NEC Meeting

[CAP_truth]

What no streaming video again for NEC meeting either?

[Ned]

The meeting is not being streamed.

There are about 30 of us sitting in the NHQ conference room working through the agenda.

The staff briefings presented earlier were videod, and I'm told they will be placed online.

Ned Lee-

[NCRblues]

Ok so, why not stream it then?

Are we going with the "save money" tag line again?

[lordmonar]

Ok so, why not stream it then?

Are we going with the "save money" tag line again?

I guess that is as good as "We forgot".

[PHall]

I guess even when they try to save the membership some of their dues money they still get slammed.

I guess there's no satisfying some people...

[Extremepredjudice]

A smartphone can stream, sir.

Doesn't anyone in the NEC own a smartphone? I hope one or two does.

[PHall]

How good is the connectivity from that conference room?
Kinda hard to stream if you can only get one bar.

[NCRblues]

I guess even when they try to save the membership some of their dues money they still get slammed.

I guess there's no satisfying some people...

No I am not satisfied. Open and fair governance is needed. We can save money somewhere else. Spend the money and let us watch it. Cut down on "travel budgets" and stop sending NHQ people to give the stock briefing at EVERY wing and region conference.

[AirDX]

What no streaming video again for NEC meeting either?

C'mon, you know this is the meeting where they're discussing the black helicopter squadrons and how to keep tinfoil hats out of 39-1.   

[a2capt]

With all the fur flying behind the scenes.. they probably don't want to stream it ;-)

[NCRblues]

With all the fur flying behind the scenes.. they probably don't want to stream it ;-)

LMAO...what fur? I am sure there are smiles and handshakes all around. I think that because IMHO the NEC will get briefed on the upcoming governance changes, and with (presumably) the NB loosing its power or going away completely, the NEC wants to have smiles and fun without the peons seeing it. MHO only of course....

[Ned]

No I am not satisfied. Open and fair governance is needed.

Sir,

Your CAP volunteer leaders remain committed to open and fair governance.  But I'm not sure expensive internet streaming is remotely necessary to the goal.  And the overwhelming percentage of your fellow members apparently agree.

Here is the NHQ announcement where we posted all of the briefings from the March Boards in video and written format on line for the public and the members to review.  And where we explained that less than one percent of the membership participated in live streaming.  Heck, we even posted the agenda and draft minutes.  It's all there for you and the other members to review at your leisure.  But streaming is simply not cost-effective in reaching the membership.

For the NEC meeting, we will be doing the same.  The agenda is already posted, of course.  And just like the winter boards, we will post the videos and written slides from the briefings, and the draft minutes when they become available.

I'm pretty proud of the efforts our staff has gone through to make the contents of the meeting as open and accessible as possible.

I can't think of any other corporation of our size that does more to promote transparency for our various meetings.  Of course, if you would like to attend in person, you are welcome to do so.  We had several visitors today.

If you had been here, you would have seen the senior leadership engage in orderly and professional discussions on the agenda items.  No angst, no drama.  Just the corporate staff and volunteer leaders getting the job done for our members.  (And no governance briefing, BTW.  It is simply not on the agenda.)

Thank you for your service to Kansas and Missouri wings.  Your efforts are truly appreciated.

Ned Lee
BoG Member at Large

[Extremepredjudice]

Sir, with the upmost respect: Streaming is free. Youtube, livestream, ustream and many others offer FREE streaming. If the hotel wants to charge you, use tethering on a phone. Heck, you can stream from a phone.

Most hotels (at least the ones I've seen) offer free wifi. Use it.

Even if the quality isn't the best, you at least put somethig out there.

Any streaming is better than no streaming. If I had the money to attend the meetings, I'd stream it myself.

Or you could delay stream. Record the whole thing, then stream it once you are able to access better internet. A lot of companies do this...

[NCRblues]

  But I'm not sure expensive internet streaming is remotely necessary to the goal.  And the overwhelming percentage of your fellow members apparently agree.

