To the editor:
Will the real, governing, properly voted in Board of Directors for the Houlton Humane Society please stand up, identify yourselves and take and answer questions as to your responsibility and accountability as a state-chartered corporation and publicly-funded animal shelter with the privilege of a 501c3.
I’m not looking for the lowest, non-governing Board officer, the Agent, whose role is to contact authorities when animal victims of abuse/cruelty are brought to the attention and/or care of the shelter. I’m searching for the principal officers of the HHS corporation; the people who are physically supposed to be running the organization, governing it as per State of Maine charter regulations; making sure it is accountable to the public as per IRS 501c3 mandate. I’m looking for the bosses; the President and Vice President. The Secretary who is responsible for paperwork, filings, making sure everyone, including the public is alerted to meetings, etc. I’m looking for the real, properly voted-in Treasurer, whose role is the fiscal responsibility and accountability of the corporation; and who, according to HHS By-laws must handle all the money in and out, and make financial reports available to the public upon request.
I’m not looking for the people chosen by the employee executive director to ‘fill’ these positions in name only; I’m looking for those who went through the proper and ethical nomination and voting process last October through this coming October as mandated under HHS By-laws; I’m looking for the people qualified for the positions and who perform those duties with honesty and integrity and to the best of their ability.
I want to ask the real Board of Directors at Houlton Humane Society how they could allow an employee to restrict people not only from shelter property when they’ve done nothing criminal, but also from outside public events the shelter sponsors.
Do I believe there really is an actual, governing Board of Directors for the Houlton Humane Society right now? Does it sound like there is? My answer is “No.” Documents and the voice of the shelter, if one listens closely, corroborate that. The organization has been in violation of its own By-laws, as well as its Maine State Charter of Nonprofit Corporations, and IRS 501c3 compliance regulations for months.
The State of Maine, County of Aroostook, the Town of Houlton and all the surrounding towns and taxpayers within, whose money goes to finance HHS, along with the general public who have the right to transparency under 501c3 regulations, all need to ask and have answered: Who are the President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer comprising the legal, governing Board of Directors of the Houlton Humane Society.
Darlene Kenney
