US Hawks Hang Gliding Association • View topic - Frank Colver joins US Hawks Board of Directors

by **Bob Kuczewski** » Fri Feb 19, 2016 4:16 pm

Frank Colver joins the US Hawks Board of Directors!!!!

Hello Fellow US Hawks Members,

It is with great pleasure that I'd like to announce Frank Colver as our most recent addition to the US Hawks Board of Directors. Frank has been unanimously endorsed by all current Board Members and he begins his service as of today - February 19th, 2016.

Frank was USHGA #7, and is widely known throughout the sport of hang gliding for his early contributions of the Colver Variometer and the Colver Sky Sail. Frank was also an avid balloonist, and has recently returned to hang gliding with his purchase of a new Wills Wing Alpha. Frank was also instrumental through his local city government in getting a marker stone placed to commemorate the first Otto Lilienthal meet a few years back, and Frank was chairman of the US Hawks committee that approved the language and construction of that marker. Frank is also a founding member and current president of the Friends of Dockweiler Gliding Society at Dockweiler Beach. If that weren't enough, Frank just published a hang gliding history article in the February issue of the Shores Living magazine available here:

viewtopic.php?f=22&t=2284

It is a great pleasure to welcome Frank Colver to the US Hawks Board!!

Bob Kuczewski
February 19th, 2016

Welcome aboard Frank!! :salute:

by **Bill Cummings** » Fri Feb 19, 2016 4:43 pm

Thanks Frank for joining the Trial Board Members to help us along on our startup practice run.
Hopefully what we do will set the direction for a time when the elected board members are seated and finalize the direction the Hawks will take going forward. :salute:

by **Bob Kuczewski** » Fri Feb 19, 2016 8:56 pm

billcummings wrote:Thanks Frank for joining the Trial Board Members to help us along on our startup practice run.
Hopefully what we do will set the direction for a time when the elected board members are seated and finalize the direction the Hawks will take going forward.

At this point, I'd say that the US Hawks Board has gotten past the "Trial Board" stage. It's more like a real Board ... but without the responsibility.

For the last year (since we formed the Trial Board), every decision of the Board has been implemented. So for all practical purposes, the Board has been making all the decisions. However, I have reserved the right to veto or over-ride the Board. That has two consequences. The first consequence is that we can't have a repeat of the HGAA fiasco because I won't let that happen. But the second consequence is that the responsibility for all decisions still rests on my shoulders. That effectively relieves the Board from any liability issues since the Board doesn't have the final authority. So all responsibility for any liabilities of the US Hawks still rests completely with me.

So rather than calling it a "Trial Board", I think it might be more appropriate to call it the US Hawks Board of Directors with the understanding that I can veto decisions that I believe would be harmful to our purpose. If we wanted to use a qualifier, I think "Advisory Board" might be best.

How does that all sound to everyone?

By the way, if I should ever veto a decision by the "Advisory Board" then that would put that particular issue in very sharp focus. It would be quite public, and I would have to have some very good reasons or risk alienating all of our members. That puts a fairly tight leash on my ability to veto decisions by the Board. So there is a "check and balance" with this situation.

by **Rick Masters** » Fri Feb 19, 2016 9:52 pm

...the US Hawks Board has gotten past the "Trial Board" stage.

To me, the US Hawks continues to feel much like a forum.
That is not a criticism.
BobK's concerns about losing the US Hawks following incorporation are serious and real.
I share them after witnessing what happened to the USHGA.
It morphed and essentially turned against recreational hang gliding as the BOD gradually passed control to another $port.
This forum is unique and I would not wish to see it threatened.
It is the foundation of new ideas and alternative thinking.
Perhaps the forum should remain independent of any organization it spins off.
It would continue independently under BobK's control as owner and moderator.
I would be more comfortable with that.