Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!ucsd!ucbvax!ucdavis!ccjoan
From: ccjoan@aggie.ucdavis.edu (Joan Gargano)
Newsgroups: rec.skydiving
Subject: Re: USPA elections
Message-ID: <9468@aggie.ucdavis.edu>
Date: 10 Dec 90 22:34:18 GMT
References: <203@darkstar.cs.utexas.edu>
Reply-To: ccjoan@aggie.ucdavis.edu.UUCP (Joan Gargano)
Distribution: usa
Organization: University of California, Davis
Lines: 22

In article <203@darkstar.cs.utexas.edu> bunda@cs.utexas.edu (John Bunda) writes:
>Does anybody have any idea what is *really* going on with these
>elections?

The candidates probably don't even know why they are doing it.  I
think it goes along with the escalation of egos, "professionalism" and
competitiveness we have seen over the last few years.  It used to be
that local jumpers formed teams, made a few hundred jumps together and
went to the Nationals.  The rest of us jumped when we could and had a
good time.  Now teams are more commercial with multi-year commitments
and have a thousand jumps together.  Fun jumpers deal with the issue
of commitment and how many jumps they make a year.  This has probably
moved into the Board elections.  If you are really "committed" and
"professional" you use marketing like "real" candidates do.

I appreciate the time and effort people put into the USPA and am glad
they take it seriously, but let's be real.  USPA has maybe 20,000 members
(many not active) in a country of 250 million.  We're a very small
group with a very narrow common interest.  I agree with John.  It's
getting silly and people are taking this a little too seriously.

Joan Gargano