Air Force Academy • STARRS Authors

Proposed Amendments to the USAFA AOG Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws

17 September 2024

By Lt. General Rod Bishop, USAF ret, USAFA ’74

In response to a retired USAF Colonel who stated he was a “Past AOG Board Member”.

USAFA graduates received a letter in the mail regarding proposed amendments to the USAFA Association of Graduates Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws and asking them to fill out a form if they are in agreement with the proposed changes. This is for USAFA graduates only. The Colonel sent out an email  opposing the additions below:

Proposed amendment to Article III of the Articles of Incorporation of Association of Graduates of the United States Air Force Academy (deleted words struck through; added words underlined and in bold):

Proposed amendment to Bylaws of the Air Force Academy Association of Graduates Article I Purpose Section 2 Mission by adding the following subsections (added words underlined and in bold):

General Bishop’s response:

Thanks for copying me on this email, XXX. Some thoughts:

1. The Unity Slate and the proposed Amendments to the AOG are separate from STARRS. Two different animals. Two different initiatives. You seem to be incorrectly connecting the two. Those of us “in STARRS” who were pushing for suggested changes to our AoI and bylaws, received input early on from grads to keep that initiative separate from STARRS–we have done our best to do just that. Tell us how to separate further if you disagree. Some duplication in personal supporting both initiatives for sure, but I have no idea, for example, if all the candidates running have even signed up for our weekly mailing. (STARRS doesn’t have “members”–just volunteers and supporters who sign up for our weekly newsletter.)

2. Those Amendments do not in any way support STARRS, although I do believe, given the overwhelming positive comments received on the Unity Slate website from those responding to the petition (many of whom ARE STARRS supporters), it certainly seems like STARRS supporters support the Amendments!

3. Having had a hand in helping craft the Amendments, I can tell you a purpose of those amendments is to give grads a “voice” and make it the duty of the AOG to communicate those views (note plural there) with the Superintendent. You say below “I strongly agree with establishing better communications between the AOG and the Supt.” Exactly one of the purposes of the Amendments that you say you don’t support. Could you please explain why so I better understand?

4. A second and very important purpose of the Amendments is to bring our Association back in compliance with Colorado Law governing non-profits. A retired Major General who is extremely familiar with Colorado Law regarding non profits (as he served on many) raised the issue that “the USAFA AOG was certainly NOT living up to their (our) own Articles of Incorporation”–specifically the provision that says:

“The corporation shall at no time be used in any way to support or oppose any political idea, organization, or candidate.”

Evidence of the AOG (in their fervor and exuberance to support USAFA initiatives) ignoring this part of our AoI abounds.

Dr Ron Scott and I (as individuals and grads only-–NOT as STARRS’ leadership) briefed the AOG in May of 2023 on these transgressions. Briefing and supporting documents (since I assume you have not seen–although we specifically requested they be made part of the minutes as attachments)–are attached:

You may know Colorado law here as you served on our AOG before–but copied here for a refresher:

” If you are having a nonprofit, you must have a community purpose. If you change that purpose, you must file the amendment. If you change the nature of the business or the purpose of the corporation overall, then you must file an amendment.”

If you doubt that the AOG has broken that law here after reviewing our 300 pages of supporting documents and comparing the law to our AoI provision as stated above, I would also add (if my memory serves me correctly) we had four different lawyers opine that we were correct in our assertion.

Accordingly, since you say you don’t support the amendments, I am to assume you are recommending to those on your email list that our AOG should stay in non-compliance of Colorado Law–or were you just not aware our AOG was most probably breaking the law?

Rather than take immediate legal action to ensure we brought our Association back in compliance, we first went down the road of letting the AOG know what they were doing was most probably illegal (certainly the conclusion of everyone I knew or heard of reviewing the facts)–and now have given them 15 months to act upon those recommendations we gave in the briefing attached. The AOG BOD could have (and should have IMO) taken action there based on irrefutable evidence.

Since we saw or heard of no action coming–Unity Slate was born. My personal thinking here is if a BOD is not going to do “the right thing”, then we need new BOD members who will do the right thing and bring our association back in compliance with the law. I would welcome your thoughts on why “not doing the right thing” is apparently “the wrong thing in your mind since apparently you don’t agree with that suggested change either.

