TWI Board members

[bucks4now]

When the Cafe mentions the board members, only Victor, Don, Howard, Chris and Craig are mentioned. How many board members were/are there, were there terms (years to serve), how were they selected, was it a paid position, and what happened to them when Chris wrote "the Passing". Where they just figureheads or did they have any powers?

[coolchef]

buck i don't know the answer but one thing i know...rest assured they were paid,and paid very well!

[Rejoice]

I don't think they had any set timeframe for how long they were board members.

And yes, they were paid because they were all getting salaries [or PERKS] from TWI. There were no outside board members...just the YES MEN. No women on the board back then as I recall.

[shazdancer]

Paid? Yes and no. In a 501 © (3) non-profit like TWI, the board members cannot be paid for being board members. However, if they do a job for the organization, they can be paid for that. Wierwille could be paid for preaching, pastoring, and writing articles, for example. But a lot of his wealth was from the perks of the organization: house cleaning, the motor coach, the plane, the gifts.

The first board of trustees was made up of VPW, "Uncle" Harry Wierwille, and Howard Allen. Three is the minimum number that can serve. The bylaws of the corporation should spell out how long they could serve on the board. Since they stayed on for years and years, there probably wasn't a mandatory time limit.

Wierwille didn't want a board that would challenge him or have ideas of their own. He wanted the minimum number of people close to him who would let him do what he wanted.

IMHO,

Shaz

Edited to add that the first BOT was VPW, Harry, and Ermal Owens. Howard replaced Ermal after he died. Thanks, WW.

Edited April 6, 2009 by shazdancer

[WordWolf]

Did Ermal Owens replace "Uncle" Harry at some point?

[shazdancer]

Aw, shoot, forgot about Ermal. He and Uncle Harry were the first, along with VP. Then Harry was replaced by Howard.

Thanks for the memory jog, WW.

[Ham]

don't the "directors" vote themselves in? I thought they had some kind of majority rule.. once in, like.. a majority of could vote a "member" off..

unless the new subservient vice presidents can't vote or something.. just glorified lackies and gofers for the top three..

I think it's more like a tag team consisting primarily overweight, aging.. what's the word.. it'll come to me..

but they've "tag teamed" the top positions of the organization for how long now.. honor among "thieves" works I guess..

and once you're "in", You're IN. Unless one's behavior threatens the other "members" with possible criminal prosecution, or just don't have the stomach for the job. Look what it took to oust the loyster.. they were content to just swat his little hands, and say be a good boy..

I think it's more like a club..

Edited April 6, 2009 by Ham

[Oakspear]

VP, Harry W & Ermal Owens first BOT. there was a Board of Directors before this that was sort of an advisory group to Wierwille, but I've never seen any names mentioned.

Harry died ('77?) - Howard & Don joined BOT in '77

Martindale replaced VPW in '82.

Ricardo Caballero & John Townsend were Trustees for a while in the late 80's. They didn't replace anyone and weren't replaced when they left.

Rivenbark replaced Don and John Reynolds replaced Howard in '97

Rivenbark replaced Martindale & Harve Platig took over Rivenbark's spot in 2001. Reynolds stepped down & was replaced by Jean-Yves Delisle in 2002

Platig left the Board in 2005. Roger Mittler, John Rupp & Vince McFadden all named VP's as the BOT, now the Board of Directors, increased to 5 members.

Rivenbark now titled Chairman of the Board of Directors

[skyrider]

Twi Board of Trustees/Directors:

......(Listed as President, Vice President and Secretary/Treasurer, respectively)

1) VP Wierwille, Harry Wierwille, and Ermal Owens (1962? - 1977)

2) VP Wierwille, Don Wierwille, and Howard Allen (1977 - 1982)

3) Craig Martindale, Don Wierwille, and Howard Allen (1982 - 1986)

4) Craig Martindale, Don Wierwille, Howard Allen, Johnnie Townsend and Ricardo Cabarello (1986-1989)

