Hi Angel - I just sent you a follow-up email.

This is a wonderful post.

A group of real coop members and interested friends are putting together an email list of some thoughts on how to address and avoid such disruptions, and I added you to the list. The discussion should be moved online and all members should be invited to offer their feedback and suggestions, and vote on future coop decisions and developments. That is the democratic way, and I mean that in entirely non-partisan of ways.

If any real coop members or readers are not receiving email messages about the organization of the coop and you would like to be added to that list, please email me at norm [at] realneo [dot] us or Bill McDermott at billmacd99 [at] yahoo [dot] com - note there are lawyers, media people and public office holders involved in these discussions, so this list is not a place for trolls - only real people allowed.

There is certainly no interest to exclude anyone from our organizational planning on my part - please be part of our solutions and get in touch if you like.

Watch for updates and action items to post to realNEO shortly, from someone...

Disrupt IT

 Thanks, Angel, for the nudge that we must carry forward. Hopefully, discussions around areas of concern can be brought forth here shortly. What is the point of a virtual community unless it is fully used to its capacity?

While discussions can be spirited, it would be good to have some ground rules about respect, which includes not attacking, or trashing others, and I would suggest that people use their real names if they are to be taken seriously. Repost of posting about discussions should be denied, if someone has something to say, say it within the blog, which brings up formatting issues.... I support policies about formatting, signatures (keep it short and/or small), no posting in its entirety from other sites, all caps, fonts, etc. I like the concept of realeno, but being part of it has been painful at times. I am willing to plug away, though, if I see positive, forward motion.

Debbie

Okay... dozens of emails, ideas, and people's opinions have passed through the filters of things....

Perhaps at this stage recognizing how quick, easy, and disenfranchising such issues are will reveal to REALNEO members how easy it is for the world around us to DISTRACT us from the TRUTH...

It's a new week with lots of open issues on the table...how can we maximize our resources and efforts? How can we "KEEP IT SIMPLE" to protect our citizens? How can we congregate to disempower the corruption? 

I heard a quote last week about Rokakis saying how- "he reads these posts by the folks who have nothing better to do with their time at 3am..." 

The leadership is not taking these outbursts seriously and they don't give a damn about an insignificant group of bloggers who post the real truth. They think that citizen activists are a joke...

So, REALNEO....how do we strengthen the REALNEO COOP to overcome that perception by the leadership? Until they recognize us as REAL-we are just a bunch of NOBODY's off of their radar screens....at that rate-we'd need another 100 years to conquer them.... I don't think I will live that long. Haha. So, how do we bypass the insanity of reptitious citations that prove the reckless nature of their unaccountable actions? 

is what is it all about? What is realneo and where do we want it to be in one year or two years? What can we do to be a voice in NEO?

Are we looking to continue to be a blog site where matters of the day get posted, discussed, trashed? Do we want to pick area of intersts to us and our comunities and write about them and inform/engange readers?

Do we set some policies into place that impact how a blog may posted (size, fonts, and also if is a posting from another site that it be linked to that site to avoid legal issues?

Do we want to be a blog site, or a journalisitc site, or both, or something totally different?

We have this amazing vehicle to use, and the one daily paper in  town won't live much longer, so we also have an amazing chance here to become a real news source,

Okay...great questions....

1) A mission statement is required.

2) A goal list needs to be established.

3) Great points have been made by your comments....invaluable points of significance...

4) These issues must be developed, consolidated, and resolved soon-in order for us all to find some sense of "purpose" besides the idea of "bitching" about things we are powerless over...(I know I am guilty.)

5) Unification about everything... if we share various common goals, missions, and goals...then we can congregatively make a powerful difference.

6) I appreciated that the difference between REALNEO and the PD blogs was that our bloggers appear to be much more actively engaged, directly involved, and willing to 'do the right thing' along the way... our bloggers are dynamically interested in the welfare of our community at large...and are willing to go the extra mile from "reporting" to sticking our necks out there to challenge the authorities who dictate bad practices. We are not just reporters-but citizen activists and we are intolerant of abusive practices that hurt our citizens. We are not here to kiss behinds and play politics about our truest opinions and because of that openness...we are not steered by the government at large with our posts. That's significant to the little folks. We are simply about justice and accountability at large. At least that has been my observation.

7) We provide a forum that is express about the things that are silently undermined by the public leadership. We state the things that most folks wouldn't dare risk their lives over. We confront the UNREALISTIC ISSUES and we work to overcome the historical abuses.

8) We are a transient community with a rich history of lifers and folks who have left the region who thirst for updates to the realities in Cleveland.

9) There are a world of folks who have been violated in NEO....and who deserve a forum to speak the truth about those abuses-and in anonymous format if necessary...taking away that right would be truly unsafe for those who have found a place to feel safe and free to finally divulge the historical abuses in our community which brought our citizens to this point in time anyway.

10) Things can only get better if we continue to nurture REALNEO....as we truly care...but as the folks who will drive these beginnings into generations...don't we want to provide them with a sense of being able to find solutions, resolve disruptions, and overcome unreal circumstances through our forum of sharing and learning?

That is my ultimate hope....to create a forum that puicks out the ugly while filtering through the garbage and cleaning up the messes one piece at a time...collectively, in a safe environment, and without fear of retaliation and further violations of my rights.

I can participate in on open, online forum discussion. I do not have the flexibility in my schedule for meetings, other than an occasional  get together. Doesn't mean that I have to be there, though, so proceed as you all see fit. I am always happy to chime in here.

I believe that these meetings should be ONLINE. The majority of our actively engaged folks are best at rsvp'ing online...and as it has been stated-schedules, travel, funding, and so forth are all issues for us all.

