A statement from the Executive Committee in response to the Management Committee’s, posting of 19th July.
On 19th July the Management Committee (MC) posted on the Club website a statement regarding a complaint made against them by the Executive Committee (EC). That statement contained a number of inaccuracies. The purpose of this statement is to clarify those.
A formal complaint was indeed sent to the MC following a meeting between the two Chairs along with one other member from each Committee. The EC had been given documentary evidence of a WhatsApp group, entitled “PGC Committee”, instigated and used by the MC to share information. There is documentary evidence that clearly shows derogatory comments and abusive, foul language were shared between the MC over a sustained period of time. The comments refer to individual members, and to the EC. Additionally, a serious complaint against the MC by a female member concerning harmful and distressing comments directed at her on the same WhatsApp group remains outstanding. The fact that the WhatsApp group was entitled PGC Committee had, we thought, the very real potential to damage the Club’s reputation. Additionally, the behaviour displayed through the use of and participation in this platform contravened our Social Media policy and Code of Conduct, falling well short of the standard expected of all members.
It was on the basis of this serious documentary evidence and the MC’s reluctance, at that point to consider their positions, that the EC formally lodged a complaint.
Also outstanding was another complaint against a member of the MC, which was lodged on 2nd December 2021. It is the MC’s responsibility to appoint a Discipline Secretary in accordance with the Club’s Discipline and Grievance (D&G) Policy, adopted on 14th July 2021 to deal with such complaints. The EC have on several occasions, over a period of months, requested the MC to follow the policy and procedure. To date, this has not happened, resulting in there now being three individual complaints outstanding, one against a member of the MC and two against the entire committee.
The claim therefore, that the MC have had insufficient time to appoint a Disciplinary Secretary is completely unfounded, as is the statement that the EC have effectively destroyed the disciplinary procedure. Had the MC followed the D&G policy immediately after having adopted it in July 2021, then it is very likely that the three complaints would not still be outstanding.
For clarification, the EC have not set up a petition against the MC. A proposal to call an EGM has been raised by a member and subsequently signed by other members. This is in complete accordance with the constitution. The resolution to be debated by members at the EGM concerns a vote of no confidence in the MC. We believe that the proposal has arisen from
members’ concerning the MC’s inability to enact the D&G policy and its unacceptable and inappropriate use of a WhatsApp group.
Finally, it is the role of the EC to “scrutinise and hold accountable, on behalf of the Members of the Club, the performance of the Management Committee”. We believe all our actions have been diligently undertaken in pursuit of this responsibility on behalf of the Members. It is with regret that the Club now finds itself in this unenviable position. We sincerely hope for a swift and satisfactory outcome, so that the Club can prosper and serve its members.