ICU executive elections 2015

reunion

ICU website wrote:

Chairperson
Pat Fitzsimons
John McMorrow

Vice-Chairperson
Paul Cassidy
Alex Baburin

Secretary
Eugene Donohoe

Treasurer
Chris Sheridan
Shane Sheedy

Junior Officer
Desmond Beatty

Tournament Director
Tristan Sheridan
Gerry Graham

Development Officer
Darko Polimac
Rory Delaney

Women's Officer
Hannah Lowry O’Reilly

Membership Officer
John Cassidy

Rating Officer
Andrew Kildea
David Murray

P.R.O.
Carl Jackson

FIDE Delegate
Kevin O’Connell

The list of candidates. Candidates that are underlined indicate that they will be elected at the AGM provided they receive a seconder.

reunion

Pat Fitzsimons' manifesto




John McMarrow's manifesto

cdeb

Is this part of Pat's document in line with the Constitution?

All members eligible to vote will be provided with ballot papers on arrival and the election of Officers will be dealt with immediately after my opening address to the meeting. The counting of votes will take place while officers’ reports and other business is being attended to.

Previously, candidates have been given the opportunity to outline their plans if elected - is this now being done away with? It seems fairly fundamental to be able to hear the candidates speak and to engage in a brief Q&A.

Also, as previously noted, surely voting on the positions should come after the current committee give their reports for the year? Again, hearing what the officers did, and having any queries addressed, is an important part of deciding who to vote for.

There's an unfortunate undertone of actively looking to reduce discussion in Pat's document. It's like the plan is in, vote for me, out, play chess and watch football - yay!

caissa007

It says you will receive ballot on arrival. Can you vote and depart immediately? (Ireland v France 16:45 & Poland v Ireland 19:45)

cdeb

Sounds that way. That sounds potentially open to abuse too.

The AGM starts at 11am - way before the two football games.

reunion

cdeb wrote: »

The AGM starts at 11am - way before the two football games.

Ireland v France is a rugby world cup match, the other is a football match. Just to clarify



And just to note, any member signed up before 31-August-2015 is entitled to vote at the meeting.

The chair has incorrectly stated that only 2014-15 members can vote. This is untrue, if you are a member for the 2015-16 season, you are entitled to vote if you registered before the notice of the AGM (31 August 2015).

cdeb

Hey, me even acknowledging egg chasing as an issue is a very progressive step!

caissa007

cdeb wrote: »

Sounds that way. That sounds potentially open to abuse too.

Well I'd view sitting through hours of an AGM akin to elective root canal surgery. Also in addition to the aforementioned footie (multiple codes) there are far more importand U12 & U9 matches to attend.

Based mainly on Facebook, Irish Chess Cogitations, Credible Mark Orr claims and general lunacy of the incumbents I'd intend vote for new broom and depart.

cdeb

Well, that's encouraging I guess!

Just have visions of previous AGMs where one candidate herded people in en masse just to stuff the ballot box.

Ficheall

reunion wrote: »

And just to note, any member signed up before 31-August-2015 is entitled to vote at the meeting.

The chair has incorrectly stated that only 2014-15 members can vote. This is untrue, if you are a member for the 2015-16 season, you are entitled to vote if you registered before the notice of the AGM (31 August 2015).

Have you got any "tangible" proof of this? I've my flights booked back to Ireland for that week, but if I'm going to be kicked out of the AGM, I think I'd rather stay in Galway than hang around Dublin for a day or two...

reunion

Ficheall wrote: »

Have you got any "tangible" proof of this? I've my flights booked back to Ireland for that week, but if I'm going to be kicked out of the AGM, I think I'd rather stay in Galway than hang around Dublin for a day or two...

Article 7.6 of the ICU constitution wrote:

7.6 Only fully paid members of the Union are qualified to receive notice of, to attend, speak or vote at General Meetings of the Union. However members of the Union who are under the age of sixteen years on the previous 1st of January, shall be entitled to attend but not to vote at General Meetings. Whether in the case of an AGM or an EGM, payment of membership fees before the notice of the meeting is issued, shall determine eligibility to vote. However if an EGM is called within four months of an AGM, those who were eligible to vote at the AGM, will be considered eligible to vote at the EGM.

If you wanted to get technical here, by closing the subscriptions for 2014-15 memberships, the executive closed that season and opened the 2015-16 season. Meaning every member was no longer a member of the ICU (as the 2015-16 was now in effect).


But if you wanted to get more realistic, the constitution never envisioned opening 2015-16 subscriptions before the AGM, as a result, anyone signed up for either the 2014-15 or 2015-16 season are valid as they have paid membership fees prior to the notice of the AGM.

The current chair may disagree, but he'd have to prove you aren't eligible which (to me anyway) seems impossible to do.