5) Craig Martindale, Don Wierwille, and Howard Allen (1989 - 1996)

6) Craig Martindale, Rosalie Rivenbark and Howard Allen (1996 - 1998)

7) Craig Martindale, Rosalie Rivenbark and John Reynolds (1998 - 2000)

8) Rosalie Rivenbark, Harve Platig, and John Reynolds (2000 - 2002)

9) Rosalie Rivenbark, Harve Platig, and Jean-Yves DeLisle (2002 -2005)

10) Rosalie Rivenbark, John Rupp, Roger Mitler, Vince McFadden and Jean-Yves DeLisle (2005 - 2009)

* #4 ........ Johnnie and Ricardo were added by Chris Geer during the "fog" fiasco.

** #10 ..... Rosalie is Chairman of the BOD,

................ John, Roger and Vince are vice presidents

................ Jean-Yves is secretary/treasurer

Note: Assignments changed in various months throughout the year.....i.e. Don Wierwille stepped down in Oct. 1996 at the anniversary weekend (IIRC).

Others may clarify.........but this is how I remember it.

<_<

[Oakspear]

There's some difference in dates, but I think Skyrider's are correct, DW and Howard did not leave the same year.

When I was involved during the 90's TWI sold a "Trustee Household" poster which pictured all the Trustees and their spouses, but excluded Caballero & Townsend.

[Oakspear]

were there terms (years to serve),

I always got the impression that being a Trustee was a lifetime position until you decided that you'd had enough and wanted to retire. When Martindale became the focus of a lawsuit, he talked about changing the way things were structured, separating out the positions of adminstrative head and principal teacher. That may be what they ended up doing, since Rivenbark hardly ever teaches, yet no one is the "principal" teacher. He also talked about making the position of Trustee an assignment klike any other Corps assignment, with a limited term. This does not seem to have happened. Rivenbark has been President/Chairman for 9 years now, although there has been some change in the rest of the board.

how were they selected,

I'm reasonably sure that Wierwille chose his brother, Howard Allen, DW and Ermal, as well as Martindale. I would guess that Martindale selected Rivenbark. After that it's somewhat unclear. Who actually decided that Rivenbark would replace Martindale?

was it a paid position,

I would be very surprised if it wasn't

and what happened to them when Chris wrote "the Passing". Where they just figureheads or did they have any powers?

It seems like Geer was running the show during the late 80's and that the Truistees were figureheads, jumping to do Geer's bidding. At any time during TWI's existance, I would guess that the President called the shots as the MOG with the other two rubber-stamping, or at best advising.

[WhiteDove]

There is a nice section in Mrs Wierwills book about the early board and the trustees, not one in the same. There are some letters to the board and other items that were of interest. An audit of the financial records was suggested by the board in response to any questions about the money and where it went. Ermal suggested an independent audit which was done for the 58 - 59 year as per the bylaws V.P. agreed that it should be done.

VP Wierwille, Harry Wierwille, and Ermal Owens being the trustees and others like Mal and Jan George and I believe the Doersam's Eddie and Donna and also Paul and Carol Kuck being board members. Their board was set up much like ours at the dog park where the executive officers (President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer) are part of the board as well as other general board members who also may be committee heads.

There is no listing per say but the records mention some others that spoke on different things so it would be logical that their presence at the board meeting meant they were part of the board I suppose ,but they could have been guests as well. Mrs. Wierwille stated that originally VP asked 12 people to help don't know if that changed or not.

[TrustAndObey]

I'm reasonably sure that Wierwille chose his brother, Howard Allen, DW and Ermal, as well as Martindale. I would guess that Martindale selected Rivenbark. After that it's somewhat unclear.

Who actually decided that Rivenbark would replace Martindale?

My guess is the lawyers..

After the transfer, Rivenbark mentioned about changing office terms and making Board of Director seats a bi-annual electoral based position... Now days, I wonder if she ever really was willing to give up her power!

[mstar1]

how were they selected

I'd like to hear anyone who has insight into this process....

