NCOWS Senatorial Election

[Dutch Limbach]

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There are only 20 days left to vote for your NCOWS Senators. To be counted the ballot MUST be postmarked by NOVEMBER 20TH, and have your NCOWS MEMBER NUMBER on it.

If you've already sent in your ballot, THANK YOU! If you haven't, please take Ben Franklin's advice "Don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today".

Dutch Limbach
Chairman NCOWS Senatorial Election Committee

[Wymore Wrangler]

Dutch, do you have a percentage of ballots that already have come in....

[Dutch Limbach]

No, I don't. I've just been collecting them from the mailbox. At the end of the month when the Election Committee gets together we will open the envelopes and count the ballots.

PS- Just 13 days left to mail them.

[Irish Dave]

Sent mine in. 

[Will Ketchum]

Sent mine and my wife's in on Monday.  Sent my proxy for the Congress in today since I will be deer hunting with my sons then.

Pete

[Silver Creek Slim]

Mine went in the mail today. Only 4 days left.

Slim

[Wymore Wrangler]

Hey Dutch, deadlines past how many total votes came in.....

[Dutch Limbach]

Wymore,

The committee counted the ballots yesterday. The results have been sent into Marshal Thorpe and the NCOWS office. The members of the committee agreed that the honor of announcing the results should go to the Marshal, so I won't reveal the winners. I can tell you that we had a total of 215 ballots cast. Plus we received a "gratuity" of a counterfeit Confederate $500 bill from someone who identified himself as "Bad Andy".

[Wymore Wrangler]

Dutch, I know you couldn't reveal the names but I was very interested in the total number of ballots, I would have expected more ballots to be returned than the numbers that actually came in, many thanks for the information....

[Grizzle Bear]

I'm rather disappointed at the small number of ballots returned, less than a quarter of our membership.
But just remember, "The world is run by those that show up."

Grizzle Bear

[Irish Dave]

Dutch:

Many thanks to you and the other committee members for volunteering. It's a service to the organization and should be recognized. Guess we'll be waitin for the snail mail to reach Iowa and the results to be forthcoming. Thanks again.

(Now, you folks can believe this is sincere since the votes are already tabulated and submitted and there's no need to "butter up" to Dutch anymore) .

[Frenchie]

I'm rather disappointed at the small number of ballots returned, less than a quarter of our membership.
But just remember, "The world is run by those that show up."
Grizzle Bear

That is disappointing, GB. On the other hand it means those of us who took the trouble to vote can ask anyone who complains whether they voted, and if the answer is no, well, then... 

Question: Let's say that Member X is holding forth about things he doesn't like, and Member Y wants to know if Member X actually voted. Can he be told Yes or No on that?

[Lone Gunman]

I can tell you that we had a total of 215 ballots cast.

I'm surprised that only 7 people besides myself voted   

Seriously though that's nearly a 40% drop from last year, here's some figures for the past few elections:

this year: 215
2003:     350
2002:     383
2001:     (reported as 'just over 1/2 the membership...no mention of what that was)
2000:     (no report of total votes at all)
1999:     225

I was expecting a larger turnout since this was the first time we had candidates from outside the Iowa/Nebraska region for quite a while. There's no way of knowing but I wonder what the ratio of shooters to non-shooting voters was? I also wonder what that ratio is overall, I think it might be considerably higher than most shooters would expect.

If Dutch hasn't already tossed them out it would be interesting to know how many postmarks from which states were received. So whadda say Dutch, have you put your shoes back on yet? 

[Cuts Crooked]

Ok, Ok, I'm guilty!!!! I didn't vote! ("Sumbody git a rope! The varmint needs some air b'twixt his feet and the ground! That'll teach 'im!)

I plead inggernance! I'm brand new to NCOWS and know doodly squat about most of the issues and about the folks running fer office. And while I have met a few of the good folks who are willing to undertake the work involved in running this outfit, I don't know THAT much about them. (Heck I don't even know some of them by thier real names, let alone how they feel about issues facing NcoWS future) And I ain't castin' a ballot based on the blurbs in the publication. I know that what a politician sayz in print can be a far cry from what he/she really feels. So I figger, better to keep my mouf shet and be thought to iggernant than to open it and have it as a know fact!

So..git yer paws offin that rope boys! I got a pair of .45s here, and this old buff gun will cut through about 6 of ya wif one shot! BACK OFF I SAY!!!!!!.......
 

[Trapdoor Billy]

To be counted the ballot MUST be postmarked by NOVEMBER 20TH, and have your NCOWS MEMBER NUMBER on it.


Could some of the problem that some folks just received their ballots today?  That would be 11/29/04.

[Yuma Kid]

Billy,
Ballots were in both the Sept/Oct issue of the Shootist as well as the Nov/Dec issue.
Yuma

[Ol Gabe]

