United States Naval Institute: An Open Letter by Norman Polmar

To: Major General T. Wilkerson, USMC(Ret)
Chief Executive Officer
U.S. Naval Institute

Please forward to the members of the Board

Gentlemen,

In early February of this year I sent an e-mail to friends and colleagues advising them of the Board's decision to change the mission and role of the U.S. Naval Institute--without prior discussion or advice to the membership. I have since received almost 200 e-mails in reply plus a few telephone calls.

Every response has indicated opposition to the proposed changes to the USNI mission and role.

This view is also reflected on the USNI blog, and the blogs of "Commander Salamander" and others. This view was also reflected at a recent luncheon meeting of professional naval historians, almost all of whom are Naval Institute members.

What is particularly troubling is the perception that the Board attempted to "put something over on the membership." And this is a membership organization--not a company or a stock-issuing firm. Indeed, the Board had at its disposal the means of advising the membership in advance of the rationale for such major changes to the 174-year organization: The Proceedings, the USNI blog, other blogs, and, indeed the possibility of direct mailings to the membership were (and still are) available. None of these means were employed. Rather, it does appear that the Board was attempting to put something over on the membership.

Further, the Board's decision to destroy thousands of printed ballots to "hide" the mission change vote within the vote for the Board and the Editorial Board in another ballot was also against accepted practices for a membership organization. (Of course, the original ballot was mailed with the Naval History magazine.)

This attempt at gross deception of the membership can only be remedied by the immediate resignation of all Board members who support these efforts.

I feel that I have special and particular qualifications to call for the resignation of those specific members who supported these efforts: I have been a USNI member since age 15, and a Proceedings author since age 18; I have had the honor and privilege of the Naval Institute publishing a score of my books and I have had more bylines in the Proceedings than anyone else in the magazine's 173-year history. I am a former assistant editor of the Proceedings and, of course, a Golden Life member.

With respect for the organization's many thousands of members--past, present, and future, yours sincerely,

Norman Polmar

To: U.S. Naval Institute Board of Directors
My friends and colleagues

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There are two very important articles on this topic today, one at the USNI Blog and the other at CDR Salamander. You want to read them both.

The first is the entire Editorial Board of the United States Naval Institute collectively voting "NO" to the mission statement change. It is difficult to interpret that post as anything other than a full blown civil war now taking place at USNI.

The second, well, lets just say CDR Salamander is showing you what the Board of Directors is not. Sal explains why so many of us fight and are opposed this change.