GCAA meeting with JOCO mom over missing sign gets heated

http://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/counties/johnston-county/article31448213.html

Whose side are you on?

 

If you can't remember Tom Stancil flying a crop duster between the light poles at the only ball field at the time, don't worry about what the name is. The second field built was cleared by local farmers with tractors.

 

As a former GCAA Board Member myself, i would not have voted to put the sign up or dedicate the field to the young man. Tragic that his life was cut short but that sort of honor goes to someone with years and years of service to the organization and/or community.

 

Absolutely. I know several who have passed that were involved with the ball fields. None of them have demanded recognition. Certainly not making light of a tragedy, but darn.

 

You all are arguing on whether it should have been or not. The fact is it was done and should be maintained be GCAA. Reading the article seems like GCAA was real tough on the mother.

 

Good point.

 

Dang. GCAA handled this poorly to say the least.

“This workday is to help maintain the field so no one in the future can question who you are and whether you are more concerned with the sign than the field where the children of this community play,”

That is messed up if GCAA put the sign up to begin with.

 

After he died, GCAA dedicated the field in his honor. You cant (shouldn't) change that later on. And to put a list of demands on the parents in order to put it back up.... Bad move by GCAA.

 

I agree with the majority here...bottom line is that the sign WAS put up and the field dedicated to the memory of this young man. To have stipulations placed on the signage is sad and very poorly handled by the board. The parts of the letter that was read to the mother that were included in that article are extremely tactless and heartless. Obviously, none of them have ever lost a child. I am appalled and saddened by the actions of these grown folks.

 

Cyandon and Grinder, thanks for your comments. For the others, you don't know the facts. GCAA Did NOT put the sign up, nor was it ever authorized, the GCAA does NOT dedicate fields, if any of you have ever noticed there are 4 baseball fields and numerous soccer fields with no ones name on them. AS you see the N&O updated the article ....Clarification: A previous version of this article stated the board of directors donated the sign to the family. The GCAA’s says board of directors did not put up or approve the sign in 2009, but rather organizers of a baseball tournament, which was sanctioned by the GCAA’s baseball committee, put up the sign.
The sign should have come down after their memorial tournament but the family didn't take it down, this don't mean it becomes someone else's burden. Unfortunately these people use a sad tragedy to try and gain the public's support for something that shouldn't have been left up to begin with. If the GCAA is willing to let them put the sign back under certain conditions then that is fair. Why should the GCAA carry the burden of this memorial the family put up? They should be required to do something. Just like the adopt a highway signs, there are plenty of families who have them up in memory of deceased family members and those families clean up that area of the highway to let those signs remain up. Unfortunate situation it is, but you can't always use emotions to get what you want. I applaud the GCAA and their board for standing up to these people and doing what's right for the community as a whole regardless of what kind of backlash they get by uninformed people who think with emotions instead of facts. Also if you believe everything you hear or read in the media, then you live a very misinformed life.

 

This then, makes sense.

 

So it was put up temporary for a tournament and GCAA left it up for 5+/- years? Still sound strange to me. Then using the accusatory tones in the news and to the family. GCAA still I the wrong in my opinion.

 

GCAA Childish, revengeful. Don't have time for this community's resident then lambaste her with silly and uncaring rules. You could have had some sort of donations from the community to raise the money for the sign, she should not be required to apologize for negligence. You all need to be replaced 8/24/2015. Resignations accepted.

 

If it wasn't authorized , why was it left up for 5+/- years. Why was the story of the name told at opening ceremonies?

 

My suggestion would be for those that disagree with GCAA board's decision to:
1) Become a member of GCAA. Encourage your kids friends parents to also join.
2) Volunteer to serve on Board,
3) Attend annual meeting in January
4) If elected to Board change the decision.
If enough members disagree with Boards action there is time to take action before 2016 baseball season. Get involved!!!
http://assets.ngin.com/attachments/document/0068/6297/2015_GCAA_-_By_Laws_4-20-2015.pdf

 

Not sure where you get your information. The GCAA did approve the sign to be put up when the Baseball Committee president ask the board for their approval to dedicate the field in his memory, but back then everything didn't have to be voted on because it was a vote in good faith and because of a terrible tragedy the community as well as the family suffered. The sign was meant to be permanent and was not put up temporarily for the baseball tournaments as it was a fixture at the field until "a storm tore it down." If it wasn't permanent, then why were permanent posts cemented in the ground behind center field and the sign moved to it's own location per several GCAA members? So what happens if every new board that comes along votes to undo some of the important things that previous boards put in place? How is that working together for the community?

