Memories of the Alumni Board Meeting (from Bill Nicholson '78)

A few memories of the day the Constitutional changes were adopted by the Alumni Board:

Some proponents apparently claim that there was not time to carefully review the proposed changes (resulting in drafting errors).   This statement stands in contrast to the proponents' oft-repeated line that the process had already taken too long and therefore there was not time to look at the proposed changes individually.   The result of this false urgency was a monolithic "take it or leave it" hurried vote. 

A number of AB members were at their first meeting due to its being scheduled during Reunions. While they had access to much of the written record of debate over the proposed amendments, they did not have the benefit of participating in the many discussions that led up to the vote.

As a member of the AB at the time, I signaled my desire to speak, but was not recognized by the President.  Discussion was artificially limited to 30 minutes and the few who were allowed to speak were limited to five minutes each. This was probably the most important AB meeting during my decade or so on the Board, yet this false sense of urgency cut off debate when many people still had ideas to share.  

That AB meeting – and its aftermath - were far and away the most acrimonious I have ever seen. The experience was at odds with the generally collegial nature of the typical AB meeting. 

Even after their victory, some members of the winning side could not resist the temptation to engage in unseemly sarcastic eye rolling and unprofessional ad hominem taunts. 

As the meeting was breaking up, I was dismayed to see one member of the winning side (a former AB President) exhibit particularly nasty, bullying treatment of a highly competent, professional woman AB member.  This brilliant, extremely accomplished woman has devoted years to the College for love of Reed. The white male former AB President’s disrespectful attitude and sarcastic demeanor reduced her to tears. 

The only thing worse than a bad loser is a bad winner.

This is the "leadership" that wishes to consolidate power in its own hands and severely limit participation by the Chapters in the doings of the Alumni Board..