Thursday, September 8, 2016
Column 522
ADO Blames Financial Woes on a Dead Guy!
American Darts Organization Communications Officer, Steve “I could singlehandedly change not only the ADO, but darts in this country” Brown (who is either paid or not paid by the ADO – no one will say) has recently published the August 2016 board minutes and related materials. Jolly good job, old boy.
Included are a report by Jeff Inman, the organization’s new CFO (who, unlike his immediate predecessor, Lloyd Hoover – a nice but classically unorganized guy who accomplished next to nothing during his term – is an actual, real live, CPA) and a resignation letter from Chuck Hudson in which he offers up names such as Hoover and Glenda “Doc” Alvarado as replacements.
You may recall it was Alvarado who created a stir a few years back by accusing several prominent players of “cheating” at the Virginia Beach Classic. Hudson’s venom (which he directs at yours truly and others) is a bit surprising – as he has been one of many who have provided (and continue to) inside information as some have attempted to get to the bottom of various ADO indiscretions and cover-ups.
Possibly the most startling recent revelation is that former (or current or co-current with Brown) office manager, Katie Harris, is now officially being paid to be the ADO’s bookkeeper. This is the same Harris who two past presidents and two current board members have identified as who they consider responsible for the financial mess the ADO continues to face – and who was responsible for filing, but did not, the Form 900 reports required by the IRS, leading to the revocation of the ADO’s status.
To a person (I am paraphrasing), those who have supplied information have said, We know she’s the problem… we know we have to get rid of her… but we can’t get the votes.
To his credit, ADO president David Hascup finally got the votes. Probably Laurett Meddis and Buddy Bartoletta were not pleased. Hascup proudly announced the west coast office would be closed and Harris’ tenure would end by the close of 2015. So much for the later.
Now, according to Inman, Harris is an “independent contractor” who has been “working diligently” to bring the books up to date, help prepare financial statements, and (I guess) will on deck to help file the long-overdue tax forms so the organization’s non-profit status might be reinstated.
Although it’s been nearly 14 years since any human being outside the ADO inner circle has seen a proper financial statement, Inman reports that these are being prepared for “all years from 2004 to present” and that the “early few years are close to completion.”
So (whew) Harris is on the case – leagues which have paid pay dues and players who have anted up entry fee surcharges and more can finally take comfort, maybe, knowing that inside of 15 years of when all this began they will know how their so-called “governing organization” has spent their money. Perhaps, perhaps not, we will also learn how much of the budget is footing the bill for Brown and Harris.
One must commend Inman for finally prodding along a possible resolution to the ADO’s financial woes. But…
…what is deeply disconcerting, certainly to anyone who knew Charlie Forrester (the ADO’s CFO before his passing a dozen or so years ago), is that Inman has apparently convinced the ADO board (or maybe it took no convincing – more likely it was just a realization of the need to cast blame on someone other than the person(s) in the mirror) that when the IRS is approached to consider reinstatement of the organization’s charitable status, the “reasonable cause” which will be required to explain to the IRS why the tax returns were not filed for a decade-plus will be “the sudden passing of our previous CFO, Charlie Forrester…”.
Blame the dead guy.
Outrageous!
Bullshit!
Charlie Forrester was a friend of mine, a friend of many. He was an honest man. A gentleman. A class act.
But even if he did leave the books in disarray, the “reasonable cause” as to why since his death, more than a decade ago, everything is still in disarray has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with Forrester. It has everything to do with the incompetence, negligence, and gross financial mismanagement by those who followed him.
As the saying goes, “It’s always the ones with the dirty hands pointing the fingers.”
The ADO’s hands have been making mud pies for years.
From the Field,
Dartoid
