iceboating.net Minnesota Ice Sailing Association

What were they thinking? Or were they thinking at all?

We have a DN Class Association that Governs the Class and here's why;

"With the following stated purpose.

'To promote, protect, and perpetuate DN one design iceboating, to advance the art and skill of DN Ice Yacht construction and sailing aw well as the future development of the DN Class Ice Yacht and the sport of Ice Yachting on all the hard waters of the world.'"

Sound nice doesn't it, what a laudable reason to exist, it's not the mission, that's subordinate to the charter.

What does this really mean, not the way it's interpreted or constrained today, rather what do those words really mean?

To Promote, which is indeed the Prime Imperative of the Charter for IDNIYRA, that's why the IDNIYRA exists: from Thesaurus.com
Main Entry: promote

Part of Speech: verb

Definition: help, advance

Synonyms: advertise , advocate, aid, assist, avail, back, befriend, benefit, bolster, boost, build up*, call attention to, champion, contribute, cooperate, cry*, develop, encourage, endorse, espouse, forward, foster, further, get behind, hype*, improve, nourish, nurture, patronize, plug*, popularize, propagandize, publicize, puff, push, push for, recommend, sell, serve, speak for, speed, sponsor, stimulate, subsidize, succor, support, uphold, urge, work for

Antonyms: condemn, discredit, dishonor, hurt
* = informal/non-formal usage

How many of these meanings of Promote by definition require a budget to actually reach an action that is contemplated? ADVERTISE, BACK, SELL, SUBSIDIZE, SUCCOR, SPONSOR all seem to mean somebody's gotta write a check and somebody collects some money to achieve the acts of advertising, sponsoring, etc. Most all the other synonms don't have a conflict with that.

Dissecting Protect and Perpetuate will come later...

These primary obligations seem to imply term growth as the primary reason to exist... as a group we have failed miserably at all of the above.

Why have we failed to grow the sport?

1. It's already built in, guaranteed failure. The By Laws of the Class are in conflict with the Charter of the Organization.

Article XI - Amendments and Changes ... Two thirds majority of votes cast for any change to the Constitution or By Laws... This is onerous, it may on it's face serve to "protect the flavor of DN racing, but by the demographics of the fleet, now almost exactly 10 years older than the fleet was a decade ago is very troubling, if the trend continues, in less than 20 years the fleet will all be dead or in a Rest Home.

12) No Commercial Information will appear on any DN parts... this in my face conflict with the primary charter, Promote! Advdertise! Make People Aware, Sell. Promote, Hype.

13) The IDNIYRA is an amateur racing association, managed by volunteers, and financially self sufficient, ... it's members will not participate in any commercial promotion at IDNIYRA Events... again, in my face conflict with the primary charter, Promote! Advertise! Make People Aware, Sell. Promote, Hype.