Indoctrinate U - Our Education. Their Politics.

We generally stay away from politics on S&P. After all, a fraternity that can embrace Ron Brown and Scott McClellen must have a bond that transcends traditional political boundaries.

However, this documentary came to our attention recently and it seems to impact right where most of the undergraduates members live - on college campuses. The people who made the movie are having trouble getting it shown so they are asking people to sign up so they can give the proof to the distributing companies.

Watch the trailer and decide for yourself. If you want to see the movie head to the web site and let them know. They will arrange to bring a showing to areas with at least 500 sign ups.

Indoctrinate U - Our Education. Their Politics.

Chapter of the Week?

(Here is the picture again. We lost it for a while, but "it got better.")


With all the news lately of hazing accusations, gunshot wounds, and fighting, we thought this picture best represents the way Sig Ep has been portrayed in the media lately. I sure hope the guys at the CLAs are learning better than that.

As they used to say on Hill Street Blues - "Let's be careful out there!"

From an undisclosed location...
I am Diogenes and I approved this message

A matter of dis-Trust and dis-Agreement

In a comment to our post about The Grand President's "Clarification" to his letter about the AVCs (aka Alumni Boards) needing to sign Trust Agreements, "Curious" said

"I'm not clear why S&P has refrained from comment on this issue, I thought that was what S&P did. Did I miss something?"

You are right, and we should have said something earlier. We had hoped that there would be comments from the readers, but they are apparently either stunned into silence or afraid to speak up.

Let me begin by noting that I am not speaking as a lawyer, an AVC president, nor as a sitting District Governor, so my opinion is just that - an opinion.

The Grand Chapter got flim-flammed into passing lousy legislation and it should be fixed at the first opportunity.

We could discuss how and why and who until the next Conclave but it will still be a messed up by-law. You can check out the legislation from the last two Conclaves here. There are many things not considered:

• Such as how various state statutes on the formation of corporations would impact the enforcability of a Virginia corporation's assumed authority over an independent corporation in those states.
  
• Such as whether assets that have been created with no financial interest from the national organization somehow "belong" to the national organization.
  
• Such as how it is OK to give the NBD a blanket authority to make changes to the Grand Chapter Bylaws to effect the resolution and not have those changes explicitly reviewed by the subsequent Conclave.
  

There is probably more that any half decent lawyer could dig up, but you get the idea. Just to illustrate how ill-considered the by-law is, in his clarification the Grand President made an ad hoc, extemporaneous change to the Trust Agreement so the AVCs would not think they are being sold out. You just don't make changes on the fly to good legislation - even if you can. Now there will probably be some parlamentarian geeks out there who will add up jots and tittles to show that everything done is strictly correct. Maybe so, but that does not mean it is right.

Archie has stated that "all of this will be re-considered by the National Board of Directors prior to the 2007 Conclave in Atlanta, Georgia, if the present Bylaws are complied with." No word on what happens if they are not complied with. Well, except for the part where the Housing corp. can't talk to a chapter about helping with financing unless and until all the papers are signed and sent in. And the part about not objecting unless you have already signed the papers. Of course, the NBD can replace an AVC acting against the best interests of the Fraternity, although we are assured that will only happen in "dire" cases.

Lets review the bidding here:

1. The NBD got to make its own bylaws with no oversight or review.
2. The AVCs must sign over the right to their assets before they can even protest the propriety of being made to do so.
3. If they refuse, and things look "dire" the membership of an AVC corporation could be replaced by members picked by the NBD.

Is anyone else just a tad uneasy with this?

The by-laws are on the books, however. As the G.P. pointed out it is the stated law until modified and he is committed to exercising its provisions, as are other Grand Chapter agents such as the District Governors. They must do that regardless of their personal feeling about the correctness of the by-law because otherwise they are in breach of their duty. All the lawyers out there understand about the obligation to represent the client's interests and not inject personal feelings. The DGs who are not lawyers are now learning it.

From our admittedly remote vantage point it looks like there is trouble brewing. This is not a particularly auspicious way to begin encouraging increased alumni involvement. Too little light. Too little sharing. Too little communication too late.

From an undisclosed location, I am Diogenes and I approved this message.

So, what difference does it make?

All of us who have been blogging with more or less regularity have been asked to note the passing of the 50,000 visit mark with some appropriately pithy post. OK, sure.

Has this blog thing made any difference?

