CWB C to C party.

[silverback]

I have been reading about the latest get-together that our wheat board had in Calgary at the beginning of January over on Parsley's Notebook.

There's a couple of things I'd like to know:

1) How do they decide who is best to go to these events? Do they draw straws?

2) If the cwb is truly a farmer run organization and we are the shareholders, why don't we get to have an annual shareholder meeting? All the big wigs were in Calgary at one time, could they not have rented a room so that Alberta farmers could come and hear their opinions?

3) How much did this event cost? Did spouses get to go? What other entertainment and meals were included? Flights in from Sask. and Manitoba?

4) Are the people invited to this event representative of the brightest stars in the ag community? Are they the ones that should be giving opinions on how the board operates with it's shareholders? Are they members of the 20% that grow 80% of board grains that Tom talks about? I suppose the Hutterite guys that went might be.

5) Are these people who attended the kind of folks who would stand up and ask for improvements or are they more likely to speak nicely to those holding the party in hopes of getting invited back?

6) Did they get a chance to discuss the hedging practices that the cwb is involved in?

[Fransisco]

I find these little parties particularly offensive, the new wheat board motto should be, " ...never have so few, spent so much, from so many."

[TOM4CWB]

" ...never have so few, STOLE so much, from so many."

aLL IN the CWB DAY... OF EXTRACTING A PREMIUM!

[bucket]

I usually go because I can see relatives in the major cities.

I sat in a group of 16 farmers and FOUR (4) said they had rented their farm out for 09. So I asked why are you here. The response was to stay in touch with the issues. They shouldn't have been there.

Also look at the list of names. Doyle wiebe was there - he was a losing candidate for district 6. Vic bruce was there - a swp brownnoser. Laurence nicholson - a save my cwb beggar of funding.

So when I was talking Ward W. he asked me how I thought it was going. Told him everytime I come to these things its dissappointing because of the above reasons and the sooner you are out of my business the better.

[silverback]

Bucket,

How much does it cost out of your pocket?

Any guess how much it would cost for each attendee? (Rooms, meals, etc. )

Are you saying they keep inviting you even if you are raising h$%* ?

How did you get invited the first time you went?

[bucket]

Well lets see. Daily phone calls to the cwb got me a trip to winnipeg in 2001. I think they are trying to brainwash me. Some ideas I can live with, others as you can tell by parsleys blog are totally out to lunch. One guy this year said everyone starting farming should go to a c to c conference and have the cost deducted over time. ( now that's a f****** retarded idea ) My comment back was the investment to get into farming isn't motive or qualification enough to try a person's best to succeed.

As for cost - a person asked that but the group I was in (which included Ward W.) wouldn't answer. Interestingly Ward had a smug grin on his face so I think he knows. So I said 10 grand (devils advocate) and everyone laughed. I think its 4 to 5000 ( for the trip to winnipeg for a week)if the resources are appropriated properly.



Why do they keep inviting me back - no idea. Maybe my humorous comments and lack of caring of what I say gives those people a different perspective. I don't just sit there and say nothing - those are the people that shouldn't be there.

[silverback]

Sorry, I'm not catching on.

This is all expenses paid by the cwb including flights, meals, and entertainment.

Correct?

Spouses?

Which hotels? I'm assuming not the Motel 6.

[TOM4CWB]

Silverback;

This is no gravy train... it is a gravy JET.

Who is the master of saying one thing... and when they think they can get away with it... doing the opposite?

THe CWB system is as unfair as they come. Flaman complaining (I was told) that $846/t for wheat, CWB cash price... was too cheap... and did not get an organic premium; about says it all.

[bucket]

Silverback

We stayed at the Hyatt. I would think quite expensive. Yes if you have family - you can take them. You get a banquet ticket and if you want more its 50 bucks.

Lunches are provided and breakfasts.

Since they do a shitty job of marketing I am going to take the trip. Why you might ask? Since most at the conference think its ok to income split - I think its ok to expense split. And while I am there I talk to whoever will listen to my point of view.

[silverback]

Good to hear someone will give a little push back at this thing.

What was the most valuable thing you have learned there?

[parsley]

puke.
puke.
puke.


Parsley

[bucket]

The most important thing I have learned is that the people at the CWB think I work for them. They are so effing arrogant its disgusting.

The cwb likes to invite its advocacy groups to these things. It must be their way of slushfunding the money to the "save my cwb" types.

they really think they do a good job.

[dalek]

Having sat on an audit committee and looked at the books on a provincial organization convention for a few years, by the time you put flights, food, hotel, staff hours and travel, extra setup costs and meeting room costs etc. for a 3 day meeting like that you'd be looking at $700/person minimum, could easily be over $1000.

[bucket]

You are correct dalek. If the cwb did the appropriate accounting for these things I think it could hit 10000/person for the week stay in Winnipeg.

These alumni conferences easily cost 1000/person per day.

Never see a line item/note for such an important thing in the annual report.

[gustgd]

I've been to a couple of these things
Once in Saskatoon 05 and once in Regina 07 plus the original week in Winnipeg in 04

I would bet once you include mileage and air you would probably be $1000 plus per participant
likely 400 participants per alumni meeting plus Management and staff
My opinion is probably 15 diferent speakers will get up at the general sessions and speak up 50:50 on left wing right wing some like me will speak more than once though I try and wait for someone else to ask questions. They don't encourage dissenting view's and keep the agenda full enough to limit questions.
Softball questions to management might be planted to take up time.
like most farm meetings you would be lucky to get 10% to ask questions in an open forum
My guess is that they invite about50% known pro board guys 30% indifferent/just there for the free stuff and 20% where they get their ideas and let the choice crowd feel they've been heard

I don't know how to get on the Combine to customer invite list but ask your CWB rep what it takes. It's a good course about some of the quality aspects of the Canadian grain system (mostly CGC standards)
I would pay for such a course if it was available, but I'll take it on the CWB's (Western Farmers)tab because I feel that with all of my money they've pissed away over my short career I've already covered it.