The TCANites Outreach Committee’s four members have met with four members of the board five times – April 21, 26 and May 5, 12 and 19. We expect to have ongoing meetings. At this time, we believe it is appropriate to provide the membership an update on our work. This update is provided within constraints of the agreed-upon confidentiality of these meetings. The support of TCANites has been crucial to our effort, and we thank you.

Many issues and perspectives have been aired, vented, debated and discussed at these meetings. We have had “full and frank” discussions on many of the problems which led up to the rupture of TCAN, and which continue. The meetings have enabled us to understand that we have very different perspectives on the same sets of actions, issues, facts and circumstances. We do not believe that real resolution is attainable without greater commitment to substantial change by the TCAN Board.

The TCANites Outreach Committee has presented three major proposals for consideration by the Board: 1) formal facilitated mediation with all issues “on the table,”, 2) substantial bylaw and governance changes, and most recently 3) open and free election of all Board members by the membership in the near term.

We are focusing on what we believe are needed changes in the governance of TCAN to bring about greater inclusion of membership, and representation of the views of members and volunteers. These changes are necessary for the long-term growth and health of TCAN. These proposals were developed by the TCANites Governance Committee, which has worked diligently on examining these issues. There is, of course, great resistance to change by the TCAN organization.

Again, the support of TCANites has been crucial to this effort, and we thank you. We believe that TCANites attending the upcoming “REMIX” meeting should understand, and carry the message that “healing” TCAN alone will not bring about the needed changes in its basic foundation of governance. We believe TCAN cannot permanently heal until the Board commits to change, and becomes formally answerable to and responsive to the community.

Throughout the course of conversations with many parties, apart from these meetings, we have been accused of destroying TCAN. How can we discourage volunteers, support and donations from the very thing that we love? The answer is that these actions are necessary to bring about change to an organization that is resistant, and to a board that seems to hear only strong messages. We want the Board to bring speedy closure to these issues, and to avoid any decline in TCAN. Please continue to support TCANites’ efforts to achieve this.

The Outreach Committee

Lee Mendenhall
Melanie Phillips
Lindalee Lawrence