Penny Lane Striders
Start a New Topic 
Author
Comment
View Entire Thread
Re: PLS AGM Committee Nominations & Proposed Constitutional Amendments

Good Afternoon Striders,
I have been asked to provide some context for the amendment proposal I have submitted for consideration at the AGM on Monday. The intention is to have it read at the meeting but in order for everybody to be able to cast their vote with the same level of information, Andrew Biddle has asked me to post it here too. Apologies for the long post. Here goes:

I believe that succession planning is one of the key duties and responsibilities of the committee in order for the club to continually evolve and improve. When a member of the committee decides that their time is up, then they can start a process of finding a suitable and willing replacement.

The nomination process is transparent and easily accessible for the membership to see and understand and open dialogue is encouraged for those on the committee to express their desire to step down, and for those willing to be involved to announce their interest.

However, in the case of President, the process is different and therefore limited. There is no way for the membership to express an interest in becoming the next Club President so it is imperative that the committee have their ear to the ground to gauge interest and be ready to recognise the next, and most suitable, candidate to take up the role.

If the committee cannot come to agreement, or the incumbent President hasn’t been able to identify a successor then the fairest mechanism would be to open it up to the group to help with the decision.
The current President has done a great job and has been faced with challenges, both internal and external, and this proposal is not directed towards any individual. I believe that 6 years without change, succession or opportunity is a very long time and this could lead to missed opportunities for the organisation, morale issues for its members who see the lack of succession planning in the President position as a missed opportunity for themselves or someone they know, and the possibility that the door to the committee is a closed one for this subject.

Whether the committee and the club members see the succession planning for the committee positions as a system for recognition or not, there is an opportunity for it to be so. It is still one of the biggest honours in my life to represent the Men’s Team as captain and I will always be proud of what we achieved. I was there at the right time and believe that I brought along what was needed at that time. It would be sad if there was someone or something missed that was perfect for the club. I strongly believe that this amendment will help the club avoid that particular risk.

I would like to thank you all for taking the time to listen and I am sure that you will vote for what you all believe to be the right thing.

Best wishes, Andy Cantwell.

Re: PLS AGM Committee Nominations & Proposed Constitutional Amendments

Agreed
3 years is enough for an Honorary position
6 years is more like a dictatorship.