Expulsion from Yacht Club

[petery]

"Some people become crazed with power when they put on uniforms. Much the same happens to a few when they are elected to golf clubs…... So just watch out when they attain committee status and have their own exclusive space in the car park. Suddenly, it's a suburban Fourth Reich."

Ian Wooldridge, 'Sports Journalist of the Year' October 9th 1996.

... and yacht clubs?


My friend (yes really!!) was expelled from our yacht club but the committee failed to follow the provedures defined in the Articles (rules) and followi the rules of natural justice as in the RYA guidance given in th eexcellent YachtClubLink site at

[ RYA guidance
The club broadly accepts that they did not use the corret procedure.

He has received 'pro bono' help from a couple of solicitor friends, but the club has not consulted a solicitor. He needs to illustrate to the committee that not taking the issue seriously could result in huge legal costs.

The RYA web site page mentions several recent cases and the RYA legal department have indicated costs of up to £50,000 have been incurred in one case.

Understandabl, they have declined to provide me with details of the actual cases.

Does any forumite know details of any of these cases that can be cited as precedents?

PM me if you prefer

 

[Jules]

A club is just that, a collection of like minded people. They can't exist without rules, and rules are not rules if they are ignored when broken. The people who make the rules are unpaid volunteers.
Sounds like your mate is not a "like minded person", broke the rules and is now trying to make everyone's life hell.
Take it from me, no-one on a club committee likes punishing members.

If you want advice ditch the mate and don't get involved if you're in the same club.
regards

 

[ongolo]

[ QUOTE ]
A club is just that, a collection of like minded people. They can't exist without rules, and rules are not rules if they are ignored when broken. The people who make the rules are unpaid volunteers.
Sounds like your mate is not a "like minded person", broke the rules and is now trying to make everyone's life hell.
Take it from me, no-one on a club committee likes punishing members.

If you want advice ditch the mate and don't get involved if you're in the same club.
regards

[/ QUOTE ]

Unfortunately, I have to contradict you, here is a yacht club, that has 400 members and 10 boats, they occupy state land, have had over 7 years an income of 1.9Mill, and did not spend a cent on the sport, are forging the audited report, the commodore claimed back VAT and put it into his pocket, they extorting money from the public to access the beach, and for launching, making fraudulent use of the liquor license, have no elected committee, mislead the public constantly, are not registered as a non-profit organisation with the receiver of renvenue, are not registered as an association not for gain (as a company limited by guarantee), invent fictional races to bluff the public, other clubs such as the SA Royal Cape Yacht Club (organizers of the Cape to Rio race) announces the race on the other end (starting), then nothing happens in Walvis Bay. They run with a club liquor license a public bar and a public restaurant, all strictly illegal. They incited Harbour officials to act curruptly and I laid criminal charges against the CO for corruption and I was kicked out of the club without being given a reason or a chance to defend my case. Now the various criminal charges are with the prosecutor general, the ombudsman is investigating matters and the navy is now trying to get hold of facilities to start a sailing club proper.
This club here, incidently, the only suitable sailing venue in Namiba, is nothing more then a booze and dice place. The most rotten and miserable people run it, people who have never had any intersest in boats or sailing. They like the prestige of belonging to an "exclusive club". Nothing, absolutely nothing was done the last 10 years for sailing, no youth training - no nothing. A few days before x-mas 2004, three 18 year olds set out in canoes, no life saving quipment, no flares , nothing. they capsized, drifted for 7 hours in the sea, two drowned and one is now under going psychiatric councelling. This could have been prevented if the boys would have been guided, and would be alive today if they had been given a laser, training and sefety equipment. So the fact that I did not want to be part of an organisation that commits crimes and tried to make changes such as having an elected committee, as the law describes, got me kicked out of the club in the hope to shut me up. That however was a miscalculation on their part
I shall never give up, in the mean time it also has become clear that the smoliasation (when a country has no longer a government) is progressing nicely in Namibia. Because of affirmative action, people who can hardly read or write get paid massive salaries to deal with such complex issues they cannot comprehend.

I have all this on a yahoo group, if anyboady like to have a look at it. Your hair will stand up if you read the horror stories. It all depends how rotten a yacht club is, and how straight somebody is, you could still be kicked out if you dont play along.

regards ongolo

 

[Guest]

What was the alleged 'crime'?

I can't imagine that I would want to continue being a member of a yacht club that treated me like that. Why does he want to challenge the decision?

 

[Guest]

Your proposal could be used in classrooms as a model for teaching the meaning of the word 'friendship'.

 

[ongolo]

Here is a link to the whole mess of the Walvis Bay Yacht club. Documents, laws, explanations, definitions, finacial reports, forged audited reports, the works.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/corruptionexposed/

Any body has an idea how to organize and international petition to present to the incompetent people who run the show? What the world thinks of a thing like that?

Any Idea and support would be appreciated.

Thanks

Ongolo

 

[petery]

Clubs need rules.

Whatever the 'crime' the offender shold be given notice of what he has been accused, a hearing and none of the accusers should be on the panel that judges him. Those are the principles of Natural Justice as interpreted by the RYA.

This committee, on which the complainat sat, just sent him a letter saying 'you're out' No hearing. No nothing.

He got permanent expulsion for crticising a member of the committee. 3 month;s suspension is the going rate for striking a fellow member or pouring berr over them!