5. Your sentence “One of the beauties of living in America is the ability to disagree and to agree to disagree” is something I bet everyone on the Unity Slate agrees with as well. Your comment, though, in its context, seems to suggest that the Amendments, if adopted, would only support or allow one side of an issue being presented to the Supt. You would be hard pressed to find words in anything we have put forward that supports what you seem to be suggesting. And, if elected, I would strongly oppose only one side of any issue being presented to Academy leadership.

6. Finally, you say you “do not support the STARRS agenda.” Have you ever seen what STARRS stands for?

If you disagree with what STARRS stands for, or are pro what we stand against, some might take issue with your “beauties of living in America” statement below–as STARRS has fervently tried since our beginning to “ground” ourselves in the vision and values of our founding fathers and the oath all of we military members took to our Constitution.

That said–STARRS makes no apologies for being part of a movement that is against the Marxist agenda that is trying to “fundamentally change our nation.”

Too many of us–you included as I understand–put our lives on the line fighting against the “Marxist march” in other parts of the world. I would have to assume then you don’t want Marxism here. If you don’t think that what has happened over the last decade at USAFA is part of the Marxist march, I would welcome you to sign up for our weekly newsletter.

I could also suggest a host of books to read. But again–STARRS does not equal the Unity Slate–anymore than ensuring graduate views be communicated to the Supt (a purpose of the amendment) means (your words here) “telling USAFA leadership how to run the Academy.” A statement you made that just is not true.

R, Rod

ROD BISHOP
Lt Gen USAF (Ret)

A 1964 USAFA grad said:

XXXX,

After again reviewing the proposed changes, I can find nothing that comes close to suggesting the AOG or any  part of it tells the Academy leadership, more specifically the Superintendent how to run the Academy.  I can assure you, however, that on several major issues over the past few years, reasonable inquiries and/or reasonable suggestions by graduate members of the AOG  have been totally ignored and the only information made available is that by the  few senior personal friends of the Superintendent or what is otherwise eyewitnessed.  Otherwise, it appears to me that the current system has resulted in nothing but stonewalling and misleading information being distributed.  

I believe it totally reasonable and professionally courteous to attempt to establish a two-way channel of communication between the Academy leadership and the AOG.

Two others responded:

“Makes sense”
“I agree”

The original email sent out to unknown number of graduates, representing himself as a former member of the AOG board:

From: XXXX
Sent: Saturday, September 14, 2024 3:08 PM
To: XXXX
Subject: Proposed Amendments to the Association of Graduates Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws

Fellow Graduates,

I send this email to provide additional information concerning the letter many of you may have received in the past few days from an organization called “Unity” proposing changes to the AOG Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws and recommending support for a Slate of Candidates in the upcoming election.

The changes may seem innocuous at first, but I assure you they are not.

The first few are not of much impact.

There are two I am concerned about and think you should be too.

AOG Articles of Incorporation. “… the duty to inform the AFA’s leadership of collected information, perspectives and recommendations of members of the corporation about the Air Force Academy…”

AOG Bylaws.  “Communicating to the Air Force Academy’s leadership information and recommendations from members of the AOG about the Air Force Academy…”

It has never and, in my opinion, should never be the position of the AOG to tell the Academy leadership how to run the Academy.  This tenet has been held strong over the years.

These changes direct a change to that policy.

There was a time, several years ago, when the AOG Board tried to do just that. The result was a complete breakdown in communication between the AOG and the Academy leadership and a threat to remove the AOG Headquarters  from the Academy.

That having been said, there has been and should continue to be  open and frank lines of communication between the AOG and Academy leadership.

Additionally, this group continuously touts complaints from Cadets.  My observations and those of many local Graduates do not support their allegations.

I strongly recommend you not approve the proposed changes and vote for the AOG Board recommended candidates.

Please forward this email to all of your Grad lists.

This is our Academy and it is up to us to keep the AOG strong in its support of the Academy.

GO FALCONS

—
XXX

XXXXXXXXXXXX
Colonel USAF (Ret)
Past AOG Board Member
Concerned Graduate

Presentation to the USAF Academy Association of Graduates

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