The success or downfall of the Association is within your control. As the next generation of Bumberos who will carry the Association into the next era, how you act now will determine the course of YOUR Association.
- STOP BEING A FENCE SITTER. Simply put, you need to take sides, sooner or later. Now is better. It is a simple question of Right or Wrong. No gray areas. Enough of the times when all our actions were based on "pakikisama". A lot of organizations went astray because of this thinking. Remember, all of us will suffer the consequences of inaction.
- MAKIALAM. Specially the younger directors. The correct term for you is "TRUSTEES". The association lives through you, its life "entrusted" to your wisdom. In the last election, only 44 out of more than a hundred "trustees" were present. Most of the absentees were the young directors. I understand that we defer to the wisdom of our elders. But you must note that our elders whom we respect and hold in highest esteem, are outnumbered and trampled on by "outsiders" brought in to protect self-serving interests. Ask around how Atty. GO, one of our beloved Past Presidents was disrespected and ridiculed by the OMGee tandem. It was a shock to all of us who respect our elders. Water Ludy let the incident pass without remanding OMGee, for reasons you already know. Atty Go got hurt so much that he now refuses to participate in subsequent Brigade activities. We don't want this, but the Opportunists delight in it. That's one-less barrier to their self-serving motives.
- FIGHT FOR YOUR RIGHTS. As ordinary bumberos, you have the right to decide and give mandate to whomever you think will keep you safe during fire calls. the Fire Marshall should be a responding Officer of any of our Brigades. It is blatantly arrogant and disrespectful of your safety if the President insists that she picks her own Fire Marshall, if only to ensure "close relationship" with the FM. How does that "close relationship" between the president and FM matter if the FM do not command the respect and cannot motivate those he is supposed to lead?
- TO BE CONTINUED
