New RA-Aus President named!

[Guest brentc]

Congratulations to Mr. Eugene Reid, newly appointed RA-Aus President

 

 

[Admin]

Hi

 

Unfortunately I have had to hide all the posts in this thread just for the time being so I can obtain some more information on some areas that have been brought up here.

 

I do sincerely apologise to all parties for the need to do this

 

 

[Keith Page]

Good Morning Ian,

 

We are wondering what is going on:question:

 

Is RAAus all OK? Just thinking .

 

Reagrds,

 

Keith Page.

 

 

[Admin]

Just waiting for an issue to be resolved before I can open this thread up again

 

 

[John G]

What the Bloody Hell is going on?

 

Back in October the moderators closed down this thread when it was deemed the discussion was getting too political. Unfortunately, part and parcel of our organisation is politics; it has to be to get our representatives elected to our Board.

 

I received a phone call from a member today that had received his May magazine and wanting to know "What the Bloody Hell is going on?" Unfortunately, the majority of RA-Aus will not get their answer in any other way than through this forum. Some of you may have been aware that I resigned from the Board and then withdrew my resignation before it was due to become effective. The Board in its wisdom decided to enforce the resignation spending considerable funds on legal fees and a by-election that could have been avoided. They then spent even more money on lawyers to find out whether they had to print my election statement.

 

They must be embarrassed about something as they did not print the candidates’ statements in this month’s magazine but instead elected to place it as an insert into the magazine distributed to NSW members only. Members in other states should not be kept in the dark about the true state of their organisation.

 

Not wanting to turn this forum into a political platform I have started a new web site at: www.gardon.com.au where members can ask questions and get more information without Ian getting accused of running an anti RA-Aus site. Below, for the benefit of all members is simply my election statement that has been distributed to only NSW members in the May magazine.

 

Election Statement: John Gardon – NSW

 

What the Bloody Hell is going on?

 

If like a lot of other members you have been asking yourself the same question; our Magazine has been very remiss in providing any answers. Firstly let me apologise to all NSW members for asking you to vote again just a few short months after the last election. A costly exercise and an imposition that could have been avoided by your Board but they chose to needlessly squander your money. Please bear with me as I both explain the situation and again humbly ask for your vote to represent you as I have done over the last 10 odd years.

 

At the September 2008 Board meeting after you returned me as your representative for NSW I lost the Board Executive vote for President on a vote of 5 to 6. I tended my resignation on the Sunday of the Board meeting as my protest to the lack of “due process” and the fact that nepotism had been allowed to debase the RA-Aus Board process in that a Board member that had a “conflict of interest” in the outcome should have abstained from the vote; but did not. The other reason for my resignation was the totally incorrect claim by the Board that my being a Board member of AOPA was a “conflict of interest” with retaining my RA-Aus executive position and was not declared in my By- Law 4 Statement at the last election. My resignation letter was post dated for the following Wednesday to give me an opportunity to reflect on my decision and the effect it would have on RA-Aus and you the members and ensure it wasn’t due to “sour grapes” on my part.

 

I suppose my real sin was being too busy doing the job of representing you our members to Government, CASA and the Aviation Industry generally and not watching out for internecine petty board politics and for the knives aimed squarely at my back by some fellow Board members. I know a lot of you perhaps didn’t have the time to read all my President’s reports as you had better thing like “flying” on your mind; but if you re-read the last six or so you will see that I flagged “petty politics” as a potential threat to the continued success of RA-Aus. I just wish I could pick lotto numbers with the same foresight.

 

Well what happened after tendering my resignation beggars belief. After I posted my resignation letter on the Board Forum site I was threatened with physical violence by one Board member for expressing my views. To date the Board has taken no action against the Board member threatening the violence even though the email was sent to all Board members and I asked that the issue be addressed as unacceptable behaviour by a fellow Board member. As I don’t believe in walking away from injustice, and wanting to spare the Ra-Aus and NSW members the inconvenience and cost of a mid-term election I withdrew my resignation in writing on the Tuesday before it was due to come into effect. The Board in its wisdom decided not to accept my letter of withdrawal; instead insisting that my post dated letter of resignation, that was not due to come into effect until the next day, was what they were going to enforce! Mmm, someone with an axe to grind.

 

Six months on; there has been a subsequent Board meeting in Feb 2009 where NSW were not fully represented and I believe that any decisions taken should be null and void until NSW representation is at full strength. Why did the Board wait in excess of six months to fill the vacancy? Why does QLD have four Board members while NSW has 3 and Victoria 2 even though all three states have roughly the same number of members?

