Long_Time_Lurker, we do have a Jr committee that the Jr board member heads up. We have been trying to get more Jr and 4-H members active in our GMO, but I am afraid this will set our efforts back. There was history between the elected Jr board member and another jr member that flowed over to the board president. Unfortunately, we lost a great little member and parent because of this issue.
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Hopefully you’ll lose a board president too, because that kind of behavior is completely unacceptable, and she should be replaced.
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Sounds like your president is as much a jr and the one jr is more the adult.
I believe the GMO I am a member has a Jr. committee headed up by and adult. Might give it a go.
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Agreed. We do have an impeach process in place. Not sure that we have ever used it though…
Ok this all makes more sense. The real issue is not procedure but a toxic board culture with adult infighting and trying to chase out a junior member. Been there done that with toxic boards. Nothing will change until you get rid of the toxic people either by election or attrition. Toxic people will bend rules in all sorts of ways and it isn’t always enough to get them to follow rules because they are quite capable of being horrible without breaking any actual rules or making up new rules.
Totally makes sense though why they don’t want to understand themselves as bound by SS or rules against bullying juniors. That would crimp their petty local infighting lives way too much.
Does the dressage federation not have any code of conduct or complaints procedure when GMOs go bsc? It must happen regularly.
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I would think long and hard about being part of a GMO that has such a toxic culture. It is long standing and ingrained. it has been festering
I , personally, would take it elsewhere if the president and her lackey cannot be easily ousted and the room freshened. It might be hard to know what the true feelings of other board members are and how much they struggled with what appears to have been a bad situation. If the offending adults are ousted, are you still left with a toxic stew
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Has the Regional Director been contacted to see if they might help resolve the situation? Perhaps act as a mediator and perhaps the President will agree to step down.
The problem with GMO’s is a catch 22, many have such a toxic self serving culture that they make it hard to want to get involved. Yet if you don’t, are you part of the problem? I think they mostly turn into cliques and don’t help the reputation that dressage people are snobby…
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Edit to remove much too late to the thread comment.
It is unconscionable that adults would send bullying emails and then publicly bully a child. That is so beyond the pale. I don’t care what juvenile beef they may have had at a barn - they are supposed to be the grownups here. If I were a member of that GMO, I would certainly start the impeachment process if able. I think I might also make a quick mention to Safe Sport, even if these parties are not USEF members, or at least suggest same to the kid’s mom. I HATE BULLIES!!
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Mom has started the SS process as the bully in question is a USEF member and carded WDAA judge 
She is also a “trainer and instructor”. I am in my last year of a 3 year board term and will not seek re-election after this year. I just cannot deal with the toxic culture that the board promotes. I will continue to show in their schooling show series as it is mainly run by area barns and they have great shows.
We did have the regional director on the board meeting as well and she pretty much said that GMO’s and USDF member’s didn’t have to follow SS guidelines. It is suggested, but not required.
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It will be interesting to see if anything comes from the Safe Sport activity.
It seems like they have been so inundated with complaints about other issues that I wonder what they will do about this kind of situation.
It doesnt “happen regularly”. I was asked to help a GMO settle an election issue (their bylaws had vague and conflicting info, probably the result of various “additions” etc over the years…). ONCE in the last 5 or so years as the Regional GMO Rep. As far as a “code of conduct”, nothing binding. THere is a GMO handbook with lots of suggestions.
NO they dont “mostly” turn into cliques. There are many successful GMOs… My GMO had a short spate of it a few years ago, but we got through it with lessons learned. ANd the RD is exactly the person to contact, as is the GMO Rep from that Region.
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