Re: Update on Limited Company situation
Posted by:
Mike Clark (---.glfd.adsl.virgin.net)
Date: April 23, 2009 07:13AM
I too received an notification of my termination and responded yesterday to Sally-Ann with the following email.
Dear Sally-Ann,
Thank you for your amusing letter of the 19th, received today April 22nd and which refers to the termination of my membership.
As you know perfectly well the only mechanism for suspending a member is Rule 4 which you regularly quote. Rule 4 very clearly indicates only that the committee have the right to refuse the membership renewal of a member whom they have decided should no longer remain in the Club. In my case that possibility is open to you early in 2010 when my subscription becomes due. No matter how often you repeat it and what words you employ I shall remain a member until my renewal date or the extinction of the Club whichever is the sooner.
I have not responded to your earlier letter announcing my suspension as there seemed no point as you have no power to suspend me immediately and I can see no circumstance in which I would wish to renew my subscription if the present management are still in charge at my renewal date.
For your interest however these now are my responses to your allegations of infringement of Rule 1.
1. Incitement of negativity towards the Company, including the fostering and promotion of the creation of a rival club.
I deny inciting negativity towards the Company, only to its current management.
If explaining the facts behind your allegations of theft and pointing out that the election of Messrs Davies, Jones and Gray was invalid is taken by you to be inciting negativity toward the Company perhaps you should think about the behaviour of your group which lead me to look into these things. That is what has produced negativity, to yourselves, not to the Club.
My position is that I wish to look after the interests of participants in our wonderful hobby. I regard the behaviour of your management group (whom I will not dignify by referring to as directors, since, with the exception of Mr Stoneman, they are not), as quite outrageous and absolutely detrimental to the steam car world. Following your group's behaviour before, during and after the AGM my view is that only a clean break will resolve the matter, hence my support for the new Club. I, along with many, would have been entirely content to leave you to it and go off on our own and I would still prefer this course. However your obnoxious treatment of Jeff and Chris and the continuous stream of allegations and ludicrous claims of theft, together with your evident intention to take over Jeff's website, means that with others I feel I have no choice but to seek your removal from the management of the Club. If this were possible without closing down the Club I would be very pleased but I fear it is now too late. My negativity is towards you and your group, not to the Company.
2. Using the Company Membership list for personal gain and/or the benefits of another organisation. This I absolutely deny. I do not even have a copy of the list. This is a completely unfounded allegation which I challenge you to substantiate. You cannot.
3. Inciting members to destroy the Club. Nothing to add to my response to item 1.
Finally I would add that your frequent use of unfounded allegations about members, your lack of regard for truth, and for Company law, and your mis-interpretation for your own ends of Rules 1 and 4 are worthy of the worst of our politicians and have no place in a civilised Club of enthusiasts. You are behaving like a group of playground bullies.
Mike Clark