We have been here for a year and some months. Wordjunky has done yeoman's work trolling for anything in the news that was even remotely related to Sig Ep and tossing it up like overcooked spagetti to see if it sticks to the wall. Others of us have chimed in from time to time - each with our own thoughs and ideas about the Fraternity and why it is or (mostly) isn't on the right track and what should be done about it. Have we been catalysts for change at HQ or at the national leadership level? What about at local chapters?

I can see one or two small things that have changed. The HQ web site was redesigned. Of course that was in the works before the blog was even a gleam in the Junksters eye. The NBD and committees do have email contact information now where they did not before. By an odd coincidence that happened right after a rant here about how hidden they were. Likewise, HQ all of a sudden decided to be more forthcoming with NBD minutes shortly after anoter op-ed piec here. Coincidence? Inluence? You can be the judge, but it is good to be open in any case. In the words of Zig Ziglar "you can get a lot done if you don't worry over who gets the credit."

My personal opinion is that while specific actions are wonderful, the more important opportunity is a potential watershed in communication potential. When a chapter in Kentucky has a YouthAids event that is so well done that Ashley Judd shows up to thank them the rest of the chapters need to know about it so they can use the ideas for their own local events. TN Kappa has had a number of very culturally interesting events - Like the "Wall of Hate" that was honored recently. Those successes need to be shared to give chapters in California, Minnesota, and New Hampshire seeds to do their "cultural outreach" - or at least to remind us that it is OK to be thoughtful.

On the other hand when chapters or members do dumb stuff - like posting drunken braggadocio over exploits that would make "Bluto" blush - that needs to be exposed as a bad example. Hopefully at least one or two members have read the negative stories and decided to find a different kind of 'fun".

I'll wrap up this love note by just saying although you have not heard from me a lot in the last few months that may be about to change. We have been waiting to see how well the new "alumni focused" Grand Prez slid into his post. Still waiting, but not very patiently.

From an undisclosed location - I am Diogenes, and I approved this message.

Greek Myths that are appropriate to Sig Ep volunteers

Tantalus - Who was forced to stand in a pool of water beneath a fruit tree with low branches. Whenever he reached for the fruit, the branches raised his intended meal from his grasp. Whenever he bent down to get a drink, the water receded before he could get any.

Sisyphus - In the underworld Sisyphus was compelled to roll a big stone up a steep hill; but before it reached the top of the hill the stone always rolled down, and Sisyphus had to begin all over again.

Many of you who are nearly-or-newly alumni may have thought you would like to stay involved as a volunteer. Read this first, it may save you some disappointment.

One of my partners in crime sent me an e-mail thread that detailed his efforts to join one of the Fraternity committees. You know about committees, don't you? They are the groups of so-called 'experts' in various fields who volunteer to lend their expertise to help the fraternity. The committees convene more or less regularly to discuss their area of focus and make strategic recommendations to the board and HQ staff. To quote the HQ web site:

Sigma Phi Epsilon maintains several national volunteer committees to guide fraternity initiatives and support a variety of efforts. Selected by the National Board of Directors with guidance from the Headquarters Staff, committee members each serve six year terms.

Well that's the theory, anyway. In practice it seems that some of the committees have become little fiefdoms with little turnover and less impact. The only recommendations coming from them seem oddly to be aligned with whatever 'solution' is provided by the companies who employ those members. Somehow they all seem to be marketing types. Isn't that interesting?

So anyway, my unnamed compatriot, who has zero marketing experience but an entire career in the "focus area" along with a track record of volunteering for Sig Ep, asked to be considered for a spot on one of the committees. Sadly, he does not belong to the high-dollar "Bored of Governors" nor is he blessed with the title of "Freeark" so he knew going in it was a long shot. He was determined to follow through on the course, though, if only to see how high the walls are.

After 4 months of unreturned e-mails, vague assurances, and the marketing newspeak where 'thanks for your interest' really means 'buzz off, loser', he finally got a specific reply.

Thanks for your interest -- I've been working through the Committee alignments the past few days and your e-mail was most timely.

As part of our renewed focus, I've been asked to not increase the size of the Committee for the next period. As a result, I will be replacing only the student undergraduate member for this next term.

I have informed (insert Richmond gnome name here} of your interest and he will be in contact should additional volunteer opportunities arise.

Thanks for your commitment to SigEp.

Why am I not surprised at the dismissive tone? So the "renewed focus" on volunteers we heard so much about at Conclave really means fewer opportunities for most but continued sinecure for the usual suspects.

