The following questionnaire was sent by the Concerned Alumni to all candidates for trustee in the upcoming Alumni Association elections. Three candidates chose to respond to the Questionnaire; their responses are linked below and will open in a new window so you can refer back to the questions as you read their response.

Gary Beaver, Eastern Region
Art Bryant, Central Region
Len Wass, Central Region

Questionnaire

1. Of course, as a member of the Board of Trustees, you will have the primary obligation of ensuring adherence to the Alumni Association's Bylaws. There are currently a number of Amendment Proposals that are now under consideration at Alumni House. Please review these Amendments (available on the CA web site at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/usna_ca/files/U-Bylaws.doc ) and advise of your views on these Proposals. (If you do not have access to this site, please advise and we will forward the documents to you via email.)

2. Do you think it proper for the Association to discuss and, when considered appropriate, voice constructive criticism of Academy policies. Further, do you consider that Shipmate should be the voice of the Association or the voice of the Academy, or is there a difference?

3. Current fund-raising efforts by the Association (actually the Naval Academy Foundation, but the two organizations are, in important ways, joined at the hip) are unprecedented, with goals five to ten times historical amounts. Do you think the Association's current emphasis on fund raising is overdone, underdone, or about right, and why do you think this?

4. In your opinion, should appropriated funds be commingled with private funds? Give your reasons. For example, what fraction of faculty salaries should be paid by the Association, if any, and why do you think this?

5. Do you think the Naval Academy Foundation should be responsible to the Alumni Association and the Alumni? If so, how would you, as a Trustee, expect to monitor and control expenditures? If not, should the Association be party to raising monies for purposes beyond the knowledge or control of the membership?

6. Much has been said for a number of years about improving communications between Trustees and the membership, but no serious mechanism is in place. Under the present arrangement, as a Trustee, you will be unable to consistently communicate directly with your thousands of constituents, or through Shipmate in any meaningful manner. Do you think the membership should be polled on matters of substance? If so, how would you go about putting in place a mechanism to facilitate this? Do you have any other ideas on the subject of constituent communications?

7. If you could change the course and speed of the Association, what would you do or what would you recommend to the membership?

8. Are you familiar with the current courses of instruction in ethics at the Naval Academy and with which the Alumni Association has assisted in funding? What are your opinions?

9. On a scale of 0 to 10 how do you judge that USNA is delivering the appropriate products to the U.S. Naval Sea Services? Please provide a qualitative rationale for your quantitative scoring.

All USNA alumni—active duty, retired and civilian—
are invited to JOIN the Concerned Alumni discussion.