Manx On The Banx/MOTB & Ethics

From the outside, looking in. Full disclosure; I used to be a Manx Club member; I have previously paid annual fees to this organization. I resigned my membership in February of 2018.

The Manx Club has been listed as a California non-profit mutual benefit 501 (C) 7 Corporation, so it would seem that the Manx Club’s Board of Directors would want to err on the side of caution when choosing official event organizers for their annual and various Manx Club sponsored events.

However, (current president, as of July 2019) Mike Dario and the most recent group of the MC BOD (at least the majority) have chosen to endorse Scott Jackle as both the 2018 and 2019 event co-organizer for the Manx on the Banx (MOTB), held annually on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Scott Jackle is also a desk clerk employed by the Travelodge by Wyndham Outer Banks/Kill Devil Hills, which is publicly listed as the “host” hotel for this year’s MOTB, as it was last year. One could easily conclude that Scott Jackle, as an employee, will (either directly or indirectly) financially profit from this official event-related connection.

The Travelodge by Wyndham Outer Banks/Kill Devil Hills has been designated as the host hotel for the MOTB for years, but this is only the 2nd year where Scott Jackle has been listed as one of the official event co-organizers. One can only wonder, were bids put out among the local/area hotels as possible hosting candidates, in order to remove the air of some sort of possible/behind-the-scenes collaboration? Was there a possibility that better discount rates may have been available from other area hotels that were/are of compatible quality/service?

You may also wonder; does one have to stay awake at night, looking for ways to slam someone like Scott Jackle and his overall character? Heck no! Actually, issues such as this just seem to fall in one’s lap like popcorn at a movie. So, when it comes down to it; is it legal for official club event organizers to exclusively profit (either directly or indirectly) during events held by non-profit groups/clubs/organizations? Personally, I can’t answer that. Is it ethical? In my opinion; No. Does it set a good example for other events of this nature? Absolutely not.

It should go without saying that the MOTB event organizer’s choice of the Travelodge by Wyndham Outer Banks/Kill Devil Hills is a HUGE conflict of interest*, while also creating a negative light on the Manx Club’s official non-profit status. Those two facts cannot be denied.

*conflict of interest - a situation in which a person is in a position to derive personal benefit from actions or decisions made in their official capacity.

Updated July 25, 2019 - Now that I think about it, one could reasonably deduce that Scott Jackle's actual motive (as far as tagging on "unofficial" days before the "official" start date for the 2019 Manx On The Banx) was/is to hawk additional room booking dates at the Travelodge (his current employer). I mean come on, it has been made perfectly clear that Scott Jackle will have no official capacity (as far as the Manx Club is concerned) during the dates from October 7th through October 9th, 2019. This has been plainly stated on motb.life, and confirmed (email) by (current 2019 Manx Club president) Mike Dario.

Side note: I created a web page, specifically announcing these "unofficial" days, and included the link in my signature section on the thesamba.com's forum. One of the two individuals listed on this web page contacted EverettB (thesamba.com admin); denying any connection whatsoever to the dates in question. Yes; I created this web page in a sarcastic/"in your face" manner, but there is no question that the content (dates, location, "no entry fees/membership not required", and contact information) listed on this web page is totally and technically correct. EverettB then removed this link from my signature section.

What some may (mistakenly) view as "harassment"; I consider to be honesty, transparency, and a public service. Obviously, opinions may vary. Just imagine; all of this started when Scott Jackle publicly insulted the intelligence of the 2017 MC Board of Directors. They failed to publicly shut him down; ultimately giving him and his cohort free reign to take their inevitable/official MOTB co-coordinator responsibilities completely off the rails. Congratulations goes to all involved!