For 42 yearsPaul Hubbert and I worked for you to make AEA great. We never lied to you, nevermisled you and neverbetrayedyour trust. We supportedyou and you supportedus. Paul is now dead. I askyou to trust me andjoin in the fight to saveAEA. The NEA is deceivingus and has taken over AEA. They have sent a man from Minnesota, called him a Trustee,and claim that he aloneruns the day-to-dayoperationsof the AEA. He claims absolutecontrol over our rules, regulations,bylaws and policies including the DelegateAssembly, President,Board of Directors, the budget and the HeadquartersBuilding. Even though the AEA Constitution and the Merger Agreementrequire the AssociateExecutive Secretary(AES) to assume the dutiesand functionsof the ExecutiveSecretary(ES) when the ES is absent,this hasnot happened. Upon the resignationof Dr. Mabry as ExecutiveSecretary,the ES position becamevacant. It is still vacantbut they will not let the currentAES, GregoryGraves,assumethe duties. I wonder why? The Trustee and some others are working feverishly to circumvent undermine,and weakenthe Merger Agreement. This agreementhaswithstoodthe test of time for 45 yearsunintemrptedand undilutedbut now becauseNEA wants AEA to operatelike a union, it is proposinga union model i.e., SecretaryTreasurer, change the title of the Executive and Associate Executive Secretariesto Executive Directors. You know what will be next; a mergerwith the American Federationof Teachers(AFT). You must opposeall of these arnendmentsthat weaken the Merger Agreement, establish a union model,or keepAEA underendlessTrusteeship. Two of your brave board members,Bonita English, a classroomteacherfrom Mobile and Darryl Traylor, a support professional, from Bimingham have liled a lawsuit to Take Back the AEA from NEA. Don't let them down; they are fighting for you; they are frghting for AEA. The sameAEA that has beenthere for you for the past 45 years. The Trustee is spreadingmisinformation. He has most of the ofFrcersand board members scared'to hell and back." They think that the Trusteecan replacethem. He has fired employees (Curtis Travis) on "grapevine gossip." He is telling you and anybody else who will listen ttrat ttre HeadquartersBuilding is being threatenedand only he can save it. That is NOT TRLIE. That building doesnot have a mortgage. We paid for it when we built it. The best thing for AEA is for NEA to sendthe Trusteeback to Minnesotaand stoprying to run AEA from Washingtonand forcing NEA's policies and views on AEA. None of you askedthat the Constitution be changed;that is a demandfrom NEA. Thereis no basisfor NEA or the Trusteeto confiol and direct us. was takenfrom the EducationTrust Our LegislativeSessionwas a grandfailure; $80"000,000 Fundby the legislatureandAEA is calling that a major victory. That's a major LIE! All the gainsand advanceswe madeunderthe Merger Agreementwill be lost if we don't wake up and fight back! We must encourageall Delegatesto the DelegateAssemb$ in December to VOTE NO on these bylaws and amendments.We must take back AEA from IYEA!