Well, I am not sure how we can use the "save money" tag line at all. Are you not at NHQ? Does NHQ not have internet? Is NHQ charging the NEC to use the internet that I am SURE they have? Heck, you're on an AFB, go to the BX and use the free wifi and upload the recorded meeting after each day. Go to the base library and use their internet! I know they have it and its free!!!!!

Plain and simple #1. Someone forgot to record/stream it, or #2. the NEC did not want it broadcast.

[Extremepredjudice]

  But I'm not sure expensive internet streaming is remotely necessary to the goal.  And the overwhelming percentage of your fellow members apparently agree.

Well, I am not sure how we can use the "save money" tag line at all. Are you not at NHQ? Does NHQ not have internet? Is NHQ charging the NEC to use the internet that I am SURE they have? Heck, you're on an AFB, go to the BX and use the free wifi and upload the recorded meeting after each day. Go to the base library and use their internet! I know they have it and its free!!!!!

Plain and simple #1. Someone forgot to record/stream it, or #2. the NEC did not want it broadcast.

I thought they were at a hotel...?

[NCRblues]

Apparently not

There are about 30 of us sitting in the NHQ conference room working through the agenda.

Ned Lee-

[Extremepredjudice]

Apparently not

There are about 30 of us sitting in the NHQ conference room working through the agenda.

Ned Lee-

Well then they definitly should be able to livestream.

Tinfoil hats aside, what is going on that we can't see?

Who exactly is saying it isn't cost effective to stream? I really want to know.

[Ned]

Plain and simple #1. Someone forgot to record/stream it, or #2. the NEC did not want it broadcast.

Take a moment and re-read the NHQ announcement.

Laying aside the issue of whether we could put out a stream of sufficient quality "for free" or not (because we are indeed at NHQ and the cost would have been far less than if we had been at some hotel), the point of transparency is to openly and effectively communicate the governance of CAP to as many of the members and stakeholders as possible.

So we tried streaming the meetings.  And even with professionals managing the stream, there were quality issues.  Heck, you surely remembver that almost half the entries on the threads here were complaints about quality (dropped stream, poor audio quality, shots of empty podia, etc).  And apparently we can track the number of users watching the stream.  Whether it was lack of novelty, quality issues, or some combination of those and other factors, viewership declined to the point where less than 1% of the membership bothered to watch.

IOW, it was simply not an effective way to communicate to the members.  And because the leadership genuinely cares about openess and transparency, we have gone in a different direction in order to effectively communicate what happens at the meetings to our members and stakeholders.

The briefings yesterday were recorded, and will be put on line,  Just like the Winter Boards.  The draft minutes will be put on line alongside the agenda.  As I mentioned last night, this puts us ahead of similary organizations in terms of transparency.  I am proud of the work the staff is doing to keep you and others informed.

But if you still want to come and watch a meeting, there is always a seat available.  Heck, it's only about 500 miles from Fallon to Montgomery.  A relatively short drive.  Or you could grab a Southwest hop from Kansas City to Birmingham for a little over a hundred dollars.  I'll meet you at the airport.

Or you can sit back and complain "anonymously" on the internet.

But we will continue to find the best way to keep the membership and stakeholders fully informed about what happens at our meetings.

[RiverAux]

I'm sure that only a tiny fraction of CAP membership reads the minutes of board meetings, but should they stop being posted as well?  I'd say that 1% viewership is probably a major win for the program.  I'd be surprised if CSPAN viewership was that high. 

[SamFranklin]

IOW, it was simply not an effective way to communicate to the members.  And because the leadership genuinely cares about openess and transparency, we have gone in a different direction in order to effectively communicate what happens at the meetings to our members and stakeholders.

This makes sense to me. The goal is openness and transparency, not streaming for its own sake.

I think CAP has come a long, long way in this regard. I remember when the NB/NEC agendas were considered confidential documents (in many wings, ymmv), let alone the minutes. I remember CCs picked at the whim of the region commander, whereas now there's a search committee. And I remember when no one outside the old boy's club had any say into strategic-level affairs, whereas now we have 9 of 11 members on a Congressionally-empowered BoG who are not NEC types. There's no scandal here in the lack of streaming.