 

There are quite a number of issues I would like to explore with members and the constraints placed on the length of this election statement prevent me from doing so here. I have set up a web site at: www.gardon.com.au where I will be more than happy to share all information I have with members and answer any questions you may have. My personal email is [email protected] for those without internet access my phone number is 02-66834225.

 

I do apologise for airing some of our dirty laundry in public, but the Board gave me no other option than to communicate to you in this manner. I was particularly perturbed that no recognition was given in our magazine to the outgoing Executive for their hard work and achievements during their honorary service particularly as there was a total replacement of the previous Executive. I have a thick skin and can handle the slight; but I am more concerned about the Board’s treatment of the other outgoing Executive members. The new Executive was quick to claim credit for achieving passenger insurance even though it was achieved through the efforts of the previous Executive with not one word of thanks for their years of hard work – no wonder its is so hard to find volunteers to give their all for RA-Aus.

 

From the foregoing, it is obvious that we have a lot of work to do to ensure that RA-Aus exists for one reason only; and that is to look after our members’ and their rights to fly responsibly with maximum safety, minimum regulation and minimum cost -- the Board squandering money on an avoidable election certainly does not meet the latter.

 

I respectfully request your vote in the forthcoming election to allow me to right the wrongs committed by the Board and get them to refocus on making Ra-Aus the premier aviation organisation in Australia – and the one you want to belong to! Please don’t procrastinate, post in your vote today for the candidate of your choice. High numbers of members returning their vote will ensure your Board receives your message “Loud and Clear”

 

By Law 4 Statement:I have owned and operated an RA-Aus Flight Training Facility and maintenance facility known as Flight North over the last 11 years. I have also recently acquired a registered business name of Leisure Sport Aircraft. The only industry related remuneration I derive is from the operations of Flight North and Leisure Sport Aircraft.

 

I am currently a Board member of AOPA. The RA-Aus Board cited my AOPA membership as a “conflict of interest” that was not declared on my previous By-Law 4 statement prior to the last vote for the executive, even though our constitutional expert advised them there was no conflict of interest. In any case I tended my resignation from AOPA in September 2008 citing RA-Aus Board’s concern. The AOPA Board refused to accept my resignation as they believe that no conflict exists and that my presence has helped foster relations between the two aviation organisations that have common aims for their members. I do not believe that my membership of AOPA is a conflict of interest in carrying out the duties as an RA-Aus Board member, nor that I had to declare it in my previous By-Law 4 statement or that I had hid the fact from members. I had mentioned my AOPA board membership at previous Board meetings as well as writing about common aims we share with AOPA in my President’s reports in our magazine.

 

Election Statement John Gardon 090227.pdf

 

Election Statement John Gardon 090227.pdf

 

Election Statement John Gardon 090227.pdf

[Guest TOSGcentral]

I am personally so saddened that the AUF/RAAus management is still resorting to 'hidden power politics' at the expense and non-information of the membership.

 

Just about any 'dip stick' can get onto the board simply because nobody else put their hand up. That does not make them GOD and their every decision is beyond question and unquestionably 'for the members good'.

 

I do not have a happy history of getting on with AUF/RAAus past Presidents but I will say this for John G. I always found him a straight shooter and a guy of integrity who would listen reasonably to viewpoints put forward.

 

We have enough real dramas to face without the 'Kindergarten' muddying the waters again!

 

Tony

 

 

[Guest TOSGcentral]

After an overnight private email from a serving Board Member re my post above – I had better clarify my stance somewhat.

 

 

I did NOT say that any or all of the currently serving Board Members are dip sticks, nor that they were elected by default of nobody else being willing to compete for a Board position.

 

 

So if my remarks were taken that way then I offer an unreserved apology to anybody that I offended.

 

 

However I will not retreat from my basic stance!

 

 

Under our present mode of organisation at any time there could be single or all Board Members being dipsticks in terms of management competence for an organisation of our size and responsibilities. It depends exclusively on who does choose to put up their hand. If there is only one then that is who you get – by default. If there are none then an entire Region may go without representation.

 

 

This organisation is growing and our methods should grow with it.

 

 

I personally do not feel it appropriate that we have an Executive that is elected by a Board who in turn have been elected on personal popularity. I also feel that our paid staff are in consequence potentially compromised!

 

 

The Board does have distinct management responsibilities and these should be adequately catered for.

