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Paradigm UnShift Needed
by Tom Gow
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“This [Determination] packet represents a paradigm shift in marketing the John Birch Society to whole new groups of potential members.” — Arthur Thompson, JBS CEO [emphasis added]
A nice-looking centerspread under the title “Determined to Win” in the November 13, 2006 issue of The New American introduces readers to a new JBS packet. Readers are told that this Determination Packet is “a presentation tool that shines a viewer friendly light on the John Birch Society.”
Unfortunately, readers are left in the dark as to why they are being treated to such an announcement. Are they supposed to order something? (No order information is given.) Or do the current JBS leaders imagine this information will merely persuade readers to think better of JBS?
Since everyone blunders from time to time, pointing out such deficiencies may seem like nitpicking. That’s not our intent. Instead, we draw attention to the centerspread and packet because they highlight much more serious leadership problems that threaten the Society’s vital mission. For starters, both items provide evidence of a significant vision problem at JBS.
A real paradigm shift at JBS has occurred. The poor member in the field seems to have been forgotten. The functionaries running the office have become overly impressed with their own importance and appear to have forgotten who is truly important at JBS — the active member in the trenches.
Throughout the previous history of JBS, members were recruited into the Society so that they could work more effectively in the cause of freedom. They knew (or at least were constantly told) that if change for the better was to occur it would be through their efforts, not as the result of some marketing activity, publishing activity, or lobbying activity by home office personnel. The home office operation was for leadership and support.
But now we are told that the JBS is going to win because the home office team has signed a “Declaration of Determination” and enjoys “a revved-up spirit of teamwork” — even as the supporting field staff is being steadily phased out.
During the winter of 1944-45, many U.S. troops on the German lines in the Ardennes were suffering from inadequate or insufficient winter clothing and equipment. Imagine how they would have felt had they received the following letter from Army headquarters in DC:
“Just wanted to let you know, here at headquarters we are determined to win and have never enjoyed a greater spirit of teamwork. Our new team is in the process of 'Turbo-Charging' the [Army’s] engine. Of course, we understand that the tanks (more accurately firetraps) we sent you are no match for the German panzers. But, for starters, we’ve developed new Internal and External Operational Systems to increase speed and efficiency.” [Italics drawn from the JBS Determination Packet.]
The seizure of power at JBS by functionaries with this bureaucratic mentality was noticed early on by Don Fotheringham, who wrote about it in his response to what he called the “Local Union 770” [January 31, 2006] letter.
Who’s Really in Charge in Appleton?
In the aforementioned centerspread, (non) JBS Marketing Manager George Katalik boasts, “The packet represents the first of many initiatives ultimately aimed to ‘turbo-charge’ the cause of preserving constitutionally protected freedoms.”
We should hope that the next in this series of promised initiatives is better thought out than the self-aggrandizing Determination Packet. And more focused on how the members can use the supplied tools to build an effective organization.
A couple of weeks prior to the appearance of the centerspread, members of JBS received the Determination Packet as part of a fall appeal mailing. Although the appeal mailing similarly extolled the packet, nowhere did the mailing suggest to members how they might use the enclosed “tools.”
Perhaps two of the more useful-looking items were the short bios of Robert Welch and John Birch. They looked like they might make good envelope stuffers to mail to prospects. Unfortunately, they were slightly oversized and wouldn’t fit in a standard envelope. Also they provided no follow-up contact information — no physical address nor even a web address. And no price information if one wanted to order more. What can you undertake with one of each? [Let’s hope our constitutionally threatened Republic will survive until the keys to these ‘turbo-charged’ weapons are provided.]
But perhaps the saddest part were the errors in these “tools” that would be obvious to any veteran JBS member: “Robert Welch ... pushed the Society to prominence in the 1950s.” “During WWII, John [Birch] put his life on the line and rescued several prisoners....”
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