Thanks for that Robert.
The core issue for me is that (Qld aside) it appears that the only chance that
a GFA member has to cast a vote in any of that process is when they elect the
State Rep at their Club (which is a bloody long way away from Board Level
...... or perhaps more correctly, from Executive Board level) ..... or if they
happen to trip along to the AGM and a vote is called. In both cases I suspects
that there are bugger all meaningful votes actually cast by the core membership.
I had a telephone call the other day with someone who said that if I thought
that my ideas were so good I should take them along to my local RTO (Ops) and
if he/she thought they had any merit, then they would take them on up the line.
That system ensures that all ideas & issues are filtered at multiple levels by
various members of the established hierarchy with various levels of competence
& each with a power of veto, and it guarantees that change will be microscopic
+ the status quo of ideas and individuals will be maintained. I also thought it
interesting and perhaps symptomatic that the caller did not suggest that I go
and see my State Board Members.
Given that most individuals in a job start to run out of fresh ideas after 5 to
7 years (E.g. our defence forces change over senior positions every 2 - 3
years), the chance of the filtering or blocking or control of worthwhile
initiatives resulting in the maintaining of the incumbent ideas and initiatives
in the GFA is very real and this allows nil or miniscule avenues for progress
and change with the above way of operating. I'll bet that even some of you
Board Members feel that some of your initiatives get "filtered" once provided.
If the sport was in great shape in OZ I wouldn't be so agitated, but it is not,
and something should be done to make the GFA more progressive and responsive to
its members ..... in my opinion. If the majority of GFA members think all is
well, then I'll shut up & just go and fly, however if they do not then this is
as good a place as any to kick of discussion and I have been surprised at the
number of direct emails and phone calls that have been the result.
Regards Geoff
----- Original Message -----
From: Robert Hart
To: Discussion of issues relating to Soaring in Australia.
Sent: Saturday, June 07, 2008 8:38 AM
Subject: Re: [Aus-soaring] Fw: IMPROVED GOVERNANCE &DIRECT
ELECTIONOFTHEGFABOARD
Geoff Kidd wrote:
>
> Is that correct and are both groups really as separate as the website
> makes them appear to be?
>
> The final sentence of the above quoted para also talks about the
> voting rights at "combined board meetings". Does that mean that there
> are also "separate" board meetings?
>
> In the 2nd quoted para it also mentions a matter dear to my heart and
> that is that the President, Vice President and Treasurer are elected
> from the members. I don't recall being involved in that, so I guess
> that narrative is not referring to election "by the members".
>
>
> I'm sure many of those mentioned above are dedicated and capable
> people, but the arrangements appears to me to be convoluted and based
> on the above and previous posts, is undemocratic (in that all GFA
> members don't have a direct vote for the Board members [or the
> Executive Board Members]) and the combination of the separate Board
> and Executive Board + a total of 15 on the 2 "Boards" + the
> involvement of Management members on the Board (which makes it not a
> truely independant "Board") + a 5 repeat five year term for the
> “Executive” makes me ask .... Just where does the power really lie in
> all of the above? Is it really with the members & their elected
> representatives?
>
>
> Can anyone help with the above?
>
The way things work is as follows:-
*The Board consists of* the Regional representatives (5 regions)
each wielding two votes if a vote is necessary plus the Heads of
Department (Airworthiness, Sports, Ops, M&D) plus the GFA President,
VP and treasurer.
*
The Executive consists of* the Heads of Department (Airworthiness,
Sports, Ops, M&D) plus the GFA President, VP and treasurer.
Election/Appointment of board/executive members:-
1. Regional representatives are elected through the mechanisms laid
down in the constitutions of the various regional associations. In
the past in Qld (and possibly still in the other regions), voting
inside the regions was by club representatives. In Qld, this was
changed to allow a direct vote by the membership.
2. Heads of Department are elected by their peers - subject to Board
approval. So, the Chairman of the Ops panel is elected from within
the Ops panel and so forth.
3. The president, vice president and treasurer are elected by the
Board at the Annual Board Meeting (which follows the AGM).
--
Robert Hart [EMAIL PROTECTED]
+61 (0)438 385 533 http://www.hart.wattle.id.au
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