After I pointed out that the Florida Thoroughbred Farm Managers‘ board of directors had voted me off incorrectly, a second meeting was scheduled and after presenting my case, I again was voted off.
What started as me being removed due to a “conflict of interest” took on new twists as Jim Scott and his cronies did the bidding of several FTBOA board members who seem to be trying to annex the Farm Managers as their satellite organization.
In my defense, I explained that several of the other board members could conflict with interest for things that they did regarding transactions in the past. While I made it clear that I was not accusing anyone of doing anything wrong, I was trying to illustrate that there seemed to be a different set of rules for different board members when it comes to conflict of interest.
Speaking of conflict of interest, since when is it not a conflict of interest for the board member of one organization to threaten the membership of another organization by withholding stallion seasons for their charity auction?
How can the President of the FTBOA come out and make comments on the goings-on of the Florida Thoroughbred Farm Managers without it being a conflict of interest? My comments are not about the memberships in those organizations; it is about the way the members are being treated by the people who are on their boards. What is equally interesting is how quickly he can do it and who is the Florida Thoroughbred Farm Managers insider who is keeping him informed on what is happening?
What was amazing about this entire process was that some of these board members that voted to oust me had said that they too were not happy with the FTBOA board’s representation of members. Jim Scott told me that he knew of a board member who hated going to the meetings, would often not go even when in town, and would call in for a conference call.
Jim said the person even fell asleep on one of the calls. According to Jim, this person stayed on the board because there had always been a member of the family on that board. I brought this up in the defense of my criticism of the FTBOA board. FTBOA members are not getting much there if what Jim said is true.
The Florida Thoroughbred Farm Managers Organization is a great group of people with a wonderful mission…charity for those who need it. When I ran for office, I said that I wanted to serve and use some of my business expertise to strengthen the organization. While people are out there struggling and money has diminished, the organization needed to tighten its belt so that funds could be there for those who need assistance.
Giving pay raises to the only full-time employee is just one of the mismanagement points that has surfaced. In this day and hard economic time, do you know of anyone who is still getting cost of living allowances and bonuses? I am not saying that the person does not do a good job, but if she quit tomorrow, there would be lines around the building six wide to take that job for a lot less.
If you don’t think that the FTBOA hierarchy is not trying to manage the Florida Thoroughbred Farm Managers, read Dr. Phil Matthews “President’s Report” Wire to Wire May 22-23. Matthews used the same terminology that Jim Scott uses when referring to this website, “a blog”. While I am not named, it is quite obvious that I am the person he is addressing in his column as the number of phone calls I am getting will attest to. Phil learned a new word and has probably been sitting and waiting to use it “self-aggrandizement”… another big word, “marmalade”! Ha Ha
A fascinating spinner of re-fabricating the truth is Mr. Matthews with statements like, “When you allow an organization to be demoralized, it will no longer draw credible volunteers”. Hey Doc, the only thing you have done is demoralize the FTBOA membership since you took over the reins from your mentor.
You turned down members that wanted to serve to put members you could control on your committees. You promised a revamped, more democratic voting system over six months ago. Where is it? If you are going to write fiction, I suggest children’s books.
El Presidente, let me explain some things that you don’t understand. First of all, Hold Your Horses Magazine is not a “blog”. Second of all, I have never attacked an organization such as the FTBOA or the Florida Thoroughbred Farm Managers. What I have done is criticize some of the board members in each of those organizations.
Furthermore, stupidity comes with its excuse, but there is no excuse for lying. If you are not going, to tell the truth, at least flirt with it. In the FTBOA, the board has still not given the members a true and honest election process. In the Farm Managers, the chickens will come home to roost once the members go to the polls in the next two years.
“At present, we have a healthy organization of which we can be proud, and like you, my goal is to see that continue.” Phil Matthews, President
This statement says it all. No regard for membership and dedication to the status quo.
Again I say that if the new regime (and believe me, it is a regime) had followed through on their promise of redoing the election process at FTBOA and showed some diversity in selecting members for the committees, there would have been a unification effort unparalleled in the horse community in Florida.
If you want to talk about “how to lead, strategize and build”, think of it in the terms of a democracy and not a Kremlin-style board, ruling with an iron fist. The good people who are members of FTBOA could do no worse than the group that has led the organization into decay and if the truth be known, a financial downturn.
Dr. Phil seems to know just enough about journalism to be reckless. Accuracy should be paramount and President Matthews association with accuracy is casual at best. In the not too distant future, the FTBOA membership will decide that they have had their Phil of Matthews! The unfortunate part is that the voting process won’t allow them to do anything about it.
