2007 IOMICA Annual General Meeting

[awallin]

The 2007 IOMICA Annual General Meeting has just been announced on our website. It will take place during the Worlds in Marseille.

The meeting will elect a new Executive Committee for 2007-2009, and vote on any proposals put forward.

Proposals need to be emailed to the IOMICA secretary by 9. August 2007.

So this is your chance to elect some new (or old) people to run IOMICA, and also propose any class rule or class championship rule changes you think are needed!
Individual owners should contact their NCA and have their NCA representative forward nominations and proposals.

[Lester]

From the IOMICA Website:

"The most likely date is the 18th October, but we’re waiting for confirmation on date and venue from YCPR."

It would be helpful if the AGM could take place one evening during the weekend, rather than during the week. This might help non-competitors to attend.

[awallin]

There is now a new page about the meeting on our website.
http://www.iomclass.org/2007-iomica-agm/

It will be updated as nominations and resolutions are received.

A weekend day would mean Sunday 14th (Saturday 13th is opening, Saturday 20th is price-giving), or possibly Friday 19th. I will check what is possible.

Anders

[Ken Dobbie]

I note that there is now a contest for the position of Chairman. Owners should ensure your NCA includes this in your NCA members voting.


Regards


Ken

[Richard Rowan]

The IOMICA Secretary has advised NCAs this week of a change to the resolutions for the AGM and in the same email has added

Unfortunately this will mean that those NCA's that have already started to conduct ballots will need to alter them.

According to IOMICA Regulation 4.7, the Agenda for the 2007 AGM should have been notified to NCAs 8 weeks in advance of the AGM - ie by 24th August.

I have already accepted a change to the Agenda in respect of the additional nomination for chairman - UK owners were asked to vote on that election. Those owners who had already voted were asked to submit an additional voting paper.

I would question whether the Executive correctly altered the Agenda on the matter of the additional election.

More importantly at this time, it seems to me that the latest change may not have been made in accordance with the Regulations.

Accordingly, this post is therefore to advise the IOMICA Executive that the NCA for GBR will not be re-balloting UK owners. Our ballot has now closed and will not be re-opened.

[Ken Dobbie]

Australia has adopted the same position as the UK.

[Richard Rowan]

The NCA for GBR confirms that they are not going to reballot their owners in respect of the third change to the Agenda for the forthcoming AGM.

For the benefit of NCA for GBR owners, a statement has been published on the NCA for GBR web site providing additional background and setting out the reasons for this decision.

The NCA for GBR home page can be found at:
http://www.mya-uk.org.uk/iom-nca-gbr/home.htm

[Chairman]

Hi Richard,
I have read your NCA statement and understand the time constraints only too well.
But can we get some perspective? I know we did not initially give NCA’s much time (that word again) to ballot their members but you guys managed it in 17 days. On reading your post you were happy to contact some 13 voters (out of 898 owners & 1286 boats) to get further votes for the new nominees. I think your right, apathy is the right description and one has to ask the question why we spend so much time trying to get it right and serve the needs of our members who in general really do not care.
I understand why you are reluctant to make the effort. But maybe the 20 or so emails to those who have voted (and care) will not take as long as you think.  If you had done that instead of taking the time to point out the executives failing (never claimed to be perfect) we could have saved everyone a lot of wasted resources. Yes I’m pretty pissed off and just to make sure I alienate myself completely I have had no contact from the AUS NCA or its affiliates regarding the vote. And they want to stand on a pedestal?

Yes we struggled with the need to change or not change the agenda. There may be a question on the current regulations and their validity and yes, you are being pedantic.
.
The agenda change may not be true to IOMICA documentation but given all the options we decided to make the change and hope that all NCA’s would support us.
Our focus has been on getting the best and most realistic result for the members. If we were pedantic then all the votes in at the AGM in Vancouver would be invalid and most late votes from NCA’s at the last WC AGM would be invalid and the NCA’s with outstanding votes for this AGM will be invalid. I think we need some flexibility and understanding, given the honorary nature of all officials or we will see the implosion of our class administration.

