To Our Members:
In an attempt to keep fellow members of LANA up-to-date on the progress of the unification process, we are reporting the following developments to our members.
The following update was written by LANA's representatives to the Interim LFA Board of Directors, to be distributed to the members, via the blog and later the newsletter.
---Delphi
LANA has tried to keep its members informed about the work towards formation of a member-based LFA. Prior minutes and documents have been posted on the LANA website, on this blog and in our quarterly newsletter. Please realize that the LFA has existed as an umbrella organization of the three major American Lipizzan associations for about ten years, and continues to serve as the American representative to international Lipizzan associations.
The minutes and drafts of minutes of the telephone meetings by the Interim LFA Board of Directors have now been posted on LANA’s website. [Despite the request of a USLR board member that the draft minutes be removed from LANA’s website, we have chosen to keep them public for our members to review.]
During the Florida annual meeting, when it was determined that an all-out effort should be made to effectuate unification, a schedule was made in order to keep the process flowing. That schedule was posted to LANA’s website.
John Gliege, an attorney by profession, undertook to draft modifications of the Articles of Incorporation of the LFA. In addition, several sets of By-Laws were drafted and circulated by various members of the Interim Board.
During the first two telephone conferences, the Articles were discussed and, in large measure, approved. However, the By-Laws were questioned by some members of the Interim Board because they were more like club rules than By-Laws that would pass legal muster. John N. Iannuzzi, also an attorney by profession, undertook the task of drafting a set of legally appropriate By-Laws to be ready by the next meeting.
Meanwhile, a controversy arose regarding the distribution of the proceeds from the auction that was held in conjunction with the most recent annual meeting in Florida. Courtney Tripp, of Tempel Farms, who ran the auction, has not yet distributed the funds to the three organizations.
After the By-Laws were drafted by Mr. Iannuzzi, as had been agreed, several additional versions of the By-Laws were drafted by other members of the Interim Board, changing, adding and modifying the By-Laws back to the unacceptable version that existed before Mr. Iannuzzi was assigned the task of re-drafting the By-Laws.
There was a call for the various versions of the By-Laws to be circulated so that they could be compared at the next telephone conference. By that time, the By-Laws were so muddled, it was decided to adjourn the telephone conference until a set of the By-Laws could be modified into one document by a By-Laws Committee [consisting of June Boardman, Muffin Smith and J.N.Iannuzzi] so that the Interim Board could add to, modify and remove provisions in some orderly fashion.
Meanwhile, Laura Wiener-Smolka [former president and director of USLR] circulated an email that the USLR should not bother with the delays that were taking place in the unification process and instead urged USLR to just start stealing LANA’s members, or urging them not to renew their LANA memberships, thereby basically eviscerating LANA - which, of course, would result in unification by execution. [Copies of that correspondence are attached below.*]
Members of the LANA Board were very upset by the revival of USLR’s intent to “subsume” and eliminate LANA [intentions that had appeared previously in print on the USLR website, as well as being suggested by various USLR members at the Ohio, Oregon and Illinois annual meetings]. It was hoped that the three organizations were operating in good faith toward the common goal of unification; this vicious suggestion seems to be out of the bounds of decency.
Further, various members of the Lipizzan community, through the on-line bulletin boards, have chosen to make spurious, scandalous and libelous allegations and accusations against members of the Interim LFA Board, which have further hindered the work of the Interim Board of Directors of the LFA and resulted in the resignation of John Gliege from the LFA Board.
On Friday, March 20, 2009, J.N. Iannuzzi wrote a letter on behalf of LANA to both USLR and ALBA asking for a clarification of the USLR position, and asking for an assurance that unification, not evisceration, was the goal of the USLR. [A copy of that letter is attached below for viewing by LANA Members.**]
As stated in the most recent letter, all unification processing has stopped, awaiting some word from USLR and ALBA as to their perception of unification, and also an explanation for the refusal to distribute the proceeds of the auction to the three groups.
To date, there has been no response whatever to LANA’s concerns from either USLR or ALBA. Nor has there been a distribution of the held funds. We are waiting.
March 25, 2009
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**[LANA LETTER TO USLR AND ALBA]
March 20, 2009
Ms. June Boardman
A.L.B.A.
Mr. Tim Foley
U.S.L.R.
Dear June and Tim:
I write to you both on behalf of the Lipizzan Association of North America
In view of the controversies that have reared their ugly heads recently, until such time as the LANA Board and Members can be satisfied that this unification process has not been a mere pretext to obtain LANA’s membership lists and then totally eviscerate LANA, i.e. to satisfy the apparently long felt desire to covet LANA members [as recently openly suggested by Laura Wiener Smolka who was repeating what had previously been espoused on the official blog/website of USLR] and that the attempt to convert the proceeds of a recent Auction proceeds by Courtney Trip at Temple Farms has been resolved, no further action shall be taken by LANA relative to joint by laws or unification.
