Our site has become unique...we are now service providers for the reunion committee since they became a non-profit corp. The website did not become part of the corp. Long story. Would like some tips on how to deal with a committee that is semi sorta combative? Let's put it this way, they a very hard to deal with..with most not being computer literate and the corp went to their heads. They are not the committee, I started and ran for 5 yrs. Some of the same people are on the committee, but the ones that took over, already pushed out the 2 treasurers, some have resigned. They have become a click and very hard to deal with. They have a terrible contract with the venue for the reunion. Some of us who stayed on as advisers told them to cancel the current contract before the deadline for fines, etc and renegotiate it. They wouldn't.
Now, I don't care what they do...it doesn't concern me as the root admin..and our site admins.
The problem is: they are using the Reunion Planner and in order for the Reunion Coordinator to email the people who haven't paid..I had to give email the class admin. privileges to the coordinator...she now has email the class with the new details of the reunion and didn't inform me about all the changes..so it doesn't reflect what is on the registration page. I build the website pages not them..they give me the content they want on the registration page...it's a mess.
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, BRAD...GIVE US THE OPTION TO TURN OFF EMAIL THE CLASS AND/OR NOT HAVE TO GIVE THEM THE OPTION IN THE EVENT PLANNER, IF IT'S NOT THERE.
Sorry..haven't had a chance to see what the event planner is like yet. Been sick with the flu.
Thanx in advance!
Is there any other site out in CC land that are like we are???

How to handle this depends on your personally. We had a similar sort of thing in reverse. A classmate started the site and paid (donated) for 10 years. Except he had the wrong personality.

Short story (minus drama), "committee" took over the site and is more or less run by four of us that do different things. The FULL committee handles where, what and when and we just put that on the site. It has worked well 95% of the time (minor differences now and again).

The way I got involved was indirect via a weird email the original classmate sent, so I offered to help (it's something I never had time for before). Like your committee most were not computer literate. So the first thing I did was give several mini-classes on how web sites work, etc. in the meetings. Not very long, about 5 minutes at a time.

As for the email, not sure exactly why they need access unless you do not want to do this. As with content, they could just transmit those who need to be contacted.

A lot depends on you here and what you expect. As I told the departing classmate, do it because you LIKE DOING IT, not because you want somebody to pat you on the back.

To Jack,
The email thing is what is causing some problems right now.
You have to give the Reunion Coordinator access to email the class in order to email people who did not pay yet..but registered. Sooo...the committee can compose emails and not consult with us.
I don't think you understood when I said we are their service provider..we are not affiliated with the reunion committee anymore..we have our own funds separate from them since they became a corp. Long story...
Since CC only recognizes the root admin...I am the owner of the HS site, and domain name. I also consider my admins owners and so are all of the alumni who donated to keep the site active and maintained. We still do it voluntarily. The Reunion committee is a non-profit legal corp..with their own treasury, etc etc. We are our own entity now. Therefore..they use the site only for Reunions...that's it. They have to turn over all the donations for the site to me and my admins, which they are in agreement with..I have to give them the total yet..I had a former treasurer drop all the statements from the bank in my lap when his puter crashed..and he resigned when they became a corp. We are in the process of getting an EIN number..etc etc. We have our own biz account from paypal and collect our own donations. So it's complicated. They do things like downloaded all the addresses and phone number...a no no..according to our privacy disclaimer..etc etc. That is what I meant by being difficult to work with. I can't understand it either. Only 2 people are left from the originial start up committee of 5 which grew to 13...non of the admins are part of the committee anymore...we don't report to them either.
More later..I am purging and packing xmas stuff for our relocation move to Vegas.

I understand and do not understand

Seems to me you can write the "rules" of access anyway you want. I would definitely get upset with them taking the information you have described.

Our alumni association asked for the same address/phone info and we (committee) said "go fly a kite". That violates the "privacy" notice you reference. In fact, I'd kick them OFF the site just for doing that without asking (technically even illegal).

