Attempt by our Committee to change the Club rules without notifying the members

[NickC]

Floyd,

it has been suggested you may have a pro-club agenda…

but I find your suggestion someone here may be on drugs is outrageous

Oh dear, not the first time we have heard that allegation…

That accusation has been made before, by the Consortium of Committee members against anyone who does not ‘respect’ their viewpoint. Strange how the same accusation now comes from a supposedly totally unrelated person!

This just adds further to my conviction that a certain person is actually an impostor and is, in reality, one of the Committee.

 

[NickC]

How ?

These people you call control freaks must have been democratically elected by the membership at an AGM. How do you stop that happening.

Nope, none of them have ever been voted onto the Committee.

Our rules allow for four Committee members, any more and a vote should take place. Well there are around ten Committee members and no vote has ever taken place, the Commodore just keeps adding his mates to the Committee with no regard for Club rules.

Extract from our Club rules:

Rule 6.2

The management of the Club shall be in the hands of the Committee which shall consist of the Flag Officers, Officers and four other Members of the Club...
​

Rule 7.2

If the number of candidates duly proposed and seconded exceeds the number of vacancies to be filled, the election shall be by ballot.​

 

[VicS]

Nope, none of them have ever been voted onto the Committee.

Our rules allow for four Committee members, any more and a vote should take place. Well there are around ten Committee members and no vote has ever taken place, the Commodore just keeps adding his mates to the Committee with no regard for Club rules.

Extract from our Club rules:

Rule 6.2

The management of the Club shall be in the hands of the Committee which shall consist of the Flag Officers, Officers and four other Members of the Club...
​

Rule 7.2

If the number of candidates duly proposed and seconded exceeds the number of vacancies to be filled, the election shall be by ballot.​

Actually there are 13 committee members named on the website , in addition to the Commodore and the Treasurer, although only 8 of those 13 were named in the last published AGM minutes. The committe ceratinly seems to have grown in the last few years.
Do the club rules place any limit on the number of co-opted members. If not then the committee can grow as large as those in power see fit.

I assume there are still around 80 and 90 ordinary club members in total so why is it that they allow this sort of thing to go on. Presumably all very happy with the way the club is run.

The list of Facebook group members is interesting The introductions make it read like the AS adoration society.. Clearly a very popular guy.

 

[NickC]

Actually there are 13 committee members named on the website , in addition to the Commodore and the Treasurer, although only 8 of those 13 were named in the last published AGM minutes.

Well done Vic, I hadn’t noticed those AGM minutes were publicly available before, they provide a good demonstration of how the club is being run.

Notice how many members were present at that AGM: a grand total of TWELVE. That is not just Committee members but total members present, take away committee members and their families, that leaves TWO Ordinary Members present. Yep, you read that correctly, an AGM with just two members present.

Does that tell you something about how the Club is being run? What actually happened was that the AGM was arranged for the Sunday, as is traditionally the case, then at the last minute it was changed to the Saturday without informing the Members.

Do the club rules place any limit on the number of co-opted members. If not then the committee can grow as large as those in power see fit.

No nothing in the rules allows them to co-opt shed loads of Committee members. More importantly co-opted committee members would not have a vote on a matter of expulsion would they, that would be down to the four ‘proper’ committee members only.

The rules quoted in your post above are quite clear on the number of Committee members.

I assume there are still around 80 and 90 ordinary club members in total so why is it that they allow this sort of thing to go on. Presumably all very happy with the way the club is run.

No, it's because they are not allowed any choice in the matter. They are all frightened of being thrown out of the Club.

You have already answered this yourself in a previous post.

I 'd think because they are fully aware that one word in NickC's favour in public will result in the same fate.

If you were a member of said club and you had seen that you could be thrown out without reason, without deference to the rules and without a vote by the members, would you stand-up to them?​

The list of Facebook group members is interesting

Yes, I hadn't noticed that before. It is a closed group with 113 members, most of whom are the Commodore, his recently joined friends on the Committee and their friends and families. I recon only about twenty percent are actually Club members, if that. Very interesting.

