Re: [MDOsprey] My Disappointment With the ABA

Kathy Klimkiewicz (Kathy_Klimkiewicz@usgs.gov)
Wed, 13 Oct 1999 17:54:56 -0600 

     Norm and George --
     
     I have 'held my fingers' thus far but agree with another MD Osprey 
     suscriber -- it is time to end this and continue it, if needed, 
     between just the two of you. Just my humble opinion ............
     
     Cheers,
     Kathy


______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: [MDOsprey] My Disappointment With the ABA
Author:  mdosprey@ARI.Net at NBS-Internet-Gateway
Date:    10/13/99 3:31 PM


George,
     
I'm really quite puzzled about where all the anger I sense in your 
messages is coming from.  Nonetheless, the anger and the personal 
insults are quite plain, at least to me, so I feel obliged to respond, 
even though I had hoped we could have dropped this whole fruitless 
discussion by now.
     
First off, to the contention that I have done nothing for birding, I 
would like to give you a list of what I have done over the past 
decade.  This isn't done to brag, just to offset the notion you may 
have inadvertently given others on this list that I have made no 
contributions.  First, I started and ran for 13 years The Osprey's 
Nest, to my knowledge the first computer bulletin board in the world 
oriented to birders, birding, and other amateur naturalist pursuits.  
Over the 13 years that The Osprey's Nest was in operation, I had 
callers from all 50 states, 6 Canadian Provinces, and 5 or 6 foreign 
countries other than Canada.  Following the closing of The Osprey's 
Nest in the Fall of 1997, due to the tremendous fall-off of traffic due 
to the more widely available Internet, I decided to begin an Internet 
mailing list devoted entirely to birds and birding in the state of 
Maryland.  The response has been gratifying and in just two years 
over 8,500 messages have been generated by birders across the 
State.
     
Second, I served a two-year term as a Chapter Director of the 
Montgomery Bird Club and chaired their Checklist Compilation 
Committee until the first checklist of Montgomery County Birds was 
printed and distributed by the Chapter in 1995.
     
Third, I filled the position of Calendar Editor for MD Yellowthroat for 
three years, during Mark Hoffman's tenure as Editor of the MOS 
newsletter. In the Fall of 1993, I took on the role of MD Yellowthroat 
Editor when Mark decided to step down.  Since then I have edited 
and produced 32 issues of the newsletter, an accomplishment of 
which I am justly proud.
     
Fourth, in May 1996, I was elected Vice-President of the Maryland 
Ornithological Society, an office I filled for the 1996-1997 and 1997- 
1998 membership years.  At the annual meeting in 1998 I was 
elected President of the Society, a post to which I was re-elected in 
1999.  During this time I have pursued a vision I have for this 
organization, a vision that would make the MOS more responsive to 
our membership and to the various communities that we serve.  I 
have followed and continued to follow a vigorous plan to revitalize the 
MOS and each of its Committees and programs.
     
Additionally, at various times during the past decade, I have served 
as compiler of the Triadelphia Reservoir Christmas Bird Count, 
worked on the MD Partners in Flight Important Bird Area Committee, 
served on the MD Partners in Flight Inventory & Monitoring 
Committee, served on a Search Committee for a new Chairman of 
the MD Partners In Flight Steering Committee, co-authored with my 
wife a species statement in the MD Breeding Bird Atlas, led over 60 
field trips designed for beginning birders over a five-year period, 
and organized the MOS entry for the past two years in the World 
Series of Birding.
     
So, George, whatever you may wish to accuse me of, please do not 
accuse me of doing nothing.
     
I am glad that you brought up the issue of MOS though.  During my 
time as an Officer and Member of the Board of Directors of MOS I 
have had a lot of strong ideas about the way that MOS should be 
heading and I have never been shy about making those ideas 
known.  At the same time, I know that MOS is only as strong as its 
membership.  Whenever a member approaches me with a question, 
a criticism, or even a diatribe, I am committed to listening to what 
they have to say, to taking them seriously, and to doing something 
about whatever it is that might be bothering them.  Perhaps this is 
why I have become so disappointed over the past few years with the 
American Birding Association.  Contrary to what you have perhaps 
been told by some folks in ABA, I have communicated my 
disturbance with directions the ABA has been taking.  I have 
communicated with three separate members of the ABA Board of 
Directors and have been told that I don't know what I am talking 
about, I should keep my nose out of ABA Board business, and I 
should sit quietly and respectfully when members of the ABA Board 
are speaking.   Do I object to this sort of treatment?  In a word, yes. 
     
So, now you have heard one of my problems to do with the ABA.  
The other major problem has to do with the measurable decline in 
quality and content of the journal of the ABA, Birding magazine, 
since Paul Lehman was fired as editor.  Please understand that this 
is not an attack on the current editor-I'm sure he is simply following 
the orders of the Board of Directors.  It is my personal opinion that 
Birding since Paul Lehman was fired has too many mid- and low-
level identification articles and a complete lack of the high level of 
identification material I had become accustomed to seeing in 
Birding.  It is my personal opinion that there are too many 
conservation-related articles in Birding.  I belong to several 
conservation organizations and turn to them for my conservation 
news.  I belong to the ABA for birding news.  It is my personal 
opinion that there are far too many articles in Birding regarding 
locales outside of North America.  I joined the ABA to find out about 
birding in North America.
     
Now, I'm sure you continue to disagree with me.  That is your right, 
George.  I would ask, however, that you cease and desist from your 
program of personal insults.  You aren't going to make me lose my 
temper.  Also, please stop telling me that I have no right to make 
public statements of opinion.  I am a member of ABA, I pay my 
dues each year and as long as I continue to do so, I have as much 
of a right to state my disappointments in the organization as any 
other member.  I am not as good a birder as you are.  I am not as 
good a wildlife photographer as you are.  I joined the ABA, not to 
contribute to the organization, but to learn from the organization.  
Sadly, that learning has ceased and that is why I am so 
disappointed in the ABA over the past few years.
     
Now, I truly hope that this will serve to put the issue to bed.
     
Best,
Norm
     
******************
Norm Saunders
Colesville, MD