** Please visit our website: http://www.africanassociation.org **
That's a wild generalization, I am afraid!
PETER VAKUNTA
----- Original Message -----
From: "Kumapayi, Ray" <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Friday, January 14, 2005 10:42 am
Subject: Re: AAM AT CROSSROADS - AN OPINION
> ** Please visit our website: http://www.africanassociation.org **
>
> Those who talk don't know.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Abu-Hassan Koroma [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Friday, January 14, 2005 10:36 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: AAM AT CROSSROADS - AN OPINION
>
>
> ** Please visit our website: http://www.africanassociation.org **
>
> Gentleman, without casting aspersion on your
> contribution/opinion to the discussion thread, do you
> really know what you are talking about? Or is it a
> matter of those who know don't talk and those who talk
> don't know?
>
> I only brought in this information because I like the
> line of thought that has been advanced. It is very
> essential that "members" know the status of their
> organization. It you tell people that you are a 501 (
> C)3 and somehow you are not, that may not be a good
> idea. Don't you think so?
>
> P.O. (Permanently Online)
>
>
>
>
>
> --- "Kumapayi, Ray" <[log in to unmask]>
> wrote:
>
> > ** Please visit our website:
> > http://www.africanassociation.org **
> >
> > Correction: AAM is a legal entity, incorporated and
> > a non-for-profit
> > organization filed with IRS.
> > Folks, let's be very careful with our
> > pronouncements.
> >
> > Apart from Aggo's well-written piece, there are many
> > other issues that need
> > to be addressed
> > in support of AAM's growth and direction. These
> > issues are currently being
> > discussed and streamlined in the AAM Focus Sessions.
> > There may be a few
> > more focus sessions to go before finalization. For
> > a good knowledge base of
> > AAM, get involved!!!! True understanding will
> > ultimately lead to achievable
> > goals. On-line just doesn't cut it! Period.
> >
> > -Ray Kumapayi
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Abu-Hassan Koroma
> > [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> > Sent: Thursday, January 13, 2005 11:38 PM
> > To: [log in to unmask]
> > Subject: Re: AAM AT CROSSROADS - AN OPINION
> >
> >
> > ** Please visit our website:
> > http://www.africanassociation.org **
> >
> > Legally, there is no African Asscoiation of Madison.
> > Perhaps that should be the first crisis to resolve
> > and
> > then all these brilliant ideas may follow.
> >
> >
> > --- PETER WUTEH VAKUNTA <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> >
> > > ** Please visit our website:
> > > http://www.africanassociation.org **
> > >
> > > AAM is not and shouldn't be a sinking titanic.
> > What
> > > members in good
> > > standing have to do in order to salvage the
> > > 'titanic' is to diversify
> > > fund-raising ventures in the community of Madison.
> > > We cannot count on
> > > AFRICA FEST alone as we strive to sell our
> > > image.AFRICA FEST is
> > > certainly an image-boosting event but we need to
> > go
> > > beyond that. I
> > > believe in aggressive self-publicity. This can be
> > > done in a number of
> > > ways, one of which is to liaise with similar
> > > nonprofit organizations in
> > > this community to carry out projects that will
> > have
> > > a noticeable impact
> > > on the lives of MADISONIANS. Then and only then
> > will
> > > our fundraising
> > > drives have meaning to the average person in
> > > MADISON. So, the keys
> > > words are: COMMITMENT AND FORESIGHTED AGGRESSIVE
> > > Self-marketing.
> > >
> > > PETER VAKUNTA
> > >
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: Aggo Akyea <[log in to unmask]>
> > > Date: Thursday, January 13, 2005 4:41 pm
> > > Subject: AAM AT CROSSROADS - AN OPINION
> > >
> > > > AAM AT CROSSROADS - AN OPINION
> > > >
> > > > The African Association of Madison, Inc., has
> > > evolved after 12
> > > > years of positive growth in the community. AAM
> > has
> > > reached a point
> > > > where it needs to change direction, mature and
> > > face its adolescent
> > > > years with gusto or confront irrelevancy and
> > > possible extinction.
> > > > If the overriding desire is to remain as a
> > > moribund group that
> > > > gets together every other weekend for a dinner
> > > party and
> > > > socialize, then the status quo can be
> > maintained.
