Wherein this avatar's fates, adventures and experiences in, his thoughts and feelings about and his reactions to his first and second life are depicted with written messages, images and other audiovisual tools.
I am Bock in SecondLife and Bock is I in first life. We share thoughts, opinions, feelings, actions and reactions. We are one and the same and inseparable. On this blog I choose to share both my realities.
"Dear Second Pride Members,
You may or may not have heard about a very upsetting Board meeting today [October 6, 2018]. As everyone is aware there was a snafu with the original voting process. This, as I have stated already publicly, was my fault. I owned my mistake and the Board took measures to correct that error. Which I supported 100%. It was Bock McMillan that pointed out to me that the IT Director was to be the Election Chairman, according to the Bylaws in place. He was again 100% correct. The system that was originally used was not vetted by the Election Chair, Lee McKay. Therefore, it could not be used in the state it was in. Additionally, the security was just not there. That was a serious concern to all the Board and should have been with the candidates and members-at-large.
A new voting system was created specifically for Second Pride Elections. It took longer to create then initially anticipated. Anyone who has looked at an SL script knows how complex they can be. We all wanted a secure way for everyone to vote. That way there could be no questions as to the legitimacy of the vote.
That’s the background. So what happened?
Today during the Second Pride new Board Member seating the newly elected Marketing Director called into question the integrity of the Election Chair and myself. Also called into question was the legitimacy of the voting process. Mind you he WON, by a large margin.
After some back and forth with others on the Board, the Marketing Director began making derogatory statements and accusations against the Second Pride Board. Pointing out how unfair the election process had been and how it was suspicious how everything happened and how it was handled. Stating that he was not pointing fingers, but calling out the positions of the Board that he had issue with. Well, since there is only one person in any given Board position, it was easy to see how he was actually accusing that positions, inherent occupier. He went on further to degrade the members-at-large, stating “I know that during the second process, the overall feeling was very subdued, people felt angry, disgusted and resigned.” As Chairman, I did not get that sense. During the process, Jimmy was constantly asking for updates on the number of votes being cast. He was told no that was inappropriate. It only incensed him. He stated that in real life you could see how the vote was going and how many people voted. So, I am going out on a limb here, but we in the USA don’t know how many votes were cast until after they are all counted. I am not sure about Jimmy’s country. Perhaps it is different? However, we ran the election process and will continue doing so, according to the rules in the USA.
Jimmy went on to infer that the only reason the original election was deemed null and void, was to get Mr. McKay’s “friend” more votes. Let me assure you of one thing, I am not the smartest guy on the block, but I DO know Lee McKay is not the type of person to do something like that. Nor would he have anyone else do it for him. That is slander and a baseless allegation. Jimmy Augustus-Gracemount needs to apologize to Lee McKay for that.
As Chairman of the Board, I lost my temper and yelled at Jimmy during the meeting. I apologize for letting my emotions get the better of myself at that moment. Lee and I both motioned to have Jimmy removed from the Board. It was seconded and passed 5-2 in favor of removing him.
Personally, I like Jimmy. He really is a fine fellow. I am not sure why, after winning the vote, he couldn’t just be happy with that and let it go. The outcome was the same.
I am truly sorry that it had to come down to this. I was ready to resign since it was *MY* fault the original vote was canceled. Bock was correct to point out the problem to me. Lee McKay was ready to resign. For the betterment of Second Pride as an organization, Jimmy had to go. The Marketing Directors position will be absorbed, as the Bylaws are written, by the Events and Community Relations Directors to split the duties as they see fit.
It is with great hope that the future of Second Pride be as bright as it has been in the past. As we move forward into the future, let’s try not to forget why we are here. It’s not fame and glory. It’s not for recognition. It is to do good work and to reach out to our fellow LGBTQ community and bring it together in a spirit that uplifts us all! That is why I ran for Chairman in the first place. It’s why I will continue to the very best of my ability.
Sincerely,
ReZ Vale-Starfall
Chairman of the Board"
"The Election Committee has done significant testing of our new voting solution, and believes it to be secure and reliable. Therefore, voting in the Second Pride Board Election for the positions of Marketing Director and Building Director will run from September 20th, 2018 through September 26th, 2018, a full seven day period. On September 28th, 2018, the Election Committee will certify the results and the Chair will make the announcement. Installation of the new members will be done on October 6th, 2018.
Your candidates for Marketing Director are Jimmy Augustus-Gracemount (jimmmmmy) and Kaiden Brandt (Kalculate). For the position of Building Director, the candidates are Sтαятєя Ɛνєηѕтαяя (starter232) and Dҽʋιɳ Kɳιɠԋƚ Dɾαƙσɳ (devindevin1111). Click on their names to view their candidate statements.
The Community Relations Director seat is still open with no current candidate. Per the Bylaws, the Board has the ability to name an individual to this seat, so it’s not too late to step up! If you or someone you know is interested in being a major part of Second Pride, please contact one of the Board members TODAY! It’s the perfect time to get involved!"---
"To participate, you will need to have an account on the website if you don’t already have one. Then click on the candidates link under “2018 Election” above and the conversation will be beneath the candidates opening statement."
