AGM 2011 - now Wed Dec 21st not Dec 14th

[dwaino]

Occupy RFC? 

[Loui Tufga]

Just let it go, the club will sort it out

Occupy RFC? 

 

[Darth Tiger]

If the illusion that AFL is not a serious business, then welcome to the 21st Century board practise.

Good idea to bring the constitution up to current governance structures.

If Mal Speed & Carl Walsh are examples of the talent that can be acquired via this process, then I am all for it. Tony Free on the other hand ...

There are no longer 5000 members of the club - there are 42000+ so it makes sense to have the flexibility to appoint (for a limited period) board members that have a specific skill set required.

[gerkin greg]

Agree with Muscles and Darth

Yeah well they'll start at 3 and then itll become 5 and then itll be all over and they'll do whatever the hell they want without even considering the members. The other we'll stick a club executive on the board, thats another joke.

stop being a nutter
be a nuthugger

[Penelope]

no, i agree with flags.

it is the members, spread far and wide across the country who best know which people are best suited to run a professional organisation.

what would people on a committee know about who is best for the job?

[RedanTiger]

I'm not against a Board being able to co-opt specific skill sets.  I work for an organisation where members vote for the Board of Directors and this enterprise currently lacks a couple of key Board-level skill sets.  The President realises that the Board lacks these skills, but has no way of ensuring that the Board gets access to them unless he hires consultants - and we cannot afford that on an on-going basis.

In the context of board elections, the Nominations Committee will -
•    assess the candidate’s qualifications as set out on the candidate’s CV and in light of the director skills matrix which has been set by the board;

Do I read this wrong?
The Nominations Committee is to get the right "skill set" and ensure nominees agree with the board's vision.
Then the board wants the right to appoint anyone else to obtain the right "skill set"
Then they want to be able to appoint an executive to the board whom they have previously chosen for his executive position.

This Nominations Committee does seem to be best practice - it's been used in China and Burma for decades and is now being used world wide so only approved candidates can be elected.

I have no doubt these measures will be approved with our membership.
What i can't work out is why the current board members are so eager to retain power and make it so difficult to be voted out?
Is the job really that enjoyable?

[The Big Richo]

Is there any way we can get rid of March and Cameron at this AGM?

[WilliamPowell]

Is there any way we can get rid of March and Cameron at this AGM?

No because March isn't up for re-election this year

And Cameron isn't on the board, he's an employee of the club, he answers to the CEO and the Board, the only way he goes is if he is flicked

[The Big Richo]

Nothing to be achieved here then, move on people.

[RedanTiger]

And Cameron isn't on the board, he's an employee of the club, he answers to the CEO and the Board, the only way he goes is if he is flicked

Not until the changes to the constitution are approved.

[WilliamPowell]

Gary March: It is widely-acknowledged, best practice among leading corporations, that boards should comprise a mix of elected and appointed directors. The current Richmond constitution allows for nine elected directors - the board is proposing that a constitutional amendment be made to allow for three directors to be appointed. A board of nine would therefore comprise six elected directors and three appointed directors.  The appointed directors would not be allowed to serve more than two terms.

While understanding the point of the change, my concern here is that you are opening up the board to actually not having any rotation at all. Eg an "appointed director" will serve 2 terms, then they have the option to stand as someone to be elected and then the person they replace can quite easily become and "appointed director"

Some may argue that scenario is highly unlikely and that's true but it is still a possibility

GM: It has also been proposed by the board that - at its discretion - a senior executive of the Club may be appointed to the board as an Executive Director. In making this change, and to accommodate an additional appointment, we are also proposing that the constitution allows for the board to comprise up to 10 directors.

What's not answered here is will this Executive Director have full voting rights like all other directors? If the answer is NO then I dont have a problem with it but if the answers is YES then it is a concern in light of the situation the Club faced a few seasons back when Greg Miller was a Director and an employee of the club

[RedanTiger]

WP, since I live up country I doubt I'll get to the AGM, especially since it's midweek at 6pm.

I presume members will be allowed questions from the floor about the finances.

If so, could you ask how much the club saved/made from the option of members forgoing "Rewards and Recognition" merchandise last year and why it was discontinued this year?
Would think it's the kind of information the board used when making the decision to discontinue after all it will be budgeted at $750,000 next year ($15 X 50,000 members).

Noting that Miller previously had a contract to supply this merchandise, I wonder who has the contract now?
   

[WilliamPowell]

WP, since I live up country I doubt I'll get to the AGM, especially since it's midweek at 6pm.

I presume members will be allowed questions from the floor about the finances.

If so, could you ask how much the club saved/made from the option of members forgoing "Rewards and Recognition" merchandise last year and why it was discontinued this year?
Would think it's the kind of information the board used when making the decision to discontinue after all it will be budgeted at $750,000 next year ($15 X 50,000 members).

Noting that Miller previously had a contract to supply this merchandise, I wonder who has the contract now?
 

At this point in time I'd be happy just to see the numbers as we've been waiting a week since they announced a profit but they still haven't released the fin reports

Not sure what you mean about the $750K and the R&R merch  . That's still an option this year (cap, scarf or $15 Store vch), the only thing that's changed is that there isn't an option to for go the merch or Shop voucher and have the money go to the Footy Dept

[The Big Richo]

I think he means why isn't there still an option to donate 15 to footy department and what was the reason for dropping that option.

[mightytiges]

I have no issue with the idea of an executive director if it's Benny Gale. It's pretty standard practice to have managing directors on company boards.

However I agree with Ramps about having non-elected board members. It's not as though under the current constitutional arrangements that the Board can't appoint and bring in people they want. If a potential board member turns down an opportunity to be on the Board because he/she is afraid of being held to account for their performance every 3 years via a democratic vote by the members (ie. shareholders) of the Club then you have to ask if that person is the right person to be director. Is the Club now saying as members we can't be trusted and are too stupid to understand to do what is best for the Club  . Obviously some at the top need a reminder without us there wouldn't be a Club to be a Board member of after the past 30 years of abysmal failure.