Dear Mr. Tomlinson and Mr. Estes,
I am a member of Warrior Kings, a team in the Legacy Kings Division.
Having heard how you recently “dismissed” Mr. Wilkinson from leading any LDs or any other training programs within MDI, I am disgusted that both of you, who are in leadership positions and claim to know how to train and lead other men, have set an extremely poor example to other men in MDI. Regardless of who the man is, in the three years that I have been involved in MDI, I have never seen such a total disregard for the principals created by this organization.
I have been in leadership positions most of my life as this was how I was raised. I have been on the boards of and held executive positions in many volunteer organizations, have chaired or been directly involved in putting on over 50 charity golf tournaments raising in excess of $1 million, have completed as a successful team leader, served as our team MTP, and am currently the Division S1 and team S1. In all my years involved in volunteer organizations, I have never heard of a volunteer being “fired” as committed volunteers, such as Mr. Wilkinson, are hard to come by.
Mr. Wilkinson has played an important role not only in my life since joining a men’s team, but in the lives of the men on our team, in our division, and in our region. It is because of Mr. Wilkinson that I have taken leadership roles within MDI and, having been motivated by him at my LD weekend, participated as a leader in the subsequent two LD weekends since. It is through his mentorship, that I have decided to actively pursue the DC position when our current DC completes.
Your actions and attitudes now make me rethink my involvement within this organization. I am committed to supporting men; however, when men act, such as the two of you recently did, I cannot support either of you. This brings into question whether I will continue in MDI at any level.
Mr. Tomlinson, in your recent email, you make such broad and overreaching statements that I wonder if you are speaking from knowledge or just making facts up to suit your own agenda. You state, “For too long team captains have been left on their own to create and lead great team meetings. Perhaps they had an elder to help them, or the men on the team trained them. This is not the most effective method of training captains, or delivering the type of great team meetings for which all men in MDI would want to attend and would make many of our guests want to join.” This statement in no way applies to not only our Division but also does not apply to Full Monty, the Division from which we have evolved and of which we were once a part.
Mr. Estes, for someone who purportedly is “humbled to be [our] servant,” you have showed no humility whatsoever in the manner in which you dealt with Mr. Wilkinson. I question whether you took this action for any purpose other than a personal one.
I would invite either or both of you to enter into a dialog with our team (either in person or by telecommunication) explaining yourselves regarding the recent actions taken involving Mr. Wilkinson. Based upon the information and the truth you bring to such a conversation, I will then decide whether I can personally support MDI at all levels and whether I will remain a member of this organization.
Respectfully,
Bruce Moss
Southwest Region