ANA election responses

From the July 26 Numismatic News E-Newsletter:

American Numismatic Association members threw out incumbent governors in favor of a new team lead by Clifford Mishler and Chet Krause. How do you feel about the election outcome?

Here are some answers sent from our e-newsletter readers to Editor Dave Harper.

I am terribly pleased to see that the ANA election results totally repudiated the incumbents and also the executive director, Mr. Cipoletti. This result was especially pleasing as I was one of thousands of members who DID NOT ever receive a ballot.

Now, it is important to emphasize that the present board SHOULD NOT act on ANY business between now and Aug. 11 (the apparent date for the installation of the new board). The present governors, the president and the executive director do not have the mandate to act further, neither on the proposed bylaw changes nor anything else.

As Oliver Cromwell said when he dissolved the Rump Parliament by force: ?It is not fit that you should sit here any longer ? you have sat too long for any good you have been doing lately. You shall now give place to better men.?

Indeed, there is not one single piece of business before the ANA Board that cannot wait until the installation of the new board; any attempt to act on any business is simple more bad faith on the part of Mr. Cipoletti and President Horton. Their bad faith has been superabundant already!

Bob Olson
Springfield, Ill.

I have no problem with it. I think an organization needs to clean house from time to time. New blood fosters new ideas and new growth. I think any long term member would say that the ANA was getting a little stodgy over the past few years. Maybe we?ll see some new innovation and excitement again.

Mike Harris
Tucson, Ariz.

It was nice to see a new group of ANA board members elected! Just about all who I voted for got in. This is something new for me, being an ANA member since 1970.

The membership has spoken ? it?s time for a change!

I was very happy to see Walt regain his seat to the board, since being removed last year by his own fellow board members. I thought it was an unfair and arbitrary decision. Welcome back, Walt!

The best to all the new members, and thanks to all the ?old? members for their service.

Robert S. Riemer
Stamford, Conn.

Thanks for asking us to comment on the outcome of the ANA election. Overall, I think the results will be very positive, especially with the likes of Krause, Mishler and Boling on the board. They might even reinstate regional coordinators, a positive that I held before I resigned a couple of years ago!

Name and address withheld

I just read Jay Stevenson?s letter, ?ANA losing focus on promoting hobby,? in the July 24 issue of Numismatic News. I believe that the new board will address his issues very well. I?m puzzled, however, by his question: ?Why be an ANA member if I can grab the Numismatist off Border?s magazine rack?? Certainly buying all 12 annual magazines in this manner would be at least as expensive as a membership, without the rights and other benefits, including the right to vote, which we?ve just seen in action!

Eric Holcomb
Kent, Wash.

I am VERY happy to see a new board of directors! I voted for all but two of them, but the two I did not vote for appear to be good new members.
I had not yet received my ballot by late June and was preparing a trip to Canada. I called the firm for a new ballot and left a message on the answering machine of the person responsible for sending it to me. I received no reply from him. I eventually received one ballot, but I do not know if it was the original or the replacement.

The controversies in the ANA have turned off a lot of members, so I know many did not vote, but I believe the total votes are too low. Is it too low because members did not receive their ballots, or not in time? Or was it a widespread turnoff? I would like to see a list of the members who voted. Not their votes, but just who voted. This can be done in my local elections, and I think it should be available to ANA members, too.

The new ANA President is from the ?old? administration, and I hope is going to take the advice of his new board in cleaning up the house and bringing the ANA back to its old ways. But I am almost positive that there is no such hope from the ANA Vice President. She has, ?wondered if the incoming members of the board know what level of commitment of time and money that it takes to serve on this board and be effective.?

With a board of old ?all stars,? I think that is a slap in their faces!

As for the vote on the by-law changes, I think most of the people did not read the entire document. Changes should be in small bites that can be easily considered instead of a large rewrite. I believe few members really had the time to read all of the changes with the shortened voting window, and they just approved them. This is sad, but the delay of the ballots for the changes to the by-laws was a major management blunder that contributed to the quick approval votes.

For the first time in many years, I am looking forward to working with the new ANA Board!

Howard A. Daniel III
The Southeast Asian Treasury
Deltaville, Va.

I think it?s GREAT. I?ll REJOIN the ANA. Now all the new board has to do is get rid of Chris Cipoletti.

Paul E. Jackson
Salt Lake City, Utah

Perhaps now the ANA can get back to its mission (education) and its rank-and-file membership, and let the major dealers squabble in their own forum, the PNG.

I also feel that the ANA?s efforts should be concentrated on building one first class museum at the Old Mint in San Francisco, and put plans for the second on hold for the time being. Remember, there is an election in two years, and some, although not enough of us, do vote.

Richard Thatcher
San Gabriel, Calif.

The freedom of choice is just really great. ?The Membership Has Spoken.?
With all the controversy perhaps its best to start with a clean plate and see what gets piled on it.

Hopefully this new group will steer the ship in a better direction for all members.

Ed Ciechanowski
Oak Creek, Wis

I cannot but see that this is positive for the numismatic world, both in and out of the U.S. as after all what goes on in the states has a rippling effect all over and eventually effects the rest of us.

Anton Holt
Central Bank of Iceland
Reykjavik, Iceland

I?m glad there?s a new batch of highly qualified board members to guide the ANA. I would have voted for them too if I hadn?t intentionally let my membership lapse due to all the bickering these past years. Hopefully the new board can show me some new reasons to re-join!

Pat Danisch
Greenhurst, N.Y.

I think the outcome of the recent ANA governors election is shameful. Every incumbent booted out? Were they all that bad? If so, then how did they all manage to get elected two years ago?

The ANA eliminated its incumbent governors because too many of the voting members resisted change. Tell me how any individual or organization can achieve continuous improvement without risking some change to the status quo? Sure, change will result in some mistakes. However, doing the same thing over and over is the greatest mistake.

Finally, I was particularly disturbed about the ouster of Don Kagin. He has done more for the hobby than most of his peers. What an insult to a true leader in numismatics.

Bill Green
Alamo, Calif.

I think the election results are wonderful and justified. I am an average collector who reads as much as I can and am a member of the ANA. I think it can be summed up best by reviewing the commentary from the outgoing President in the most recent issue of the ANA Magazine. Bill Horton?s report card on himself for the twelve objectives he laid out at the beginning of his term is both comical and sobering. This extreme level of arrogance is ?breathtaking? and I believe accurately reflects the mentality of him and the rest of the board. It?s too bad we didn?t have any choices for the new president and vice president.

Warren Peterson
Northfield, Minn.

Now I will probably rejoin the ANA. Hopefully the days of personal agendas is over.

Griff Carnes
Kerrville, Texas

I voted for all of the elected governors, and I am happy things will change!

Ingrid O?Neil
Vancouver, Wash.

I think it?s great. I?ll rejoin the ANA. Now all the new board has to do is get rid of Chris Cipoletti.

Paul E. Jackson
Salt Lake City, Utah

I feel elated that ?new/old? blood has taken over the ANA governance. It augurs a bright future for the numismatic community and our fellow members.

Emilio M. Ortiz
San Juan, Puerto Rico