 

 

The ‘Executive’ should be more closely defined and indeed expanded. We need a team of President (who should have a sound management background plus Airworthiness and Operations depth of experience); A Treasurer )who has a solid financial and budgeting control background); A Secretary (who has a corporate experience background); An Airworthiness controller (who has a solid Airworthiness background); an Operations controller (who has a solid Operations background); An Airspace Officer (as the movement is increasingly going for more demands on airspace and needs organised resistance to expensive mandated airspace items); and also a Public Relations/Media Relations Officer (as a lot of the ‘name change’ was founded on improved public perception but that does not happen automatically and needs nurturing).

 

 

The Executive positions should be elected at National level based on demonstrated skills declared in election statements. But equally any candidate seeking an Executive post should not be debarred from Regional representation if they fail to achieve the main post sought.

 

 

In the past we lost the assistance of some most able people who had a straight choice of run for Exec or run for Rep. If they failed on the Exec then they also lost out on the Rep opportunity. So in turn the members lost out on having access to the skills of such people.

 

 

One thing that I do feel very strongly about is protection for the Managers (CEO, Tech Air and Ops). IF we ended up with a weak Board, or a Board rendered dysfunctional by internal politics) then the Managers may be seen by the membership as de-facto executive controllers and as such may be open to personal attack rather than by due process.

 

 

This can be averted (and normally is) by having ultimate responsibility vested in honorary officials in the three areas of Admin, Airworthiness and Ops. Those three bods are directly responsible to the membership for the function of those departments. Equally they take the flak from the members rather than the managers copping it directly and so preserve the terms of reference that the managers were employed under.

 

 

Those are my views and others may tender counter views if they wish. But we ARE getting big and we need to be more able than I perceive us to be. We cannot run RAAus as just a larger version of a flying club committee.

 

 

[turboplanner]

This is not good.

 

John has posted his side of what appears to be a very controversial story, one one which we need to make a serious voting decision, but we are not hearing the other side, good or bad.

 

Maybe Tony could have chosen his words a fraction better, but some people are going to go into an election with a cloud over their heads unless they provide some transparent information.

 

Tony, if you are looking for an absolutely bullet proof Constitution which prevents Clique Building, Stacking Elections, Secret Rule changes and all the other tricks of the type A personality, PM me.(this paragraph doesn't refer to RAA).

 

 

[Guest TOSGcentral]

Thanks Turbo,

 

I am actually not looking for anything other than a fair and trasparent go for the members, a preservation (in practical terms) of protecting the interests and low cost freedoms of the people who started this movement - and some personal peace for myself.

 

Regarding the latter I am running out of options! There is little left for me to resign from other than closing down TOSG, terminating my membership of an airfield that I put seven hard years into, and just moving and fading out of sight entirely.

 

Constitutions or not I believe the bottom line is the ultimate definition of democracy itself. That is that you herd 100 people into a room and 51 of them can have the god given right to tell the rest what to do (or not tell them according to circumstances)!

 

The bottom line is that there has to be implicit trust not merely in qualifications or how long somebody has been around, but their basic integrity to work for all evenly.

 

T.

 

 

[slartibartfast]

This is not good.John has posted his side of what appears to be a very controversial story, one one which we need to make a serious voting decision, but we are not hearing the other side, good or bad.

If you live in NSW or ACT, the other side of the argument is included in your RAAus magazine. They have bundled all the candidate's election statements with your ballot paper and a reply paid envelope. Printed along with JG's statement is a paragraph putting the board's point of view on John's version of events.

 

Of course, all the other candidates are welcome to post their election statements here too. What we do not want is to bring the politcal battle to our arena. This site needs to remain impartial for the good of all and to foster the flow of information.

 

Ross

 

 

[winsor68]

"Of course, all the other candidates are welcome to post their election statements here too. What we do not want is to bring the politcal battle to our arena. This site needs to remain impartial for the good of all and to foster the flow of information."

 

FAIL!

 

 

[Yenn]

I am at a loss to decide wht the problem is, what should or should not be done, and if anyone is at fault.

 

The general membership do not get enough information to see what the problems are or how to fix them.

 

Having been in several clubs/groups I know that factions arise and they do not best serve the members always, but it would be nice to know exactly what all this is about.

 

Tony has been going on for quite some time about the management not doing the right thing, but we have no explicit examples.

 

John handed in his resignation and was put out when he could not reverse his decision. Maybe the remaining members could not see him as an asset, having tried to resign once.

 

I am not pointing the finger at John or Tony, but merely pointing out that it is hard for the membership to come to a conclusion without full information.

 

 

[turboplanner]

If you live in NSW or ACT, the other side of the argument is included in your RAAus magazine. They have bundled all the candidate's election statements with your ballot paper and a reply paid envelope. Printed along with JG's statement is a paragraph putting the board's point of view on John's version of events.Of course, all the other candidates are welcome to post their election statements here too. What we do not want is to bring the politcal battle to our arena. This site needs to remain impartial for the good of all and to foster the flow of information.

