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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend October 17, 2005 OSF seeks to make membership confidential By JOHN DARLING for the Mail Tribune The Oregon Shakespeare Festival is moving toward dropping a long-standing tradition of allowing its 19,000 members to vote on policy matters in order to keep its membership list confidential, OSF officials said. The issue was prompted by frequent festival critic Philip Lang, who requested a list of all members in order to challenge a festival policy about the notice period for bringing up matters at the annual meetings of members. Oregon law requires that non-profit organizations with voting memberships provide member lists, on request, to any member within two days of notice of an annual meeting, "for the purpose of communication with other members concerning the meeting." The festival later this month will mail ballots to members asking if they’re willing to move to a "non-voting member" form of governance. The move would allow the membership list to be confidential, but it would cost members their right to vote on board candidates and changes in bylaws and articles of incorporation. Lang, who in 1999 successfully sued OSF to force disclosure of its financial records, characterized the move as a power grab. He said it allows the OSF board and administration to "run it as an eternal and self-perpetuating group, responsible only to itself, without member input." Advertisement Festival Executive Director Paul Nicholson disputed the charge, noting that until Lang’s request, the festival wasn’t aware that any member could get the entire membership list and potentially use it for solicitations or marketing. Lang called the privacy arguments "bogus," because state law prohibits use of the list for other than organizational business. Both Lang and Nicholson claimed to stand for an increase in the democratic process, charging the other with reducing it. "We are not moving to any other form — we are asking members if they want to," said Nicholson. Twenty years ago, Nicholson said, when the festival membership numbered 3,000 mostly local residents, it would have been "incomprehensible" to seek privacy by dropping voting-member status. But now, he said, "confidentiality is really, really important — and the board voted unanimously to (poll members)." In a written statement, Lang, a festival historian who wrote his doctorate thesis on OSF, said the festival’s concentration of decision-making power could be used to "abandon Ashland" if increasing gas prices cut into ticket sales and force the festival to consider relocating to a large population center. "Despite any public outcries, petitions, etc., there would be no compulsion on OSF to remain in Ashland," Lang wrote. "A major instrument of governance of OSF by affected constituents/members would no longer exist." OSF board President Nancy Tait such a turn of events "has never been discussed" and would never happen. The board, she added, has discussed the impact of oil prices on attendance. But she noted that this year, despite spikes in gas prices, ticket sales have increased 5 percent. "His (Lang’s) perception is not always shared by myself and other members and that’s why we went to him and shared with him upfront (about the ballot to members)," said Tait. "He’s a valued member and we have to listen to what his opinion is — and to what all the other members have to say about this." Being bound at present by Oregon law, the festival will provide Lang with a list of members, it said in an Oct. 7 letter written to him and delivered in person by past board president Chuck Butler. It also offered to insert a one-page letter from him in the mailing to the 19,000 members. John Darling is a free-lance writer living in Ashland. E-mail him at [email protected]. Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Absinthe Supply Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker Custom Build Computers Computer Security Discount Hotel Reservations online casinos news Debt Consolidation California Casinos Generic Viagra Windermere Van Vleet Deep Muscle Stimulator Sports Equipment Online Casino Reviews Hammocks Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Online Casino Fundraisers Sudoku Online Casinos Canada King of Spirits Email Security Advertisement s Advertisement