In light of the coup d’état that occurred last year in a secret hearing, we wholeheartedly advise any and all members of the #501stLegion who are eligible to run for the position of LCO to not do so. The position of “Legion Commanding Officer” (the president of the #CostumeClub) has effectively been made redundant through a combination of Charter & Bylaw amendments, as well as the ease at which a sitting LCO can be secretly removed from office if, for any reason, one or a few influential members on the Legion Council decide that they want the current LCO removed.
In all the years that we have operated both our Facebook page and our WordPress blog, we have never encouraged the membership of any costume club to not participate in the club’s electoral process in the selection of new leadership. But the events of last year that were made public undeniably demonstrate a costume club whose leadership is utterly corrupt thanks to a weak Charter and Bylaws that have been amended so many times that the presidential position of LCO has effectively been made redundant. In other words, why would you want to put yourselves through the lengthy Q&A session that precedes the election for a near-powerless position where you stand a good chance of being tossed out before your elected year has an opportunity to finish?
Anyone who agrees to run for the position and has the misfortune of being elected into it will likely be placing themselves into a year (or less) of utter misery for a thankless membership and a power-hungry Legion Council, whose members are probably more interested in maintaining their own little fiefdoms than in actually leading the club in an ethical manner. And after last year’s coup d’état, it’s safe to say that ethics and the 501st Legion’s leadership have little to do with each other.
If you decide to run for LCO and you get ousted before your term of office is complete, you’ll only have yourself to blame. Don’t put yourself through it. Have more respect for yourself and your loved ones, who would have to endure it with you.
References
- Major Costume Club Drama: 501st LCO Ousted in Apparent Coup d’État
- The 501st Legion’s Leadership Structure: Disproportionate Representation, No Monetary Controls, a Haven for Corruption
- Machiavellianism: How “Secret Groups” Undermine Costume Clubs from the Inside, Including the 501st Legion & “Project Mayhem”
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