[15908] in APO-L
Re: sectional chairs
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (John Grossi)
Thu Jan 2 23:39:59 1997
Date: Thu, 2 Jan 1997 23:37:41 EST
Reply-To: John Grossi <jgrossi@MU.BBN.COM>
From: John Grossi <jgrossi@MU.BBN.COM>
To: Multiple recipients of list APO-L <APO-L@VM.CC.PURDUE.EDU>
In-Reply-To: from "Peter A. Fagan" at Jan 2, 97 10:39 pm
>
> On this here is my understanding from a discussion this past week in
> Phoenix. It is _highly_, _highly_, encouraged (almost like living in the
> Region) that a Region Director lives in the Geographic region that they
> serve.
So far as I know, no where in the bylaws does it say anything
about an elected APO officer having to live in a certain area. The rule
is totally unwritten (though there was an attempt in '94 to put it in
the bylaws). But let's discuss the unwritten rule anyways...
I'm a Section Chair of a Section I don't live in. (being 25
miles south of the border in Massachusetts. I've had this disscussion
with people, though obviously not about Region Director, just about
Section Chair but the logic is the same it's just a matter of scale.
While for my Section, where I live actually makes sense, there
is a logic for living in the area you administer. Most Sections are
geographically large. (mine is about 600 miles east to west, and 500
north to south, and this is excluding Canada) You spend a lot of time
travelling to and from chapters. Many times when you visit it's; "hey
can you show up tonight?", at 3 in the afternoon. Living outside your
section while it does not change anything, makes it harder; increasing
already long drive times, increasing costs for phone, feul, and tolls.
Now make this a Region, which is larger still. Do you see
where the costs go up further and higher? Yes you can play games with
Geography and find those places where it might make it easier, such as
Poughkipsee area NY for Region I, or Boston for Section 94, but for
the most part Regions and Sections are not compact Geographical
entities. While Charlie has proven it is possible to live outside your
Region and still do a good job; the unwritten rule is there as sort of
a comment on the time, money, and distance constraints involved in an
elected APO position on the (Sectional or) Regional level.
-John Grossi
Section 94 Chair
Northern New England and Quebec
