Kyle Bowen: This election needs to start with an apology because things didn’t go as they should have this go around. We would like to remind you that any eligible member can run for office any year. We like to encourage that. We have seen the level of participation this year. Very inspiring. So just a reminder that if you want to be an officer you can be an officer. And so the thing that did not go as planned this year is we received a nomination some time ago. It was in Mid-March for the position of Secretary from the Seattle Pipe Club and the Board was not informed of that nomination. In fact the email went to the Secretary and it stayed there and several weeks later I was forwarded an email from the person that had made the nomination. Which you can see here explaining that he had tried to make a nomination (At this time a slide on the powerpoint shows an email to the Secretary and a response confirming receipt of the nomination from the Secretary to the club that did the nominating) and so I addressed this at a meeting that we had amongst the board several weeks later. I wanted to use this as an opportunity to apologise first to Matt Guss who was the one who made the nomination. I did not want to give the impression that he was being ignored in his wanting to participate in our organisation. I also wanted to apologise to Micheal Bergstrom who was the person nominated if he was made to feel in any way unwelcome in running for office. And so after we had our meeting on the agenda.I sent out the agenda to the clubs it included the incumbents and also the nominated reflective of the information I had at the time and unfortunately things spirialed after that. So you see we had a public post of a member of the UPCA board that followed sending out this agenda in which there was a poor choice of words. (powerpoint slide shows a clipped photo of a personal facebook post) So I would like to apologise to our community if they were anyway concerned when they read this. I know I heard from some of you that felt that this was behaviour becoming of an officer of…
Andre Tessier: I think that this is behaviour that is not very becoming.
Kyle Bowen: Andre, I am apologising we do not want to not seem contrite. Alright so again you guys are always welcome to be a member of this organisation. I would like to refute several of the insinuations that were made in that post and we don’t condone this sort of level of discussion as part of the UPCA. My apologies to you and thank you for listening.
John Lawitzkie of NASPC points out that there is freedom of speech on a personal post.
Kyle Bowen states it was a public post and there was insinuations of the UPCA within that post
Contents of that post as follows:
______________________________________________________________________
People are jerks. So lately, I have had some so-called friends work against me in secret or at least not being outright and telling me that working against me. This morning I woke up to an email that was just a slight smack in the face and sent out at 1 am to a group in a community. I’m in. Since then I’ve gone and blocked all of them on Facebook. I’m seriously considering not going to Chicago as I don’t wanna push any of their teeth down their throats. People suck and no amount of effort on my part will change that.
Edit: for the record there is no chance of a physical confrontation happening it is just some venting.
______________________________________________________________________
Andre Tessier: I would also like to state that post had an edit to it which you didn’t post that said it was merely venting and frustration.
Kyle Bowen: Uh, well I was blocked by you and I was forwarded this screenshot. That is all the information that I have.
Andre Tessier: I think that this is dirty pool sir.
Kyle Bowen: Ah well you know…
Andre Tessier: …and now let's vote.
Kyle Bowen and now we move to the election we will hear from the candidates.
Surrogates were set up for the two clubs attending via zoom.
Micheal Bergstrom as challenger speaks first.
Andre Tessier as incumbent speaks second.
Micheal Bergstrom: I’m Mike. Some of you have seen me around. I’ve been around for 5 years at the Chicago Show. Seattle Pipe Club member. I am actually the rep for them for the UPCA. I’ve been smoking for 20 years. I was part of the Slow Smoke in Poland. Also Romania. I won the slow smoke 4 times for the Seattle Pipe Club. What I think I can bring is the fact that my day job is logistics and coordination. It’s what I do. I work nationwide with a wide variety of teams of many people from all walks. I put them together, I communicate and get goals done. I have a very strong skill set in that and that’s about it. I feel like I know pipes and I have a very special, specialised set of skills that I think would benefit the UPCA board.
Andre Tessier: Hi everybody how’s it going? I’ve been a pipe smoker for… well I started way too young as a teenager when I was 13 years old so… and this grey beard shows you that’s been a while. I have been Secretary of The United Pipe Clubs of America for 4 years now. I have been secretary of other organisations for over two decades in some of them. I have basically put being a pipe smoker as one of my defining traits. Those of you that know me or follow me on Facebook will note that when I go on vacation I visit pipe clubs as part of the UPCA, and also all my trips involve stopping at pipe shops everywhere across the country talking about pipe clubs which I am sure my wife and my bank account don’t appreciate. I would like to ask you for your vote today to continue this work and it’s been an honor to have done this job and work with these fine people. Thank you very much. Let’s get going because as you may know you have your thing (pointing at Natha
n Davis) by the way if you didn’t know the Vice President here is doing Battle of the Briar today. So we all wish him the best of luck today.
Voting commenced.
Kyle Bowen talks about the end of the meeting doing any public comments.
Vote results are
Micheal Bergstrom 7
Andre Tessier 5
Abstain 1
Andre Tessier gets up and congratulates Micheal Bergstrom.
Kyle Bowen Thank you for all participating in the election and thank you for the online participation.
