Re: [AISdiscuss] #6 of 6:letter from Editor to President and Board

[Robt R Pries <rpries@sbcglobal.net>]

It is inappropriate to forward posts meant for an
internal discussion with a small number of people who
are on the bulletin committee to such a large forum as
discuss. Addressing someone directly can take on
different flavor when shouted to the rooftops. 
Within our small committee I have perhaps used too
harsh a language, but I do not seem to be able to get
Bruces attention with less blunt rhetoric. At last
falls
board meeting Bruce presented bids. The low bid in
this country was AG Press, almost as low as overseas.
It was $9000 a year less than the printer in Portland.
One has to realize that at this meeting insurance
costs had skyrocketed and the projected budget for the
coming year was $9000 in the red. At that rate in less
than 3 years AIS would have used up all its reserves.
Those reserves may be needed to turn around the
decline in membership. I was very troubled by AISs
downward trajectory. 

I have no doubt that when bids were solicited, they
were done on an even playing field and as Bruce says
they would have produced similar products. But
this is not the argument that was presented at the
meeting. There was a difference in paper weight on the
bids AG being 70# and Portland being 80#. Paper can
never give the whole story since coatings, surface
texture and density can make one weight equivalent to
a slightly different weight. Essentially the argument
came to this, is the quality the same. Since there was
no sample sought from AG press, that question could
not be answered. The board was left in the awkward
position of not wanting to risk a loss in quality
because of unknown results despite a large difference
in cost.

 The reason why I felt insulted was that first we were
told that the bids were gathered equally and
represented comparable products, but when it came time
to evaluate them, the low bid was criticized as not of
the same quality. I felt the board had been
sandbagged. I understand the value of approving
galleys for color correctness and I am certain it can
be done faster standing at the printers then if the
galleys have to be overnighted and approved by phone.
That is a different argument then how the bids were
presented. 

I believe the editor must be engaged with the board
since we should be working together to the benefit of
AIS. I found it very discouraging that Bruce did not
show up at the Board meetings in Portland. As editor
surely he would have been able to contribute to the
discussions on many topics. He only came to the
sections meeting at the tail end. Much of the meeting
had revolved around how he had expressed the costs of
overseas membership in the Bulletin. Each section
wished to make their own decision on what that cost
should be and not what Bruce had assigned them. When
he finally showed up and was politely asked to change
this in the bulletin, he refused saying it could not
be done. I simply pointed out to him that I work in
the Quark program that he uses in the bulletin and
that if he did not know how to do it I would show him.
I confess that my patience had worn thin and this
arrogance infuriated me. My tone could have been
better. Bruce then admitted that this was boiler plate
and he should not have to change it. 

I do not see that there is any point to a bulletin
Committee, if an editor simply chooses to do as he
wishes. I am certain that I can have no effect on the
editor, so it would seem rather ridiculous for me to
continue to serve on this committee. Essentially the
committee only met once and that was after a board
meeting not before and It would never have met at all
if I had not suggested it do so. Bruce does not look
for ideas outside his world and I do not believe I can
be effective interacting with him. Therefore I will
resign from this committee. If Bruce has some
respect for AIS, maybe he will show up this fall.


--- bfilardi@comcast.net wrote:

> To: Jeanne Plank, President, and Members of the AIS
> Board
>  
> Prior to this message, I have posted some previous
> communications that were sent out by Bob Pries to
> members of the Bulletin Advisory Committee.  I think
> the tone of his letters speaks for itself.
>  
> I believe in living my life with great regard for
> courtesy to others.  As a result, I find it
> intolerable when I am treated with blatant
> discourtesy, especially when I have done absolutely
> nothing to deserve rudeness, hostility, and bullying
> tactics such as the ones to which I have been
> subjected by Mr. Pries.
>  
> On three occasions in the last year, Mr. Pries has
> publicly humiliated me, and each time I have held my
> tongue in order to avoid any uncomfortable
> situations for AIS.  However, at this point, I feel
> that he has gone a bit too far.
>  
> I remind Board Members that Terry Aitken and I
> presented identical requirements  along with a
> sample copy of the Bulletin  to ALL bidders prior
> to the 2005 Fall Board Meeting.  The bids we
> received represented each printer's attempt to come
> closest to our specs.  (Due to different printing
> press types, differences in printing processes and
> proofs, differences in paper they use, etc., they
> are not necessarily able to exactly duplicate the
> specifications of our current printer.)
>  
> Perhaps tactics such as those employed by Mr. Pries
> were considered an acceptable norm in Nazi Germany,
> but I do not feel that they are appropriate behavior
> for a member of the Board of the American Iris
> Society.  In addition, such tactics are even more
> inappropriate for a member of the Bulletin Advisory
> Committee, which should be a supportive,
> encouraging, and productive (rather than
> counterproductive) group.
>  
> I ask the President and the Board to remove Mr.
> Pries from his position on the Bulletin Advisory
> Committee.  If he is allowed to remain in his
> present capacity, I will be unable to attend the
> Fall Board Meeting this year, for the sake of my
> physical and emotional well-being.  I do not feel
> that I should be subjected to Mr. Pries' abuse, and
> I will not tolerate further abuse of this nature.
>  
> Thank you for your support,
> Bruce Filardi
> 
>
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