I would like to take a few moments to address the incorrect assertions and inappropriate comments in the post of 20 August 2018.

The vote of each and every member who has given a proxy for 2018 is valid and will be counted at this year’s AGM.

The proposed Special Resolutions do not affect voting at this year’s AGM – but, if passed by a 75% majority, would come into effect for 2018/2019.

The Agenda for the Annual General Meeting containing 3 general proposals and 2 Special Resolutions was emailed to all by the Secretary on 6 August.

Consumer Affairs Victoria advise that what is proposed in the two Special Resolutions to be put before the members at the 2018 AGM is permitted under the Associations Incorporation Reform Act 2012.

Sub-section 77 of the Rules of Association state Yarrambat Golf Club Inc can, by Special Resolution, of a General Meeting of the Association – alter its Rules.

What is the real motivation behind the Special Resolutions?

A YGC member approached me concerned about the apparent ‘proxy farming’ that was being undertaken by a Committee member some 8 weeks before the AGM.

Their concern was that if one member took it upon themselves to gather sufficient proxy votes from those who either can’t, or can’t be bothered to, attend the AGM, then there will be no point even having an AGM – because that ‘proxy farmer’

• would have sufficient votes to do as they wish,
• to ensure their agenda is set,
• ensure their ‘mates’ or ‘stooges’ are elected to committee, and
• the democratic process is ‘as fair as 1980’s Uganda’.

The member was worried that they may be bullied, intimidated or ignored for daring to even raise the issue and wanted to know who the new Secretary was before they submitted anything, as they did not have faith that the submission would even be presented.

As a Committee member, I offered to draft the Resolutions on the member’s behalf, so that it would comply with the requirements under the Act. On being presented with the resolutions the Club Secretary, John Ward, suggested that I might be personally attacked if I put my name to them, and offered to post them in his role as Secretary.

Those assumptions were quite accurate as it turned out, as demonstrated by the accusatory and conspiratorial nature of the 20 August web post and  further, whilst the Secretary’s role was vacant and the President took it upon himself to perform the Secretariat role – there was no correspondence tabled at the Committee Meeting on 4 August – even though we now know, and from the his own admissions, that at least 4 members  had taken the time to email the Secretary on this issue.

There is no cynical attempt to disqualify any votes; to even suggest that by fairly putting this resolution before our Members – our Secretary John Ward, a passionate and caring member of YGC Inc, has been somehow underhanded is both unwarranted and offensive, and the deliberate slur to John’s character is frankly not what I expect, nor want, from a President of our Club.

So, let the motivations be perfectly clear – several members raised concerns regarding what they saw as inappropriate proxy solicitation – (for which, to his credit the President publicly apologised) and the elected Committee listened to those concerns, and acted upon them – as a Committee representing its members should.

It is not new, nor illegal, to propose changes where change is needed, in fact a number of Clubs and Associations across Victoria and the Country, have proposed similar resolutions, as below, to prevent “branch stacking” or “agenda hijacking”.

1. The recent consumer-property-law-review-issues-paper-2-owners-corporations proposed changes to the Owners Corporations Act to address the issue of proxy farming and an imbalance of representation.

2. The Australian Capital Territory Associations model rules at 29 Voting (2) state:

“All votes must be given personally or by proxy but no member may hold more than 5 proxies”

Finally, the only people that can profit from an open, transparent and democratic election process – where one member does not dictate the agenda – are the Members of the Club.

Personally, I believe that all anyone can ask of our Committee is that they diligently perform their role to the best of their ability, with the best interests of the whole Club at heart.  That they communicate with the members and their fellow Committee members, working in partnership with all our stakeholders – our YGC Members, Course management and staff, Ground staff, the YPLGC, Council and VicRoads, seeking help and advice where needed, – because none of us have all the answers and we each bring different strengths to the table.

Finally, I apologise for the necessity to take up your valuable time, but these incorrect statements, and the slur on our Secretary could not go unchallenged.

Regards

Stuart Thompson

Vice President YGC Inc

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