Just an observation here...
I'm sure others wil chime in on this, but in addition to the Nov.-Dec. issue, the Sept.-Oct. issue of THE SHOOTIST also had the candidate breakdown/platforms and ballot, the ballot was on page 17.
Granted there have been delays in getting the mag to the membership and for some unknown reason in 'Printing & Shipping Hell',  it doesn't make any difference if you live 20 or 200 miles away from NCOWS HQ and the shipping dock, but generally the mag gets there close to the time needed when a ballot or registration form is required.
Now, I'm not making any apologies here, this is just a simple observation, but with any volunteer-run org this can and does happen, but, with the ballot in two back-to-back issues, unless a member only joined recently and did not get the Sept.-Oct. issue, he/she would have access to a ballot and could have voted in a timely fashion.
In addition, with the increased access to the candidates here and on TFS, it has been very easy to get information to and from the candidates, except those that do not for whatever reason, deem it necesary to not utilize this and the TFS open forums to help promote and explain their individual platforms and or NCOWS ideals. In fact, many of the candidates attended the GRONINGA HILLS ROUND UP this past summer, posted their platforms and took questions at several informal round table discussions offering those members in attendance a rare one-on-one chance to bump elbows with candidates.
That said, I find it unfortunate that anyone using any of the available electronic forums, THE SHOOTIST, telephone or e-mail addresses of the candidates, that they would not take advantage of them and give them a call or post an e-question. All but 3 of those running are regularly listed with e-addresses, home addresses and telephone numbers as Officers/Senators/Posse Reps under THE CONGRESSIONAL REPORT that appears in each issue of THE SHOOTIST. Perhaps the 3 that are not listed should have included their phone, e-address or some way to contact them in their individual platform, that could have helped quantify their platform and made them more available on their part, but again, this is just an observation and no opinion is implied.
All the candidates are our fellow members and are/were running for office to maintain and promote the concept, ideals and agenda of NCOWS for all the membership as a whole, and any member in good standing should never, ever feel that anyone elected to an official position in this or any organization are not accessible, for on the contrary, all you have to do is ask! We are blessed with multiple electronic forums, a bi-monthly mag, a website, e-mail and shooting events where these kind folks can be addressed or button-holed on any given topic, just ask and you'll be surprised how important they think your ideas are!
Best regards and good shooting!
'Ol Gabe

[Kayleen]

By the way folks there was even an envelope in the Sept/Oct issue. All we had to do was affix the stamp and put it in the mail box!
I would think that by the end of this week, if not before, Tracy Thorpe would have the results to our Senators and Reps.
I think Dutch and company need a big thank you for counting the ballots.
Kayleen

[Trapdoor Billy]

Billy,
Ballots were in both the Sept/Oct issue of the Shootist as well as the Nov/Dec issue.
Yuma

I saw that mentioned in this issue.  Either I missed the Sept/Pct issue completely or the mailman forgot to deliver it after he finished with it. 

[Lone Gunman]

George Glenn told us at the congress meeting on Nov 20th that there had been some sort of mechanical breakdown at the printers which delayed the Nov/Dec issue. We got some 'hot off the presses' at the meeting but my regular mailed copy didn't get here until this past Saturday.  Overall I think having the ballot in the magazine is a better idea (and considerably less expensive) than mailing them separately as we've done in the past. Maybe a big starburst or something on the cover alerting folks to look inside for their ballot would help. Maybe we would get more participation if we had a drawing of submitted ballots and gave away some sort of prize...we'd need to figure out some way to work that around that whole 'secret ballot' issue I guess 

[Frenchie]

All the candidates are our fellow members and are/were running for office to maintain and promote the concept, ideals and agenda of NCOWS for all the membership as a whole, and any member in good standing should never, ever feel that anyone elected to an official position in this or any organization are not accessible, for on the contrary, all you have to do is ask! We are blessed with multiple electronic forums, a bi-monthly mag, a website, e-mail and shooting events where these kind folks can be addressed or button-holed on any given topic, just ask and you'll be surprised how important they think your ideas are!
Best regards and good shooting!
'Ol Gabe

Well, so much for feeding the conspiracy theorists... 

[Silver Creek Slim]

What is the possibility of having the ballot on the NCOWS website?

Slim

[Dutch Limbach]

Overall I think having the ballot in the magazine is a better idea (and considerably less expensive) than mailing them separately as we've done in the past. Maybe a big starburst or something on the cover alerting folks to look inside for their ballot would help.

I must agree with Lone Gunman on this, and might even add that when membership renewals and the like are sent out those mailing alert members to look for the ballots in the Sept/Oct issue of The Shootist.

Lone Gunman,

I didn't keep track of where the ballots were postmarked. I can tell you the vast majority of them came from Iowa and Nebraska with Kansas a distant third. I was somewhat surprised that there weren't very many ballots postmarked from Indiana or Ohio, since there was a member of GLFMC running.

Private citizen,
Dutch

[Silver Creek Slim]

Overall I think having the ballot in the magazine is a better idea (and considerably less expensive) than mailing them separately as we've done in the past. Maybe a big starburst or something on the cover alerting folks to look inside for their ballot would help.

I must agree with Lone Gunman on this, and might even add that when membership renewals and the like are sent out those mailing alert members to look for the ballots in the Sept/Oct issue of The Shootist.

Lone Gunman,

I didn't keep track of where the ballots were postmarked. I can tell you the vast majority of them came from Iowa and Nebraska with Kansas a distant third. I was somewhat surprised that there weren't very many ballots postmarked from Indiana or Ohio, since there was a member of GLFMC running.

Private citizen,
Dutch

Ya should of had a whole pile from WI. We do what they do in the land of Daley: "Vote early and often." 

Slim

[Ottawa Creek Bill]

Lone Gunman,

I got my copy of the Shootist today (11/30/04), Being a newcomber to NCOWS, I have no idea when I'm officailly supposed to receive it. For those of you that didn't vote, tsk.... tsk...!! You had all the same information on the candidates and their stand on the issues that all of us that DID vote had.
I would be suprised at a large voter turnout here in Indiana since there is only one NCOWS posse. It would be interesting to know how many ballotts were sent in by members outside of Iowa.............. Maybe next time we can all chip in and donate funds for postage for a mailing notification/ballott wirth return postage to the membership that didn't want to spend 37 cents and a little effort to vote.

OCB