Have them set up their own site to run reunions - if you do not agree with their methods since you appear not to want to be involved in the details of reunions (maybe I misinterpreted here?) Or restrict access and do the work to protect your classmates and yourself from possible repercussions.

That's just my POV of course. Like I said, it depends on YOUR expectations. Life's too short, make it FUN

Jack,
Yes...they already did download the class lists w/o our permission..see they use the Admin forum as their Reunion committee forum.
True..I am not involved with the committee anymore..and the committee is not affiliated with the AHS website any longer since they became a corp.
Like I said before it's complicated.
I was the chair and the started the committee we were not a corp..it changed when I resigned as chair..but they asked me to stay on as an adviser. And they (committee) complain constantly about the website content not the alumni themselves.
I only do the website now..since it's a separate entity. My admins and I are trying to work with them so they have a successful reunion..but how can we..when we don't get the updated information we need to change in the reunion planner??? anywho..it's a real trip trying to explain how a website works.
It's a never ending battle..not on our side but theirs.
They have rules to follow and they don't follow them. It's very frustrating to say the least. I don't want the drama either..life sucks then you die!!! I always have fun!!!

Hi Darlene,
I think I have the perfect answer for you (in an imperfect sort of way). Now, what I'm going to say needs to be altered somewhat because our school was very small (75 in our graduating class; 300 in the entire high school).
We kind-of became a service provider too. Having been a Catholic girls' school, we believe in prayer and have a prayer line for alumni and their families. We also help the same people financially when needed. (Our last endeavor was financial and we raised $500+ for one of us in 2 weeks).
All that being said, I found that as root administrator, not everyone likes or liked you . So they end up trying to undermine some of your efforts. A co-administrator with the opposite personality from yours, works every time and immediately. I e-mail the3 class & put both our names on it. She does the same.
As far as committees go, don't get involved!! Once you appoint someone as head of a committee, they can always come to you for help. But you can't (I mean, 'you can' but to no avail)take their place publicly, nor give them advice on the website by way of announcements, etc. That is what the "My mailing lists" portion of e-mailing the class is for. Besides all that, everybody likes to be in charge of something. Create a slot for the main dissenter and everything will fall into place. I know; 'cause I did it. Am I making any sense at all to you? Sometimes I don't communicate well enough, especially in writing.
Barbara

P.S. I know you have other problems too. I was only addressing the first part of your question in your first notation
Barbara

Barb,
You make perfect sense. I did walk away from the Committee once they incorporated. I just stayed on as an adviser. They ASK for my help and advice, but never implement it and/or do the opposite then they cry about how it didn't turn out right. I ran the committee for 5 yrs. I turned it over to a new exec board.
About the website: I am and have been the root admin and designed all the pages since 2009 for our 2010 45th reunion. It was just me running the site and doing all the building of the pages until I picked up my first site admin. a few months later. He was not involved with the reunion planning..but came on board with the committee right after the reunion. I have 3 other fantastic class admins..we all get along..2 are local, (so is my co-webbie) and 1 is on the east coast. We have regular mtgs between me and my co-webbie..we compliment each other.

The one person that is the dissenter is the pres of the Reunion Committee which has nothing to do with the website..she and her committee is allowed to use the admin forum for their committee and the Reunion Planner and that's it. Very long story.

I don't take things personal..but they do..another words the new clicky committee (funny thing...all the exec board I use to hang out with and we were all the social planning committee in HS) doesn't seem to want to follow our rules of the site, altho they have been told. But when something happens with the reunion planning they are calling me for advice. I tell them what they should do and they either do the opposite or ignore what I say...no biggie...that's their choice.

I would just like them to work with me when it comes having the correct information for me to update their reunion info page. They don't have permission to do that. I know some people don't like me and I don't care, I don't sweat the small stuff. I just want them to have a successful reunion in Aug. 2015.
Thanx for the input..most of what you said I take heed and they have been implemented a long time ago.