An e-mail sent out by Chris Minnis a few days ago to NBD, DGs, and Committees claimed 4.42 volunteers per chapter. I wonder if he actually believes that. How may struggling chapters are there with more like the ".42" part of that number? How many eager young - and not so young - alumni have given up trying to volunteer because of attitudes like the one expressed in that "thank you, now go away" e-mail? I really hope someone is paying attention. We may be on the verge of a meltdown.

Hey Archie - survey this!

From an undisclosed location - I am Diogenes and I approved this message.

Sing me a Rainbow

"We have every mixture you can have. I have a black, a woman, two Jews and a cripple. And we have talent."
- James G. Watt; Secretary of the Interior, 1981-1983

A number of chapters seem to have seriously embraced the idea that Sig Ep is a place for anyone. These chapters, to be sure, seem to be more heavily concentrated in the far West (CA, WA, OR, AK) and Northeast than in the Deep South or Midwest. Still, there is real progress, especially when compared to the time I was in school (mid 70s - Southern). The proportion of "brown faces" rather than distinctions (latin, black, oriental, mid-east, etc.) is more appropriate because concentrations will vary from place to place. Certainly there are still chapters where there are no “brown faces” at all but that number is dwindling. We can see that at CLA and Conclave.

In contrast, the "Public Face", as embodied in the leaders and staff at pretty much every level, is very pale. Now, this should not be too surprising, since the people assuming leadership roles now are more or less my peers. There is a shallow pool of "Sig Eps of color" that are close to my age. However, I do not EVER recall a black RD, and I'm not too sure about Orientals or Hispanics - maybe one here and there. It would seem that some effort might go into making that part of the structure, at least, reflect the non-discrimination principles that we have codified into our national by-laws.

Note: One of our contacts told me there had been one black RD, but he did not finish his term. This merely illustrates the point that a token presence is no better than none at all.

The Ruck Experience and the Quest to Greece are leadership identification and training exercises. You should expect to see those people in 10-20 years stepping up in the Fraternity. Do we see diversity there? If not you have to wonder if some outstanding potential leadership is being missed. Let me say that I do not for a minute believe there is any systematic willful discrimination taking place. Rather I think that it is a case of laziness. The RDs and DGs look for leaders to recommend for special training. Applications are sent in but the future leaders they 'see' just happen to be people who look like them.

An aside - in 2001 in DC My wife and I were sitting near a man from Alabama wearing an OGH - don't remember the name. At one point one a choir member sang a solo - perhaps the sweetheart song or maybe it was the national anthem. My wife and I overheard him say rather loudly to his tablemates "that nigger sure can sing good". My wife was appalled. She left the dinner and may never return to another Conclave.

So, how do we get to the point of making the "top" of the Fraternity look like the "bottom"? We need to see more “brown” faces in the ranks of Volunteers, RDs, DGs, and even NBD members. Once we do that it will stop being an issue. You will remember that Secretary of State was a job for a white male until Madeline Albright and then Colin Powell. Now, however, the only issue that the appointment of Condi Rice raised was whether she was the best person for the job. As it should be. Let’s get to that point with our leaders too. In the words of a “dead black guy” we should judge potential leaders on the “content of their character, not the color of their skin.”

From an undisclosed location...
I am Diogenes and I approved this message.

Who are those guys and why can't we talk to them?

Update June 22, 2005 - We see that the email addresses have been added to the HQ web site. Kudos to HQ For a good response.

If I want to contact my Senator or Congressional Representative I can go to his or her web site and get a laundry list of ways to get my opinion or question voiced. They have telephone numbers, fax numbers, email addresses, snail-mail addresses, all kinds of channels. They want to hear from those people whom they represent. Now in truth, I may not be able to get Sen. Blowhard on the phone or have him read my email. But a well trained flunky staffer will read or listen to my input and respond with an appropriate piece of non-offensive boiler plate. There is at least a chance in hell that he may be between fund-raising dinners or 'fact-finding' golf junkets to Scotland and actually see it himself.

On the other hand, our duly elected leaders on the National Board of Directors have seen fit to go to some effort NOT to be reachable. There is a page on the HQ web site with their names, pictures, chapter affiliations and graduation dates. What is missing? Contact Information! Nowhere on the entire website will you find any way to get in touch with your elected leaders. Try the 'members only' directory? Nope. They, or someone acting on their behalf, has checked the "Hide contact information" flag for every alumni member of the NBD. The undergraduate members apparently didn't get the memo - their information is visible.

