County Board Meetings

celt262

Looking for views on this from people involved with their county boards or are club delegates. I'm having a debate with a poster on this on the Cavan thread and he is sure that these are open meetings and anyone can attend if they have an interest in what is been discussed.

I reckon only delegates can attend these meetings am I wrong?

Uncle Pierre

Can only speak for my own county (Wexford) and it's possible other counties may have different rules/procedures, but it's definitely the case here that Co. Board meetings are not open to all and sundry. You have to be a member of the County Committee - e.g. a club delegate, a District or County Officer, or the representative of one of the other organisations allowed there, such as Schools GAA or Referees.

Occasionally, if a meeting is on a topic of particular importance, others such as club chairpersons/secretaries will also be invited, but then it's carefully policed that each club still only has one vote.

Had a quick look at the Cavan thread to see what this relates to. Was really just a quick skim of it, but seems the meeting that the other posted attended may not have been a "proper" County Board meeting at all? And may instead have been some other sort of meeting, that was just facilitated/held by the County Board?

For example, here in Wexford, our Coiste na nÓg County Board recently held a series of meetings (one in each of our four districts) to review underage structures, gradings, etc. These were open to everybody who was interested enough to attend. However, although they were meetings held by the County Board, they're weren't actual County Board meetings.

Maybe your own discussion arises form something similar?

celt262

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121424785#Comment_121424785

Thanks for the post. It was a full county board meeting there was a previous meeting that wasn't and was open to others.

Uncle Pierre

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121425214#Comment_121425214

Okay. Again, I can only speak for Wexford, but I reckon I must have attended at least 150 County Board meetings over the last 15 years or more, either as club delegate or in an officer role which I held for a couple of years. And not once have I seen "interested onlookers" taking up positions in the meeting room to just view proceedings. I'd expect that if they did, they'd be fairly quickly challenged.

But maybe we're just not interesting enough here in Wexford, and Cavan might be a much more interesting place. :)

celt262

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121427676#Comment_121427676

I know well i have been at my fair share of them and it's for County board officials and delegated only. The poster in question is totally wrong but there is no talking to him !

Cavan_King

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121427676#Comment_121427676

I feel some context is needed here. This meeting was about a quite contentious subject nationwide at the moment - age grading of juvenile football and odds vs evens.

The meeting was in a large hall. The seating was only set out to halfway in the hall with plenty more seating stacked at the back of the hall and a door in the middle of the hall. Therefore anyone could enter or leave at any point with a minimum of fuss if they wished to.

What would be the reason for a county board official to “challenge” a member of the local GAA community if they entered the hall, like a number did, to watch the proceedings from the back area of the hall?

The county board chairman actually spoke at the end of the meeting about how hard it is to get coaches and volunteers and the unrealistic pressures parents, in particular, put on them. So is he going to “challenge” an interested coach attending a meeting and causing no harm?

I can’t comment on other CB meetings because I have no interest in attending them as I’m sure was the same with other coaches.

I’ve already suggested to the above poster if he has such an issue with this he should raise his ire with Cavan County Board about them allowing interested volunteers attend said meeting.

He instead seeks to validate his opinion by posting a new thread to random people who have no knowledge of Cavan CB processes on the internet.

I do agree with one point, there is no taking to me because I know I’m right so won’t be backing down. I am not a club delegate and like others who aren’t that attended that meeting. I fail to see the big issue with that.

celt262

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121430789#Comment_121430789

That post is really a load off waffle and not relevant to the original post in this thread.

What the meeting was about, the size off the hall, number of chairs, the chairman speaking about coaches, etc changes nothing.

It's not my opinion by the way County Board meetings are for County Board officials and club delegates not people going for a nosy as they have a interest.

I'm not discussion this anymore with you you are to strong headed to admit you were in the wrong!

Mods you can lock this thread.

Cavan_King

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121431214#Comment_121431214

Of course it is relevant because I am describing the meeting setting. This wasn’t a closed meeting where there was someone on the door turning people away or checking they were on a list.

I might just head to the next CB meeting as well now to see if I am turned away! Although I’d imagine the next is the AGM.

joebloggs32

Have attended county board meetings in Offaly. Definitely delgates and county board officials only along with local journalists.

Clareman

Closing the thread as per ops request