMBERSHIP TOLD THEM TO.
SO IN THOSE DAYS, THE BOARD VOTED AS THE MEMBERSHIP
TOLD THEM THEY WANTED TO. THE REAL LEADERS, THE
SUSPENSION MEMBERS WHO WERE NOT BOARD MEMBERS,
DISCUSSED THE ISSUES AND VOTED INFORMALLY AMONG
THEMSELVES AND THEN THEY INSTRUCTED THE BOARD MEMBERS
HOW TO FORMALLY VOTE. OF COURSE A FEW BOARD MEMBERS
WERE AS ACTIVE AS THE GENERAL SUSPENSION MEMBERS, BUT
BACK THEN THE SUSPENSION MEMBERS RAN ALCOR AND THEY
KNEW THEY WERE IN CHARGE AND THAT MADE THEM WORK HARD.
WE NEED TO RETURN THAT FEELING OF CONTROL TO THE
GENERAL MEMBERSHIP AND THEN HARNESS THE EFFORTS OF 900
INSTEAD OF 9. THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY TO MAKE THE
MEMBERS FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE CONTROL AND THAT IS TO
GIVE IT TO THEM.
TODAY, THE SUSPENSION MEMBERS HAVE LOST ALL THAT
POWER, AND THEY KNOW IT. THEY HAVE GONE FROM BEING
THE PEOPLE WHO RAN ALCOR TO THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE NO
POWER WHATSOEVER. IN THE GOOD OLD DAYS WE HAD 100
MEMBERS (ALL OF THE MEMBERS WE HAD AT THAT EARLY TIME)
RUNNING ALCOR, TODAY WE HAVE 9. NINE PEOPLE CAN'T
DO THE WORK THE 100 CAN. (OR AT TODAY'S COUNT ALMOST
900 PEOPLE ARE MEMBERS).
THE BOARD TOOK THE POWER AWAY FROM ALCOR MEMBERS WHEN
IT BECAME SAFE FOR PEOPLE TO HOLD BOARD SEATS AND
REALLY RUN ALCOR. THEN THE STRAW-MEN BOARD MEMBERS
WERE REPLACED OR LEFT, THE POWER WENT FROM THE
MEMBERSHIP TO A 9 PERSON BOARD AND THE LARGE
MEMBERSHIP BEGAN TO FEEL COMPLETELY HELPLESS.
IN THE GOOD DAYS WHEN THE MEMBERS FELT THAT *THEY*
WERE IN CONTROL OF ALCOR, THEY BROUGHT THEIR FRIENDS
IN, THEY MADE DONATIONS, THEY VOLUNTEERED THEIR TIME,
IDEAS AND ENERGY -- BECAUSE THEY FELT THAT THEY WERE
IN CONTROL. NOW THEY FEEL JUST THE OPPOSITE. THE 9
ELITE BOARD MEMBERS HAVE TOLD ALL THE REST OF THE 900
MEMBERS THAT THOSE 900 ARE NOT FIT TO HAVE ANY CONTROL
IN ALCOR. YOU NINE GUYS MAY NOT HAVE REALIZED THAT
YOU SAID THAT -- YOU DON'T SAY IT IN WORDS, EXACTLY.
BUT THERE IS AN OLD TRUE SAYING - "ACTIONS SPEAK
LOUDER THEN WORDS."
BRIAN, THE ACTIONS OF SOME BOARD MEMBERS, BY REFUSING
THE LET THE SUSPENSION MEMBERS ELECT THEIR LEADERS,
SAYS TO US MEMBERS THE SAME AS IF THOSE BOARD MEMBERS
WERE HONEST ENOUGH TO SPEAK THE WORDS THAT THEY MUST
BELIEVE IN THEIR MINDS IF THEY WON'T GIVE US THE VOTE
AND THAT IS: "WE DON'T THINK YOU GUYS ARE AS SMART AS
US, WE DON'T TRUST YOU TO MAKE AS GOOD OF DECISIONS AS
WE CAN MAKE. WE DON'T WANT TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE. WE
BELIEVE OUR RECORDS OF RUNNING ALCOR ARE SO BAD THAT
WE CAN'T GET RE-ELECTED BY THE MEMBERSHIP, SO WE DON'T
DARE GIVE THEM THE VOTE." ETC. ETC.
BACK TO BRIAN SPEAKING
>David may remember that I was one of the
> people that left Alcor
> years ago because I wasn't happy with the way the
> board was running
> things at the time. I helped start a new cryonics
> organization
> (CryoCare) in which half the board was elected by
> members ("Member
> Directors") and the other half (plus one) by patient
> representatives
> ("Patient Directors"). So I certainly sympathize
> with his general
> concerns, and am open minded about these issues.
> How directors are
> chosen is a legitimate long-term stability issue.