Nathan Davis: And thank you Andre for your years of service. We appreciate it.
Public Comment: Indiana Pipe Club has a question about the use of “softy bits” during the contest.
The answer given is a modification. Also it is pointed out it allows the possibility of adding moisture into the pipe which is not allowed.
Bergstrom: How goes the digital club membership?
Kyle Bowen: It is allowed but no one has taken up on it. Thank you all for attending. The community is fantastic. I love all the feedback today. You guys are amazing. We look to continue serving you and being a presence in the years to come. Working with The Pipe Tobacco Council. Thank you for being here and sticking it out. Enjoy the rest of your show.
Motion to Adjourn by Kyle Bowen Seconded by Nathan Davis
Motion passes by general acclaim.
Minutes taken by Andre Tessier
.
Andre Tessier: I think that this is behaviour that is not very becoming.
Kyle Bowen: Andre, I am apologising we do not want to not seem contrite. Alright so again you guys are always welcome to be a member of this organisation. I would like to refute several of the insinuations that were made in that post and we don’t condone this sort of level of discussion as part of the UPCA. My apologies to you and thank you for listening.
John Lawitzkie of NASPC points out that there is freedom of speech on a personal post.
Kyle Bowen states it was a public post and there was insinuations of the UPCA within that post
Contents of that post as follows:
______________________________________________________________________
People are jerks. So lately, I have had some so-called friends work against me in secret or at least not being outright and telling me that working against me. This morning I woke up to an email that was just a slight smack in the face and sent out at 1 am to a group in a community. I’m in. Since then I’ve gone and blocked all of them on Facebook. I’m seriously considering not going to Chicago as I don’t wanna push any of their teeth down their throats. People suck and no amount of effort on my part will change that.
Edit: for the record there is no chance of a physical confrontation happening it is just some venting.
______________________________________________________________________
Andre Tessier: I would also like to state that post had an edit to it which you didn’t post that said it was merely venting and frustration.
Kyle Bowen: Uh, well I was blocked by you and I was forwarded this screenshot. That is all the information that I have.
Andre Tessier: I think that this is dirty pool sir.
Kyle Bowen: Ah well you know…
Andre Tessier: …and now let's vote.
Kyle Bowen and now we move to the election we will hear from the candidates.
Surrogates were set up for the two clubs attending via zoom.
Micheal Bergstrom as challenger speaks first.
Andre Tessier as incumbent speaks second.
Micheal Bergstrom: I’m Mike. Some of you have seen me around. I’ve been around for 5 years at the Chicago Show. Seattle Pipe Club member. I am actually the rep for them for the UPCA. I’ve been smoking for 20 years. I was part of the Slow Smoke in Poland. Also Romania. I won the slow smoke 4 times for the Seattle Pipe Club. What I think I can bring is the fact that my day job is logistics and coordination. It’s what I do. I work nationwide with a wide variety of teams of many people from all walks. I put them together, I communicate and get goals done. I have a very strong skill set in that and that’s about it. I feel like I know pipes and I have a very special, specialised set of skills that I think would benefit the UPCA board.
Andre Tessier: Hi everybody how’s it going? I’ve been a pipe smoker for… well I started way too young as a teenager when I was 13 years old so… and this grey beard shows you that’s been a while. I have been Secretary of The United Pipe Clubs of America for 4 years now. I have been secretary of other organisations for over two decades in some of them. I have basically put being a pipe smoker as one of my defining traits. Those of you that know me or follow me on Facebook will note that when I go on vacation I visit pipe clubs as part of the UPCA, and also all my trips involve stopping at pipe shops everywhere across the country talking about pipe clubs which I am sure my wife and my bank account don’t appreciate. I would like to ask you for your vote today to continue this work and it’s been an honor to have done this job and work with these fine people. Thank you very much. Let’s get going because as you may know you have your thing (pointing at Natha
n Davis) by the way if you didn’t know the Vice President here is doing Battle of the Briar today. So we all wish him the best of luck today.
Voting commenced.
Kyle Bowen talks about the end of the meeting doing any public comments.
Vote results are
Micheal Bergstrom 7
Andre Tessier 5
Abstain 1
Andre Tessier gets up and congratulates Micheal Bergstrom.
Kyle Bowen Thank you for all participating in the election and thank you for the online participation.
Nathan Davis: And thank you Andre for your years of service. We appreciate it.
Public Comment: Indiana Pipe Club has a question about the use of “softy bits” during the contest.
The answer given is a modification. Also it is pointed out it allows the possibility of adding moisture into the pipe which is not allowed.
Bergstrom: How goes the digital club membership?
Kyle Bowen: It is allowed but no one has taken up on it. Thank you all for attending. The community is fantastic. I love all the feedback today. You guys are amazing. We look to continue serving you and being a presence in the years to come. Working with The Pipe Tobacco Council. Thank you for being here and sticking it out. Enjoy the rest of your show.
Motion to Adjourn by Kyle Bowen Seconded by Nathan Davis
Motion passes by general acclaim.
Minutes taken by Andre Tessier
.
