Today's post is brought to you by guest poster Krisanne Combs. Krisanne is one of the many skydivers running for the board of directors in the up and coming USPA elections. We encourage USPA members to take an active part and help shape the future of the sport of skydiving!
By Krisanne Combs
I was thrilled when The PD Blog asked me to be a guest blogger so that I could engage in shameless self-promotion share my excitement about the 2008 USPA elections. This year's election features a record number of candidates participating in the election process (including yours truly!), and is generating quite a bit of buzz at dropzones around the country and online.
This is your chance to elect the folks who will represent you on the 22-member board. If you haven't yet voted, now's the time to think about the issues you find important, and to identify and vote for the people you think will best represent those interests. There are lots of places to get information about the candidates, starting with your November issue of Parachutist. The same information that is in Parachutist is also on the USPA web site, where you may download a ballot.
There's also a special forum on Dropzone.com set up to discuss the elections - many of the candidates are actively engaging in debate with their fellow skydivers on those forums and answering questions about the issues. It's a great source of information, opinions, and some lively debate (and a little drama, too). It's a good place to hear more about what the people on the ballot have to say (or not say, in some cases), and to better understand how they'll interact with you - the members they hope to represent.
Some board candidates (me included!) have weblogs set up to talk about their candidacy. Others have provided their contact info in Parachutist or online. Don't be afraid to ask questions - it's a great way to get a sense of how responsive someone will be as a board member. Once elected, you should always feel like you can contact any board member for information - if they don't respond to you as a candidate, how likely is it that they'll respond once elected?
No matter what your favorite issue is, no matter if you're brand new to the sport or if you made your first jump with Tiny Broadwick, it's crucial that you take part in the voting process. Anytime someone bitches to me that "USPA did this" or "USPA did that," the first thing I ask is "Did you vote?" Sadly, in typical years only about 10% of the membership votes - it's no wonder the members feel disconnected from the board! This year, you can send a new message - thatUSPA members are engaged, involved, and demand to be heard! Vote and encourage your friends to vote.
Remember. USPA is not them. USPA is us.
