President Resigns ** Then Thinks about it **

[John G]

I received a call from a member at Heck Field today who informed me that he was informed by his local Board member that the President Steve Runciman had tendered his written resignation to the Board yesterday, but withdrew it this morning. A very interesting situation, particularly given my own situation documented at: www.gardon.com.au

 

At that time, due to a dummy spit with the Board, I had tendered my resignation post dated into the future and then withdrew it prior to its effective date. The Board then spent untold member $???????'s getting legal advice that said that once a resignation was tendered it became effective immediately!, with no requirement for it to be formally accepted by the Secretary or the Board.

 

Guess What?? The Board is NOW getting legal advice and spending more untold member $??????'s to get the same legal advice twisted in another direction to keep Steve Runciman in the job.

 

Does anyone else see a problem??? If so ring Mr Runciman tonight as well as other Board members and let them know that enough is enough!!!! It is our money they are spending while our members remain grounded.

 

 

[fly_tornado]

Nothing surprises me anymore!

 

 

[kaz3g]

M

 

Nothing surprises me anymore!

Me either, FT! If this is true then I truly despair.

 

Kaz

 

 

[rankamateur]

Won't be any body left to answer for their actions at the general meeting in December,and the members will still be in the dark!

 

 

[Kiwi]

I got sent this email from John today, I dont know if he ment to send it to me,

 

But here it is.

 

Kiwi.

 

-- Original Message --------

 

Subject: President's Resignation & withdrawal.

 

Date: Tue, 27 Nov 2012 08:15:32 +1000

 

From: John McKeown <[email protected]>

 

To: Eugene Reid <[email protected]>, Paul Middleton <[email protected]>, Michael Apps <[email protected]>, Mike Smith <[email protected]>, Gavin Thobaven <[email protected]>, Ed Herring <[email protected]>, Cliff McCann <cfinetspe.com.au>, Cliff McCann <[email protected]>, Rod Birrel <[email protected]>, David Caban <[email protected]>, Myles Breitkreutz <[email protected]>, Jim Tatlock <[email protected]>

 

Hi all, I am sending this to each of you personally. This is not a Board email, and as such I have deleted Runciman's name. I will also copy this email, ( not the offensive resignation letter at this stage) to relevant club office bearers in my local area. Since Steve had resigned yesterday afternoon, I was going to let his numerous unsavoury statements about me in his resignation letter slide. Now he has withdrawn his resignation this morning I will take advise on whether to continue to let his libel comments slide, take this matter further legally, or release the document to the Membership as it is not on the Board forum, or marked confidential. The Members can then decide for themselves the accuracy of the Runciman statements. I have spent two weeks arguing with the reform group about the cost of a general meeting outside the February Board meeting, and asking them to think of the cost to RAA. They were starting to agree. Now Runciman calls a full Board meeting at short notice. How can I argue the case with the reform group any longer? So now there will be two expensive meetings before Christmas. I will not be attending the meeting this Friday. First on a cost benefit basis. I can see no benefit to be achieved (face to face) for the high costs involved. And second on a bad blood basis. My attendance will only inflame Runciman further, and produce no benefit to the Association. I would also like to remind you that this meeting will incur an un budgeted expense, as such it needs to be formally put up for a vote before the meeting, and before any travel expenses are actioned. Regards John McKeown Ph Aus. Mob. +61 4 3872 8311 Ph Int Mob. +372 5771 1483

 

 

[John G]

Everyone!...Eugenes mum died yesterday...please be repectful...Didn't want to do it this way....

Cficare, either you believe that Eugene is still President, or I am missing something so please excuse me if I have offended in any other way. My posting in no way involved or mentioned Eugene or his position on the exec and I am somewhat flumoxed by your post.

 

The facts are borne out in Kiwi's post above which must have come in while you were typing. That's the problem with real time communications.

 

My heartfelt condolences to Eugene and the loss he is suffering at this time.

 

JG

 

 

[Guest Andys@coffs]

So anyone care to take on a bet as to whether this gets raised at the next GM?

 

The other point of interest was that it was suggested that the group I'm part of was being fiscally irresponsible in requesting a GM before feb. and then we were told that the board would all be meeting at members cost on fri in Canberra and now this.

 

Begs the question as to who could be argued to be fiscally irresponsible if all true.

 

 

[Guest john]

To All Interested RAAus Members,

 

Tonight an email was sent to our President requesting him to advise me at his earliest convenience the expected calendar date when RAAus will resume processing registration renewals & registrations of newly purchased aircraft as there has been no update since 23.11.12 on the RAAus website. If a response is received I will post it on this site.

