Board's decision relating the unjusticed election

The formal complaint lodged by the 12 losing candidates regarding election improprieties should have been reviewed by an independent group of people. Almost half of the UMCA Board members who voted on this issue should have rescued themselves from the vote. They benefited from this past election and should not have acted in judgment on this issue as shown in the letter to UMCA members below.

2007 Election of Directors

September 17, 2007

On June 27, 2007 the UMCA Board of Directors (the "Board") had met by teleconference call and confirmed the results of the 2007 election of Directors to the Board.

On September 6, 2007, the Board held a hearing in two sessions regarding the 2007 election of Directors to the Board. The first session was to hear a statement from John Marino, co-founder of the UMCA, regarding the handling of the 2007 election. The second session was to hear the report of the Executive Committee of the Board: Joe Jamison, President, Chris Hopkinson, Vice President, Russ Loomis, Treasurer, Nancy Guth, Secretary and John Hughes, Managing Director (the "Executive Committee"). This letter is intended to provide the UMCA membership with the results of the Board's hearing.

At approximately 7:00 p.m., Eastern Time, Mr. Marino joined the Board members in attendance via teleconference to present his remarks. Mr. Marino was provided 15-20 minutes of uninterrupted time, followed by 5-10 minutes for the Directors to ask for clarification of his remarks if required. At no time was Mr. Marino to be rebutted on his remarks. Mr. Marino did not refer directly to the points in his letter of August 5, 2007, but rather focused on the history of the UMCA, the importance of timely response to problems voiced by the membership and the image members develop from the behavior of the Board. At approximately 7:30 p.m., Mr. Marino indicated that he appreciated the opportunity of addressing the Board. The Board thanked Mr. Marino and expressed its appreciation for Mr. Marino's dedication and work to the UMCA.

Following the conclusion of Mr. Marino's statement, a break was taken and the Board reconvened with the second session to hear the report of the Executive Committee. Comments from several Directors confirmed the respect Mr. Marino holds with this Board. It was expressed that his comments were from the heart, reflecting his passion for the sport and the organization.

The Executive Committee stated it reviewed each allegation made in the letter from Mr. Marino dated August 5, 2007. The Committee noted it was troubled by the inadvertent delay of the election. It also acknowledged that Mr. Marino raised many complaints, using adjectives such as: unfair, unethical, immoral, disingenuous, suspicious actions and morally questionable behavior. However, the Committee noted that these criteria were subjective and personal in nature making it difficult, if not impossible to fairly assess and evaluate. Instead, the Committee reviewed the adopted standards set forth in the UMCA's bylaws and rules for the election. After doing so, the Committee concluded that no violation of the bylaws or rules occurred.

It is the opinion of the Board that, during the election, there was aggressive campaigning on the part of some of the UMCA members. Judging from the prolonged intensity of the campaigning, this level of campaigning is not acceptable in the future. This level of campaigning was the central target of criticism in Mr. Marino's letter. Recognizing this, on August 10, 2007 the Executive Committee created the Committee on Board Elections for the express purpose of studying the complaints raised by Mr. Marino and others, and to then make recommendations for any necessary changes to election procedures.

Therefore, the Board reconfirmed that the 2007 election stands and, that aside from missing the date for holding the election, no other specific bylaws were violated.

Joe Jamison,
President, UMCA