Lisa -

I would also add that any authorization to use the ROG name or logo comes with the stipulation that the entire ROG board is the ultimate authority as to how it is used and what activities are associated with it.

Ken,

You obviously have some significant personal issues with FB and as I mentioned in a previous post this discussion would have been more helpful 4 years ago.

While I only found 2 references in Minutes, of meetings you attended, I further note you seconded the motions to approve the Minutes and voted in favour. The initiative was discussed at additional times both on calls and I believe by emails, but at this time I have no records. While your fellow Directors knew of the discussions, if you have a significant aversion to FB, I find it highly surprising you did not raise these concerns in 2015. Many of your fellow Board members joined and participated in the FB Page; surely, if it was unauthorised, they would not have joined and raised the issue. Therefore, while no vote was recorded in the Minutes, with the exception of yourself, all Directors at the time obviously considered the FB Page an approved ROG initiative.

With respect to the name of the FB Page, it is actually Redwood RV Owners Group, not ROG. When setting up the page, Chuck carefully selected the name to prevent confusion with the impending ROG discussion forum. In addition, the FB page has a sticky note, that is seen by everybody. I believe it clearly outlines that the FB Page is a discussion group and that the ROG has a large, category based forum, photo gallery and classified section. It also provides a couple of links to the ROG Home Page.

Although the FB Page has no Board member as an Admin/Moderator, it does receive extensive oversight from Board members. Of the current members of the Board, 6 are personally members of the FB Page and 2 others have significant others as members. Therefore, only 1 Board member has No connection to the FB Page. The lack of a Admin/Moderator on the Board is not without trying. When Chuck stood down at the 2016 Rally, he requested a volunteer from the Board to assume the role. Unable to hand over the role, he advised me he would continue. Last year, he sent me a note, respectfully asking to relinquish his role, suggesting it should be performed by a Board member. None volunteered, so my wife accepted the challenge.

You noted being a non-FB user but alluded to adverts interspersed with discussion on the FB Page. While I am also a non-FB user, I just checked out the Redwood RV Owners Group FB Page on my wife's account, both on my laptop and DW's iThingy and noted ZERO adverts. They provided a couple of suggested similar groups, but NO adverts.

In summary, we will discuss and I will again request a Board member to accept the challenge of assisting the current Admins. We may also discuss the merits of FB; however, I will endeavour to focus on meeting the ROG Mission Statement and providing services to Redwood owners.

Just to clarify. I started the original RedwoodRVOwners forum because Redwood had a forum that wasn't being moderated. Spam was being posted and no one at Redwood seemed to care. I did inform Redwood that I was starting this forum. Shortly after Redwood sold the their forum and it was changed to a site with advertising. At the time I started this forum, I had no idea that a ROG would start up, therefore back in 2013 the RedwoodRVOwners Forum would not have been part of the new ROG, as a matter of fact I never heard of the ROG when I started the RedwoodRVOwners Forum.

Andy -

I would also like to mention that your statement the ROG FB group was started “before we were able to launch a website” is not strictly accurate. You may recall that the original website/forum started by Tony has a 2013 copyright. If memory serves he started that because he had issues with the commercial redwoodowners.com site and he wanted a safe, private place where Redwood Owners had control of all aspects of their forum free of any commercial entity controlling the site or gaining financially from it’s use. That to me has always been one of the guiding principles of the ROG.

That site by the way is still available as the “Old forum archive” in the Resources menu.

Tony -

Thanks for chiming in and confirming my understanding that you had indeed starting the legacy forum/website because of issues with the redwoodowners.com site. The lack of oversight by Redwood then lead you to rightly believe a more owner controlled user group was in need. I hope the same will be avoided with a FB group being a well how can I put it a "shadow" Redwood Owners Group operating on it's own within FB space without ROG oversight.

Your actions in doing so in my mind are a catalyst which help start the current ROG and for that I am grateful for your foresight.

I can understand that you did not foresee at the time that the RedwoodRVOwners forum would morph into the now ROG, but alas each are actually pursuing exactly the same desire and are in fact inter-related. You may not have foreseen the beginning of the ROG as it is today but Chuck sure did and with the help of others moved it forward to what it is today.

Well done!

Andy -

You really should look after the messaging the board members delivery regarding the FB page especially during your annual general meetings and online. Having 3 currently serving members of the board (sorry guys and gals that were at the AGM) deliver the message to our membership that the FB group receives no board oversight is not the message I think you want to deliver. UGH!

BTW, I believe in the First Amendment to the US Constitution and the Freedom of Speech. I'm not sure if Canada has the same structure but I don't really have personal issues with FB. I just choose to participate in more tightly knit group form of digital social networking. What others choice is IMO up to them entirely.