Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Gregory Dolezal]

ATEK will launch its National Council on July 1st

Since launching the regional Provincial and Metropolitan Associations (PMAs) in March, ATEK members, led by the founding board, have been working diligently to establish a democratically elected National Council that will direct all future ATEK policies and services at the national level.

As its first order of business the council will consider a bylaws amendment by Tom Rainey-Smith, ATEK's acting President, that requires any current or former founding board member to step down from any national leadership postion for a period of one year.

This amendment would ensure that ATEK can go about the business of representing its membership (about 700 ex-pat teachers) and focus on providing benefits and services.

It is the founder's great hope that this democratically elected council will operate free of distracting personal attacks and be given the chance to perform a vital supportive role for the ex-pat English teaching community.

By no later than August 1st the founding board will step down and allow the newly elected leadership, voted in by the general membership, to determine the direction of ATEK.

During the month of July the founders will be available to give support to the new leadership and help with the transition, but they will not direct policy.

Please direct any questions to [email protected] or visit the official website: www.atek.or.kr

[Ramen]

[quote="Gregory Dolezal"]

This amendment would ensure that ATEK can go about the business of representing its membership (about 700 ex-pat teachers) and focus on providing benefits and services.

[quote]

Are they criminals?

[TheUrbanMyth]

One hopes that in any future press release ATEK will specify that it represents about 700 teachers and not the roughly 25000 or so expat teachers here.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

[Straphanger]

[pocariboy73]

[Gregory Dolezal]

As Communications Director for ATEK, I assure you that every press release that has come from me includes an accurate count of our membership.

Gregory Dolezal
Communications Director
ATEK
[email protected]

[Milwaukiedave]

[pocariboy73]

Why so quiet Greg? I see you lurking around the forums. You are the PR man of ATEK aren't you?

Do you think this story is just gonna "go way" like all the other "little stories" which led up to this point? Somehow, I don't think so. By now one would think you'd have the good sense to ask Mr. Hellmann about the truth of the allegations. If he�s denied it why haven�t you said so?

The longer this scandal drags on and serious questions remain unanswered, the more embarrassing, damaging, and far reaching it becomes for ATEK and the foreign ESL community in Korea.

[Gregory Dolezal]

The ATEK leadership was shocked to hear of the accusations made about Tony Hellmann. We hope that this matter will be resolved quickly and that the truth will come out. As he is no longer a member of ATEK, we can not represent him in this matter, nor does he represent us. What we can say for sure about him is that he worked very hard for many months with no reward and at great cost to help establish an association that can serve the needs of English teachers in Korea for years to come.

Jason Thomas is entitled to have his own political views about his home country or any other country's foreign or domestic policy. We see this as irrelevant to his ability to carry out his duties. We see no evidence that he has made any remarks that discredit our association.

Personal politics are never discussed at board meetings. If we polled our membership I suspect we would find a wide range of ideological beliefs. What is important is that we share a common cause professionally in South Korea.

During the 1950s, congressional hearings conducted by Senator McCarthy in America caused many talented entertainers to lose their careers as a result of the witch hunts that were motivated by dirty politics. There is a film called "Guilty By Suspicion" that is an excellent depiction of the dangers inherent in this kind of attack.

It is the duty of every citizen in the free world to be informed and be critical of government. In America at least, dissent and expression are founding principles of the society. Not only are they constitutional rights - they are considered patriotic.

There is a huge danger of discouraging passionate and qualified leaders from volunteering to serve our community if they believe they will be the target of cyber terrorism. That's the name for this nature of personal attack aimed at ruining the life of someone through the use of fear.

I would like to caution anyone against making potentially libelous or slanderous remarks in this or any other public forum. Korea's laws are unforgiving in this area.

If someone has a criticism of ATEK we invite them to contact us and share their views so that we can address ithem productively and constructively. We can not support character assassination as a method for politcal change.

ATEK's vetting process is very simple. We assume that anyone who is legally teaching in Korea has passed the appropriate background checks to live and work in Korea.

Gregory Dolezal
Communications Director
ATEK

PS> I will not be checking this thread. If you would like to contact me please write to: [email protected]

[Gregory Dolezal]

P.P.S -- I am never on Dave's. I came here at the request of a member who saw some new ugliness.

Please keep this discussion to the topic of ATEK's launch of the National Council.

--Greg Out.

[T-J]

[Straphanger]

[Milwaukiedave]

[T-J]