DWBH? anyone?

[DontWorryBeHappy]

hi greasespotters!

vic picked his brother and ermal after they incorporated the way in 1957, making adolph wierwille's main family farm the headquarters of the way inc..............there was a board of directors that actually had some input through the 1960's, but, in effect, vic ran the show with ermal and harry forming the real decision-making body of the way inc. during those years. vic personally chose harry and ermal.........i am not sure what other input he had in those decisions.......there was no "term limit" on their trusteeship.

it was vic, harry and ermal who made the decision to have don wierwille and howard allen replace ermal and harry respectively, as trustees in 1977........i am not aware of any other input besides harry and ermal's in this decision/selection process of picking don and howard as the replacements for ermal and harry.........i was in rez from 1973-74, interim year, (first one in twi "history") 1974-75, and final in-rez year of 1975-76......during my in-rez years at hq, harry "took me under his wing" for whatever reasons, and i spent much time with him doing all sorts of "extra-curricular" activities like going to auctions, new knoxville town meetings, etc., which drove both corps "coordinators" i was under crazy.............'cuz they could not overrule the sec/treas himself when he had me out on "special assignments" with him.....those corps coordinators were finnegan and dave standage.....

i was the newly assigned limb coord of michigan in 1977 when don and howard were installed, and when harry died of cancer in october of 1977.......there were no "term limits" set for don and howard either........the assumption seemed to be that the position of twi trustee was a "lifetime appointment", made by "revelation" and never really open to question of any kind from anyone..............

when it came to martindale, the process was outwardly somewhat different, but in effect, the real decision was made by vic, in consultation with don and howard.........ermal and harry were both deceased by then........however, at the may 1982 placement meetings at hq, there was a "ballot" taken at the direction of the then board of trustees, vic, don, and howard, as to who the second prez of twi should be, along with the suggestion by ballot of 3 assistants to the prez....one for research, one for "outreach", and one to be corps director.............i may have posted this before,..........vic came into the placement meetings at which all the region coordinators and campus coordinators and corps coordinators were present as usual, and said that the choice regarding his "successor" as twi prez should consider every man present in that room, a group that he stated included all the most "qualified" individuals" in the world to take "the mantle" of the twi presidency..........he also stated that "no single man" could replace vic as the prez by himself, and that's when he introduced the concept of the troika of assistants to the new prez as i listed previously.

those present were instructed to go out and walk the grounds for the next 1/2 hour "in perfect prayer", and consider their ballots from the group that was present in those placement meetings, and then return to the BRC, and write down their choices for prez and the 3 "amigos", and pass them in to don w...........i remember my choices very vividly.........i "voted" for walter cummins to be the prez of twi............outreach assistant choice was bo reahard.......corps director choice was martindale........research assistant was gary curtis.............we were instructed to write our choices down on a "secret ballot" and pass them in to don..............he went into the BRC backroom, tallied the ballots, and about an hour later, the group came together again and don made the announcement...........i remember this very vividly too, because don specifically said, that while the ballots for the "three amigos" were diverse, the choice of prez #2 was "unanimous"............and then he uttered the unforgettable (to me) words that, regarding the choice of prez......"craig, you're the man!"

the reason those words were unforgettable to me was because don said the vote for prez was "unanimous".........but i was flooded with "condemnation" because i figured i must have been the only one who voted for walter instead of the doofus from okie!!!!!........i was horrified at how i could have "missed the revelation", and, i figured i must have been the only one to do so since don specifically said the choice of martindale was "unanimous"......but, i knew i had voted for walter!!!

so,.....later that evening, vic came to the BRC where we were eating dinner and watching the NBA finals, and did his tearful schtick about how great god was for working in us all to pick the "right man" to succeed him..............meanwhile, i'm condemning the hell outta myself knowing i didn't vote for martindale, figuring i was the only one who "missed the revelation"!!!............there was no "term linit" in anyone's mind.......we all assumed that trustee "assignments" were for life, or at least until "retirement age" of 65 to 70!!!

