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

[Andrew Adamson]

I must agree with Frames' sentiments regarding the meeting notice. The 
rules for notice (both time period and notice method) were put in the 
Constitution to ensure that people had the opportunity to have a say, 
discuss issues before the meeting, and to prevent hijacks of the club by 
stealth meetings. As such, for this particular issue, I don't think people 
have had sufficient say, and there are a number of ways the business case 
could be improved (more emails to follow regarding that).

On the other hand, I don't think it is reasonable to expect general 
meetings to only happen during semester, since that would shackle us from 
doing productive things for five months of the year, and would conflict 
with other requirements in the case of a vacant committee position. Having 
it on a weekend is not problematic in my opinion - it's no different to 
the times we ask our door members to attend cleanups. Also, in this 
particular case, the issue *is* time sensitive, because the new room will 
not be available indefinitely, and students suddenly get too busy to deal 
with such issues when semester starts.

If committee were to agree, an alternate date for the meeting could be Feb 
5 or 11. That would give us enough time to improve some of the details of 
the business case (such as costings) and make a better and more informed 
decision as a club.

Andrew Adamson
bob at ucc.asn.au

|"If you can't beat them, join them, and then beat them."                |
| ---Peter's Laws                                                        |

On Wed, 25 Jan 2017, Frames wrote:

> 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
> 
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