An open message from the Board to the RAW Membership, July 19, 2007

 
After having defined & ratified the new RAW ByLaws in 2006, 
the existing Board has found that holding an Annual Meeting 
and initiating the Election process has been a task too daunting 
and time consuming for any one individual, or existing committee 
to take on additionally to the fulfillment of their basic duties 
as volunteers for the organization. As a result, the organization 
as a whole has been on autopilot, and without any particularly defined 
or achievable goals. 
 
Kyle Russell, who's position as Interim Executive Director was to have 
expired on completion of the ByLaws, presented the Board with a proposal 
exactly two months ago, that would put the ByLaws into effect AND revitalize 
RAW’s place in the industry. 
 
We have had due time to debate and approve the plan, and have voted by a 
majority to accept it. A one-time payment of two thousand dollars has been 
made through Russell’s consulting firm KRucial Reggae to proceed with the 
most necessary "prearranged and valid expenses" of his labor & services 
which will be expended over the next 4-6 months.* 
 
Russell is not being paid in his capacity as a volunteer Board member - 
the duties of which he will continue to do gratis & in addition to this 
project - but as an outside management & PR consultant whose labor & services 
have been duly "recognized and approved by the Board and Treasurer," as 
authorized in our ByLaws.* [* = 2 quotes from paragraphs 3 & 4 are taken 
from the ByLaws]

 
Kyle Russell's commitment:

  1.. to educate the membership about  the ByLaws and future organizational structure. 
  2.. to organize the much needed  Elections that will bring in new leadership. 
  3.. to organize an Annual  Meeting, even remotely, via the Internet. 
  4.. to give RAW new meaning by having  it collaborate in its own promotion with partner 
  organizations, particularly those involved in efforts to achieve global change. 
  5.. to put KRucial Reggae’s  promotional machinery behind promoting RAW beyond our existing
  network,  reaching out to lapsed members and asking them back; creating a RAW MySpace  
  page he would administrate; and through his own email network, Newsletters  &  web site, 
  which currently reach over 10,000 people  monthly.


The time frame for the achievement of these goals would be: for the project 
definition & election nomination process to begin immediately, ideally 
completing by the end of September; and for the balloting & Annual Meeting 
process to follow thereafter, ideally completing by Thanksgiving. 
 
These optimal benchmarks notwithstanding, Russell has pledged to stay in as long 
as it takes for us to put the Annual Meeting behind us and have ourselves a new 
Board in place. We believe that these goals, coupled with his other efforts will 
serve to "reinvent" RAW, both expanding and improving our public image 
internationally, as well as our capacity to "forward the Reggae vibe every time".