The introductions make it read like the AS adoration society.. Clearly a very popular guy.

I'm not sure if you are taking the mickey there Vic, are you just baiting, did one of the members put you up to that.

Where do you find these introductions you mention, from what I can see it is a closed group. None of the introductions from the group members make any mention of the Commodore.

 

[VicS]

Well done Vic,

Just a couple or so quick points.

I am a co-opted member of the only committee of which I am a member. I apparently have the same voting rights as the elected members.

the introductions to which I refer are to the introductions/ additions to the facebook group. A few large proportion, least 60, have been made, as you are aware, by AS. A man, it seems, with a lot of friends and acquaintances unless he accepts anyone who hits the "join group" button.

To the best of my knowledge I do not know any CSC members.

 

[NickC]

Just a couple or so quick points.
I am a co-opted member of the only committee of which I am a member. I apparently have the same voting rights as the elected members.

Perhaps that club doesn't have a limit on the total number of Committee members like this one does?

the introductions to which I refer are to the introductions/ additions to the facebook group. A few large proportion, least 60, have been made, as you are aware, by AS. A man, it seems, with a lot of friends and acquaintances unless he accepts anyone who hits the "join group" button.

I can see the list of group members:

Some say Joined xxx - these are mostly real members.
Most say Added by xx - these are primarily non sailing club members to whom xx has sent a request to join the group.​

To the best of my knowledge I do not know any CSC members.

I was only joking about that.

 

[NickC]

Practical considerations on how to resolve

Practical considerations on how to force said Committee to resolve the issue:

1 – RYA

As an affiliated Club, it is the Club which is affiliated, not the members. The RYA don’t regulate affiliated clubs or oversee the way in which affiliated clubs manage themselves.
​

2 – As mooring chain seems to be the root of these issues, issue Small Claims Court proceedings against boatyard?

Unfortunately in the words of the immortal Derek Trotter: “No Income tax no VAT, no money back no guarantee” – they didn’t supply an invoice so could be difficult to prove any money was paid.
​

3 – Issue legal proceedings against Sailing Club?

Sounds good until you realise that the Sailing Club is not a Limited Company, so not a legal entity. Would have to issue proceedings against both the Officers of the Club and all Committee members individually.

Firstly that would include those who were on the Committee at the time of the expulsion. Secondly it would also have to include all those who are on the current committee or have been at any time in between as they were also responsible for not allowing members a vote on the issue.

Unfortunately the issue is not even as clear cut as that. The Commodore is now into his fourth year despite the rules only allowing a maximum of three terms. He is therefore operating outside of the law, Ultra Virus I believe is the legal term. The Committee are also operating Ultra Virus, only four members are allowed but there are currently thirteen, without ever having any vote. This makes the situation very difficult because as they are also operating Ultra Virus. Any insurance the club may have against legal challenges would be invalid, thus this is all going to get very personal indeed.
​

Constructive suggestions only please on how best to proceed?

 

[Resolution]

Re: Practical considerations on how to resolve

Unfortunately the issue is not even as clear cut as that. The Commodore is now into his fourth year despite the rules only allowing a maximum of three terms. He is therefore operating outside of the law, Ultra Virus I believe is the legal term. The Committee are also operating Ultra Virus, only four members are allowed but there are currently thirteen, without ever having any vote. This makes the situation very difficult because as they are also operating Ultra Virus. Any insurance the club may have against legal challenges would be invalid, thus this is all going to get very personal indeed.
[/INDENT]

Constructive suggestions only please on how best to proceed?

Nick
I believe the term you are looking for is "Ultra Vires", Latin for "beyond laws", although I quite like the thought of a super virus as a means of getting you some redress. To nitpick further, the club operates under Rules not Laws. Any relevant actions which you wish to take against the club or its committee should be with reference to the club's Rules. From what I have gathered in the interminable ramblings here there is very little you can do in practice UNLESS you can bring together enough other members to persuade the Committee to hold an EGM and reinstate your membership. Continually posting comments here isn't going to achieve that. You need to call round the other members of the club and try to win their support.
Or have you tried that and found that they ALL want to see the back of you???