i resigned from twi in december, 1986, so i have no idea how decisions regarding the selection and replacement of twi trustees was carried out since then...........however, i do know that whoever is a trustee or "board of director" member today is a walking pile of BS!.....imo.......i know rosie is a liar, a phoney, guilty as satan regarding all the slimy history of twi's sexual perversion and promiscuity, and twi's fiduciary irresponsibility and dishonesty!.....IMHO.......

it was geer who made the appointments of townsend and caballero to the twi "trustee household" in 1986 after his april POP dump..........he specifically stated that, these two were specifically mentioned by der victoid as being the "most qualified spiritually" to be added to the trustee group because of the utter spiritual "corruption" of the doofus, don, and howard...........there was no vote.....no discussion.......doofus, don, and howard simply acquiesced to what geer said........the trustees added townsend and caballero by "executive order" by ammending the articles of incorporation of twi to expand the trustees number from 3 to 5............there was the hint that it was not a "lifetime appointment" like the original 3, but rather more of an "emergency appointment", that, in time, could be subject to change if the "big 3" got their acts together "spiritually".........apparently, that never happened, and somewhere along november of 1989 townsend, cabballero, and geer himself were "run off", once "da fog" lifted and the "new light" began to shine........maybe skyrider or other greasespotters who were around then can enlighten us as to what happened, since i was "long gone" by then......

hope this helps a little as to the trustee selection process of twi from 1970 to 1986........thanks for asking mstar1.....................peace.

Edited April 10, 2009 by Don'tWorryBeHappy

[Linda Z]

Oakspear asked:

Who actually decided that Rivenbark would replace Martindale?

That's an easy one. She did.

[DontWorryBeHappy]

how??.....she had all "the dope" on the doofus' extra-marital, voluminous dalliances with literally HUNDREDS of willing and not-so-willing sexual partners since the mid-eighties and forward..........scores validated and confirmed by donna lombardi herself! rosi lyingbark had participared herself with vic and others........she was well-versed in playing the twi sex game...........after all, she was on the north carolina social register!..........she learned the game from "the teacher" himself", and became one of the championship players early on, starting in the late 70's herself and movin' on up through the early 80's and beyond!........she was a "player", and a good one at that.........i used to make fun of her named home, which she called "foxhaven", by calling it "crotch-haven"........imo, an apt and accurate description of her little "southern mansion" in new knoxville.......twi's sexual tara!

One of her sons was a "hippie" kinda guy.......used to send sacks of fresh oysters up to foxhaven which we loved to shuck and eat fresh, and boil into stew, or just freeze..........

of all the various "major players" in twi during the twi story that unfolded from january, 1987 forward, rosalie fox rivenbark has been the most politically adept and cuthroat of all, acceding to the presidency of a money-grubbing, immoral, socially inept ulta-right-wing, pseudo christian cult, adeptly procuring the finances and whatever limited "social power" to herself, and the flow of rosie-loyalists who came-and-went, and are still walking through the revolving door of rosie-ism to this day.........she beats lillith hands down, IMO!..............peace.

Edited by ModRocker to remove personal information about RFR's sons. It's bad enough they had to have her for a mother.

[DontWorryBeHappy]

thanks ModRocker!.........sometimes i forget things that you moderators are sharp and quick enough to pick-up on because of your experience and vigilance......i appreciate your help, and i apologize for the unwitting faux pas i commit in some of my posts...........peace.

[Linda Z]

DWBH, my point exactly.

I believe Ms. Rivenbark is the epitome of two-faced, clawing, manipulatove, ladder-climbing ambition. It's my perception that she played along with VPW to carve out a nice chunk of power for herself. Despite her syrupy talk about "obeying the man of God, right or wrong" and her sickening (IMO feigned) adoration of him, she even lied to him. I know for a fact she told the Way Pub receptioninst to say she didn't know where Rosalie was if he called...a flat-out lie.