 

In the meantime it appears that the Board are now in panic crisis mode & the end is nigh. Doomsday is 1 day closer than yesterday.

 

 

[Powerin]

*sigh*

 

 

[kaz3g]

There is a significant difference, in my view, between an extraordinary meeting of the Association called by a democratically organised segment of the membership acting in accordance with the constitution for the purpose of bringing board and members together to resolve a major crisis, and the Board calling a special meeting of itself without the members to occur before the extraordinary meeting of all.

 

Kaz

 

 

[facthunter]

Getting right back to the point raised by John G... He couldn't withdraw his resignation once tendered but not yet effective but anyone else can. One rule for some but a different rule for the others . This sort of double dealing is basically what is wrong here. What about a bit of consistency and abiding by the rules? Nev

 

 

[John G]

There is a significant difference, in my view, between an extraordinary meeting of the Association called by a democratically organised segment of the membership acting in accordance with the constitution for the purpose of bringing board and members together to resolve a major crisis, and the Board calling a special meeting of itself without the members to occur before the extraordinary meeting of all.Kaz

The Exec have always had the right/power under the constitution to call for Board meetings above and beyond the two per year mandated. I think that history will show that Runciman's meeting request was requested prior to the the EGM paperwork being lodged by Andy@Coffs. Logic, I would hope, would dictate that the two would be aligned within a few days of each other. I know if I was in a similar situation I would want to get together with the Board beforehand to strategise on how to appease disaffected members. Or God forbid, formulate a humble apology for the Board _ _ _ _ UPS of the previous few years.

 

JG

 

 

[Guest john]

To All Interested RAAus Members,

 

Steve Runciman has responded to my email this evening stating that there should have been an update about registrations on the RAAus web site today, & therefore he will ensure that the update is posted tomorrow-28.11.12.

 

He did not comment what the update is about. Lets see tomorrow on the RAAus website if any forward progress has been made or is RAAus still shuffling the chairs around on the sinking TITANIC .

 

The catastrophic events that have been occurring in recent times regarding RAAus failing several CASA audits & kept secret from RAAus members until the **** hit the fan recently, it appears that the rot has already started to occurr with ultralight manufacturing in Australia having had enough of the bullshit that is going on between CASA & RAAus with a Company already proposing to move offshore, which unofficial news I have only heard about today.

 

 

[Powerin]

I don't know, call me naive, but John G's writings on his website are very prophetic. What we are seeing now is deja vu! You would think that people volunteering for the RAAus board would be working together for a common goal. Instead we see political in-fighting, egos and back stabbing. How can a board operate successfully without consensus and with such venom and animosity as seems to exist in RAAus? Who would want to volunteer for that?

 

Here was me thinking aviation (and especially RAAus) was about following dreams and experiencing the freedom of flight. Silly me.

 

 

[facthunter]

"You don't know what you've got till it's gone". As the song goes. There you all were sitting fat dumb and happy and hardly anyone bothers to vote. Surprised ? The price of freedom is eternal vigilance. Nev

 

 

[David Isaac]

John G,

 

The problem is the President cannot call a Board meeting without the support of at least two other Board members and the expenditure has to be approved???

 

Perhaps a more pertinent point is how can a member of RA Aus who is no longer the president or in fact a Board member call a Board meeting, that would be illegal would it not.

 

The President resigned at about 2-55pm yesterday with these exact words :

 

"Please accept this email as notice of my resignation as President and North Queensland Members Representative."

 

(I might add there was also a lot of other vitriol in his letter which perhaps should be made available to all as it is now official inwards correspondence to RA Aus. His letter is hardly confidential since he is resigning as leader of our Board organization).

 

His resignation is effective immediately and cannot be withdrawn. If he wishes to re-stand as a Board member he must face another election and then be elected.

 

Anything authorised by the President from the date and time of his resignation email is invalid and is 'Ultra Vires' ( beyond the legal power or authority of a person).

 

As an example if the President has now called a Board or Executive meeting in Canberra for this Friday; he has NO power to do so as he is no longer the President or indeed a Board member. All the travel and accommodation expenses would therefore be improperly spent.

 

Do you not all think this is a real issue for the Board and the members?

 

 

[David Isaac]

"You don't know what you've got till it's gone". As the song goes. There you all were sitting fat dumb and happy and hardly anyone bothers to vote. Surprised ? The price of freedom is eternal vigilance. Nev

But Nev, no one gave a damn ... all they wanted to do was fly ... they didn't want to get involved in the politics .... well guess what, get involved folks or will will lose what you have.

