Epaper
Dear TANA Members,
On September 19th, 2008 some TANA members received an e-mail from former President Prabhakar Kakarala, calling for a meeting of the entire General Body to be held on October 4, 2008 in Atlanta, GA. This notice and a subsequent e-mail on September 28th, notifying the place and agenda for the meeting DO NOT comply with either the By-laws of TANA, or the laws of the state of Maryland which govern the operations of TANA, in terms of how this notice was distributed (only a few TANA members were sent this notice), the interval required between these notices and the meeting (a minimum of 30 days is required), the preparation of the agenda (should be done by the Executive Committee), and the required quorum (a meeting hall with a capacity of 400 people cannot reasonably accommodate the quorum required for a general body meeting of the sort proposed by Mr. Kakarala).
Our bylaws specifically provide that notice of such a meeting must be given at least 30 days in advance. Maryland state laws require that the notice include the date, time and place (not just the City and State) where the meeting will be held. Our bylaws require that an agenda be prepared by your Executive Committee and distributed to each and every member at least seven days before the meeting.
Regrettably, Mr. Kakaralaâs tendency to act unilaterally, his disregard for the democratic process, and his inability to follow the rules that marked his term as President were evident in this action as well. This causes a number of serious problems for you, our Telugu Family Members. It is hard to imagine how the vast majority of you would be able to make suitable arrangements to attend such a meeting on such short notice. To hold a meeting of the entire General Body without actually inviting the entire General Body, would not just be unfair and unconscionable, but unlawful.
Of course, you may travel to Atlanta, if you wish; however, unfortunately, because proper and timely notice of the meeting was not given, the meeting can not carry on any business.
We would like to thank all of you who have taken the time to pass along your sentiments of support for our actions. While we may not always be able to respond to all of the many calls, emails and letters that the Governing Board and its members receive each day, we do appreciate hearing from each and every one of you, even the small minority of you who disagree with us from time to time. We encourage you to continue to send us your thoughts on this or any other matter. Matters of great concern to a majority of our members will, as always, be put on the agenda for a future meeting, and perhaps even a General Body meeting.
Finally, we recognize that as TANA seems to grow exponentially each year, so does the organization’s need to be transparent and responsive. Thus, this current administration is committed to continuing these efforts as we prepare TANA for a bright and successful future.
We all love TANA, so let us work together to keep it strong for generations to come.
Sincerely,
Jayaramarao Komati
President (Interim), TANA