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| Left to right, Tootsie Nootan, Viktor Sandman, Jak Calcutt & LLedge Eames (Marge Beaumont wasn't able to attend) |
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| The fountain and the globe |
"Thank you for an amazing 2017 Second Pride Festival!
As the sun sets on yet another wildly successful and my last Second Pride Festival season. I’d like to take a moment to say some thank yous. I am so grateful for this years outpouring of participation not to mention I had the pleasure of working with some of the most amazing talents from across the grid.
Our 2016 – 2017 Second Pride Board. Jak Calcutt with his outstanding builds and designs, creating a feast for our eyes, Marge Beaumont for her behind the scenes accounting, Tootsie Nootan and her security team (Levi & Kit) keeping us all safe, and Viktor Sandman for all his patience scheduling and wrangling our performers. To our volunteers. Kahvy & Garrett Smith for undertaking and creating some fantastic social media buzz along with all those bloggers. Lee McKay and his webmaster skills that put us back online."
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| The shopping mall |
"On more than one occasion I was greeted by complete strangers and then thanked for providing them with such a true and wonderful pride experience. It was comments like that and many more that told me we had hit our mark. I can’t begin to thank this team enough. You ALL really outdid yourself and should be proud of all you accomplished.
As I mentioned earlier this is my last year as Chairman. It has been such an honor to be involved in this organization. As much as I am ready to step down, I will miss it and all the nuances. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for allowing me to bring my hope and joy to you all through this wonderful outlet."
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| The Japanese Garden, a permanent exhibition |
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| The memorial chapel |
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| The main stage |
Update (after a fast response from the board of directors)
I have been informed that work is feverishly going on on the new website (they have to work from scratch).
LLedge Eames, the chair of SP, and Karl Kalchek, the chair of the election committee, after a discussion yesterday, agreed that the goal is to post candidate statements during this weekend. The timeline for the election will be adjusted, once they have access to the website.
The candidates that have stepped forward have been informed of the above.
Viktor Sandamn, the secretary of Second Pride, will post a notice concerning this to the Second Pride Festival Group today.
"Following this year's bylaw changes which were voted upon and adopted on in open membership meetings - board positions are no longer one year terms but staggered 2 years terms. The purpose of this change was to ensure greater continuity of leadership between one year and the next.
In odd years such as 2015, the following two year positions are to be elected:
Secretary
Events
Marketing
Treasurer
Security
In even years, such as next year's 2016 Election, the following two year positions are to be elected:
Chair
Community Relations
Build
IT
Being that this is a transitional year, this year's election's will be for the one year remaining in these terms, (chair, community Relations, Build and IT) and next year's elections will be a full two year term for each of these positions. Next year's elections may also include the remaining term of any unfilled or vacated two year term (Secretary, Events, Marketing, Treasurer, Security). 2015 will be the last year that every position is elected in a single year.
Term Limits:
Pursuant to our bylaws, No Board member who has served for two consecutive years may run for a board position in the following election. Therefore Jak Calcutt, Karl Kalchek, and Marge Beaumont are ineligible to run in this year's election. Any other member of Second Pride - including past board members, may run for election. One issue that our bylaw changes did not address was a scenario where a current board member who has served one year might run for a two year term. Without further amendments, our bylaws would require that person to step down at the end of the year, and the remainder of that two your term would come up for election in next year's election. I would recommend that - this being a transitional year - we make an exception for anyone who has served a year and runs for a two year term but that is a bylaw change and will be up to the next board to decide. In the meantime, nothing prevents an eligible current board member to run for a two year term other than the possibility that the seat will have to be declared vacant after one year without a bylaw amendment.
Election Timetable and procedures:
• Candidate declarations will be accepted (...) through midnight SLT August 14th, per the by laws.
• Only Members of the Second Pride Group and who are willing to adhere to the Second Pride by-laws if elected can be considered for candidacy.
Candidate declaration must be accompanied by a "Candidate Statement” Declarations and statements must be submitted on the Second Pride website at second-pride.com. No one will be able to declare candidacy for the 2016 Pride board after midnight on the August 14th.
• Members will be able to question the candidates for a period beginning August 16th and ending at midnight SLT August 28th.
• On August 28th candidates may answer any remaining member questions and make their final statements
• Voting will commence at 00:01AM SLT Sunday August 30th and remain open through Midnight SLT Wednesday September 2nd.
• You must have joined the Second Pride Festival Group by midnight July 31st to be able to vote for your candidates. (Membership is now closed until the Election has concluded and the results are announced).
• Between Midnight Wednesday September 2nd and No later than Midnight September 6th, election committee will certify the results of the election and announce to the results to membership.
• On September 12th at 11AM slt The new Board will be installed and have their 1st meeting as a Board of Second Pride. The existing Board will step down at that time and any transfers (property, passwords and group ownership) will take place at that time.
Discussion Forums:• These forums are designed to allow members to question candidates in a civil and respectful manner. Comments will be moderated by the election committee and any comments or lines of questioning which, in the sole discretion of the election committee, are found to be inappropriate will be removed.
Voting Procedures:We will use the same procedure that we used last year.
