Contrary to what one would think from much comment on this forum, there are some good editorials and stories about the attacks on NCBA.
Pete Crow has had several in Western Livestock Journal, and this Guest Editorial in the Cattle Business Weekly by Bill Donald, a cattle producer in MT, President Elect of NCBA is another one.
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UNITED WE STAND! DIVIDED WE FALL! by Bill Donald
Abrahan Lincoln stated, "A house divided cannot stand." Given the attitudes and actions at the cattle industry summer meeting, the question is, can an industry divided stand?
The Cattle Industry Summer Conference, which is usually a meeting for planning future programs to grow beef demand and discuss the challengs facing the industry and formulate plans to deal with those challenges, was consumed by the frictional relationship between the CBB and the NCBA. The CBB took the unprecedented action of overturning a couple key decisions made by their Executive Committee. The actions overturned included the resolution calling for separation of the Federation of State Beef Councils from the NCBA and the resolution not to meet with the NCBA at the summer meetings of 2011 -- 2013.
They also provided direction to the Executive committee to work with NCBA in a more positive fashion. While these actions are a key to halting the division of the industry, it's important to recognize this is only a beginning.
The CBB compliance review of NCBA financial accounts idenified several areas of non-compliance. Those issues need to be completely remedied as soon as possible and NDBA leadership and staff are committed to doing just that. There is no way to stop the division of the industry without a high level of trust. Producers should know without a doubt that their dollars are being spent appropriately.
Trust, or lack thereof, is at the heart of this friction. While the reduction of trust can happen very quickly, the rebuilding of lost trust is a slow process requiring open communication, respectful actions and a committment to put personality conflicts and personal agendas aside to work for the long-term best interest of the industry. If leaders cannot commit to those standards, they should resign and hand the reins to leaders who can. If staff cannot deliver on those ideals, they should be terminated and replaced with staff that can.
The real adversaries of the cattle industry are the groups that work to put us out of business by attacking our livlihood and our lifestyle. They are not divided. They are strong with millions of members and hundreds of millions of dollars at their disposal. When the cattle industry engages in bickering and infighting those groups are gleeful because divisive actions and behaviors within our industry empower them.
As a current leader on the NCBA team, I pledge to all cattle producers to work tirelessly and selflessly to remedy this division. I ask anyone with an idea that willhelp to share it. We are all in this together. To create an industry that is profitable and sustainable for future generations, we must create unity to replace the current divisiveness. An industry divided will never flourish because it cannot stand.
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mrj
Pete Crow has had several in Western Livestock Journal, and this Guest Editorial in the Cattle Business Weekly by Bill Donald, a cattle producer in MT, President Elect of NCBA is another one.
***************************************
UNITED WE STAND! DIVIDED WE FALL! by Bill Donald
Abrahan Lincoln stated, "A house divided cannot stand." Given the attitudes and actions at the cattle industry summer meeting, the question is, can an industry divided stand?
The Cattle Industry Summer Conference, which is usually a meeting for planning future programs to grow beef demand and discuss the challengs facing the industry and formulate plans to deal with those challenges, was consumed by the frictional relationship between the CBB and the NCBA. The CBB took the unprecedented action of overturning a couple key decisions made by their Executive Committee. The actions overturned included the resolution calling for separation of the Federation of State Beef Councils from the NCBA and the resolution not to meet with the NCBA at the summer meetings of 2011 -- 2013.
They also provided direction to the Executive committee to work with NCBA in a more positive fashion. While these actions are a key to halting the division of the industry, it's important to recognize this is only a beginning.
The CBB compliance review of NCBA financial accounts idenified several areas of non-compliance. Those issues need to be completely remedied as soon as possible and NDBA leadership and staff are committed to doing just that. There is no way to stop the division of the industry without a high level of trust. Producers should know without a doubt that their dollars are being spent appropriately.
Trust, or lack thereof, is at the heart of this friction. While the reduction of trust can happen very quickly, the rebuilding of lost trust is a slow process requiring open communication, respectful actions and a committment to put personality conflicts and personal agendas aside to work for the long-term best interest of the industry. If leaders cannot commit to those standards, they should resign and hand the reins to leaders who can. If staff cannot deliver on those ideals, they should be terminated and replaced with staff that can.
The real adversaries of the cattle industry are the groups that work to put us out of business by attacking our livlihood and our lifestyle. They are not divided. They are strong with millions of members and hundreds of millions of dollars at their disposal. When the cattle industry engages in bickering and infighting those groups are gleeful because divisive actions and behaviors within our industry empower them.
As a current leader on the NCBA team, I pledge to all cattle producers to work tirelessly and selflessly to remedy this division. I ask anyone with an idea that willhelp to share it. We are all in this together. To create an industry that is profitable and sustainable for future generations, we must create unity to replace the current divisiveness. An industry divided will never flourish because it cannot stand.
***********************************
mrj