[RITSlist] Digest vs. Rocket-section #1

[Arkrail at aol.com]

The following message is being sent to the RITS list in "two sections" 
because the length exceeded the longest siding available on the RITS server (the 
message was twice rejected).  This is section #1.
 
Dick,
 
Thank you for your input into this discussion.  In your role as chairman of 
the publications committee, I appreciate your taking the time to respond, 
although from my perspective (the perspective of wanting to maintain the Digest) 
I'm not convinced that much progress is being made.
 
A few comments about details in your July 2 message posted on the RITS list:
 
Much anguish has been expressed by some over the $35.00 dues for RITS.  In a 
quick check of a few other rail historical societies, ICHS is $35, MPHS, 
GM&OHS and Burlington HS are all at $30.  RITS is not out of line on dues -- if 
anything, some dues increase probably should have come sooner.  A few rail 
historical societies are in the $20 range, but they provide very little in the way 
of publications, and are thus not in the same league as RITS.
 
Why shouldn't the membership be kept informed of the publication committee 
activity?  Certainly the day- to-day actions of the committee are not of 
interest, but the general thrust of the committee is of major concern to some of us 
who have been in this organization from the days when the Rock Island was still 
running trains.  I find it a bit offensive to be condescendingly told to 
essentially sit down, shut up, and wait for the publication committee to present 
some proposal to the board which will then vote and dictate to me what is best 
for me.  Call me stubborn, but I happen to like to influence my own destiny as 
much as possible.  Sometimes that means asking hard questions and raising 
unpleasant issues among friends, all of whom would much rather be discussing some 
detail of Rock Island operations.  
 
Could some of the delay to Digest #24 be attributed to what has evolved into 
an unfortunate power struggle/personality conflict between the former 
associate editor and the current chairman of the publication committee?  Like any 
disagreement, BOTH SIDES are right on some issues and BOTH SIDES are wrong on some 
issues.  Both sides have a lot to offer RITS, and the organization is the 
loser without the talent and knowledge of each individual.  In the interest of 
RITS, all concerned might consider what sort of good faith effort could be 
extended in order to reach a fair and workable compromise - a compromise which 
extends  beyond the immediate issue of Digest #24.  There are too few of us Rock 
Island fans already, and we all seem to be going in different directions rather 
than building on the things we have in common.  Do we really want RITS to 
follow the railroad into oblivion?   Perhaps both sides should submit to binding 
arbitration -- and I am only half-joking when I make that suggestion.
 
You message states that initially Digest #24 was at the printer and then 
"other things happened" and now we are at a stalemate with it again.  Lets be a 
little more clear... the "other things happen" is that the board decided to fire 
the associate editor (who produced Digest #24) and revoke his membership in 
RITS.  I won't argue the merits of the board action, but the fact remains that 
a person who had produced six digests for RITS (numbers 9-11-13-19-20-24) was 
summarily dismissed by the board, and not only dismissed, but his membership 
revoked in what was unprecedented board action for RITS.  The associate editor 
failed to receive even the courtesy of an official notification of this board 
action, finding out only by heresay and then by reading the Jack Carson letter 
in the latest RITS mailing.  That's quite a bit more than just "other things 
happen."  What would YOU have done if you had been the recipient of similar 
board action?  Human nature being what it is, don't you think that symbolically 
having your head handed to you on a platter might make anyone a little less 
than enthusiastic about continuing to be involved with or cooperate with RITS on 
any level?  
 
---------End section #1, please continue with section #2, next 
message----------
 
Bill Pollard
 



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