 

Ross

I agree with your thoughts slarti. The problem is the site has already been used for political purposes by John Gardon, so rightly or wrongly we are getting a biased view on something which could seriously affect the future of a lot of this site's regulars.

 

Perhaps it would be better to just close the thread.

 

 

[Guest brentc]

There are two sides to every story, particularly this one.

 

It is unfortunate that we will never be fully privy to both sides as is usually the case with all of these types of issues!

 

 

[slartibartfast]

All we published here is John's election statement, although he did post a link to where he has published more of his view. His statement is publicly available, and was posted to NSW and ACT members along with all the other candidate's statements.

 

I pointed out where the opposite point of view was published, and invited other candidates to post their election statements here too.

 

To me, that is information - not taking sides.

 

Perhaps we should invite the board to post their response to John's statement here.

 

I would urge members who might be seriously affected to read the information which is available and make their own minds up.

 

 

[turboplanner]

Sorry Slarti, I missed where the opposite view was posted - is it here somewhere or were you referring to the NSW inserts in RAA magazine which didn't reach the rest of us?

 

 

[slartibartfast]

Sorry Slarti, I missed where the opposite view was posted - is it here somewhere or were you referring to the NSW inserts in RAA magazine which didn't reach the rest of us?

The latter - that'll be why you missed it. The point was that the people concerned (the voters) know where to look. It would be great if we could post it here for the rest of us. I can find out.

 

 

[John G]

Magazine Insert Sent to NSW Members

 

Quote:Originally Posted by turboplanner

Sorry Slarti, I missed where the opposite view was posted - is it here somewhere or were you referring to the NSW inserts in RAA magazine which didn't reach the rest of us?

 

The latter - that'll be why you missed it. The point was that the people concerned (the voters) know where to look. It would be great if we could post it here for the rest of us. I can find out.

Even though some have taken the liberty to take pot shots at me in the distributed material I would be happy to have it attached here.I tried to attach it as a PDF file and it is some 1.98M and not allowed under this forums limits. I have it available on my web site at www.gardon.com.au if anyone is interested in reading it.

 

As mentioned in my earlier post, I did not want this forum and Ian being accused of political bias and mudslinging and that is why I set up a seperate website for distribution of information if members other than NSW members were interested.

 

 

[turboplanner]

I've got the other side of the story now thanks.

 

 

[Guest sirius]

In being invited by privelege to respond to the "non" political John G "political" statements, may I add my election statement that was within the bounds of allowable space in the RA-Aus election rules, but I fear is of little consequence now, that being, that it is non political and without partisan agenda.

 

Some may see the embryonic cancer that is festering within our organisation and it should be highlighted because a by-product of allowing this will, and has ruined many a good organisation.

 

By electing me I will reject any attempt to alter the constitution to allow for a paid president. I will reject any attempt to force by mandate anything other than a natural evolutionary shift toward ADSB technology in class C airspace, and reject it outright in class G airspace unless a cost benefit/ safety analysis proves there is a real and protracted need and the technology is given time to meet a market demand. I will fight against the infiltration by stealth of "friendly" bodies to the RA-Aus board that can profit by our strength in numbers to infuse their own agendas.

 

The folowing is my statement as inserted in the RA-Aus magazine for the NSW/ACT by-election;

 

Election statement- RA-Aus by election.

 

Bob Murphie. February 20th 2009.

 

This 59 year old candidate is a private /recreational pilot of more than 40 years with some 1,000 hours experience.

 

Having flown and owned a variety of single engine aircraft I am acutely aware of the results of over regulation and I understand the importance of RA-Aus in keeping flying affordable and safe.

 

I have previously held positions as an appointed and elected Director of a number of aviation organizations. I have been the driving force in the establishment of several incorporated and unincorporated Aero Clubs.

 

My history is in manufacturing, training, Standards Association testing, safety, and combustion engineering. I was a foundation member of a liquid petroleum gas association. I also served in The Army and retired a commissioned officer.

 

My positions include Managing Director and Operations manager of several Company’s, and I have a significant knowledge of good corporate governance and probity.

 

I have a demonstrated ability of high level political lobbying and a have a good record of success.

 

I have always found political doors open to me.

 

I am retired from business, and look forward to an opportunity to work with the RA-Aus team.

 

Please take time to support RA-Aus by participating in this by-election and give your support to a qualified and able candidate who will truly represent your interests.

 

I sincerely ask for your vote.

 

Bob Murphie.