[Centres] [Lifemember] Working Party

Tue Sep 17 14:37:38 AEST 2024

Hi all,

Just to be crystal clear on a point that Jan raised in her email to me.

There are two reasons why I made the statement about the email not reflecting the views of the Board.

1.	There was no Board meeting held because I never received an invitation, and this is against the Constitution
2.	If this was an official Board email, then it actually places the assets of RDA (NSW) at risk from litigation for defamation

BTW, I do not recall seeing an email withdrawing “The Board Working Party” as recommended by me in the email to the members yesterday

Thanks 

Greg

Greg Urand

Hon Director, Chairperson

NSW Justice of the Peace

0400 858 190

From: jan pike <janpike86 at gmail.com> 
Sent: Tuesday, 17 September 2024 10:48 AM
To: Greg Urand <greg.urand at rdansw.org.au>
Cc: stateoffice at rdansw.org.au; centres at rdansw.org.au; lifemember at rdansw.org.au; RDA NSW BOARD <board at rdansw.org.au>
Subject: Re: [Lifemember] [Centres] Working Party

Morning Greg,

I am writing this purely in my capacity as a Life Member of RDA(NSW),just a few points that I find a little confusing in your email to everyone.

I don’t understand your accusation that the letter sent by the majority of Directors of the Board in no way reflects the opinion of this same Board. Surely if 5 out of 6 Directors have signed off on this and it appears that only yourself,as chairperson, has a different view then that clearly indicates the opinions expressed are those of the Board.

The Directors are elected representatives of the members so are the primary governing body of the Association. I received an email the week before last with the Board’s proposal regarding the review and drafting of the State Constitution. I don’t remember seeing any contradiction to this by yourself. Yet when a Working Party , consisting of self appointed representatives who have not to my knowledge followed existing constitutional procedures in their formation, suggest a proposal to review the SC , you offer your support and actually denounce other Directors. 

Just as a footnote I don’t believe any of this is “funny” not when you’re discussing the future of our Association.

Regards ,

Jan Pike OAM PLY 

Life Member RDA( NSW)

On 16 Sep 2024, at 10:08 PM, Greg Urand <greg.urand at rdansw.org.au <mailto:greg.urand at rdansw.org.au> > wrote:

Dear RDA NSW Centres & Volunteers

As the Chairperson of the RDA NSW Board, I was not consulted in anyway, shape or form in the drafting of the letter that went out this evening purporting to be from the RDA NSW Board (see below).

I would like to make it crystal clear that the below email is not the position of the RDA NSW Board, nor the RDA NSW organisation. It would appear that some members of the current Board have, funnily enough, set up their own Working Party.

This, under any other circumstances, might appear to be amusing.

However, the individuals responsible for the attached email from the ‘Board Working Party’ may have, in my opinion, made some very serious accusations that could be defamatory.

I believe that this is a most unfortunate development, and extremely counterproductive to what appears to be a genuine attempt by the Constitutional Review Working Party to generate a constructive process, under the Constitution, to solve a number of problems with the Constitution that have remained unresolved for at least 6 years.

I believe that in order to quickly deescalate the situation, we should offer the ‘Board Working Party’ the opportunity to withdraw their email immediately. If they do so by midday tomorrow, Tuesday 17 September 2024, then I would urge any parties mentioned in the withdrawn email to overlook some of the comments that may have been made in the heat of the moment.

So, with that issue squared away, let’s look to the future…

I have had time to review the proposal and requisition request of the Constitutional Review Working Party.

Having reviewed the Constitution, it appears that the Constitutional Review Working Party (Working Party) has submitted a compliant set of papers.
Given that the Working Party’s Requisition Letter appears to be compliant, it is my view the Board has no option but to facilitate and support the holding of the Special General Meetings (SGM) requested.

I have already called a Board Meeting for Wednesday evening where I will make my understanding of the Constitutional compliance of the Requisition Letter clear. I will make it clear that the Board must follow the Constitution and do all that is necessary to ensure that the meetings go ahead as requisitioned.