I will clearly and definitively state this....

ANYONE CONSIDERING TAKING A LEADERSHIP ROLE ACTIVELY IN THIS PLANNING AND EXECUTION SHOULD BE ABLE TO DEDICATE CLEARLY DEFINED AMOUNTS OF TIME TO THIS ORGANIZATION OR NOT TAKE THE POSITIONS OF LEADERSHIP.

Sustaining the requirements for such a higher level of execution as an organization is not a pip squeak job-it requires thorough planning, organization, and reaction times that are comprehensive and in depth...Not just hit and skip reactions. I believe that Board Members/Coop Members who engage at a leadership level in this organization should be prepared to act effectively and without hesitation to many hours of detailed requirements.

This process is not a coffee house planning game...it's a detail oriented administration requirement that kills most organizations with ineffective leadership being thrawted into positions that they are incapable of sustaining and offering the adequate time to address attention to detail matters.

After sitting on Boards that had incompetent, hasty, and hurried folks trying to dictate their desires onto others who never even took a note, did anything outside of the meeting, and didn't even own a computer to sustain transparent accountability-I would choose NOT to be involved with folks who simply cannot maintain the requirements of such an organization. It's not advisable in the least. However, if our most dedicated administrators support sustaining a very detail oriented, transparent, and accountable leadership through a board-then I would support it...

Effective leadership will delegate and then hold accountable committees, goals, activities, and results. Effective leadership will maintain a standard operating procedure and protocol for hosting meetings which may at times take several hours of direct attention on administration alone. If anyone has ever attended a CMSD Board Meeting-that would be a pivotal example of operational requirements to anticipate as REALNEO grows... and it's a huge growing pain...

That is why these NFP's work to get millions in funds donated/sponsored/fundraised=to sustain the administrative requirements and pay full time salaries to folks who can maintain it all... because the paperwork/accountability is endless.

Ultimately, this is the area of any organization that gets neglected and in the end becomes the reason that the organization fails....

Is REALNEO a not for profit or for profit corporation? 

Has REALNEO filed corporate docs with the State and Federal Govt? 

Does REALNEO sustain liability insurance for liable suits and for the Board Of Directors? 

Does REALNEO have legal resources in the event of a lawsuit? 

Does REALNEO have a central meeting location that can be it's headquarters for all requirements? 

Can REALNEO sustain an annual cycle of requirements in a checklist format of accountability? 

See, it's really nice to be a blogger not responsible for these uncountable items of business...but whoever owns this entity has many considerations to be covered to protect themselves against the world of folks looking for a good lawsuit. 

If I am correct, real cooperative is registered with the state and realneo is a part of the real cooperative. For myself, I am not looking to create a structure that requires a formal board and board meetings. I am looking for guidelines and policies that posters agree to, and adhere to.

I will do not have the time to commit to a leadership role as you have outlined, Angel. Like many people, yourself included, work and family concerns take priority over much of our day to day lives.

We may have to set the goals a little lower unless members have have the experience and time to the  creation of a formal structure. Question though, is do we need a formal structure? Is what we have had in terms of structure been enough that, if we set member guidelines, that in itself would be enough? Or are there goals to be achieved that can only be done is there is a formal board and by-laws? What would those goals be?

I guess I am trying to flesh out what we want to achieve as an end result and then we can figure out how that needs to happen, and people can figure out what their roles will be in that process. I am a process oriented person, but I have learned that process without a clearly defined purpose, or reason, can lead to confusion and a lot of wasted effort. It seems that this is even more important if we are to do this on-line.

Debbie

You are absolutely right, Debbie.

I concur with your point regarding the idea of needing CLEARLY DEFINED OBJECTIVES/GOALS.

You've been here longer than me....I absolutely agree that having a hardy structured administration/board could lead to unnecessary grief... and disrupt an excellent forum.

Can we keep it simple by backing up a few steps and requesting that all the REALNEO folks LIST YOUR OBJECTIVES/GOALS in this forum for REALNEO??

My personal favorite objective is sustaining our transparency, accountability, and integrity of our mission to protect the rights of our citizens in this public venue.

-

 and I don't want a constitution that I have to break down the road.

There is something deeply imbedded in the qualities of our members....

Our members are tenancious truth seekers who uncover the realities that have been swept under the rug for way too long.

Our members are the citizen soldiers of our community at large, leading by example.

Our members exhibit the fortitude, courage, and bravery to fight the social injustices on our world.

Our members stand up against wrongdoers, stick their necks on the line, and protect human rights.

Our members are true Americans.

Our members are the vital assets of Northeast Ohio who demand accountability through democracy.

Our members are the activists, the advocates, and the angels who inspire our fellow people.

Our members are the genuine, good hearted, and honest people who care without hesitation about all human beings.

Our members are the light of day to the dark underground world that eats away at our foundations.

Our members are crusaders who embrace those who have been violated by corruption.

Our members are the conquers of inhumane, greedy, and selfish maniacs who abuse our community.

Our members are REALNEO....

Our members are good old fashioned, humble apple pie.

Our members are average ordinary folks who have seen their share of life.

Our members are the tenacious, undying souls of liberty, life, and the pursuit of happiness.

Our members are the young, the old, the wise, the disabled, the veterans, the hardworkers, and normal folks and everyone in between.

Our members are the keepers of human dignity to those who've been dehumanized by injustice.

Our members are the laborers of life who promote consideration, respect, and equality.

Our members are realistic, reactive, and real.... We are REALNEO! 

MAY GOD BLESS ALL OF OUR REALNEO MEMBERS WITH THE COURAGE, WISDOM, AND ACCEPTANCE TO REMAIN STEADFAST IN OUR MISSION TO BE OUR VERY BEST!