DAVID: THEN PLEASE DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS SITUATION
NOW! START TO HELP DISCUSSIONS ON THE BOARD ABOUT THE
BEST WAY TO ALLOW THE MEMBERSHIP TO ELECT THE
DIRECTORS. MAKE THE DIRECTORS ACCOUNTABLE TO THE
MEMBERS BY FORCING THEM TO STAND FOR RE-ELECTION,
FORCING THEM TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE -- THOSE WHO DO A
GOOD JOB WILL GET RE-ELECTED, AND THOSE WHO SUPPORT
ACTIONS THAT CAN BE CALLED MISTAKES AND MULTIPLE
MISTAKES GET REPLACED BY BETTER ONES.
BRIAN AGAIN
> However
> member-elected directors are not all that stands
> between Alcor and
> glory days. Present problems are deeper than that.
DAVID: THERE MAY BE SOME PRESENT PROBLEMS THAT ARE
DEEP, BUT THE ROOT CAUSE OF THEM IS THE DIRECTORS -
AND THE ROOT CAUSE OF WHAT THE DIRECTORS DO IS THE WAY
DIRECTORS ELECT THE DIRECTORS.
I WILL PROVE TO YOU THAT HOW THE DIRECTORS ARE ELECTED
IS THE CAUSE OF ALL THE PROBLEMS ALCOR NOW HAS. YOU
TELL ME WHATEVER "PRESENT PROBLEM" YOU ARE TALKING
ABOUT THAT YOU CLAIM IS "DEEPER" AND I WILL SHOW YOU,
IN DISTINCT LOGICAL STEPS, HOW THE PRESENT SYSTEM OF
ELECTING DIRECTORS IS AT THE ROOT OF THOSE PROBLEMS.
BUT IN GENERAL IT WILL GO SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
THE DIRECTORS RUN ALCOR.
THE DIRECTORS ELECT THE PRESIDENT.
THE DIRECTORS, (DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY), CAUSE EACH
EMPLOYEE TO BE HIRED, AND THEN KEPT ON, OR FIRED.
THE DIRECTORS ARE ULTIMATELY RESPONSIBLE FOR
EVERYTHING GOOD OR BAD THAT HAPPENS TO ALCOR.
I KNOW THERE ARE MANY VERY BAD THINGS THREATENING
ALCOR RIGHT NOW.
I KNOW THERE HAVE BEEN MANY TERRIBLE MISTAKES IN THE
PAST, MANY OF THEM WE SUSPENSION MEMBERS WERE NOT
INFORMED ABOUT.
BUT EACH AND EVERY MISTAKE ALCOR HAS MADE, EACH AND
EVERY GOOD THING THAT ALCOR HAS HAD, IS DIRECTLY
RELATED TO WHO THE DIRECTORS ARE, TO HOW THEY ARE
ELECTED, TO THE FACT THAT THEY ARE NOT HELD
ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR ACTIONS - THEY DON'T HAVE TO PAY
BACK MONEY WHEN THEIR ACTIONS LED TO TERRIBLE
FINANCIAL LOSSES FOR ALCOR. AND, THEY CAN'T EVEN BE
FIRED NO MATTER HOW BIG A MISTAKE THEY MAKE. THEY ARE
UNLIKE LEADERS OF ANY OTHER ORGANIZATION IN EXISTENCE.
UNLIKE REGULAR COMPANY DIRECTORS THEY DON'T HAVE TO
MAKE A PROFIT EVER, THEY DON'T EVEN HAVE A CAP ON HOW
MUCH MONEY THEY CAN WASTE OF LOOSE, HAVE STOLEN OR
EMBEZZLED. THERE IS NO STATED AMOUNT OF MISTAKES OR
DAMAGE THEY HAVE TO COMMIT BEFORE THEY ARE REMOVED,
THEY CAN MAKE AN INFINITE AMOUNT OF MISTAKES IF THEY
LIVE LONG ENOUGH AND NO ONE CAN VOTE THEM OUT BUT
THEMSELVES. THEY CAN KEEP THEIR MISTAKES SECRET IN
THE SECRET MEETINGS AND THE MEMBERS DON'T HAVE A CLUE
ON HOW BAD THINGS REALLY ARE.
BRIAN, I KNOW YOU ARE SMART ENOUGH TO KNOW THIS IS NOT
THE BEST WAY TO APPOINT PEOPLE TO RUN THE COMPANY THAT
WE ARE TRUSTING OUR LIVES TO. YOU REALIZED THAT WHEN
YOU HELPED START CRYOCARE. YOU KNOW THAT YOU AND YOUR
FAMILY MAY BE IN THE TANKS SOMEDAY (I HOPE A VERY LONG
TIME FROM NOW).
PLEASE START SOME PUBLIC DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THIS.
PLEASE FORCE IT ON THE AGENDA AT THE BOARD MEETINGS.
WE HAVE THE GREATEST IDEA YET KNOWN TO MANKIND AND THE
WORST MANAGEMENT SYSTEM YET KNOWN TO MANKIND.
PLEASE DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.
DAVID PIZER
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