Scholars, here is the best answer I can give:
Our responsibility here is to meet the needs of the larger membership base,not favoring the separate agenda of small cliques.
So, we go about our business here, educating the public and expanding our new curriculum, while those departed go off in bittern resentment to struggle with the personal demons that caused them to no longer be with us in the first place.
For better insight, see these pages:
Our Credo -
http://www.thearma.org/essays/ARMA-credo.html
Goals With Means -
http://www.thearma.org/essays/GoalsWithMeans.html
Flawed Thesis Disorder -
http://www.thearma.org/essays/FlawedThesisDisorder.htm
I don't blame Ran for saying what he said about the 5 year, "wait to join our Club" fellow. I also don't blame anyone waiting to join, for seeking clarification about us.
Our Association however, is in need of people to get involved and stay involved, and to do so with passion and for the right reasons. Those reasons, always bear themselves- given time and the application of our values.
Yes, this Organization does have a clearly defined Leadership system. If you do not understand that, then we may not be the right fit for you.
That simple fact does not mean, that you do not have a voice in our guild, quite the opposite as many can attest. The Leadership system does free you in many ways to be able to speak your mind without fear of "reprimand" from the few popular cliques. We encourage you to think for yourselves, but also to see the wisdom of the teachings that are presented by the skilled.
We also highly value efforts made by our Scholars, and even though we take them to task to prove these theories both historically, verbally, and with martial prowess we appreciate the process as much as the results.
Lastly, we highly value the life's work of our Director John Clements.
That's it in a nutshell..you can apply for Membership but that does not mean we have to accept you, nor does it mean you have to accept us.
So, good luck to everyone currently studying these arts, we are all really in one large basket, the color of the eggs in that basket is going to be the question now, and for the future! -AP