If you want to contact an NBD member you must send a message to HQ and hope it gets forwarded on. (Can you say "Mother May I?" I knew you could) The implication is that they are all Very Busy Men and cannot be bothered by the likes of the unwashed peasantry such as us. Besides, what do we know about running a Fraternity?

OK, let's drop the bluster for a bit. These people are our elected leaders. We should be able to give them our input on issues affecting our Fraternity. As the Web page states.

"The National Board of Directors provides experience and expertise in leading the Fraternity. This body is given the authority of the Grand Chapter between Conclaves and is responsible to the Grand Chapter for the satisfactory operation of the national Fraternity."

They meet officially at least twice a year to transact business on our behalf they hire and fire - or at least are notified and approve of - Chapter Counselors, District Governors, Regional Directors, and the staff in Richmond. They approve Chapter expansions and closings. In short, they run the show, and they do a pretty good job of it most of the time. So why is it so hard to get hold of them? I don't know, and if I think about it too much my tinfoil hat starts to chafe. It does seem like it would be very little trouble to set each board member up with a "sigep.net" address similar to the HQ staff. If there is a conflict of interest in doing that there are several brothers who would be glad to send each NBD member a "G-mail" invitation.

So here is what we are going to do. After extensive research we have managed to acquire email addresses for each of the members of the National Board of Directors. The list below has links to each one. We are not encouraging harassment, simply communication. (Here are some guidelines.) If you have an issue, comment, or question that should properly be addressed by a Board member, here is where to find him:

• James F. Robeson, Grand President
• Chris Bittman, Grand Treasurer
• Roger vanHoozer
• David O. Chang (undergraduate)
• Phillip Cox
• Bert J. Harris
• Garry Kief
• Jeffrey D. Prouty
• Matthew C. Rodrigue (undergraduate)
• Elliot A. Silver (undergraduate)
• Yeatts, Archie

You may want to let the HQ staff know how you feel too. Craig Templeton, Executive Director - Sigma Phi Epsilon Headquarters

Perhaps some enterprising delegate to conclave would like to draft legislation that calls for contact information to be available for all of our Volunteer Leadership whether NBD, DG, AVC Pres, CC, or National Committee members. Oh, Right, One more reason to keep those cards and letters flowing.

- From an undisclosed location, I am Diogenes and I approve this message.

Talking Points for CLA and Conclave

Who's Ritual is it? - Part II (See previous)

Our Ritual embodies the philosophy that forms our Brotherhood and is the basic grounding of our Fraternity. The words, the symbols and their meanings, the tokens and signs, even the placement of items and the order they are exemplified all should build to a mystical revelation of the bond between us.

The Ritual should change rarely and slowly and with much soul searching. It should be even harder to change than a constitution. It should not be left to the whim of a group of people without accountability to the membership and altered cavalierly to fit the needs of the member development scheme du jour.

If, as seems to be inevitable, we are in the process of recreating what it means to be a member of a fraternity then of course the Ritual must be altered to accommodate the change. That does not mean it should be divested of every mystical symbol simply because they are hard to understand or may 'look bad' or "it takes too long". It should not be broken into parts just because you have to do something after each "challenge" stage.

The Initiation Ritual could very well be structured to work in a 3-tiered manner. We already have a model, in fact. For those of you who came in late I would remind you that several of our founders were Freemasons. The Freemason's "Blue Lodge" Ritual is a series of three degrees, from Entered Apprentice, to Fellow Craft, to Master Mason, at which time one is "as much a Mason as you will ever be". (The higher degrees are more for learning and understanding than secret initiation.) The Masonic model in its current form has served that Fraternity well at least since 1717, and much longer according to which origin story you believe.

It is a sad indictment that a fraternity founded by Freemasons has so few of them in leadership positions. Perhaps if our leaders were more familiar with the concept of a fraternal organization we would have a stronger mystical context to the brotherhood. As things are today, we seem to be working from a business plan better suited to producing MBA candidates than a vital brotherhood. "What profiteth a man if he gain the whole world but lose his own soul?"

Brotherhood is our "Core Business", not "building leaders". We must never forget that. A corporation that moves away from its core business is in danger of losing strategic focus and losing market share.

