Warning ,privacy concern

[rapper]

I sent a proposal in to be discussed at our next AGM,re a major trophy, one of my colleagues sent a email round to some of his friends ,also members ,asking them to attend the ,meeting to give support for the proposal.
The committee got wind of it and accused him of underhand tactics and where going to severely reprimand him, surely they cannot try to regulate email communications? Any advise would be welcome...

 

[ArnoldArmChewer]

I sent a proposal in to be discussed at our next AGM,re a major trophy, one of my colleagues sent a email round to some of his friends ,also members ,asking them to attend the ,meeting to give support for the proposal.
The committee got wind of it and accused him of underhand tactics and where going to severely reprimand him, surely they cannot try to regulate email communications? Any advise would be welcome...

I can't see what their problem is, your colleague is merely acting in the manner of a commons whip, trying to secure support for your proposal, how can people decide how to vote if they are not informed ?

 

[chrisd]

I can't see what their problem is, your colleague is merely acting in the manner of a commons whip, trying to secure support for your proposal, how can people decide how to vote if they are not informed ?

I agree with this

It's quite normal in any situation (work or leisure) to drum up support for an idea and the beauty is, nowadays, that email, social media etc etc makes it so much easier.

If it were me I would tell them where to go!

 

[Slab]

Depends how he wrote it

'Attend the meeting and support the proposal or I'll break your wooden tees' = underhand

'Attend the meeting so you can make your own mind up and use your vote' = perfectly reasonable

 

[blackpuddinmonster]

Not even remotely surprised.
E-MAIL ?? Whitchcraft i tell ye.
Totally underhand..

 

[Fyldewhite]

Unbelievable...... what planet are they on...... etc etc.

 

[CMAC]

"severely reprimand him" for what? asking people to come to a meeting?

there is either more to this than in the OP or the committee are lost in their own world where they think they are dictatorial rulers.

 

[chillicon]

Could depend on the nature of the proposal.....

 

[Hobbit]

I guess its about content, context and how its done. Look at it from another direction. Is the content and the way its been done being construed as seditious? There's usually several sides to every story...

 

[muttleee]

Depends how he wrote it

'Attend the meeting and support the proposal or I'll break your wooden tees' = underhand
'Attend the meeting so you can make your own mind up and use your vote' = perfectly reasonable

Judging by the OP it was more like the first one - although without the threat of violence. The post said that people were specifically asked to come and support the motion so maybe the Committee consider that canvassing and aren't happy about it. Hard to know without having more details.

 

[SVB]

I sent a proposal in to be discussed at our next AGM,re a major trophy, one of my colleagues sent a email round to some of his friends ,also members ,asking them to attend the ,meeting to give support for the proposal.
The committee got wind of it and accused him of underhand tactics and where going to severely reprimand him, surely they cannot try to regulate email communications? Any advise would be welcome...

Simply daft and, in of itself, undemocratic.

S

 

[Baldy Bouncer]

More info please Rapper.:thup:

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

The only concern might be that opponents of the proposal might not have access or be minded to garner support to go along to the AGM. If the AGM had known in advance that a large number of members were being mobilised to support the proposal that would give opponents the opportunity to mobilise supporters of their POV. Taking the approach to the extremes you could imagine all sorts of weird proposals being pushed through an AGM by 'whipping'.

This happened to me some years ago at a previous club. I had a motion for the AGM to ban trolleys in winter unless medical evidence was provided. The seniors put a 3-line whip out to make sure my proposal would be defeated. When basically the whole senior section turned up funnily enough my support melted away like snow off a dike.

 

[Deleted member 1147]

The only concern might be that opponents of the proposal might not have access or be minded to garner support to go along to the AGM. If the AGM had known in advance that a large number of members were being mobilised to support the proposal that would give opponents the opportunity to mobilise supporters of their POV. Taking the approach to the extremes you could imagine all sorts of weird proposals being pushed through an AGM by 'whipping'.

