Committee elections

[paul.blitz]

Can I please remind you all that nominations for GAGB committee close on Saturday 12th November (ie 7 days before the election starts, on 19th).

So far, Dave Edwards (of the Wombles) has been nominated and accepted.

Any more takers?

Please????



Paul Blitz
Retiring Chairman

[paul.blitz]

Well, I'm gonna nominate MCL and Sarah Tate, both existing committee members, if only to get the ball rolling.

I'd also like to nominate either Debbie or David, of the Bramblers (although I'm sure they'll both come up with good excuses not to....): they have both done good work for caching in the UK, and either would be a great addition to the committee.


Paul

PS: if some mug feels I'm worthy to be on the committee, I'm happy to stand!

[Sarah Tate]

Thanks for the nomination Paul - I have had a good think and will be happy to stand as part of the committee again if you'll all still have me!
I know that I haven't had alot of input recently due to illness but hopefully this will shortly be resolved and I aim to be more involved again next year.
I would also like to nominate Paul Blitz as a committee member.

Sarah x

[John Stead]

I had assumed that the retiring chairman was automatically nominated to the Committee but if not second Sarah's nomination of Paul Blitz.

I would Like to nominate Moote if he has time!

[Brenin Tegeingl]

I'll second Moote.

Dave

[Chris n Maria]

I'll third Moote

[lost it]

I'll fourth Moote

!

[steviep]

I'll fifth moote

[John Stead]

Come on Milton - are you going to accept nomination? You are ready to criticize the way others are going about running GAGB - how about making your own positive contribution!

[Brenin Tegeingl]

Originally posted by John Stead@Nov 3 2005, 11:11 AM
Come on Milton - are you going to accept nomination? You are ready to criticize the way others are going about running GAGB - how about making your own positive contribution!

in his defence, Moote is unable to access the forums when logged in but can access them as a guests, this is something the current committee might need to look into.

Also as he is unable at present to post here. Can I on his behalf (and I made the offer on GC to act on his behalf) nominate Mongoose39uk for the committe.


Dave

[John Stead]

Thanks Dave - I have only just spotted that. I hope Milton will soon be fully enfranchised!

[Matrix]

Originally posted by Mancunian@Nov 3 2005, 11:20 AM
Also as he is unable at present to post here. Can I on his behalf (and I made the offer on GC to act on his behalf) nominate Mongoose39uk for the committe.


Dave

seconded

[moote]

OK worked a way around this issue of not being able to login, not sure if this will post though YET

How did I do it?

Went into forum as a guest. Clicked the reply button. Logged in and then it gave me this Box to post in the forum (the usual one I guess looks similar to the ones on GC.com)

OK I accept my nomination and I am also happy to fully endorse Mongoose39UK for a position

Now will this post?

Milton (aka Moote on GC.com)

[moote]

Originally posted by Moote
OK worked a way around this issue of not being able to login, not sure if this will post though YET

How did I do it?

Went into forum as a guest. Clicked the reply button. Logged in and then it gave me this Box to post in the forum (the usual one I guess looks similar to the ones on GC.com)

OK I accept my nomination and I am also happy to fully endorse Mongoose39UK for a position

Now will this post?

Milton (aka Moote on GC.com)

Had to log out to check if posted though as It gave an error whilst trying to view :lol:

Milton (aka Moote on GC.com

[moote]

I second Mongoose39Uk wh Mancunian nominated

Milton (aka Moote from GC.com)

I accept my nomination.

Cheers

Tony

[paul.blitz]

I just looked at the Constitution and the Standing Orders.

It says nothing about having to inform members by email of elections (or anything for that matter)

It DOES say:

===============================
M - Annual General Meeting / Special General Meetings / Other discussions

1. The GAGB, being an “online organisation”, intends to conduct all its business online.
2. All formal discussions and voting which might normally be carried out at AGM’s, EGM’s etc will be carried out online.
3. Formal proposals will require a minimum of 7 days notice, and must be proposed by either the Executive Committee, or a minimum of 6 members. Proposals require a simple majority of those members voting to be carried. Voting will last for at least 4 days, and no more than 14 days.
4. Elections for all Executive Committee posts will be held annually during the month of November. Nomination for the posts must be made in the relevant forum, or by email to the Chairman, at least 7 days before the declared election date. Should nominations exceed vacancies, election shall be by ballot. The election dates shall be posted no later than 1st October each year.
5. Only “voting members” may vote. Any member who joins after the call for discussion will not be entitled to cast a vote.
6. A vote will only be deemed valid if at least 10 “voting members” of the GAGB cast a vote.
=================================

So, it says we do everything "online".... so doing business in the forums is, in my eyes, quite valid.