The Fraternity as a body should make it clear that we do not want the ground to move under our feet without the full participation of the membership. And by membership I mean ALL members including Alumni as well as Undergraduates, Volunteers as well as Paid Staff. We need a Ritual Committee made up of members who are well versed in the power of rituals - clergy, Freemasons, academics, or volunteers with strong Chapter experience. That committee would make recommendations which must be ratified by the Fraternity as a whole. That is the only way such fundamental changes should be made. Change will be slow - it should be. If the current leadership cannot accept that mandate then we need new leadership.

I am Diogenes and I approved this message.

Sound Mind, Sound Body, SOUND SPIRIT

We at "S&P Central" welcome correspondence. Our guiding interest is promotion of the ideals and Cardinal Principles of Sigma Phi Epsilon. What ever you have to say on that topic is fair fodder for this forum. Please keep the cards and letters 'pouring in'.

A correspondent who shall remain nameless writes:

I was perusing the blog and I ran into a couple of posts that really touched on the same issue: The diminishing "soul" of Sigma Phi Epsilon.

What I would ask, not to the author, but in response to the question is this: We are working on "Sound Mind and Sound Body", but what about "Sound Spirit"?

There are some who say it is part of "Sound Mind", or some who equate it to fundamentalist religious principles, but I think that both arguments are a bunch of crap. I can go to school and sharpen my mind, I can go to a gym and sharpen my body, but where can I go to shape, nurture, and lift up my spirit? I can go to my fraternity brothers.

What is more spiritual than the bonds of brotherhood or a sacred kinship with your fellow man? Our ritual is a beautiful thing and should be celebrated and promoted as much as possible. I really don't have time to go off on a rant, but maybe that should be a discussion point on the blog...and maybe a resolution at Conclave in Nashville.

Sound Mind, Sound Body, and SOUND SPIRIT.

"Sound Spirit" indeed. What a great concept!

In recent years the ritual has taken a back seat to a collection of costly and marginally effective programs with catchy names that only a few members can ever hope to attend. Ritual is given lip service at best. This is shown by the way it has been fragmented and de-emphasized until it is now possible to be a 'full member' and graduate without ever having completed the entire ritual cycle. How does that square with "Sound Spirit"?

The 'secular' process that has been adopted by our national leadership (and I use the term loosely) is to identify "fast track" prospects and then give them ever more challenging - and rewarding - "opportunities". The men whose personal ambitions focus on the next rung stray further and further from brotherhood and toward personal aggrandizement. This serves to cull the group down to an elite few who expect to be given plum assignments. In that way we look more and more like a certain reality TV missing only the phrase "You're Fired!". Where is the "Sound Spirit"?

Not everyone who focuses on the "Leadership Continuum" to the exclusion of his chapter brothers will grow up to be a Freeark. This carefully crafted experiment in 'molding tomorrows leaders' will send the best and brightest into the world of private business where they will, no doubt, succeed. One may only hope they remember their roots.

The myriad issues that confront us, including relevancy and risk management among many others, need answers. The answers are in our Ritual, which is our code and guide for living our daily lives, if we will allow it to be. We must embrace it and include its principles in our every endeavor. Otherwise we are hypocrites and may as well be in the Business Club.

If we want the Fraternity to endure for another hundred years we must regain our soul. We must reignite the fire in our hearts. We must recover our ritual roots. Let's add "Sound Spirit" to "Sound Mind" and "Sound Body".

From an undisclosed location, I'm Diogenes and I approved this message.

The Sincerest Form of Flattery

If you have been following along at home, you know that we here at "S & P" do not hold the crack team of Web Wookies at HQ in the highest of regard. But to be fair, we should acknowledge when they do something right.

They have FINALLY updated the "News" section with these new items.

• A posting for "Director of Volunteers". Check it out if you are interested. A fully supported position like this could reap great benefits for the Fraternity. (The operative phrase is "fully supported").
• A badly scanned PDF of the "Buy a Tile" brochure.
• A shill for fantasy football. (We hope HQ is getting a cut of the $$$.)
• A Press Release for YouthAids. (Looks a lot like this one, don't you think?)

We even noticed a "Google News" link on the news sidebar. That looks familiar too.

Seriously, The HQ site was getting stale and we are glad to see that there is some new content there to stimulate interest. They really do have good information there if you can find it.

From an undisclosed location, I'm Diogenes and I approved this message.

Vote Like Your Life Depends on it!