She played LCM, too. I imagine she was nicey nice to his face until she had enough "goods" on him not to have to fake it anymore. Comments I heard her make with my own ears, in 1985 or early '86, made it perfectly plain she didn't think very highly of him, no matter what BS she doled out in public.

Foxhaven indeed.

[Ham]

Edited by ModRocker to remove personal information about RFR's sons. It's bad enough they had to have her for a mother.

I laughed half the afternoon over this.. but it's really pitiful..

what you describe as this competitive clawing, manipulation, ladder climbing.. I think in principle da "fox" exhibits the worst characteristics of corporate america..

but outside of the folds of twi, I don't think she would have even a quarter of the compentence to survive. twi is probably (to her(?)) a "dream come true.."

a (well paying supposedly) job.. that requires little or no real professional competence.. just raw arrogance and obnoxiousness..

[Ham]

kinda reminds me of the loyster's claims how fortune 500 companies oughter be clamoring for his "expertise"..

he would not survive the first five minutes of an interview..

[chockfull]

Since 1986.

RFR formed an "alliance" or "friendship" with D0nn@ M and through this procured a position as the leader of the Trustee Cabinet. From that position, when Don W's health turned worse she vied for and stepped into VP position. Howard was replaced by John R as a retirement type of decision by okie. When the first lawsuit came out and Way lawyers forced a deposition and account of all improprieties from okie boy in front of trustees, RFR used this as leverage to convince okie to step down, and that she was the logical choice as 3rd prez.

ALL SUBSEQUENT CHANGES have been initiated, decided, and driven by RFR. There is technically a majority vote, but as she has filled positions with those who will not stand up to her that is an irrelevant point. She chose Platig as a prime bobblehead yes-man to her, which he dutifully fulfilled for a time. She drove banishing okie and keeping D0nn@ on (so much for Corps policies regarding marriage). She replaced okie's treasurer John R after building up a bogus case on his personal life and demoted him to a staff department head position. She brought on De-Lisle as a personal choice. Platig started having misgivings about the accuracy of the debt "research". She demoted him to region coord, and replaced him with R4pp. They added McF around Indiana campus sale as another loyal bobblehead. And Mittler through all the physical / building project stuff - again one who functions under directives well. RFR functions as all good political despots have through history - Hitler, Stalin, Lenin. Encourage free exchange of ideas through open speech, through that identify those who oppose your viewpoints or present alternative ideas, and systematically attack and eliminate them. Retain all completely compliant as your top level people. The view of consequences consistently keeps free speech out.

Her initial platform was balancing things out by removing all the power from one - the main teacher and main administrator being different. Functionally she moved behind the scenes to garner all the power and move the main teacher function into a spread out function of many with no power. Easier for her - she doesn't have to prepare quality teachings regularly, and can work behind the scenes controlling and driving everything. This is why all the current teachings are so horribly bland and scripted. All pre-submitted, recorded, and approved by one person.

Edited April 13, 2009 by chockfull

[chockfull]

kinda reminds me of the loyster's claims how fortune 500 companies oughter be clamoring for his "expertise"..

he would not survive the first five minutes of an interview..

It is amazing how what was passed off as "quality" that the world can not duplicate in all of these endeavors really turns out to be second or third-rate product with a lot of hype.

None of these hotshots would even land a C level interview with a medium sized company. Any fortune 500 company would sift their resume to the scrap pile faster than anything.

[Ham]

maybe he could put a copy of atheletes of da spirit on his resume. Do you suppose some big outfit on broadway will clamor to his door to produce some kind of song and dance show?

hmm. I can't remember the names on the credits.. who actually was the executive producer? Wasn't it the fox?

it would make sense, in a really twisted way..

[chockfull]

maybe he could put a copy of atheletes of da spirit on his resume. Do you suppose some big outfit on broadway will clamor to his door to produce some kind of song and dance show?

Hahaha - can you see that on "America's Got Talent"???? That would be hilarious seeing Hasselhoff give him the big red X after 2.3 seconds....