The times, they are a changin'

I've come to the realization that we can't stop progress, we can only delay it. I had resisted becoming entangled in the campaigning for CSI office that we're being bombarded with. But I finally decided that if I wanted the position, I was going to have to fight for it.

Long before the election began, someone pointed out my opponent's Web site. It quickly became apparent that if I wanted to stay in the race, I would need to get to work. Work is something I certainly don't shy away from. And as the veteran of four of my own political campaigns, and volunteering to help countless other colleagues, if I lose it isn't because I don't know how to win.

I know that this may seem distasteful to some of our long time members. That isn't the way it's done. However, the world is flattening and CSI is subject to that equalization as well. After all, aren't we all about communication? What's really wrong with taking our case to the members directly?

I suspect younger members are accustomed to the marketing efforts from every direction. It's part of the current culture. But those of us who have been around CSI for a while, haven't seen this before. In any case, I hope you find my message unobtrusive and easy to read. I tried to make it easy to opt out and let others help me make my case. I also made sure I respected the privacy of those who did not want to be communicated with in the first place. And I made absolutely certain that not a penny of CSI funds were spent at any level to communicate my message to the members.

I had a conversation with another board member a few days ago and noted that this new enthusiasm for just another election, could have the effect of revitalizing CSI. After all, who wants to belong to an organization no one is willing to duke it out to serve? Doesn't it inspire you that there are candidates for national office in your CSI that want to serve you so badly they invest their own blood, sweat, and tears to do so?

The point is to drive traffic to the CSI election site and remind members to look at the candidate statements, and finally to vote. If your upset with this tactic, please let me know, and please opt out on the link provided in my communication. At some point in the future, we're going to have to establish some ground rules. But as one of my colleagues pointed out recently, right now it's the Wild West.

In closing, let me just say that my primary goal here is to be elected, but a secondary side effect is that we could just have an election that has a reasonable turnout. We see way too much apathy in our political contests. My hope is that if you took the trouble to click through to this blog or to view my profile, then you will care enough about CSI to research the candidates and cast your vote. If that happens, we all win. See you soon.

How to vote in the CSI election

I hope that folks will vote for me because I am more qualified, rather than alphabetical order, most initials, physical beauty, or another equally arbitrary method.

I also hope the the candidate who is the best person for the position they are seeking will be elected, regardless of how motivated their network is. If I, or anyone, had to rely on the people we know to elect us, we'd better pack it in, because the democratic process is irreparably flawed. While I am acquainted with a lot of CSI members, no one can know absolutely all of them. For instance, I've been involved in CSI for 23 years and had never heard of my opponent.

I, for one, believe in the the electoral process, and the wisdom of the electorate. If anyone is going to cast a vote for someone because of the alphabet soup after their name, then I suggest they shouldn't vote. However, if you've thoroughly read the candidate statements and have analyzed who is best suited to lead CSI through difficult and turbulent times, then please do vote.

I also want to recommend you not vote for someone because they're a nice person, or they express an interest in learning more about how CSI governance works. We need seasoned leadership that knows what the heck they're doing now more than ever before. CSI is asking much from us and on-the-job training will not give us the leadership we need!

If you have a few ideas about how to increase membership, then join the membership committee. However, if you are prepared to sacrifice your personal life and make tough decisions that you may have to defend later to members that may not always agree with you, then perhaps you may be suited for leadership.

I would encourage everyone to closely examine the candidates' statements. We were given a scant 350 words to declare why we should be elected to the office we were nominated for. The differences are very interesting. I know the way they are posted on the Web site is not perfect, and we can work on changing that, but we have to use the established framework to be fair for this election cycle.

If you want to learn more about me and why I'm very well prepared to lead CSI, then I have profiles on LinkedIn, Facebook and even MySpace. I also linked my blog to the candidate site if you want to see where my head is, at any given moment. I don't think I need a Web site for self-promotion. Perhaps I'm wrong, but I question expending valuable resources to be elected to a volunteer position. I believe that would make some members question my fiscal judgement and restraint, as well they should.

Try Googling my name and see what shows up. Using the Advanced Search option and "exact wording or phrase" will give best results, otherwise you'll get 7,320 hits and they're not all mine. Narrowing it down will result in about 500, and they are me for the most part. My unusual name is a benefit for this. You'll see what I've been into the past few years both within and outside of CSI. A few of those relate to my hobby in genealogy as well as a few about my past career in local politics. I designed a Web site for each avocation a few years ago, but have been too involved in other things lately.

By the way, a lot of people are curious about my heritage and name. My father's family came from Switzerland in 1727, Bucher with an umlat "U" became Beougher. I tell folks my name is Boo'-kur, spelled B-E-O-U-G-H-E-R, just the way it sounds. That line is usually good for a chuckle and may be why I was elected to the CSI Audit Committee at my first board meeting. And yes, I am a serious guy with a sense of humor. With my name, you have to be.

I encourage all CSI voting members to research the candidates and become informed voters, then and only then should you cast your vote for the future of CSI. My best wishes go out to all of the candidates and may the best man (or woman) win.