It may be that you yourself and the majority of your organization are not openly involved. Giving tacit approval, however, making believe it isn't so, is, in effect, a condonation of the openly professed underhanded activity and an endorsement of the evil intentions.
We realize, of course, that ultimately the members of all organizations would have been revealed in order to be blended together However that likely ultimate result does not entirely trigger the counsel of the current aphorism: No Harm, No Foul. The problem is not with the ultimate result so much as with the foulness of method espoused by your organizations to obtain that result, even to the extent of deceiving the very people your are courting. If you think about it, such actions are all well and good for the Courtor, but not so pleasant for the Courtee.
We might be able to put this matter behind us. However, personal attacks will not be tolerated nor ignored. The silence of the USLR board speaks volume as to the apparent lack of respect (to members on the LFA Board and LANA) and true intent to the formation of the LFA. We need some input, some action from A.L.B.A. and U.S.L.R. to allay our concerns.
We await your response.
Very truly yours,
Lipizzan Association of North America
by_______________________________
John Nicholas Iannuzzi, Director
Carolyn Blakeslee
John Gliege, Esq.
Sandy Heaberlin
Melody Hull
John Iannuzzi, Esq.
Gary Lashinksy
Dr. Delphi Toth
Johann Riegler, Senior Rider, Spanish Riding School
Dr. Jaromir Oulehla, Former Director, Spanish Riding School and Federal Piber Studfarm
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*[recent emails and bulletin board postings by Laura Weiner-Smolka]:
Unification-LFA-Delays-How to make it happen
Hi Everyone,
No, the delays are not caused by people on the LFA board who are too busy.
Because the people on the LFA board do not want to perpetuate us/them or act rudely, they are remaining silent about the REAL CAUSE of the delays.
I also do not want to say who is responsible for the delays, because I don't want to fan embers I hope are dying out. Also, I don't want to be rude or accusatory.
But, believe me, everyone representing USLR and ALBA do not want delays in the unification process, and they are as frustrated as all of you are.
I know of a way to cause the unification to happen - - but if I say what it is, I will offend 3 of the "old guard" persons in LANA.
Laura Wiener-Smolka
USLR member since 1982
p.s. if any of you wish to email me privately, I would give you the name and email of a particular person to appeal to""
How to Accomplish Unification
It is John Gliege, with assistance from Sandy Haeberlin.
I know this without a doubt.
The way to make it happen is for LANA members to not renew with LANA.
They don't necessarily have to join USLR, but that would help the unification effort, especially if people who joined or renewed membership w/ USLR wrote a note on their check or paper enclosed, that their renewal is based upon accomplishing the unification (and, of course, maintaining members' right to vote for decision making representatives).
Honestly, if all the membership voices were represented by USLR right now, the unification would happen and LFA would be functioning.
The reason I suggest such extreme measures, is because, after 25 years, I know that there is no possible way to work with John Gliege and have fruition.
He's a cordial fellow (a lawyer), who thrives on his ability to cause monkey wrenches to perpetuate delays. He is not capable of any other method of operation in his personal or professional life.
Also, John and Sandy simply do not want to give up their lifetime status/owernship of a Lipizzan registry. They certainly do not want to face running for election to maintain a decision making office/position.
John also wants to maintain his "power status" in the eyes of the Europeans.
Laura
P.S. Non-essential reading about history of USLR/LANA:
When John originally left USLR, it was because he was not reelected to the presidency.
He formed his own registry and sent out newsletters and invitations to join for free, but almost no one joined.
Later, Sandy H. and Barbara VanDam formed their own registry, and after Sandy's husband died and Barbara got divorced and hit hard times (she went to Arizona w/ her horses and moved in w/ John), the three of them formed LANA.
LANA did not have many members until Cheryl Wright, USLR Registrar, was afflicted with personal problems and failed to register horses for about two years. During that time, USLR members and new Lipizzan owners became very frustrated and began registering horses with LANA (that was in about 1994-1996).
Finally, USLR was basically broke and almost defunct - down to about 50 or less paid members. I just boldly, and w/o any authorization, send a mass mailing to all present and past members with a ballot - - members electing to temporary waive Bylaws, and call a meeting in Dallas, Texas, to rescue the USLR and appoint a new Registrar.
Won't bore you with the rest of the details - - and not looking for any pats on the back - - just providing some history of how LANA grew to have membership and a pedigree database long before USLR published its database...
Laura Wiener-Smolka