So to the AGM and based on the hope we will have a Chairman with some common sense who will not be politically nominated, I would see the following outcome based on GBR and AUS votes not conforming to the new agenda.

Resolution 4.1 & 4.2 may or may not get up without the GBR or AUS vote. No big deal Bruce was happy to pull the combined resolution anyway but that would have meant another agenda change and if we did that to pull it out we might as well change (between a rock and a hard place)

The wording of resolution 4.3 would still validate GBR & AUS vote. No problem

The executive vote will be based on the unofficial procedures (because we have nothing better to use) and will progress in the order detailed in 8.5. If GBR and AUS have not balloted their members on all the candidates we may not get a true indication of the members needs but I hope they get what they need and not what they deserve.

I have asked David Turton to act as returning officer and briefed him as above. I will leave the nomination of an AGM Chairman up to the WC.

Good Luck

Greg Willis
Chairman IOMICA

[RoyL]

Until a more formal report is issued, just wanted to let everyone know that the results of the IOMICA election were:

Andy Stevenson, Chairman
Roy Langbord, VC Technical
Bruce Andersen, VC Events
Mike Eldred, VC Measurement
David Turton, Treasurer
Anders Wallin, VC Infocoms.

Rob O'Brien volunteered to fill the secretary role.

I believe all of the motions proposed were passed.

I'm sure a more formal report will be forthcoming.

[RobC]

Thanks RoyL (and congratulations) the information certainly IS a help but bearing in mind the date of your post and that all you guys are unpaid executives I must reflect that it is upwards of six weeks now since the 2007 AGM, so how come is it that us ordinary IOM owners/members have not had a report on the outcome of the proceedings? (Rhetorical question Roy).

Have I (seriously) been looking in the wrong places?

[Bruce Andersen]

Well Rob, looks like it has hit the entire IOM community. I have been trying to get competitors as well as the organizers from YCPR to give me feedback so the next WC will be even better. To date, I have two notes sent to me from competitors and nothing from the French organizing committee.

Part of composing an after action report on the regatta involves summarizing what went well and what did not and I can not write it until I get more than a couple of notes in terms of feedback.

If you have any influence with skippers, judges, race committee members, or anyone who cares to share their opinions re: the most recent WC, kindly use it so I can help the potential organizers of the next big regatta.

Thanks

[RobC]

Thanks Brian,
I certainly would also like to hear about the "cut and thrust" of the World Championship events but it is the IOMICA AGM that I was really interested in and the subject of the enquiry, (God, how odd must I be to be interested in any AGM!).

'Was' is the fast approaching word though, since Roy has reported the basics.
As a result, and I know it's a rather stupid assumption, but I take it the Spectrum issue is now at rest?

However I am still intrigued get to the bottom of the use of 2.4 at the Worlds as my information insists that the 2.4 band at the new European standard of 100mw output is definitely not legal in France, 10mw being the legal standard in that country.
The deafening silence on the matter could lead one to another stupid assumption.

[Andy Stevenson]

Hi Rob,

[...]IOMICA AGM that I was really interested in[...]

The minutes of the AGM are still a work in progress I’m afraid. My fault I have to admit. I had hoped to pass the job off to our incoming Secretary, but he’s not in post yet. I’ll get them done soon, I promise .

but I take it the Spectrum issue is now at rest?

An emergency Class Rule change to cover the Spektrum dual receiver is with the World Council for approval as we speak, there have been no objections so far and I anticipate it will be publishable in the near future.

However I am still intrigued get to the bottom of the use of 2.4 at the Worlds as my information insists that the 2.4 band at the new European standard of 100mw output is definitely not legal in France, 10mw being the legal standard in that country.
The deafening silence on the matter could lead one to another stupid assumption.

Not really an issue IOMICA can comment on. I believe it would be the responsibility of the host club to ensure regional legislation is adhered to.

Cheers

[RobC]

Thanks Andy, that's cleared most of it up!