Besides, it DOES clearly say in para 4 above "The election dates shall be posted no later than 1st October each year."... and they were posted (in the Forums) on Sept 28th.

As an interested member, you should therefore be looking in the forums at this time to see what has been posted, or complaining to the committee that it HASN'T been posted!!!!

So, I'm sorry, but the way I look at things, I've done everything needed in the constitution / standing orders.

Yes, if I had not been so busy, I should have sent an email out at the same time... and as you saw, as soon as I believed an ELECTION was needed, I *did* indeed (wrongly&#33 send an email out.


Well, looks like we may need an election this year... I'd better find ourselves a returning officer!!!


Paul Blitz

So do we know who the people nominated are now and who the returning officer will be yet?

Just wondered

Cheers

Tony

[Bill D (wwh)]

Those nominated (in the order in which they were nominated) are:

Dave of The Wombles

MCL

Sarah of Team Tate

Debbie/David of The Bramblers

Paul of Team Blitz (outgoing Chairman)

Moote

Mongoose39uk

This has spread over several threads, but I don't think I've missed anyone. If I have then my apologies, and I'm sure they'll let me know!

Paul Blitz, as outgoing Chairman, took on the responsibility of finding a returning officer, so hopefully he will be along shortly to give us more information.

[Mattwaggie]

As a member of this site (albeit not as active as others) I find it shocking that you can hold an election without notifying members of the vote...

I have only found out about this as a caching friend mentioned it in passing. Surely in a democratic society, all members should have received an email alert to advise of the nominations and voting dates, as well as the processes involved.

Regardless if the constitution and standing orders say nothing about informing members by email, it is only fair and democratic to offer as much warning to all involved. Most clubs or associations that have chairpersons and the like will inform all members that a vote for the commitee is due to take place, and an e-mail costs nothing!!!

Matt

[rutson]

Tend to agree with the above, without wading though the numerous posts, can someone tell me where I might find the 'voting booth'?

[dpoet]

Having just started a new job and training, i've not been very active in forum. where do i vote?

[dpoet]

and why am i non voting i've been a member since jJuly 2005

[Bill D (wwh)]

rutson wrote:
...can someone tell me where I might find the 'voting booth'?

See my last post in this thread re a returning officer. As yet I don't know myself how voting is to take place.

[dpoet]

"This Association was established to provide an elected voice for its members in the United Kingdom."

[Bill D (wwh)]

dpoet wrote:
and why am i non voting i've been a member since jJuly 2005

As I've said before, the explanation is above. You're now a "Member" with voting rights, and as I've said before, anyone else who should be a voting member and isn't only has to ask.

[moote01]

Posted message Here on GC.com forum, to allow the less frequent visitors to here know what is going on the the dark and secretive world on GAGB

Moote

[moote01]

Originally posted by Bill D (wwh)@Nov 18 2005, 12:51 AM

dpoet wrote:
and why am i non voting i've been a member since jJuly 2005

As I've said before, the explanation is above. You're now a "Member" with voting rights, and as I've said before, anyone else who should be a voting member and isn't only has to ask.

Look I'm a DataBase Admin in my working life, it can't be hard to fix this arbitrary issue who votes and who does not, surely this data is in a state that it can be easily queried and manipulated. People should not have to come and ask for what they are allowed by the constitution / standing orders of the institution!

Moote

[paul.admin]

Dear all

Big apologies: I was sent to France at very short notice earlier this week, so that basically just blew out all of my week this week.

No, I don't have a returning officer sorted out (yet)... but will work on it tonight, and will hopefully there will be an announcement by tomorrow.

Re Moote's comment about the membership database: updating 250 new-ish members from "non-voting" to "voting" isn't a particularly difficult job, when there is someone who has some time to do it. Unfortunately, most of the GAGB committee have either been busy negotiating with landowners, or doing other things in their lives (eg I've been HEAVILY involved with Hospital Radio this last year).

There is nothing sinister about things, honest.