> > > >
> > > > The Association is now in the expected and
> > > laudable process of
> > > > analyzing what is working and what is not. A lot
> > > of things are not
> > > > working as exemplified by the inability to find
> > a
> > > new President to
> > > > lead the Association into this New Year as
> > > required by the
> > > > constitution. This current dialogue and
> > discussion
> > > must include a
> > > > serious consideration of the organizational
> > > structure of the
> > > > association; otherwise the end result will be
> > akin
> > > to the
> > > > rearrangement of the chairs on the deck of a
> > > sinking Titanic.
> > > >
> > > > AAM should assess its organizational structure
> > and
> > > initiate
> > > > changes immediately. The ability to adapt and
> > > strive for
> > > > excellence can only be a benefit; both to the
> > > organization and to
> > > > those it purports to serve. The current
> > > organizational structure
> > > > is not helping the Association meet its goals
> > and
> > > needs a tsunamic
> > > > change.
> > > > In order for AAM to achieve its full potential
> > as
> > > a respected and
> > > > effective organization in the community, there
> > is
> > > a clamor for the
> > > > association to undertake several programs. These
> > > include an
> > > > African Center, cultural activities, a
> > > comprehensive support
> > > > system for Africans in the Madison area, youth
> > > guidance and
> > > > educational programs, to name a few. The current
> > > structure of the
> > > > Association cannot ensure the implementation of
> > > these lofty goals.
> > > >
> > > > The African Association of Madison should
> > abandon
> > > current
> > > > executive-and-membership operated organizational
> > > format, and
> > > > embrace a board-and-executive type of non-profit
> > > organization. In
> > > > the board-and-executive format, the board
> > members
> > > are the lead
> > > > volunteers who appoint paid or remunerated
> > > executives to manage
> > > > the organization. Dues paying members and other
> > > volunteers
> > > > function as the extended staff of the
> > organization
> > > and are often
> > > > assigned to duties related to the programs
> > offered
> > > by the
> > > > organization.
> > > > Non-profits live and die by the programs they
> > > operate and that is
> > > > how the executive can get paid. The meager
> > > membership dues under
> > > > the current system cannot begin to pay the
> > > executive to ensure
> > > > they deliver the programs. Other incentive
> > plans
> > > may also be
> > > > considered however.
> > > >
> > > > The significant source of income for a
> > non-profit
> > > organization
> > > > come from donors and funding sources who believe
> > > in and support
> > > > the goals and objectives of the organization.
> > The
> > > other minor
> > > > source of income is payments made by recipients
> > of
> > > products and
> > > > services that the non-profit organization
> > > provides.
> > > >
> > > > Currently the mainstay of AAM is the annual
> > > African Festival
> > > > celebration. One can use this one program to
> > > illustrate clearly
> > > > how the board-and-paid executive system would
> > > function in a non-
> > > > profit organizational setting to meet the goals
> > > and objectives of
> > > > the association.
> > > >
> > > > "Be bold, and mighty forces will come to your
> > aid"
> > > > -- Goethe
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
> > > > Aggo Akyea
> > > > http://www.tribalpages.com/tribes/akyea
> > > >
> > > > "Instead of studying how to make it worth men's
> > > while to buy my
> > > > baskets,I studied rather how to avoid the
> > > necessity of selling them."
> > > > WALDEN by Henry David Thoreau ? 1854
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> -------------------------------------------------------------------
> ---------
> > > To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of
> > > postings, visit:
> > >
> > >
> > > http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/aam.html
> > >
> > > AAM Website: http://www.africanassociation.org
> > >
> >
> -------------------------------------------------------------------
> ---------
> > >
> >
> >
> -------------------------------------------------------------------
> ---------
> > To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of
> > postings, visit:
> >
> >
> > http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/aam.html
> >
> > AAM Website: http://www.africanassociation.org
> >
> -------------------------------------------------------------------
> ---------
> >
> >
> -------------------------------------------------------------------
> ---------
> > To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of
> > postings, visit:
> >
> >
> > http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/aam.html
> >
> > AAM Website: http://www.africanassociation.org
> >
> -------------------------------------------------------------------
> ---------
> >
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------
> ---------
> To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, visit:
>
> http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/aam.html
>
> AAM Website: http://www.africanassociation.org
> -------------------------------------------------------------------
> ---------
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------
> ---------
> To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, visit:
>
> http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/aam.html
>
> AAM Website: http://www.africanassociation.org
> -------------------------------------------------------------------
> ---------
>
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, visit:
http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/aam.html
AAM Website: http://www.africanassociation.org
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