 

[sailorman]

Re: Practical considerations on how to resolve

Nick
I believe the term you are looking for is "Ultra Vires", Latin for "beyond laws", although I quite like the thought of a super virus as a means of getting you some redress. To nitpick further, the club operates under Rules not Laws. Any relevant actions which you wish to take against the club or its committee should be with reference to the club's Rules. From what I have gathered in the interminable ramblings here there is very little you can do in practice UNLESS you can bring together enough other members to persuade the Committee to hold an EGM and reinstate your membership. Continually posting comments here isn't going to achieve that. You need to call round the other members of the club and try to win their support.
Or have you tried that and found that they ALL want to see the back of you???

 

[ianj99]

Re: Practical considerations on how to resolve

Nick, my earnest suggestion is for you to seek urgent medical help for your OCD before you do any more damage to your mental health and that of those who cannot escape your obsession.

 

[captainpugwash88]

Re: Practical considerations on how to resolve

Not worked it out yet boy

elsie = commodore
Floyd = {partner6}

don't let the buggers grind you down lad

 

[captainpugwash88]

Re: Practical considerations on how to resolve

No member what's not part of committee gonna vote to ave im thrown out why you think they not allow a vote by the members?

 

[Seajet]

Re: Practical considerations on how to resolve

Not worked it out yet boy

elsie = commodore
Floyd = {partner6}

Nick,

it occurs to me with all the hype going on, if an extraordinary meeting is called;

Avoid the vacant still smoking chair

Keep an eye on else and that big lever

don't let the buggers grind you down lad

 

[Seajet]

Re: Practical considerations on how to resolve

Not worked it out yet boy

elsie = commodore
Floyd = {partner6}

don't let the buggers grind you down lad

Nick,

it occurs to me with all the hype on the radio right now;

If the club calls an extraordinary general meeting -

Avoid the vacant still smoking chair

Keep an eye on elsie and that big lever

 

[Tomahawk]

Re: Practical considerations on how to resolve

At the significant risk of general opprobrium, is it possible for a concise summary of what has happened?

I gather someone, (the OP) has been banned from a club and that it appears there has been some skulduggery by way of the committee "accidentally" changing the type of the club rule book. But what happened at the said club to precipitate this behaviour? And which is the club in question?
It really is a lot of effort to have to read six hundred and thirteen comments in order to piece the story together.

 

[Resolution]

Re: Practical considerations on how to resolve

You've summed it up beautifully!

 

[sailorman]

Re: imposters on this thread

I think Nick is trying to beat the Fred Drift score

 

[VicS]

Re: Practical considerations on how to resolve

At the significant risk of general opprobrium, is it possible for a concise summary of what has happened?

I gather someone, (the OP) has been banned from a club and that it appears there has been some skulduggery by way of the committee "accidentally" changing the type of the club rule book. But what happened at the said club to precipitate this behaviour? And which is the club in question?
It really is a lot of effort to have to read six hundred and thirteen comments in order to piece the story together.

To fully understand, if understanding is possible, you really have to have read about the mooring chain saga, the big outboard engine saga and the change in wording of the club rules not to mention the apparent disregard for the club constitution by the present committee.

There were several long threads in addition to the current one, at least one of which may have been removed from view.

The club has been accidentally named once or twice but otherwise not identified and the accidental naming removed. It was however very easy to identify it from information in the earlier posts and a wee bit of Googling.

 

[Tomahawk]

Re: Practical considerations on how to resolve

Mooring chain and big outboard saga…. This really is worthy of East Enders.

Would I be somewhere correct to assume that something went wrong on account of the mooring chain and someone complained. That resulted in a club fracas and people digging in followed by the OP becoming unpopular at the club because he was ruffling someones plumage, (probably because he kept asking awkward questions).

I did follow the bit about the change of wording of the club rules. That does seem to rather pong.

 

[sailorman]

Re: imposters on this thread

It started with a shared yacht that the Commodore added an ultra large o/b to & forbade the OP to use or remove said o/b