I'm not commenting on the rightness or wrongness of the SS or BGC issue, my angle is organizational leadership - specifically communication (or lack thereof).
In short, where has Nate been?
USAWS appears to have seriously miscalculated the pushback on these issues, and now they are in reaction mode.
Perhaps BOS is its own echo chamber (20% of the people seem to drive 80% of the comments on this thread) and doesn't represent the majority within the organization - time will tell.
If this was ratified in March (as the email states), why are we just now getting detailed communication about the "why" today? Surely they knew about this in Jan '21 or Q4 of '20... why not be proactive and educate members about what is coming?
USAWS needs to serve its membership constituents, and the easiest way to do that is to communicate. Yet when the most meaningful piece of communication comes from an EVP on a message board (10+ pages back on this thread) and reads like a press release or from the very patient and insightful @klindy , something is seriously wrong.
USAWS posture seems to be, "Don't blame us. Our hands our tied. This is/was inevitable. Every other NGB is doing this. It's essential for our insurability and thus, our survival."
However, USAWS may have created its own extinction event - re: people are now asking about the value behind the extra bureaucracy but also the value behind the organization itself.
"What does USAWS really do? What real value is there?" The answer, it seems, is "not much" unless you are planning on skiing Regionals, Nationals or some other record tournament.
"Why is USAWS part of the USOPC?" The answer, it seems, is "insurance and elite athlete promotion".
None of this inspires.
Nate has his work cut out for him. I'm sure he is a smart and capable fellow, but this stuff (customers not knowing your value) doesn't fly in a capital market. My advice, clarify the organization's value proposition, find a way to reduce bureaucracy and communicate with membership more frequently.
The membership is fractured and he should be communicating at least 2x a month until Nationals. Don't use mandates from government and insurance companies as an excuse for poor communication.
My perceptions of the organization's purpose, value and association with the USOPC may be totally off, and it that is so, then it's up to Nate to correct it.