Hi All

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Well, it has been about a week and a half since I began to think about what to do with the current situation of the Society and what to do about the future of it. I think I’ve run out of time to not talk to the membership at large and so here I sit trying to organize my thoughts notes into some sort of coherent manner that I can put to you on paper. You think that after all the time since the last meeting, I’d have sorted hem out better.

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Here goes…

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I’ve thought about and written down a ton of notes, talked to many people over the past few days and prayed for guidance but I’ve still got nothing.  I do not know what to do forge a path forward for the Society. We now have an drifting executive group and that is a recipe for mischief if not outright disaster.

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When I first started on this journey, I did so with a desire to preserve the clubhouse location and use the opportunity to steer the Society from the underground jam space it was into a more integrated and public feature of the Edmonton music ecosystem, providing a space for musicians to be musicians doing musician things without the pressure of the marketplace intruding upon it.

I asked for and received your help both in financial terms and in taking control of the Society’s executive in order to implement the policy changes and agenda that I had envisioned and I thank you for that. I wish I could have delivered a better result.

The problem is that we need a home of our own in order to implement the ideas. We no longer have one and with no prospects of finding another In the near future puts all our efforts in limbo and me at a crossroads for a variety of reasons.

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Since announcing our failure to retain the clubhouse, questions and accusations have surfaced regarding the disbursement of the donated dollars and some have questioned my personal integrity in these matters. Let me state here, now, that all dollars collected were used to pay for our clubhouse bills (and our application to the city) from Mid-December through now. No dollars have gone anywhere else. You may check with our Treasurer, Rob Speidel, if you wish confirmation.

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As for my personal integrity, my actions have been transparent and my conscience is clear.

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It also became very apparent at our last General Meeting that the support for the mandate we were given has definitely dissipated if not outright disappeared. I guess that makes sense as it was based upon retaining the clubhouse and that is now not happening.

Couple this collapse of support with the automatic lack of buy-in from a significant part of the active membership for any initiative I’ve introduced over the past 2 years, from shows at the clubhouse to what we’ve been trying to accomplish in the past few months, I don’t see a way forward for the present executive configuration to continue to lead the Society in any significant manner.

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When the governed refuses consent to the governing body, that body can no longer govern and chaos ensues. Don’t know where I read that, but it seems appropriate in this instance. That adage works for countries, companies and social constructs like our Society. I do not want that to happen to this Society. I feel I have become an obstacle to that consent being given to the executive by the membership and so after a lot of thought and consultations I’m going to step aside so someone else can get this thing going. I am resigning my position as President.

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We will have ANOTHER General Meeting (Jeeez, doesn’t this guy get tired of these damned meetings?) on Thursday, June 25 at 7 pm at the Sherbrooke Pub. I will tender my resignation then.

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I have talked extensively with Cash on all these subjects and we have both come to the same conclusion regarding our roles in the in the executive. Cash will be tendering his resignation at the same time. We have already informed Rob of our decision. Rob will be staying on as treasurer and I have no idea what Royal is likely to do, but as of this moment, he is still a member of the executive.

If you would like to put your name in the hat for either the position of President or Vice-President please let your intentions be known to Rob Speidel, our Treasurer. Please let him know of your intentions by June 12th.

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On June 13th I will make a Membership List available to the candidates, so if you do not want your info given out to the candidates for this election, please let me know before the 12th and I’ll get you off the list that I’ll give out.

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I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank those who came down and helped with the tear-down and move. Your efforts were greatly appreciated. Most of the stuff went to Trevor’s hangar and the rest is being stored at Rob’s farm until Trevor is back from the coast. We have now vacated the premises.

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Elvis has left the building.

Thank you, goodnight,

Bob Walker