This happened to me some years ago at a previous club. I had a motion for the AGM to ban trolleys in winter unless medical evidence was provided. The seniors put a 3-line whip out to make sure my proposal would be defeated. When basically the whole senior section turned up funnily enough my support melted away like snow off a dike.

If this is the case the committee shouldn't reprimand the OPs mate, they should as you put it "mobilise" their own support (assuming they are against the motion) or accept the majority, at the meeting's, decision.

Unless there is something against what is being done in the clubs by-laws there can surely be nothing to reprimand him for.

 

[matchrat]

Golf club politics -shudders

 

[Hacker Khan]

Surely if anyone wants to get more votes for something they mobilize their supporters to get out and vote. Every person that needs votes has always done this, you can't really have someone saying it is not fair that people are being encouraged to vote (assuming there are no threats involved and that all the voters are legally allowed to vote). It's up to the people opposing the motion to either mobilize their supporters or make a better case.

That's democracy really, suck it up or go and live in North Korea, as readers of the Daily Mail like to say.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Surely if anyone wants to get more votes for something they mobilize their supporters to get out and vote. Every person that needs votes has always done this, you can't really have someone saying it is not fair that people are being encouraged to vote (assuming there are no threats involved and that all the voters are legally allowed to vote). It's up to the people opposing the motion to either mobilize their supporters or make a better case.

That's democracy really, suck it up or go and live in North Korea, as readers of the Daily Mail like to say.

Yes - but if the mobilization is being done 'behind the backs' of the committee and members - and if I was one of these members I wouldn't be happy if a section of members sorted themselves to push through a controversial motion that would in the normal scheme of things never get through. I am only playing devil's advocate here btw trying to see the committee pov. If the committee was fully aware that such a mobilisation was happening then I believe they would need to make members aware - and if members didn't bother turning up well the majority wins out and no-one can complain.

 

[CMAC]

Yes - but if the mobilization is being done 'behind the backs' of the committee and members - and if I was one of these members I wouldn't be happy if a section of members sorted themselves to push through a controversial motion that would in the normal scheme of things never get through. I am only playing devil's advocate here btw trying to see the committee pov. If the committee was fully aware that such a mobilisation was happening then I believe they would need to make members aware - and if members didn't bother turning up well the majority wins out and no-one can complain.

I'm sorry but that is all poppycock!

'mobilizing behind the backs of the committee' the committee invited everyone, yes? and someone is also trying to ensure everyone comes along.

If everyone just came along as invited you wouldnt have these petty politics.

This is one reason Golf clubs get a bad press.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Nothing ,nada , zilch , zero wrong with gaining support to ensure a vote is successful

Committee clearly in the wrong and acting inappropriately and bitter.

 

[Hacker Khan]

Yes - but if the mobilization is being done 'behind the backs' of the committee and members - and if I was one of these members I wouldn't be happy if a section of members sorted themselves to push through a controversial motion that would in the normal scheme of things never get through. I am only playing devil's advocate here btw trying to see the committee pov. If the committee was fully aware that such a mobilisation was happening then I believe they would need to make members aware - and if members didn't bother turning up well the majority wins out and no-one can complain.

I suppose context is all. One committee members 'radical and controversial proposal that would never normally get through' may be another persons sensible proposal to try and help the golf club flourish into the future. May be the OPs proposal is supported by members who don't normally go to the AGM, the silent majority, and all he is doing is getting them to turn up to prevent the same old people on the committee and who attend AGMs who fear change, shooting down any suggestion of doing something different?

Again this is all conjecture, speculation and to be honest spectacular stereotyping by me. He could for example be proposing that all people over the age of 65 can not play at weekends. Who knows? But in principal I still say that all he is doing is mobilizing support which has gone on since the year dot when any type of vote is involved, and if the majority of members at the AGM vote in favour of it then it gets passed. As that is what happens in a democratic vote. The voters will decide if the proposal is sensible and worth passing or not.