Florida Resolution - Brown

Resolution #1

At a KWVA Department of Florida Council meeting on Saturday, January 25, in VFW Post 7909, 6204 Blanding Blvd., Jacksonville, Florida, one of the department officers presented the gist of a resolution that expressed the Council’s dissatisfaction with the illegal changing of the KWVA bylaws that allowed Harley Coon and other KWVA officers/directors to serve beyond the two year term afforded by the 2000 KWVA bylaws. [The number of KWVA members in all the Florida chapters combined is approximately 1,300.]

The proposal which was brought before the Council members by 1st Vice President Joe Madeline that day stated, "The last election of the National Korean War Veterans’ Association has alienated the members and is causing disarray within the Korean War Veterans’ Association of the State of Florida. And from what I have heard, from other states, also. It is my proposal that the State of Florida Korean War Veterans’ Association let the national president know that we are displeased with the unlawful change of the national bylaws which extended the number of consecutive terms the national president may serve. National KWVA has created an atmosphere of contempt for the bylaws and if the problem is not rectified it will have a trickle-down effect on all Korean War Veterans’ Association chapters as to whether or not to abide by national bylaws or to even be a part of National."

According to Jake Feaster, President of the Florida Department, the verbal resolution was passed unanimously, with the following chapter presidents in attendance and voting: Eddie Lyon #015, Joe Pirriolo; Osceola #124, Dave Conboy; Central FL #153, Ted Sullivan (designee); William Charette #015, Buck Rogers (designee); Lake County #169, Romeo Caillouette (designee); Baldomero Lopez #175, Murdoch Ford; South Lake County #188, Bob Beasley (designee); Central FL East Coast #189, Tony Polemeni (designee); Citrus County #192, Hank Butler (designee); Manasota #199, Bill Field; Northeast FL # 200, Rudy Meares; and Brevard County # 210, Julius Farago.

The oral motion was then put into written resolution format to be presented to the Council and General Membership at its next Convention. The next meeting of the Council was on Friday, May 16, 2003. "Again, it was passed with overwhelming, if not any dissenting, votes," said Feaster. "I believe there was one dissenting vote." The next day, the written Resolution was presented and passed at the General Membership Meeting on Saturday, May 17, 2003.

The "Florida Resolution" was then submitted to the National Resolutions Chairman for consideration at the 2003 Executive Council Meeting in Washington, DC. The Resolution was sent to Don Byers, Chairman of the Resolutions Committee, by "certified mail, receipt requested" on June 19, 2003. Following is the text of the Resolution:

June 19, 2003
Resolution

WHEREAS; Harley Coon, "Acting President of KWVA," has exhibited a blatant disregard of the legitimate National KWVA Bylaws during the 2002 election of KWVA Officers; this disregard having alienated many KWVA members and causing disarray within many Departments and Chapters of KWVA; and

WHEREAS; Many members of KWVA are displeased with the unlawful change of the National KWVA Bylaws which extended the number of terms of National KWVA elected officers, to include that of the President; and

WHEREAS; National KWVA, through his leadership, is creating an atmosphere of contempt for the Bylaws by its failure to follow the Bylaws in the Council and General Membership meetings; and

WHEREAS; The failure of National KWVA to abide by its own Bylaws is having a trickle-down effect on many KWVA chapters as to whether or not to abide by National Bylaws or to even be a part of National KWVA,

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that Harley Coon IMMEDIATELY resigns his role as "acting president of KWVA" inasmuch as he assumed it illegally. The survival of KWVA as a national organization is dependent upon following legally adopted KWVA Bylaws to govern the activities of KWVA.

DONE, ORDERED, AND ADOPTED this 25th day of July, AD, 2003 by a majority vote of the Executive Council of the Korean War Veterans’ Association, Inc.

Feaster then presented the formal Resolution to the National Resolutions Chairman for consideration at the 2003 Executive Council Meeting in Washington DC. "It was voted down, 8 to 2," he said, "due to a statement by the Chairman that the Resolution referred to Harley Coon as the "acting president," when he was ‘the president.’ I then was prepared to take it to the General Membership Meeting in the afternoon, but the agenda was cut short when the meeting was never re-convened after a recess. As I recall, the meeting was recessed around 3:30 p.m., with no formal adjournment." Because Coon did not re-convene the meeting, members had no opportunity to present any new business or items of concern. The next step for the Florida Council, says Feaster, depends on the wishes of the Florida Council members when they meet on September 13, 2003.