Y Member: San Angelo's YMCA Overrun by "Herbalife Boondockers"

The YMCA Board of Directors will meet at Henry’s Diner today at noon for their annual association meeting. All YMCA members are invited to attend and vote for new board members. The Board of Directors are proposing to amend the bylaws and repeal the authority from the voting members in order to function in a more efficient and timely manner, according to the meeting announcement.

Hall Triplett has been a YMCA member since 2008. Yesterday, at a small conference in the Stephens Central Library downtown, Triplett outlined what he called “Herbalife Boondockers” and the imminent threat of the YMCA Board of Directors taking power from the members who pay their dues.

Triplett prepared several packets of information, which included before and after pictures of the Alamo Nutrition setup that once occupied space in the YMCA lobby.

“Over the week of July 21, as an accommodation for Alamo Nutrition in the lobby of the YMCA was altered substantially from its original, carefully considered and well-designed construction,” read page two of Tripletts’ six-page objection.

Triplett goes on to say that the installation of a water softner system was “ironically” installed shortly before the smoothie bar was built. A water fountain was removed in the construction of the smoothie bar in order to install a sink for the small business.

“Where, one must ask, was the overwhelming need for a smoothie bar in the place of a water fountain? Once again, no survey of the membership was taken,” Triplett states. 

He says that there has been a “smoothie bar explosion” in San Angelo and that the market for smoothie bars within the lobby of the YMCA is hardly a necessity. He states that no nutritional information was provided to members about the (in his opinion) overpriced, $5, fundamentally deceptive, powder smoothie sold by the “Herbalife Boondockers”.

He writes, “Seminars on weight loss would be especially appropriate and provide a public service. Expertise on these issues is available in this city. It needs to be tapped. Meanwhile, the San Angelo YMCA needs a smoothie bar like it needs a hole in the roof.”

Triplett alleged that Alamo Nutrition was selling Herbalife powdered smoothies, reaping the benefits of profit while giving nothing back in exchange for the prime lobby real estate constructed free of charge to them, while they gave nothing but an empty promise of a dollar from each smoothie sale in return. Triplett says that no proof of the agreement can be found, implying the YMCA added the smoothie bar at no cost to the business and that Alamo Nutrition never gave back.

“We did used to have a little smoothie shop inside of the Y for a while, but once our contract ended they just decided not to renew,” said Gilbert of Alamo Nutrition. “We showed them how to run the one they have now, and we just stepped out from there.”

Gilbert was unable to answer any questions about the details of the contract he mentioned between the YMCA and the smoothie operators, and referred to another employee that would know more information. Unfortunately LIVE! did not receive a response before the end of the workday.  

To smoothie or not to smoothie, either way Triplett was vehement in his plee to fellow YMCA members to attend the YMCA of San Angelo annual meeting of voting members and the election of directors and amending the bylaws for 2015.

“You pay your dues, you are considered a voting member. I urge you not to give up your identity as someone who can vote,” he said passionately. “I urge you to project your position. You may not have ever read about it, because you probably never saw the bylaws of the YMCA. But, I urge you to consider that it is well worth defending.”

Anyone interested in more information can attend the board meeting today at noon at Henry’s Diner, 3105 Sherwood Way. You will find Triplett amongst fellow members, and hear his stance on the amending the bylaws that have been in existence since the '50s.