[sticklist] - AABOD Chairman responds to VFOG Petition

[Richard Forno]

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This just in from the AABOD Chairman.

- -Rick Forno '90 '92C
Sticklist Administrator

< - >

From: 	ndally at erols.com
Subject: 	Chairman's response to VFOG Petition

Date: 	February 28, 2009 9:41:08 AM EST


Mr. Pete Robinson, President of the Old Guard, recently sent out a  
petition for the resignation of the President of Valley Forge Military  
Academy and College.  In his petition Mr. Robinson has made some  
statements that are untrue, exaggerated and inaccurate.

While well meaning, Mr. Robinson and his small group along with others  
have caused considerable damage to our Alma Matter while contributing  
little or no meaningful benefit to the school. During my most recent  
tenure as Chairman of the Board I have witnessed some situations and  
actions of my fellow Alumni that I find reprehensible.

I will be the first to admit that all is not right at VF, however  
having served in one capacity or another with the Alumni Association  
for almost twenty years I observed that the same was true under the  
Thunman, Hill, and Long administrations.  Many of the challenges that  
the current administration faces were a result of decisions made by  
these previous administrations.  Those administrations did not have  
the misfortune to have individuals that were slandering them,  
maintaining websites that berated them or any of the various  
detrimental situations and events perpetrated against this  
administration by a few Alumni.

Much of what Mr. Robinson has stated has been covered before and I'm  
not going to discuss every point since I have on many occasions,  
however I believe that there are a few that should be addressed:

"The McGeorge administration seems to distrust alumni and consistently  
refuses advice or valid offers of assistance no matter how sincere the  
offer."

Based on the actions of certain Alumni there was mistrust...no  
question.  The current AABOD has had to overcome much of this to  
establish a workable relationship with the administration. Frankly I  
can understand why there was so mistrust.  Mr. Robinson and the VFOG  
simply don't understand that you get more done with cooperation that  
by being confrontational.

"Vast sums of money have been diverted and squandered on frivolous law  
suits designed to keep dissenting alumni from expressing their  
opinions of the administration."

I have two words, "Bull S---". The VFOG has created the allegations  
that caused this situation.   No one is stopping Alumni from  
expressing their opinions, however when those opinions are expressed  
in methods and ways that are detrimental to VF then the Administration  
and the BOT have a FIDUCARY RESPONSIBILITY to defend the school.

The VFOG says that they raise money for VF and went to the extent of  
filing with the IRS for tax exempt status, yet the vast majority of  
the funds they have obtained did not go to VF, they went to insurance  
and legal fees to protect the officers of VFOG!

"The Alumni Association operates at the pleasure of the Board of  
Trustees and the administration; all Alumni Association activities are  
vetted and closely monitored by the BOT. Therefore, the AA is severely  
restrained in dealing with alumni issues and concerns and has been  
reduced to being puppets and propagandists for the administration and  
the Board of Trustees."

This is a complete lie!   Nothing could be farther from the truth!   
The AABOD operates completely independent from the BOT.   No member of  
the BOT has ever told any officers of the AA what they need to do or  
asked that we do anything that would make us Puppets of the BOT.   The  
AABOD operated independently of the BOT and the Administration.

What Mr. Robinson and the VFOG fail to realize is that to make  
progress regarding what the Alumni want (and we have asked) it is  
necessary to cooperate with both the administration and the BOT.   Mr.  
Robinson and the VFOG, yell, write letters, circulate petitions, go to  
the newspapers, rebel-rouse among fellow Alumni, threaten to sabotage  
both State and Federal funding, are more interested in Polo ponies  
than Cadets, pose no solutions, and get nowhere.   The AABOD officers  
devote literally 300-400 combined hours per month to VF, are  
constantly on Post, attend numerous events (when were the officers of  
the VFOG last on Post for a Cadet event?), cooperate with both the BOT  
and Administration and are getting things done for our Cadets and the  
Alumni.

Mr. Robinson, you and VFOG certainly are not part of the solution, you  
are the problem!

Niles P. Dally '63
Chairman
Valley Forge Military Academy Alumni Association


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