 

[Guest]

Now I know why I never felt the desire to join a yacht club.

 

[LeonF]

I belong to a sailing club, hate the word yacht club. I too hate committees but sit on one because I was told that rather than criticise I should get involved and see what takes place.
We recently expelled a member. It was not a decision lightly made, and strict guidelines were followed. The member was also a personal friend of mine. Sometimes justified in his criticism he was often a difficult person. As a member of a club one has to observe guidelines as one would observe regulations if one was in a marina.
The yardstick is whether the person is detrimental to the majority of the members and the existence and development of the club.
The situation in Namibia seems to be something quite specific and involved.

 

[petery]

Re: Expulsion from Drinking (!) Club

Your description of the guy you expelled matches my friend to a 'T' - At least you followed the correct procedures - which I assume allowed him to defend himself before an unbiased committee. That's the only issue that he's disputing - or should he lay back and take it all 'for the good of the club'? - I think not

 

[LeonF]

Have sent you a PM.

 

[Sammo]

Re: Expulsion from Drinking (!) Club

I believe the only way to enjoy a yacht club is to not get involved with the running of the club in any way, this might sound selfish but believe me it’s a recipe for survival.
Enjoy the amenities on offer go to all the do`s, stay friends with everyone, pay your dues and buy your raffle tickets.
Then sit back and watch while they all destroy themselves.
I always go to the extra special peculiar super duper committee meetings but only for the floorshow and the free coffee.

Nothing in this world should be run by a committee, look at your local council, or the old saying “ a camel is a horse designed by a committee.” they are organised chaos constantly changing their minds.
That’s how I came to be at our clubs end of season as the only one dressed in black tie, it didn`t bother me in the least but I could have done without the `head waiter` cracks.


As a matter of interest I have enclosed a link.
I am not a member of this club but it shows what a hacker with an axe to grind can do


click here


.................

 

[petery]

Re: Expulsion from Drinking (!) Club

Thanks for the link.

You might recognise the quote from the head of my initial post as coming from the web site of a member of the, would you believe, Coventry Hearsall Golf Club who was expelled and won £1250 damages and cost the club £50k in costs!

 

[Cobra]

How times have changed!

[ QUOTE ]

He got permanent expulsion for crticising a member of the committee. 3 month;s suspension is the going rate for striking a fellow member or pouring berr over them!

[/ QUOTE ]

Having raced competitively from one of the East Coast's premier dinghy sailing clubs between the early 70's and the mid 90's, I must say that I am somewhat amazed at the apparent change in what a club will accept!

I recall one year where we had a particularly 'Formal' Commodore who was in modern terminology 'well up himself'. The Laser and Hornet fleets were all called to a meeting prior to the town regatta and were warned to be on best behaviour for the event...surely the expression red rag to a bull should have been considered?

Prior to racing, we decided to hold a cocktail party on the first floor flat roof of the club...offers a fantastic view don't y' know! Tables were asembled at the back of the club, buckets of Pimms were prepared, table cloths and glasses gathered together by the girlies who had been invited, plus two sets of ladders to get us all up to the roof. As the assembled dignatories were being met by the Commodore and his lady, we made our way on to the roof hauling up the ladder. The dignatories made their way to the front of the club to see this party with about 20 of us having a very pleasant drink on a lovely warm day!

The Commodore lost it big time going a beautiful shade of red screaming that we would all get warning letters for disobeying him...shame that his Vice Commodore and Sailing Secretary were on the roof with us!

The dignatories all seemed to find it rather amusing. When we came down we were all given warning letters about our conduct and were banned from participating in the racing that afternoon, which made for a somewhat depleted regatta!

Maybe it was a bit stupid, but what harm had we done to anyone? Yes, there were often beer fights and soda syphon fights in the clubhouse, but it was a young dinghy sailing club with members who were ENJOYING their youth. If anything was damaged, it would always be paid for without ANY quibbling...

Yes, times have changed, and sadly I don't think for the better /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[ashanta]

Re: How times have changed!

I think the point you make about the the Commodore being disobeyed is important. These are clubs not the military. The club should have values and a mission statement that we all agree with and for us to participate in the spirit which club seeks. Any member should have the right to criticise a committee member if they feel there is a good reason to. Any subsequent hearing should be carried out totally impartially for the benefit of the club.

Regards.
Peter.

 

[NevisTheCat]

Scary


but

I would never join any club that would have me as a member.






I'll get my coat...

 

[Peppermint]

Re:Some people are clubbable...

and some ain't. I ain't. Going through the door of any club that's not in a nissen hut gives me hives.

Thinking about it, seal clubs are extremly clubbable, and it does them no good at all.

Your mates better of out of it.

 

[aitchw]

It does seem a great shame that any sailing club could be that autocratic but I accept it happens.

When I took up sailing and joined a dinghy club I shortlisted 4 within reach of me and met a few members of each before deciding which one. I was lucky, I chose right and have nothing but praise for the welcome I and other new members have received. I am now very involved and the club runs with the minimum of managerial interference to maintain an incredibly relaxed environment.

Would that all clubs worked as well.

 

[dulcibella]

Is this really a yacht club? It sounds more like the RN to me.

 

[A_7]

I'd be upset if a yacht club agreed to accept me! /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif