Club Annual Dinner and prize giving

[Dr Dave]

There is a formal process where all members have their say on how the Club's run and to discuss events like the prize giving. It's called the AGM and is held annually.

Paul, if we are going to refer to formal process then the problem with the AGM is that without an agreed agenda, circulated in advance, members have no idea what issues are to be discussed. E.g. how were members to have known that the dinner format was to be discussed or changed? No mandate for the change was sought from membership and any change therefore was the decision of a self-selecting elite.

Unfortunately when it comes to the cock-up over the dinner arrangements, the buck must rest with the person at the top.....

[Rob]

Firstly, well done Tullio for a measured and statesmanlike post.

To be clear, bucks stop in political and commercial organisations where individuals act in the pursuit of money and/or power. Bucks do not stop in voluntary cycling clubs where people give their time for free for others.

Whatever happened over the dinner, I trust, and am absolutely certain, that everyone acted with the best intensions for the club. Tullio and his colleagues do more for this club in a lunchbreak than most of us do in a year. Some comments above are inappropriate and borderline offensive.

I think I'll stop before I type something I'll later regret.

See you all on Sunday for some miles and turkey.

R

[PhilBixby]

Errrrmmm yes, well said Rob. I've deliberately avoided getting involved in annual dinner organisation this year or any year because I rarely attend it (having limited social skills) and have enough on my part-time-spare-hours plate anyway. But I'm aware of the workload it creates and think, really, if anyone doesn't like the way it's panning out, then organise next year's, please?

As for the OGM and AGM, every year they are extensively trailed on here as being the two events that all members are encouraged to attend, no matter what the detail of the agendas - they are the occasions when many of the main decisions are made about events for the year ahead, along with roles within the voluntary committee. To be honest, if members of the committee can be arsed to give up hours (or in many cases days) to do their best to make things happen, then non-attendance pretty much forfeits the right to complain, I reckon.

Apologies for lack of statesmanship - a talent of Tullio's but not of mine!

[Tullio]

First of all thanks to those who’ve contributed positively to this discussion, both here and offline. It’s a shame this thread has been taken in exactly the direction that I set out to avoid and some people can't express themselves maturely. However, I also fully understand that people are passionate about it and I also think that if, even 1 member, thinks the volunteers/committee aren’t doing things openly or for the good of the club then we should address that.

1. I’ve decided to take the unusual step of publishing, not only all the minutes from this year’s AGM and Committee Meetings, but also some correspondence between January’s Dinner & Prize Giving and the AGM. This is not to pour more fuel on the fire but to be completely open about the background to the issue and, hopefully, show the context and how ALL the people involved have worked together to try to come up with ideas and solutions to a problem that has been growing over the last few years with the event
2. I do think that we now have the IT ‘tools’ available to publish these types of minutes and documents regularly throughout the year on the website so I’ll be suggesting that at the AGM in January.

I’ve been working behind the scenes with the Club for quite a few years now, along with others. I can honestly say that everyone, both Committee and all the other volunteers throughout the year, put a great deal of effort in on a purely altruistic basis for the good of the wider membership, and no other reason. I’m constantly moved by how much effort some put into this club but I also make no apologies for the fact that, at times, we behave like a bunch of part-time, amateurs – that’s what we are.

What disappoints me though is that someone has chosen to use this situation to make ill informed, public, remarks against the people that make the club possible having put little into the club themselves over the years.
I’ve locked this thread now as I think enough has been said but if anyone still feels they’ve got more to add, I’ll happily speak to them privately.
Correspondance 1

Correspondance 2

Correspondance 3

AGM Minutes

Committee 1 Minutes

Committee 2 Minutes

Committee 3 Minutes

Committee 4 Minutes

Committee 5 Minutes