 

 

[facthunter]

The resignation is quite clear, certainly as to the intent. You cannot say subject to board approval or unles I change my mind. Resignations have a purpose they cut the ties, involvement AUTHORITY and liabilities. They would have a signifcant effect at law. Have we all gone mad ? We are part of the real world, not something to play around with to suit our short term aims. Nev

 

 

[David Isaac]

You would have to conclude the Board have lost direction if they commit this final transgression of allowing the President to withdraw his resignation.

 

This just keeps getting worse and you have to wonder at the rationale of the Board at present.

 

There are still many of our beloved fellow members that continue to want to give the Board a chance to sort the mess out ... how many chances do these members want to give them .. do they want to wait until we have nothing left to be a part of, because that is potentially where we are heading.

 

EDIT: Softened my post up by removing the more emotive words

 

 

[John G]

You would have to conclude the Board have gone mad if they commit this final transgression of allowing the president to withdraw his resignation.This just keeps getting worse and you have to wonder how bloody inept and naive these people are ... and we voted them in God help us all.

 

There are still many of our beloved fellow members that continue to want to give the Board a chance to sort the mess out ... how many bloody chances do these members want to give them .. do they want to wait until l we have nothing left to be a part of, because that is quickly where we are heading and at the hands of our beloved management.

David, The problem we have and I have always been aware of is that this forum only reaches maybe 100 of the 13,000 odd members we have. That is a fact. Look at voting figures on the forum etc. The fact remains that our members really dont give a flying _ _ _ _ about the day to day running of the organisation. They think all is well until they are grounded. I have tried for years to change that but the reality remains. Why do you think we have compulsory voting in Council, State and Federal elections? It is part of the Australian Psyche. We will not do anything or conform until it affects us personally.

 

So how are you going to get the message out to the other 13,300 members who do not participate in this forum?

 

Tell the truth, I didn't participate actively in this forum for a number of years because I didn't think it achieved anything and still don't. I continue to read many posts on here where folks don't even bother to read back a few posts or even other threads to educate themselves but are more than happy to sprout off at the drop of a hat in total ignorance of all the facts.

 

Unfortunately, not pretty but the way it is. If you are going to win the battle you need to know what you are up against . You may need to read Sun Tzu

 

"The Art of War" as your opponent has as it is mandatory reading at all military staff colleges. Very revealing in how to deal with the enemy & irritancies such as this web site.

 

The battle is winable, however make sure of your ground before entering. A loss will set you back intermineably without any gain.

 

 

[Gentreau]

.....You may need to read Sun Tzu "The Art of War" as your opponent has as it is mandatory reading at all military staff colleges.

You can find it here if you want to read it.

 

.

 

 

[dodo]

And, as usual, we rely on rumour.

 

Maybe the letter has not been published due to concerns of libel. Or whatever.

 

But members of RA-Aus get to speculate based on n-th hand information.

 

dodo

 

 

[John G]

And, as usual, we rely on rumour.Maybe the letter has not been published due to concerns of libel. Or whatever.

 

But members of RA-Aus get to speculate based on n-th hand information.

 

dodo

I Agree on with your feelings and assessment. The reality is that when legal and libel considerations enter the fray everybody backs off and the lawyer aversion wins again. However when I made the initial post it was because I trusted the intial source that had told me what communications he/she had received. If you re-read my post, albeit heresay, all I did was to pass on what was communicated to me in good faith and believed to be fact due to my faith in the source. As it turned out, more factual clarifying information has since come to light.

 

I don't believe in this case that as you contend "RA-Aus get to speculate based on n-th hand information" is correct as the information has been collaborated from a number of sources. So all we have to do now is wait for confirmation or down right denial by the principle players. If Sportbet were offering odds on our info being correct, I'd be willing to bet the farm even though it would result in divorce if I was wrong.

 

What are you willing to put up?

 

JG

 

 

[dodo]

JG,

 

my post was not a criticism of you, or of others who provide information.

 

It was just a personal and bitter observation of how RA-Aus members can stay informed.

 

thanks for the information,

 

dodo

 

EDIT - PS I assume you meant corroborated, rather than collaborated. I enjoyed the difference.

 

 

[John G]

JG,my post was not a criticism of you, or of others who provide information.

 

It was just a personal and bitter observation of how RA-Aus members can stay informed.

 

thanks for the information,

 

dodo

No problem, just misunderstood the intent of your post.