A Communication Demonstrating Failure to Communicate

US Naval Institute Members received the following email this morning:

March 2, 2024

Dear USNI Member,


The U.S. Naval Institute 2011 Member Ballot included with the April Naval History magazine is invalid, as it does not include an historic change to the Mission of the Naval Institute that has been recommended by the Board of Directors. If you voted using this ballot, it will not be counted.

The Member Ballot included with the March issue of Proceedings is correct in that it includes the proposed change to the USNI mission statement. Please vote/re-vote using this ballot.

Alternately, you may vote online. To do so, you will need to use your Member Number to log in: C########

Members who only receive Naval History magazine will receive a revised ballot in the mail, which is mailing the week of 1 March.

We apologize for any confusion and thank you for your continued support.


Sincerely,


Thomas L. Wilkerson
Major General, USMC (Ret.)
Chief Executive Officer

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This announcement of a bad ballot mailed to members also represents the first official notification by the US Naval Institute of the existence of a "historic" proposal to change the organizations mission statement.

This proposed mission change is so "historic" in fact, that this first official announcement of the proposals existence fails to even mention any details regarding what is being proposed for members to vote on.