Topic: Illegally called EGM

[Cruz]

A member of our committee has called an EGM of our allotment association. This is not backed by the other two committee members, so can only be legitimate if a certain number of ordinary members has signed a petition. If at the EGM it turns out that the committee member in question does not have the minimum number of ordinary members backing them, is there anything that the other two committee members can do? What should happen to the rogue member? How about the meeting?

[saddad]

1) the meeting is invalid. So the chair has to close it..
2) You could call a "legal " EGM to expel the troublemaker...
 :-X

[Squash64]

This may be a silly question, but why are there only 3 people on the committee?

[tonybloke]

A member of our committee has called an EGM of our allotment association. This is not backed by the other two committee members, so can only be legitimate if a certain number of ordinary members has signed a petition. If at the EGM it turns out that the committee member in question does not have the minimum number of ordinary members backing them, is there anything that the other two committee members can do? What should happen to the rogue member? How about the meeting?

has your association got a formal set of 'association rules'?? If so, what do the rules say about calling any meeting?
our associations is thus.
19.   Special General Meetings.  A Special General Meeting shall be held whenever the Committee of Management think expedient or whenever a written requisition for such a meeting signed by 25 members is delivered to the Secretary. Should the Secretary fail to convene a Special General Meeting within four weeks after delivery to him of such requisition, the members signing the requisition may convene such meeting by giving such notice as is mentioned in rule 20.

20.   Notice of General Meetings.  At least 28 days' notice in writing of every General Meeting, stating the business to be transacted at such meeting, shall be sent to every member at his address entered in the register of members and no other business than that stated in the notice shall be transacted at such meeting. The notice shall also be given by displaying the notice of the meeting on site notice boards.


a little more info would be appreciated

[tonybloke]

This may be a silly question, but why are there only 3 people on the committee?

betty, what you doing on here at that early-o-clock??

[flowerofshona2007]

As you do not have a quarum any meeting is nul and void !

[Cruz]

We have a constitution that states 10% of the membership must back an EGM before it can be called. The meeting has been called unilaterally by somebody that is infamous for ignorring rules that don't suit them. Following a string of profanities on their behalf, we no longer communicate with them. (Sound familiar to any of you out there?) We believe there is therefore a possibility that this meeting will not be compliant with our constitution.

The decision to go with a three-person committee was based on local experience at another plot, which had a larger committee packed people who were determined to hang onto power and do nothing. In our structure, the committee can only do what it is instructed to do either by the AGM or the Council. In other words: democracy!

[flowerofshona2007]

All members that join our committe are told they are on the committee to work for the good of the site if they are not willing to do anything they are not elected ! We will not have anyone on the committee who is just there to cause trouble and not contribute to the site in some way, ie one member does the water meter check, one does the plot inspections, one is the membership sec one is the site manager and has an assistant, a treasurer, and all the others help out on site and at the shows we do to raise funds for the site (self managed). Having many doing little jobs makes it so much easier and gets more done :)
Any committee member can call a meeting when asked for one by a group of members on site, the committee member will contact the Chairman who will call the meeting and inform the other members.

[Squash64]

betty, what you doing on here at that early-o-clock??

LOL, I actually overslept this morning and didn't get up till 6!

[Cruz]

Just thought you might like to know, everything put forward on the agenda at the EGM was voted down by the membership.  The meeting went ahead despite it being declared illegal viz our constitution. Although it did help clear up a number of points, the issues raised were opinions held by a tiny minority who simply can't understand why they aren't shared by the majority.
I spoke to some people involved in organising Guides groups; apparently, committees are much worse there!!!

[Robert_Brenchley]

Committees can be deadly; all too often they're God's gift to cliques and individuals who just want a bit of power.

[Unwashed]

Committees can be deadly; all too often they're God's gift to cliques and individuals who just want a bit of power.

People get the democracy they deserve.  The committee is the best structure to support democratic management, but whether the members have the committment to democracy is another question - and when they haven't it's the responsibility of the membership to put them right.

[Cruz]

The funny thing was that, at the EGM, those that talked most about democracy, practised it least of all!
Somebody I know who chairs an allotment committee says you always start off being democratic and end up by telling everybody what they should do -or else. Otherwise, nothing ever gets done, because meetings go round and round in circles.

[Robert_Brenchley]

Most decisions aren't urgent, so often you can just go round and round till you get a concensus. If you're willing to give it the time, people end up happier because they all feel they've been listened to. After a bit, they gain confidence, and decisions will probably be made faster.

[tonybloke]

Committees can be deadly; all too often they're God's gift to cliques and individuals who just want a bit of power.

People get the democracy they deserve.  The committee is the best structure to support democratic management, but whether the members have the committment to democracy is another question - and when they haven't it's the responsibility of the membership to put them right.

Very well put, Unwashed!!

[Robert_Brenchley]

It's an appalling uphill struggle to sort out that sort of situation, as I know from experience. A clique in power will often stop at nothing to get rid of anyone who threatens their petty little empire, and it can get so nasty most people will either knuckle under or leave.

[saddad]

 :-X

[tonybloke]

It's an appalling uphill struggle to sort out that sort of situation, as I know from experience. A clique in power will often stop at nothing to get rid of anyone who threatens their petty little empire, and it can get so nasty most people will either knuckle under or leave.

It was a four year fight to get our association to have a 'one member - one vote' system at AGM's!! (previously only the 'selected few' got to vote!!)