Thanks, Darlene, I'm glad you didn't take anything I said out of context. Another difference between our schools is that the website had everything to do about the reunion. In 2010 when I joined CC, no one that I know of was even thinking of having a 50 year reunion. So I used CC to help me in numerous ways. BTW, if I may ask, how large is the alumni population doing all this?
Barbara

Barb,
Your very welcome. I know this is a long diatribe..but this will clear up a lot of things about working with the Reunion Committee and about the hostile environment I have to deal with.
To answer some of your questions.
We have over 1500 alumni in our database about a quarter of them have joined along with many guest of other yrs. We are a multi-yr site we cover yrs 64-67. We would like to have all of the 60's...we think 63 is ready to come on board and 68 is showing interest.
If you are asking how many plan the reunion..when I started this in 2009 we have 5 of us...we grew to a baker's dozen 13. By the time of the reunion we grew to 17. Then picked up a few new people and had 20. We stayed together after the reunion and voted to plan the 50th with everyone on board. We added a few more to the committee so we had about 15 active and inactive members. I was totally burnt out by 2012..no one would take it over. We all took a break in after our fall mini-event in 2012 - fall of 2013. Still no one would take over. So I put my foot down and said I was stepping down after our Sept 2013 mtg. I told them they need to think over who is gonna take over because I was resigning after the Oct. Mtg. and they were on their own. Well...still no one stepped up to the plate until our Nov.210 mtg which was my last mtg as chair of the committee.The new 'clickly' committee, I found out later was meeting behind my back for about a yr. The new committee set up a corp. They think they are better than e veryone and have an agenda. They planned the 2015 50th reunion with want 2 people of the committee.We took a post-reunion survey and they wanted a 3 day all-inclusive 50th reunion bash and we planned to do a pick your event for people who couldn't afford the package....well..with the new committee that isn't gonna happen...they are planning stuff the alumni doesn't want..it's what they(2 people of the committee) want. It's a shame. Many people have resigned including 2 treasurers, the co-chair because of health, many of the other sub-committee members, ie; Locating, and memoriabilia. The committee of 20 is now down to 10..but not are all active as far as I know.
Sorry so long..but know you know what I am dealing with..only 2 from the original 5 are on the committee..1 is active the other is not. Like I said before..the website is separate from the Reunion Committee corp. And there is now 5 of us..I am the root admin.,a co-root, and 3 class site admins. Each class has it's own admin except for '64. I do that until someone steps up to the plate and my co-root does his class of 66. I have a great team and we work well together.
I hope this explains my situation..any other questions you have...just ask..and if any one else has any questions or suggestions how we can work with a very difficult committee who let power and money go to their heads..I would appreciate it.
quote="Barbara* Ecker"]Thanks, Darlene, I'm glad you didn't take anything I said out of context. Another difference between our schools is that the website had everything to do about the reunion. In 2010 when I joined CC, no one that I know of was even thinking of having a 50 year reunion. So I used CC to help me in numerous ways. BTW, if I may ask, how large is the alumni population doing all this?
Barbara [/quote]

Hi Darlene,

I am a CPA and have worked with similar situations both personally and professionally. It is especially common with HOAs.

My advice, unless you want to consume your life and possibly end up in litigation, is to separate yourself from the other group. The more you are involved, the more frustrating it will become.

I realize it was your baby as you started it and nurtured it for five years. Now someone else has control.

I think you have to let it go.

You said you have another group with its own funds. Put your time and efforts into that group and the other things in your life.

I know it is hard, but I have seen children kick their parents out of a business and seen the founder of businesses ousted by their Boards. Some things are just unfair.

Thanx for the input.

Legally the website is mine and is still mine...we have broken away from the Reunion Committee since they incorporated...which was ridiculous. They have an agenda theirs...it's a shame. They have agreed to give me all the donation the alumni gave for the maint of the website and subscription..etc etc. We do are own fundraising. I have a great Website team..and just started another website 'Austinites in the Desert' with CC...just getting it started...I will be relocating to Vegas this year..can't wait might I add.
I don't sweat the small stuff.
Thanx again for your advice.
Art Berkowitz wrote: