Eligibility to vote at AGM?

Ballynafeigh Chess

What a strange stance the ICU board have adopted in regards to paid up members of the ICU voting in the upcoming AGM. The interpretation of the constitution by the current chairman is rather saddening and a gross perversion of logic and judgement. The only target of this Machiavellian manoeuvre are the recent members from Ulster whom the current board are determined to deprive of a vote at all costs, even if that cost includes sanity rationale and fairness.


Whilst bogged down waist deep in their conspiracy trenches the current board found it just too easy to assume that there was an “Ides of October” plot with several daggers from Belfast destined for their back. Indeed one ICU board member on this very site repeatedly referred to the Belfast bus coming to the AGM to meet their boss from Limerick. Perhaps if they had stood back long enough to remove the tin-foil helmets they would have realised that their only threat was from the front led by many of the people who had voted them into power a year earlier.



Many an animal will lash out when cornered I guess organisations can be no different, but this board should remember that their troubles are of their own making, done so over the course of a year not by a handful of recently renewed member from Ulster.
Membership by individuals from Ulster was taken back in the middle of August some two weeks before the AGM notice was posted on the ICU site on the 31st August. Membership fees cover the period from the1st September 2015 the AGM is in October 2015 with a board elected to run the union we joined for a full year, the very year we have paid for but even though we are members this board doesn’t consider us as worthy of a vote. Our money is wanted but our opinions are not! What other organisation anywhere would admit members, take yearly subscription up front then make up some convoluted claptrap to deny them an equal say in the running of that organisation for the following year?


We will attend the AGM to seek our right to decide the future of our union, the one we paid for the privilege of having an equal vote in.



The ICU rules state

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.

reunion

Ballynafeigh Chess wrote: »

The ICU rules state

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.

You are correct, once they opened 2015/16 memberships anyone who was a member for either 2014/15 or 2015/16 when the meeting notice was issued just before 1st of September is entitled to vote at the AGM. Regardless of the unconstitutional efforts by the current executive.

NubieOne

Despite Mr. Ballyinafeigh using a few too many words (and some maybe he shouldn't have used) there is no getting away from the fact that he's correct. An objective reading of 7.6 in the ICU constitution would support that any person who paid their ICU membership fee before the motions were posted on the web site can vote at the upcoming AGM.

As the ICU executive opened up the on-line membership shop in early August, this allowed any person joining before August 31st ( the date of the posting of the motions and nominations ) to vote at the AGM. I don't understand why the ICU executive would publish on their website that only those who were members in 2014/2015 can vote at the AGM when the constitution says differently, can anyone with more knowledge of the current situation explain that to me please?

Tim Harding

I recommend anyone attending the agm to bring along a copy of their membership payment receipt in case heavy lawyers or armed police are checking the credentials of anyone seeking to enter the sanctum.

In view of the probable arguments over who will be admitted/ allowed to have a ballot paper, let's hope the McMorrow team had the foresight to engage a Senior Counsel and pay his membership in time.

reunion

Colm Daly wrote:

Even then it would be still strictly the case that one simply cannot join so late with the intention of just being able to vote at an agm.

Colm Daly wrote:

One might have had a point in making a point of contacting the ICU to stipulate that the membership they wanted to pay for was the one which had 11 months or so behind it and only one month or so left, but then one would also have to make sure that one paid another membership for the coming year too.

Funny thing... if you wanted to get technical, only 2015-16 members are entitled to vote since the ICU executive closed the 2014-15 membership BEFORE announcing the AGM which means the 2014-15 membership ended when it was closed. BUT as we have the ICU saying the 2014-15 membership is the only valid option the ICU MUST permit any member who signed up prior to the announcement of the AGM (and who wishes to vote in the AGM) to ask the chair/secretary/etc. to change their membership to be for the 2014-15 season (basically any 2015-16 member who signed up prior to the 1st of September 2015).

Why can't the current executive admit that they messed up with removing the subscriptions? and attempt to rectify it? Instead they consider calling the gardai on members?!

Colm Daly wrote:

The only reason for such people to then announce publicly that they intend to disregard the ICU constitution and rules might be to “cause trouble” and so hopefully the ICU might consider notifying the Gardai of such a possibility in advance of the ICU agm.

Ficheall

You missed this one (emphasis mine):

Colm Daly wrote:

The ICU members deserve people working blindly for all members and not just those within certain cliques.

Lecale

Seriously now, did you guys just put Vote and AGM in the same sentence?
What do you think this is, a democracy?

tedjennings

To my knoweledge (and I was there) there was no check on elegibility for the EGM therefore anyone who voted at the EGM is also entitled to vote at the AGM. Of course anyone who was not at the EGM but paid at the same time those who voted at the EGM have a valid claim to a vote.

Ballynafeigh Chess

From the ICU website

“A player shall be deemed to become a member of the ICU when both the information required by Bye-Law 6 has been provided and that player’s subscription has been received by the Hon. Treasurer of the ICU provided always that the Executive Committee of the ICU shall have the absolute right to refuse any application for membership. A person must be a paid-up member of the Union at least two weeks before an Annual General Meeting for the purposes of attending or voting at that meeting.”

DmanDmythDledge

Given the uncertainty surrounding this issue, has the ICU released an official statement regarding who is and who isn't eligible to vote at the AGM?

reunion

DmanDmythDledge wrote: »

Given the uncertainty surrounding this issue, has the ICU released an official statement regarding who is and who isn't eligible to vote at the AGM?

icu site wrote:

Persons who paid their membership fee for the 2015/16 membership year during the previous membership year (2014/15) are not eligible to vote at either meeting unless they were also members during the 2014/15 membership year.

The executive have said who they wish can and can't vote. But they haven't said how they would rectify the situation for individuals who signed up prior to September 1st and had no option but to sign up for the 2015-16 season (as they closed registration to the 2014-15 season early).

Constitutionally anybody who is a member prior to September 1st is entitled to vote at the AGM. So both 2014-15 and 2015-16 members signed up before September 1st are entitled to vote at the AGM. Unless of course the executive provide an option for someone who is a 2015-16 member and signed up before the September 1st to switch to be a 2014-15 member.

Tim Harding

DmanDmythDledge wrote: »

Given the uncertainty surrounding this issue, has the ICU released an official statement regarding who is and who isn't eligible to vote at the AGM?

On the ICU websites today it says:
a) bring photo ID as this will be checked;
b) only 2014/15 members aged 16+ have a vote.

checknraise

Haha

Does Pat not realise he lives in Ireland not North Korea!

NubieOne

It's hard to believe the post that's just gone up on icu.ie this evening, photo ID required for the AGM of the ICU? It's a bit strange that less than a week since the EGM at which no one was even checked by the ICU committee to see if they were members !

Will this apply to everyone? I'd imagine if applied to one, it applies to all and if that's the case, I can't see this meeting starting at 11:00am sharp !

Tomorrow should be an interesting day indeed !

Ballynafeigh Chess

Announcing on the eve of a poll that you require photographic ID knowing full well that this only hampers ICU members who had travelled longer distances than Pats Dublin based support really is distasteful.

Some members had travelled down on Saturday and now cannot access the relevant documentation that this totally disgraced board now demand. For the sake of chess in Ireland get them out of office tomorrow!

pawntof4

Has this ever been a requirement before?

checknraise

Never, but there have been lots of firsts this year so not too surprising.

reunion

pawntof4 wrote: »

Has this ever been a requirement before?

No it hasn't been. Nor Is it a requirement if they say it he night before.

I will also reiterate that anyone who is a member before the notice of the agm has a constitutional right to vote. They can request their membership be changed to 2014-15 membership if the current executive demand only 2014 15 members can vote.

reunion

Hi ICU Member,

This is a receipt from the ICU for your payment of €XX.00 on yyyy-mm-dd

Your purchased item is:

ICU Subscription 2015-16, ICU Member (ICU code), €XX.00, Season ticket: CODE

To enquire about this payment please email webmaster@icu.ie and quote cart ID ZZZZ.

Regards, The Irish Chess Union

At no point does that state your membership starts on the 1st of September. Or expires on the 31st of August.

Nor does the website state those dates nor were members given the option of signing up for the 2014-15 season. An issue the current executive refuse to solve.

NubieOne

Surely, given the lateness of the announcement on the ICU web site of the requirement for photo ID, this can't be a reason for any member to be denied their constitutionally guaranteed vote? Not even this ICU Executive could stand over that?

FortKnox

The announcement says you SHOULD bring photo ID not that you MUST bring photo ID as such it is not a requirement.

pawntof4

FortKnox wrote: »

The announcement says you SHOULD bring photo ID not that you MUST bring photo ID as such it is not a requirement.

The last paragraph

Please note that members will be required to prove their identity at registration before being issued with ballot papers for the election of officers and should bring photographic ID.

Note the words required and prove.

cdeb

I wonder how this was brought in?

By a meeting of the exec?

But it's not on any of the minutes - but they're only drafts anyway.

Unilaterally by the chairman?

I wonder how big the room booked is? And how many ballot papers have been printed?

phnompenhchess

Presumably the course of the AGM will be determined by the results of who is voted in at the beginning of the meeting. Will someone be tweeting or updating here?

uck51js9zml2yt

phnompenhchess wrote: »

Presumably the course of the AGM will be determined by the results of who is voted in at the beginning of the meeting. Will someone be tweeting or updating here?

There is another thread opened for the the live update