• The Second Pride sim will be closed to member access only during the voting period
• Members of the Second Pride Group will need to visit an election kiosk on the Second Pride sim.
• The election kiosk will provide access to an online voting ballot where members can vote for candidates of their choice.
Eligibility to vote and voter verification:• You MUST be a member of the Second Pride Festival in-world group before midnight July 31st to be eligible to vote. Joining of the Second Pride Group will be closed for the entire election period, between July 31st through September 6th.
• The election committee will be cross referencing the online votes received against the in-world membership list. Please be sure to click on your name at the bottom of the second pride website to view and/or update your online profile. Make sure your Second Life Avatar name is part of your profile so that your vote can be verified against the in-world membership.
• Protections have been put in place to block voter fraud through the use of Alt accounts. Votes from the same IP or Mac addresses, or votes that cannot be verified against any in world membership may be removed at the discretion of the election committee. If you are in a situation where multiple users in your household will be voting from the same device or internet connection, you must inform the election committee prior to voting.
Election Committee:• The election committee reviews and certifies votes. It arbitrates any disputes that may arise during voting. The Committee consists of two permanent members (The community Relations Director and the IT Director) and volunteers:
In 2014, Bylaw changes were adopted that specify which volunteers may serve on the committed to increase people's confidence that elections would be fair.
Any volunteer meeting the criteria above will be seated. A volunteer may be removed at the discretion of the permanent members of the committee, if a volunteer is found to not meet the criteria above. If a volunteer committee member is removed under this provision, the reasons will posted to the membership and the volunteer will be given an opportunity to respond.
- The volunteer must have been a member of Second Pride for at least one year.
- The volunteer may not be a candidate for any position in the election nor may they have an alt who is a candidate
- The volunteer or the volunteer's alts may not have a partner or business partner who is a candidate in the election
- The volunteer must support the Mission, Objectives and Goals of Second Pride as articulated in the bylaws,
- The volunteer must make a statement attesting to the criterion above, which will be posted to membership.
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| This asymmetric dress was popular among many of the contestants, in several imaginative combinations |
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| This turban/hat/bonnet was one of the most popular accessories among the contestants. I am most certainly getting this red one or maybe the black for my Bocquerelle drag outfit. |
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| One of my my favorites, Miss Japan |
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| My special favorite, the security guard (straight alas) *deep sigh* |
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| A hot spectator |
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| Marcus Aurelius, my Norwegian buddy - looking stunning |
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| Doc Spad, (photo by GWNews) |
Over the last year Second Pride has worked to create to reasonable and effective way to utilize the funds entrusted to it from our sponsors, members and attendees of last year’s Second Pride Festival. Last year’s Board made the decision to use these funds in-world to benefit our LGBT community here in Second Life. The Second Pride Region is the product of those efforts.
By creating a permanent place for all facets of our community to come together, share, support and learn about each other, we feel that this best advances the mission of Pride while providing each of our communities advocacy, educational, and support groups an opportunity to be seen at the festival and have their message heard year round on the Second Pride sim. Meeting spaces, an event venue, and a message center will be available to any and all LGBT nonprofits. Office spaces and a place to showcase your group will all be provided for free. For some this may be as little as a Landmark to your existing location, or a possible a satellite location. For those interested, we welcome you to make a permanent home on the Second Pride Region. All is provided free of charge.
I’m pleased to announce that our home is nearly complete and will be the center of the festival this year. We have also secured two additional full private regions donated for the festival. Having the festival on full private regions will allow for better control of the festival grounds and provide less lag and a better experience for all attendees. We are no longer paying Linden Labs for their limited mainland sims.
The Board , through many open public discussions with our members, has also relaunched PRISM, our quarterly LGBT community newsletter. This publication is available for LGBT nonprofits to voice their views, educate the community and “get the word out” of their work in Second Life as well as real world efforts. We have also started Second Pride Radio which streams 24/7 on multiple channels which is available for LGBT advocacy, educational, and support groups to advertise, for free, their activities and services to the community.
second-pride.com is the official Second Pride website and we hope it will become a central clearinghouse for “all things LGBTQ” in Second Life. Soon a complete listing, to include SLurls will be available on the website so that anyone can learn about your group and all educational, support, and advocacy efforts taking place in Second Life.
Help us help you in “getting the word out” about your group and the good it is doing for our LGBT community.
We know that all LGBT groups within Second Life do not always get along, or that they do not all share the same goals or aspirations. Like Pride festivals in real life, we would hope that our pride festival will be reflective of the entire LGBT community and be a place where we can share our common goals of equality, fairness, and inclusion. Pride is a celebration of our “gayness” and to acknowledge all that we have accomplished through our unity...it’s also a chance to look at the future and what we still have to do. We can better accomplish our common goals as a united LGBT community... join us and be part of the largest and most visible LGBT gathering in Second Life.
Let's Celebrate!
If you are a non-profit or thinking of starting a support, advocacy, or educational group, but needs a home, Please contact me so we can show you what we are offering and how we might help in letting the rest of the community learn of your group.
Doc Spad
2013 Chairperson
Second Pride
docspadusmc@gmail.com
