“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
— Margaret Mead

By Alin Wall

When I submitted my nominating petition for the board of the Wilshire Montana Neighborhood Coalition (Wilmont) on May 30, 2012 I never dreamed it would set off the chain of events that ended on Friday with a letter from an attorney notifying me that my request for rescission of my membership termination was denied.

I ran for the board of Wilmont out of desire to get involved in my community. It was time to give back and I was excited to step into my neighborhood group in a meaningful way. I loved the idea of providing a forum for members to be heard and to collectively debate and find reasonable solutions to issues that faced us. I wanted to add spark to it so that others would get involved too. I wanted to mount a membership drive like no other. Little did I know the degree of dysfunction that lurked within the existing board.

Throughout this lengthy ordeal, the Chair of the past board, Valerie Griffin, complained that Wilmont was gravely damaged by events since the June 9 election. She has blamed the Huntley Hotel, she has blamed the so-called Wilmont Rebels, and she has blamed the angry mob. What I have not seen her do is what every other leader would when faced with adversity: look inward and see the role she played in the drama that unfolded.

It is Wilmont members who wanted new leadership. Why? Eleven Wilmont members ran for board positions. Why? The Annual Meeting was standing room only on June 9. More members attended that meeting than any in recent memory. Why? She was replaced as Chair of the annual meeting by an overwhelming majority of the members present. Why? Her own Board Vice-Chair took over the meeting and heard a motion to go forward with the elections she had cancelled 36 hours before. He allowed discussion and called for a vote. Why?

When a leader of a membership organization exhibits no interest in the members she represents, when she seeks to pervert the democratic process by treating disagreement as treason, when she hides from her members and cancels public meetings, and when she acts as though she is the president of a private club where she is judge, jury and executioner, what does she think is going to happen? If anyone has caused great harm to Wilmont it is Valerie Griffin.

The residents of Wilmont deserve more. They deserve a leader who understands what it means to lead, a leader who is responsive to members even when she disagrees with them, a leader who encourages participation and public discourse. While Valerie Griffin has “permanently and irrevocably” terminated my membership for breaking the rules and procedures of Wilmont (from the convoluted attorney letter I received it appears to be for participating in the election) I am not going to go away. Neither are the dissatisfied members she hasn’t yet terminated.

Alin Wall, CPA
Partner
Family Wealth Group
Email: awall@rbz.com

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