[committee] (in)Validity of the OGM on 28th of Jan 2017

[Frames]

This meeting is (technically) unconstitutional and thus void (in 5 ways).
This meeting was scheduled in bad faith to the member base -- or at 
least without sufficient thought.


The technical violation of the constitution was 18.2, 18.6, and 18.7.
Which require notice of the meeting,
its agenda and its list of motions to be posted on the notice board at 
various dates
before the AGM. (violations 1, 2 & 3)

Further I argue (though by section 24 it is committee's interpretation), 
that it was additionally in violation of 18.2, for a second reason.
To give that exact wording:

"18.2 The Secretary shall make *all reasonable attempts* to notify all 
members using _at least_ a notice on the club
notice-board for ten days preceding the meeting and an email sent to all 
addresses on the membership
register at least ten days before the date of the meeting."

I think that it can be agree that in todays period, making a facebook 
event would be part of "all reasonable attempts".
Particularly given that a lot of our members are not checking there 
emails, given they are on holidays.
After all, we have had UCC events posted on facebook has been done 
consistantly for several years.
(violation 4)

As a final point, a notice of meeting must include the location of the 
meeting.
The notice send by email on the 14th of Janurary only includes the time 
and the date.
If one would like a source for this requirement as part of the notice of 
meeting,
see Roberts Rules of Order (as referred to in section 9 of the 
constutition).
If you care the check page 143 (chapter 16.B) of the Revised Rules in 
Brief that is in the filing cabnet in the clubroom.
This is apparently in the full Revised Rules 11ed page 459,11,18-19, but 
i've not checked.
In general you'll find this requirement to be well expressed anywhere 
you look.
(violation 5)

Now you might say "No one ever does that". But actually, you would be 
surprised how often it is done.
In particular notice is almost alwys written on the whiteboard,
and most of the time the full process is followed and a printout is 
attached to the door board.
and it is mostly put on facebook well in advance.
And almost always the location is included in the first email out (and 
on the notice board)

In anycase, normally I would not complain about it,
because normally the meeting is scheduled at a reasonable time,
and there is plenty of time for discussion the clubroom etc.
Everyone is around and knows what is going on.
That is not the case for this meeting.

I feel the meeting was scheduled improperly, and with poor consideration.
Having a meeting scheduled for a difficult time reeks of the NGO 
equivalent of gerrymandering.
Controlling the outcome of the vote by preselecting who can and can't 
attend.

Saturday the 28th is an *awful* time to schedule an OGM.
You could hardly choose a worse time, if you tried.


The reasons this time is inappropriate:

  - Outside of Semester (as a student club our meetings should be during 
semester if possible)
  - On a Weekend, in the middle of the day (When we normally have them 
on week days, or at least in the evening -- so many students work 
weekend days)
  - Over a public holiday adjacent weekend (Thus maximizing the chance 
that people will be going away)



Nothing in the agenda is pressing.
Except the election of the secretary.
And even that has a 1 month window
(And I suspect it would not be hard to rig it so that we can avoid 
electing any secretary until an AGM in week 1 or 2 of semsester)

There is no need for these things to be done before O-Day or before the AGM.

Note that in this message I have made no reference to the core content 
of the agenda,
I've barely read it myself. And have been down this road before and I 
leave it to others to walk it again.
But proper procedure should be followed to allow members to properly be 
able to consider the motions.
That is after all why we have these rules.

As such, I call upon committee to void the meeting on Saturday the 28th,
and schedule a new meeting for some time after semester starts.
Potentially separately to the AGM (since that does go long, it is true.)


Kind Regards
[*OX]
Wheel Member