American Civil War Game Club (ACWGC)

I was looking through the rules and I don't see how the general membership brings things forward for a vote by the whole club, or even the cabinet for that matter? How would one rank and file motion be handled versus another? Elections are detailed enough, but the process for grass roots change or efforts is not listed. Did I miss a section?

Fld. Lt Scott Reed
Reed's Alabama Battery
II Corps Artillery
Army of Alabama

This question just came up in a Cabinet discussion today. Write up your proposal and send it to President Mallory for presentation to the Cabinet for discussion and voting. I'd suggest writing it up as you'd like to see it in the rules, if a rule change, and your supporting argument.

General Mark Nelms

4/2/XIV/AoC "Blackhawk Brigade"
Union Military Academy Instructor

Sounds simple.

Suggestions:
The player making the proposal should place the entire statement at the Tavern so all members may see what is being proposed.

The Cabinet should then vote on it in a reasonable amount of time after some discussion. Placing it in the Tavern would allow the Cabinet to gauge the popularity, problems, arguments, and ramifications of all proposals.

After voting the Cabinet should post their votes at the Tavern so members may see how they voted. This is not to meant to cause problems but if one Cabinet member repeatedly votes in an unpopular way then there may be more reason for members to run for offices.


I wish to state now that - after the "excitement" of last weekend - I wish to thank the Cabinet and Club leaders for their volunteer work. I am sure happy to be a part of this Club as it took me a decade of playing the AI until I fianlly stumbled across it this year. I have made some great new friends from across the Globe and it is through the hard work and dedication of the leaders, past and present, that keeps this Club going.

Any differences we have should never sink to the level of pettiness and the sort of sophomoric banter that recently occurred. My father has been reading our Tavern posts for the last few weeks as he plays against the AI to practice (hoping to eventualy join). It is hard to sell the Club as a friendly place when potential members read that garbage. The Rules do perfectly state that any personal differences be aired in private to avoid such public confrontations.

Thank you, Gentlemen, for your time and lets get back to gaming [:)]

Col. Blake L. Strickler
Army of the Mississippi
Chief of Staff
6th Bd/4th Div/IV Corps

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="3" face="book antiqua" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by nelmsm</i>
<br />This question just came up in a Cabinet discussion today. Write up your proposal and send it to President Mallory for presentation to the Cabinet for discussion and voting. I'd suggest writing it up as you'd like to see it in the rules, if a rule change, and your supporting argument.

General Mark Nelms

4/2/XIV/AoC "Blackhawk Brigade"
Union Military Academy Instructor

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
Mark,
Thanks for the invite, I'll take you up on it. I do have some questions that might get some discusiion going from the rank and file because I want whatever I present to the cabinet to contain more than just my ideas. To present something properly, it might be helpful to understand exactly what the cabinet does.
Question: Section 3.3.2.2 says this
3.3.2.2 Chiefs of the Armies (CoA’s). The CoA’s handle all military tasks for their respective military groups, participate and vote in Cabinet decisions, and perform other duties as assigned by the Club President. Each CoA shall have veto power over all Cabinet decisions. The veto may be overridden by a unanimous vote of the remaining Cabinet members.

<b>So, what is a cabinet level military task?</b>


Fld. Lt Scott Reed
Reed's Alabama Battery
II Corps Artillery
Army of Alabama

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="3" face="book antiqua" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by wsreed</i>
<br /><blockquote id="quote"><font size="3" face="book antiqua" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by nelmsm</i>
<br />This question just came up in a Cabinet discussion today. Write up your proposal and send it to President Mallory for presentation to the Cabinet for discussion and voting. I'd suggest writing it up as you'd like to see it in the rules, if a rule change, and your supporting argument.

General Mark Nelms

4/2/XIV/AoC "Blackhawk Brigade"
Union Military Academy Instructor

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
Mark,
Thanks for the invite, I'll take you up on it. I do have some questions that might get some discusiion going from the rank and file because I want whatever I present to the cabinet to contain more than just my ideas. To present something properly, it might be helpful to understand exactly what the cabinet does.
Question: Section 3.3.2.2 says this
3.3.2.2 Chiefs of the Armies (CoA’s). The CoA’s handle all military tasks for their respective military groups, participate and vote in Cabinet decisions, and perform other duties as assigned by the Club President. Each CoA shall have veto power over all Cabinet decisions. The veto may be overridden by a unanimous vote of the remaining Cabinet members.

<b>So, what is a cabinet level military task?</b>


Fld. Lt Scott Reed
Reed's Alabama Battery
II Corps Artillery
Army of Alabama


<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

Lt. Reed,

I'm not sure what you're asking. Are you wanting to know what the responsibilities of a 'civilian' Cabinet member are?


Your humble servant,
Gen 'Dee Dubya' Mallory



David W. Mallory
ACW - General, 3/2/I/AotM (Club President & Cabinet Member)

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="3" face="book antiqua" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by dmallory</i>
<br /><blockquote id="quote"><font size="3" face="book antiqua" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by wsreed</i>
<br /><blockquote id="quote"><font size="3" face="book antiqua" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by nelmsm</i>
<br />This question just came up in a Cabinet discussion today. Write up your proposal and send it to President Mallory for presentation to the Cabinet for discussion and voting. I'd suggest writing it up as you'd like to see it in the rules, if a rule change, and your supporting argument.

General Mark Nelms

4/2/XIV/AoC "Blackhawk Brigade"
Union Military Academy Instructor

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
Mark,
Thanks for the invite, I'll take you up on it. I do have some questions that might get some discusiion going from the rank and file because I want whatever I present to the cabinet to contain more than just my ideas. To present something properly, it might be helpful to understand exactly what the cabinet does.
Question: Section 3.3.2.2 says this
3.3.2.2 Chiefs of the Armies (CoA’s). The CoA’s handle all military tasks for their respective military groups, participate and vote in Cabinet decisions, and perform other duties as assigned by the Club President. Each CoA shall have veto power over all Cabinet decisions. The veto may be overridden by a unanimous vote of the remaining Cabinet members.

<b>So, what is a cabinet level military task?</b>


Fld. Lt Scott Reed
Reed's Alabama Battery
II Corps Artillery
Army of Alabama


<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

Lt. Reed,

I'm not sure what you're asking. Are you wanting to know what the responsibilities of a 'civilian' Cabinet member are?


Your humble servant,
Gen 'Dee Dubya' Mallory



David W. Mallory
ACW - General, 3/2/I/AotM (Club President & Cabinet Member)
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
Not quite Dubya, the way I'm reading that section I referenced is that it implies there are Cabinet level military tasks that the COA performs, or is that sentence just describing what the COA does for their army on a day to day basis.

Fld. Lt Scott Reed
Reed's Alabama Battery
II Corps Artillery
Army of Alabama

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="3" face="book antiqua" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">
... is that sentence just describing what the COA does for their army on a day to day basis.

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

Lt. Scott,

That is it exactly. The club organization is based on two military hierarchies, one for each side. The CoA's control the two sides. The Cabinet exists as a 'civilian counterbalance', to handle those things outside the scope of either side and to allow for cooperation on those matters that cross 'borders'.


Your humble servant,
Gen 'Dee Dubya' Mallory



David W. Mallory
ACW - General, 3/2/I/AotM (Club President & Cabinet Member)

Bill,
Valid point on the cabinet forum, but I think the discussion merits input from the membership and the cabinet forum is daid as an ol' possum.


Fld. Lt Scott Reed
Reed's Alabama Battery
II Corps Artillery
Army of Alabama

I was not even aware that there is a cabinet forum.....lol....I think I just tried to enter it, but found it empty......Perhaps a malfunction of some kind......Or maybe I went to the wrong place.

BG Hank Smith
Army of Georgia
Smith's Corp Commanding

General Peters,

That is an excellent idea!

Now I'll have to go see if I can find that Cabinet forum again ... lol!