So, if you have the time and the skills (oh, and get voted onto the committee... minor detail) then you might just have got yourself a nice job to do :-)


Paul Blitz

[Bill D (wwh)]

moote01 wrote:
Look I'm a DataBase Admin in my working life, it can't be hard to fix this arbitrary issue who votes and who does not, surely this data is in a state that it can be easily queried and manipulated.

Of course it is, but you're missing the point. There are over seven hundred non-voting members, and nearly three hundred renewing members. Many of these are people who haven't responded to auto emails, or whose spam filters have rejected them, or whose registered email addresses no longer work.

To make everyone who registered before the election announcements is one thing, to keep out the sock puppet accounts, the non-UK people who registered to post in the forums, and so on, is quite another. And of course the (probably many) who discovered caching on the web, signed up on the spur of the moment, then promptly forgot all about it again.

If voting is to be for bona fide cachers in the UK only, then simply updating every account registered before a certain date isn't the way to do it. And that's where the problem is.

[paul.admin]

I just counted: there are currently 7 nominations for GAGB committee, for 5 posts... but not ALL of those nominated have confirmed their willingness to stand yet!

So, I just sent everyone (well, except myself, I felt that would just have been silly&#33 an email asking for confirmation.

By tomorrow, hopefully everyone will have confirmed one way or the other.


Paul

Confirmation sent

[Sarah Tate]

After much consideration, I have decided not to continue with standing for the committee.
This is mainly due to my recent ill health and that of a family member which has unfortunately limited my time that I have been able to spend on the GAGB's work.
I know that I have been a voice in the background over the past few months and do feel that at present I am unable to devote the time to the committee.
I will still continue to pop into the community and am willing to help out if needed.
I wish the existing and probable new committee members the best of luck & keep up the good work!

Sarah Tate

[paul.admin]

Originally posted by Mattwaggie@Nov 17 2005, 11:46 PM
Surely in a democratic society, all members should have received an email alert to advise of the nominations and voting dates, as well as the processes involved.

I agree with you 100%.

I have already apologised for the oversight in not emailing about the Chairman elections.

All GAGB members DID get an email about the committee elections.

I took the decision to keep the email short, and simply point people to the forum for more details, as I know that a lot of people (myself included) get fed up with getting overly long emails. (My experience shows that shorter emails tend to be read, and longer emails tend to be ignored)



Paul
(trying to kepe this posting short & to the point&#33

[paul.admin]

Originally posted by moote01@Nov 18 2005, 01:05 AM
Posted message Here on GC.com forum, to allow the less frequent visitors to here know what is going on the the dark and secretive world on GAGB

Moote

Thanks for the posting over on GC.COM.

However, I'm sorry, but I think your comment re "dark & secretive world" is 100% unjustified.

If not a lot happens, then there's not a lot to tell in the first place! Amost all that GAGB has done this last year has been to help with Landowner permissions, and that has been well documented.

Most of us have been too busy with our own lives to even contemplate anything dark or secretive!


paul

[paul.admin]

Re voting / non-voting members....

A bit before I got "tied up" this last week, I asked Ian (who "looks after" the website in the background) to do a mass-upgrade of members (who joined before I announced the elections) to have voting rights.

It seems that Ian had the audacity to "go on holiday" just before I emailed him, and as a result, nothing got done!

I believe that Bill has been updating individuals as they asked (but like me, when he saw there were something like 250 upgrades that would need INDIVIDUALLY doing, no doubt did the same as me... and decided to NOT do the job!!!&#33, and I hope that Ian will be able to do a mass update.

Nothing sinister has been going on, its just that neither of us has had the time to do mass updates.


Paul

[paul.blitz]

******!

Sorry for all the posts using the "paul.admin" account... I should, of course, have used my "Paul.Blitz" account.

It's been a long and tiring week.........



Paul

[Dorsetgal]

Originally posted by paul.admin@Nov 18 2005, 07:38 PM
I just counted: there are currently 7 nominations for GAGB committee, for 5 posts... but not ALL of those nominated have confirmed their willingness to stand yet!

Perhaps once they have all confirmed or retracted yu could update the list please?

Sorry to see Sarah has (for very understandable reasons) withdrawn, are there any ladies left in the process now?

[paul.blitz]

Currently I have had but one response back confirming willingness to stand on the committee.