The presidential election this year is one of the most polarized and divisive in recent memory. Many of you may feel that because the name-calling and mud slinging is so nasty that you would rather not vote at all. Let me assure you nothing could be further from the truth. The most direct way to exercise your rights, privileges, and obligations as a citizen of the United States is to vote for the people who represent you. Let me repeat that. The most direct way to exercise your rights, privileges, and obligations as a citizen of the United States is to vote for the people who represent you.

Which candidate for President you vote for may or may not seem to be important, depending on your state. In Texas, Bush will win no matter what the democrats do, ditto for Kerry and California and republicans. Florida and Michigan, on the other hand, could go either way. Nonetheless, the act of voting is crucial to keeping our country strong. If you don't vote for 'your' candidate, the other side wins by virtue of intimidation. More to the point, if you don't vote at all then the interests that don't want you to have a choice win.

In order to vote you must be registered. Time is running short. States close their voting registration 'books' from two weeks up to a month before elections are held. Get your butt in gear and get registered, even if you have not decided whom you will vote for (or against!). If you are not registered you can't even play and there is just no excuse for drooping the ball like that.

OK, OK - you've heard it before - "Rock the Vote"; "Vote or Die"; “Just Vote”; and all the other get out the vote stuff. It’s still important. It's THAT important. Keep reading...

Here is the part you may have missed. And I hate to say it but it is more ignored yet even more important than the presidential races.

There are more races than President to decide this fall. Every member of the House of Representatives and one third of the Senate is also up for grabs. Not to mention governors, state offices and legislators, judges, and all the local mayors, council members, school boards, and yes, even dogcatchers.

These "down ticket" races will affect you more directly and immediately than the President will ever hope to. State College funding is set at the state capitol, not D.C. City street repair and garbage pickup is run from City Hall. Traffic tickets and family courts are presided over by elected judges in many states. You need to get to know something about how the candidates for these offices will approach their office. These people are asking you for a job. If you don’t help to select them someone else will. And you cannot be sure they have your best interest at heart.

Where to do that? Look up your local League of Women Voters for a start. They ask candidates for statements and biographies and publish them with no bias. If you do have a party preference look for the local precinct or club meetings. They ask candidates to come and talk (only the one flavor, of course) and you can get to know who they are. The local newspapers should also be doing profiles independent of their editorial endorsements. You may have community access TV with candidate forums and your college democrat or republican group may invite candidates to speak. Go to the web sites. Most of them still look like a hand out that is scanned in but they are getting better. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and expect real answers.

This is the 'spade work' of democracy. Just like a garden, you have to get your hands dirty if you want the best outcome. Yes, there is a lot of B.S. to use as fertilizer, but the closer you get, the easier it is to tell it for what it is.

To sum up:

• Get registered to vote
• Find out who is running for office and what they stand for.
• Vote all the way down the ticket

VOTE, DAMMIT! Vote Like Your Life Depends on it!

From an undisclosed location... I am Diogenes and I approved this message.

Double Secret Elitism

An email came to us by devious means which we found intriguing - not in what is said, the message itself is mundane - but in the implications of elitism. The message was sent to "Officers and Volunteers" from HQ and offers a link to what appears to be a 'special' page on the HQ web site.
To wit:

_________________________
Officers and Volunteers,

The September Officers and Volunteers Monthly (OVM) has been updated on the SigEp website. The Officers and Volunteers Monthly is posted to SigEp.org for each Chapter President, Alumni and Volunteer Corporation (AVC) President and Treasurer, Chapter Counselor and Resident Scholar. Its purpose is to communicate pertinent information to each chapter and its AVC. You can view it by visiting www.sigep.org/monthly/default.asp.

Should you wish to receive a paper copy of the OVM in the mail, let me know.

Fraternally,
E. Scott Thompson II
Director of Communications
_________________________

Someone who didn't know better would think that this was a special page that only the anointed can see. In fact, it is "hidden in plain sight" as the first item on the "Volunteers" page. Much of the information is tedious housekeeping stuff about billing deadlines and such, but there is a list of all the confirmed dates and places for New Member Camps (or is it EDGE now? ...and what is the double secret, esoteric, ritualitstic meaning of EDGE, anyway?), CLAs, Conclave, and Expansion sites. In addition most of the items have direct links to the form or page they refer to. It's not quite a site map, but it is the closest thing we have seen to one yet.

Why are you hiding this light under a bushel? One could get the impression that you are trying to discourage people from finding useful information.

From an undisclosed location... I am Diogenes and I approved this message.