Your humble servant,
Gen 'Dee Dubya' Mallory



David W. Mallory
ACW - General, 3/2/I/AotM (Club President & Cabinet Member)

Lieutenant Reed, there is a wealth of information that has crossed these forums over the years. Some topics, both those concerning game rules and administrative issues have been repeatedly brought up by club members without first having checked the archives to see what has been formerly addressed. Many times a thorough search will provide an officer with answers to his pressing questions or offer an explanantion as to why certain things have been done in the club in such a way. I must warn you, however, that you must understand the available search tools and sometimes exercise a good choice of search terms to find the information needed.



General Jos. C. Meyer
Commander, Army of the Tennessee
Union Army Chief of Staff

Mark Nelms as asked that I put togther a rules proposal on petitioning the cabinet. The basics of what I'm thinking are:

1) Membership could post a petition on the forum, would need to be seconded by a member, open to discussion for a period of time, cabinet takes it up, their discussion(minutes) is made public as well as how each cabinet member voted.

2) An amendment process where club rules could be changed independent of the cabinet. This process would require a certain number of the membership, of both armies to even get it on a ballet

Fld. Lt Scott Reed
Reed's Alabama Battery
II Corps Artillery
Army of Alabama

Why not just go with the route of making a suggestion via your chain of command or to the Cabinet directly, as provided for in the forum identified below by Bill Peters? It was provided for just such situations. I recognize good ideas come from everywhere, and there is a provision for submitting those ideas as shown above.

Do we have a hole currently that is not being addressed? Is there a particular item that has been put forward that was not addressed? I'm all for fixing problems, but change just for change sake seems counterproductive.

Do we really need more Rules and intricacies involved with the politics and debate and governance of the Club? I would say no, we probably don't. I don't want to see too much of our time spent on these kinds of issues. Most of us come here to play the games and meet folks, rather than debate Roberts Rules of Order! I'm sure there's a different Club for that, though! [;)]

Now, more emphasis on running tourney's and playing games and getting to know our fellow hobbyists, I'm all for those items![:D]

We have a pretty great Club with a pretty long history of success. Let's enjoy that, and put as much of our volunteer energies to that end.


General Jeff Laub
Eastern Theater, Commanding

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="3" face="book antiqua" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by laubster22</i>
<br />Why not just go with the route of making a suggestion via your chain of command or to the Cabinet directly, as provided for in the forum identified below by Bill Peters? It was provided for just such situations. I recognize good ideas come from everywhere, and there is a provision for submitting those ideas as shown above.

Do we have a hole currently that is not being addressed? Is there a particular item that has been put forward that was not addressed? I'm all for fixing problems, but change just for change sake seems counterproductive.

Do we really need more Rules and intricacies involved with the politics and debate and governance of the Club? I would say no, we probably don't. I don't want to see too much of our time spent on these kinds of issues. Most of us come here to play the games and meet folks, rather than debate Roberts Rules of Order! I'm sure there's a different Club for that, though! [;)]

Now, more emphasis on running tourney's and playing games and getting to know our fellow hobbyists, I'm all for those items![:D]

We have a pretty great Club with a pretty long history of success. Let's enjoy that, and put as much of our volunteer energies to that end.


General Jeff Laub
Eastern Theater, Commanding

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

Good post Jeff, thanks for contributing. I think there are some problems judging by recent posts, and I would not be volunteering for work if I didn't think it worthwhile. Good luck in all your battles

Fld. Lt Scott Reed
Reed's Alabama Battery
II Corps Artillery
Army of Alabama

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="3" face="book antiqua" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Good post Jeff, thanks for contributing. I think there are some problems judging by recent posts, and I would not be volunteering for work if I didn't think it worthwhile. Good luck in all your battles

Fld. Lt Scott Reed
Reed's Alabama Battery
II Corps Artillery
Army of Alabama
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

Well, if that's not a dismissal out of hand, I'm not sure what is! [;)]

I think it's great you're willing to volunteer, and want to help, but could you provide some transparency on what you're trying to solve, and where that's coming from? Just curious to see your perspective, and that others be allowed to participate?




General Jeff Laub
Eastern Theater, Commanding