Given that I am busy tonight (presenting patient requests at a Hospital Radio... rather more important than what's happening here) I am going to drag my feet a bit, until tomorrow at least, before doing something about any election

Ok, so the election starts late... being realistic, I doubt there will BE an election... at the current rate we're gonna be lucky to get ANYONE on the committee.

You will note that I have NOT yet confirmed whether I do wish to stand... I am STILL considering things...

(Oh, and before any of you start getting on your high horses, bear in mind one tiny detail: theoretically, I'm not on the GAGB committee at the moment :-) I'm doing what I'm doing for the good of the GAGB)


I'll update you all with the latest news tomorrow (Sunday) at some point.



Paul

Hi Paul


I know both Milton (Moote) and I (mongoose39uk) have sent reply emails.

I for one am not going to stand on my high horse. Far more imprortant things to worry about.

Cheers

Tony

[The Wombles]

I'm willing to stand. There is still much more that GAGB can do and I believe that I can contribute to it.

Originally posted by The Wombles@Nov 19 2005, 09:59 PM
I'm willing to stand. There is still much more that GAGB can do and I believe that I can contribute to it.

Glad to here it!

[moote01]

Originally posted by The Wombles@Nov 19 2005, 09:59 PM
I'm willing to stand. There is still much more that GAGB can do and I believe that I can contribute to it.

This is a good day for GAGB, please can anyone convince Bill to stay though?

Milton

[THE BRAMBLERS]

We have given our nomination much thought, but David and I are very much a team where geocaching is concerned and don't feel that one place could be filled by two people. Therefore, we do not wish to stand.

We would like to add our support to Bill and urge him to reconsider his position as chairman.

Debbie

[Dorsetgal]

Originally posted by THE BRAMBLERS@Nov 20 2005, 08:23 AM
We have given our nomination much thought, but David and I are very much a team where geocaching is concerned and don't feel that one place could be filled by two people. Therefore, we do not wish to stand.

Ooooh, Debbie, what a shame, I so disagree with you! Two heads better than one etc etc. Also, you would be doing a very valuable job in representing the interests of lady geocachers everywhere.

Please, I hope you would reconsider?

[paul.blitz]

OK, we have had 2 of the 7 nominees decide not to stand, and I've had confirmations from the other 5.

As the committee needs 5 members (plus the chair), there is no need for an election, and the following 5 members are deemed elected:

Mongoose
Moote
Dave Edwards (Wombles)
MCL
Paul Blitz


Welcome to our new committee members!


Paul

[Bill D (wwh)]

I'm pleased to see that GAGB has a committee again!

Dave (The Wombles), Martyn (MCL) and Paul (Blitz), it's good to see you all back on the committee!

Milton (Moote) and Tony (Mongoose39uk), it's also good to see some new blood on the committee, and I hope you'll be able to inject new enthusiasm into GAGB during the coming year and help further its aims. Welcome to the committee!

Paul has posted in another thread regarding the position of Chairman. I'm quite happy with what he's said, and I'll make an announcement during the coming week as to my own position.

[Teasel]

Originally posted by paul.admin@Nov 18 2005, 08:57 PM
It seems that Ian had the audacity to "go on holiday" just before I emailed him, and as a result, nothing got done!

Sorry! :P

To answer Moote's observation, yes it would be entirely possible to very quickly move everyone, who joined before the elections were called, into the "members" group. If there were elections looming, that's exactly what I'd have done.

However, in the past we've taken the opportunity to do a bit of database housekeeping at the same time; emailing out individual links to each member, asking them to confirm that they still wish to be a member and tracking the replies as they come in. In the absence of any pressing need to get elections underway I chose the more thorough route, but in the absence of any spare time I've not had a chance to actually do anything!

Apologies to anyone who felt further disenfranchised as a result of my inaction

[Muggle]

Originally posted by Teasel@Nov 21 2005, 09:17 AM
However, in the past we've taken the opportunity to do a bit of database housekeeping at the same time; emailing out individual links to each member, asking them to confirm that they still wish to be a member and tracking the replies as they come in. In the absence of any pressing need to get elections underway I chose the more thorough route, but in the absence of any spare time I've not had a chance to actually do anything!

There is no foolproof way of doing this. I know that in my case the email address that I used when I signed up was no longer valid and I did not know.

So a combination of direct email and postings on these forums is the best way of keeping members informed of what is going on.

-