[Bob Kuczewski]

Dhmartens (Doug) made a very good suggestion on the Oz Forum that maybe USHPA should have a "whistle blower" protection policy. I think that's another area where we could provide a better environment for our members and set a good example for USHPA.

Doug listed this link as an example:

http://utaholympiclegacy.com/wp-content ... -Guide.pdf

Here's part of what it says:

UOP Sport Clubs will not encourage, allow or tolerate attempts from any individual to retaliate, punish, allow or in any way harm any individual (s) who reports a concern in good faith. Such actions against a complainant will be considered a violation of the UOP Sport Club Safe Sport Guide and grounds for disciplinary action, and may also be subject to civil or criminal proceedings.

What do you think?

[Rick Masters]

I think you're rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. That is, when you take a flawed bipolar concept, such as the assumed common goals of parachutists and aircraft pilots, and start building in complexity, you can only end up with a bigger mess. Better to incorporate the whistleblower policy into the US Hawks bylaws. That might someday actually produce results rather than meaningless and frustrating rounds of animosity and lip service from the U$hPa BOD..

I was listening to Buckminister Fuller the other day and he was talking about how individuals can effect societal change. As an example, he used the efforts of a man hoping to change the course of a huge ocean liner. Attempting to push the bow aside does not work. Likewise, pushing against the gigantic rudder has no effect. But actuating a simple trim tab will cause the ship to turn with little effort.

The trim tab is not begging new policies for the U$hPa. The trim tab is the US Hawks.

[wingspan33]

Rick,
I think Bob just took note of DHMartin's thought (on the Oz forum) about the u$hPa possibly adopting such a policy. Bob brought the idea here because he thinks that would be a good "policy" for the US Hawks to adopt. Since Bob placed this topic in the "issues for the US Hawks trial BODs" area, . . . makes sense his suggestion is for the US Hawks specifically.

But I would definitely agree with your comments about the u$hPa being (un)likely to add such a section to their own By-Laws or SOPs.

Effectively, the USHPA has an obvious Anti-Whistle Blower policy!

And, heck, you don't even have to blow the whistle on the u$hPa. If you blow the whistle on a high visibility, high volume, big $ income, grossly negligent, Collapsible Canopy Sales and Instructional (for profit) Corp., . . . the u$hPa will attack you for that as well. Even when the whistle blowing connects with unsafe - u$hPa student pilot injuring - practices!

Regardless of who's directing the u$hPa's ship, its clearly headed in a negative direction. Reminds me of the Titanic! . . . . .

[Bill Cummings]

UOP Sport Clubs will not encourage, allow or tolerate attempts from any individual to retaliate, punish, allow or in any way harm any individual (s) who reports a concern in good faith. Such actions against a complainant will be considered a violation of the UOP Sport Club Safe Sport Guide and grounds for disciplinary action, and may also be subject to civil or criminal proceedings.

Patterned from the above paragraph below is a suggested SOP for the US Hawks Hang Gliding Association

US Hawks Hang Gliding Association will not encourage, allow or tolerate attempts from any individual to retaliate, punish, allow or in any way harm any individual (s) who reports a concern in good faith. Such actions against a complainant will be considered a violation of the US Hawks Hang Gliding Association Stand Operating Procedure, (SOP), and grounds for disciplinary action, and may also be subject to civil or criminal proceedings.

[wingspan33]

. . . Patterned from the above paragraph below is a suggested SOP for the US Hawks Hang Gliding Association[/b]

US Hawks Hang Gliding Association will not encourage, allow or tolerate attempts from any individual to retaliate, punish, allow or in any way harm any individual(s) who reports a concern in good faith. Such actions against a complainant will be considered a violation of the US Hawks Hang Gliding Association Standard Operating Procedure, (SOP), and grounds for disciplinary action, and may also be subject to civil or criminal proceedings.

With very minor corrections (made above) I would also suggest such an addition. Let's take it into Committee "land" for further discussion.

[Bill Cummings]

. . . Patterned from the above paragraph below is a suggested SOP for the US Hawks Hang Gliding Association[/b]

US Hawks Hang Gliding Association will not encourage, allow or tolerate attempts from any individual to retaliate, punish, allow or in any way harm any individual(s) who reports a concern in good faith. Such actions against a complainant will be considered a violation of the US Hawks Hang Gliding Association Standard Operating Procedure, (SOP), and grounds for disciplinary action, and may also be subject to civil or criminal proceedings.

With very minor corrections (made above) I would also suggest such an addition. Let's take it into Committee "land" for further discussion.

Agreed.
(Thanks to Doug for bringing this to our attention)

[Rick Masters]

I think Bob just took note of DHMartin's thought (on the Oz forum) about the u$hPa possibly adopting such a policy.

I do not follow the Oz Report.

[Bob Kuczewski]

I think Bob just took note of DHMartin's thought (on the Oz forum) about the u$hPa possibly adopting such a policy.

I do not follow the Oz Report.

I haven't either since I was banned in early 2010 during my Regional Director recall election. But since there was a discussion there about the expulsion, I asked Davis to participate in that discussion. He agreed that I could post in that one topic.

Are you currently banned from the Oz Forum or other forums? If so, we've got a topic (started in 2011) where we list people who have been banned from various forums. If you like, please feel free to post there with the sites that have banned you and I'll update the master list in the first topic. Here's the topic:

http://ushawks.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=599

I think I'll go update it as well.

[Rick Masters]

In 2009, when I introduced the concept of the Paragliding Dead Man's Curve to the circus performers at ParaglidingForum, I drew so much heat for Davis that he started religiously consigning my posts to what he termed "The Cesspool". He was happy to arrange "cat fights" with ParaglidingForum posters who came over to OzReport to personally attack me on every issue rather than confront the significant concerns I raised about paraglider safety and paragliding's detrimental effect on hang gliding. Even though I understood the incessant pressure he must have been facing as an active HG pilot from parapologists at the sites he flew, I felt stifled. It was his cowardly way of banning somebody. I would have preferred the arrogant method he used on you. Finally I left in disgust.

When I first found the Oz Report, I was so impressed by the quality and work that went in I sent Davis $100.
He did not return it after he banned me from the forum, which I now regard as a form of petty theft.

[Bob Kuczewski]

When I first found the Oz Report, I was so impressed by the quality and work that went in I sent Davis $100. He did not return it after he banned me from the forum, which I now regard as a form of petty theft.

That is very ironic. I can't remember the exact amount, but I sent a similar amount to Jack on Hanggliding.org - in cash. I felt it was my way of giving back. Look how that turned out as well.

There's a saying that "you just can't be nice to some people". I guess it depends on the people.

By the way, the Board is currently working on drafting a whistle blower policy in response to this topic.