 

Or stop sending your kids to play there. I am having some first time, direct experience with registration and I have not seen an organization so un-organized!

 

The article written in the N&O makes it sound as GCAA board members felt like they were the victims. When actually the family did just as the rest of the world is doing and that is to use social media to bring what had happened to the attention of the community. Where the sign was located has become a softball field, so it is no longer a baseball field. I believe the said "storm" that torn it down may have been softball related. Each of us with children hope to never have to endure the heartache it causes to lose a child. The dedication of the field to a young man who played ball there was very heart felt by the board at the time and has remained there for years. The story has been changing on almost a daily bases. It went from no one knew anything about the sign or the family to suddenly it was put up for a tournament and never taken down after 6 years. Kids who have grown up playing there were told the story at opening day ceremonies, they have had coaches who were friends with Brandon and his family tell them the story.

To tell the family if they want the sign to stay they would have to help in field clean-up day, really?? there are families who have played season after season year after year that have never even helped on field day. The sign was attached to 2 poles not using up an entire field. The offer has now been made for people in the community to join the board and/ or attend meetings. Speaking from experience if you don't see it their way then it won't happen.

It is truly a shame GCAA has allowed this to happen... what is just a sign to you met so much to others... History is part of who we were and where we have come from. We can't just walk around taking down parts of our history because a family didn't cut the grass... it is up to us to preserve our history and make the future even better...

 

It is time for everyone to know the truth. My son was best friends with Brandon Spence & I helped organized the ball tournaments that were held on those ballfields in his memory. First of all I have never in my life seen such crazy actions from people over a sign of a child that was killed. All the board had to do was put the sign back up and none of this would have happened. When Brandon died a lot of peoples lives changed forever, Brandon's family, his friend and everyone that knew him. If all of these people with their crazy opinions only knew how it was around here back then. We were all a family at those ballfieds. Everyone knew everyone. The night of Brandon's accident their were so many people lining the halls of wake med. I would say well over 100 and most of them were kids. I watched this family and my son and his other friends go through the worst days of their lives. And all these people that say mean things are doing nothing but hurting them more. We decided to have a baseball tournament for Brandon's medical bills and funeral. It was something that he enjoyed more than anything with his friends. It was also a way for his family and friends to honor him. We had teams from all over to come and play. We also had teams that had special uniforms made with spence on the back of all of their shirts. We had teams aging from 8u to 21u. The Baseball president came to us & said gcaa wanted to dedicate the field to Brandon. We could have the sign made & they would pay for it. But GCAA didn't have to pay for it because it was donated. Back then the board didn't vote on things of this matter. We were a family and we didn't mistreat people. No one has had a problem with this sign until now. A few years ago they even had new post made and put the sign in the center. And the people that did it were not out here playing when Brandon was. But they were thoughtful. Now we are here in 2015 and the baseball field is given to the softball, that is fine but what is wrong with the sign staying there. I don't know, it kinda makes you wonder. The board was holding a meeting, the Spence family was going along with a lot of supporters of the sign. But a board member calls me and convinces me to get just the family to go because the board feels bullied and things would go better if it was just the family. But guess what the family went alone and some people on the board was not nice at all. Tell me why there was so many stipulations for the sign to go back up. Well I bet it is because they thought the family wouldn't want to do all of that. But guess what they will and so will all of their friends. That's how we all are, we were raised that way. And why does Baseball have to be taken off the sign well it might have to do with that it is the softball field now and the one that read all of this to them with an attitude is involved in softball. I think the GCAA board are the ones that was being a bully that night. The Spence family does not need to apologize for what other people have said. The board has been talked about for the past 20 years and people will continue to talk about them for the next 20+ years. So all of these people that think they know everything can just quit. If you were not here and involved in all of this then you don't know. All the board had to do was put the sign back up. I know there have been other children that passed away and that is terrible. But you don't take away from this family and friends because of that. Something can be done for other children if people want to do it. That is not an excuse for not putting the sign back up. I believe the treasurer Faulkner, because he read the statement and was rude needs to apologize to the family for the way he has acted. And the board need to also apologize.