I note that the Board came out with its suggested pathway forward on the Constitution last week. However, the only way to change the Constitution is a Special General Meeting. So, either way we need to have an SGM, where all points of view will be considered.

Greg

Greg Urand

Hon Director, Chairperson

NSW Justice of the Peace

0400 858 190

From: Centres <centres-bounces at rdansw.org.au <mailto:centres-bounces at rdansw.org.au> > On Behalf Of stateoffice at rdansw.org.au <mailto:stateoffice at rdansw.org.au> 
Sent: Monday, 16 September 2024 5:15 PM
To: Centres at rdansw.org.au <mailto:Centres at rdansw.org.au> ; lifemember at rdansw.org.au <mailto:lifemember at rdansw.org.au> 
Subject: [Centres] Working Party
Importance: High

Hi all

Please see the email below and attached Minutes of the EGM held on 15 July 2001 referred to in this email below.

>From the Board Members noted below

To those with the self-appointed name of The RDA Constitutional Working Party.

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We have perused the letters circulated around the centres and the organisation and believe that these unauthorised communications are from an unsupported Group with members in Centres who may not necessarily know of, nor condone their membership of, this Party. These centres have not submitted minutes that have proposed the establishment of this party nor advised their supposed members’ representation. 

It is abysmal that, instead of assisting the Board in a positive manner, these Working Party are continuing to subject the present voluntary board members to constant harassment, denigration, and demonisation. The current Board are accused of being slow in dealing with matters however the continuing behaviour of a few means that time is taken away from everyone else and incurring ongoing legal expenses in actions resulting from their demands.

Whilst the current Board members want to represent ALL of the Centres, this current behaviour appears to be motivated by money and power struggles - it is abhorrent, does not correlate to RDA’s mission and value statements and should not be tolerated. This has been going on for some time and was addressed by Kerry Johnstone in the attached statement.

For clarity, the following members of this party, who are attempting to demonise current Board Member behaviour, have the following history and current standing in our organisation: 

1.      Charles McClintock under suspension from RDA (NSW). 

2.      Anna Rimac is under suspension from the RDA (NSW); the legal proceedings are still pending.

3.      Anna Rimac, Graeme Gulliver and Helen Fauske are from Ballina Centre (on RDA owned land) - which is under administration. Directors, CASP and the Regional Representative/Administrator’s attempt to attend the centre (to work on a pathway forward out of administration) have been denied access on many occasions and they have been treated with bullying, intimidation and legal threats to instil fear. 

Note that Bruce Manefield is an external consultant in private business who has not been given authority by the current Board to formulate a new Constitution, nor to assist in preparing paperwork nor to conduct special general meetings in this regard.

The actions of these people are in direct contradiction to the very principles behind RDA (NSW), an organisation that is supposed to have volunteers who have empathy towards others and who are expected to be here to help and assist people who have a disability, not as a means of showing how important these named people consider themselves to be while, at the same time, adversely affecting the operations of RDA (NSW) and denigrating others.

We’d like to quote a very respected life member and former director Kerry Johnston.

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For and on behalf of the majority of RDA(NSW) Directors

Kind Regards

Olwen Smith,Linda Bower,Tracy Lucas,Allan Burton and James Van-Lane

Email –  board at rdansw.org.au <mailto:board at rdansw.org.au> 

WEB –   WWW.rdansw.org.au <http://WWW.rdansw.org.au> 

Kind Regards

Lucy Pentony

Office Coordinator 

Riding for the Disabled Association (NSW)

Quad 1, Level 2, 8 Parkview Drive

Sydney Olympic  Park  NSW 2127

(PO Box 710 Sydney Markets NSW 2129)

Ph: (02) 8736 1256

Email:  <mailto:stateoffice at rdansw.org.au> stateoffice at rdansw.org.au

Web:  <http://www.rdansw.org.au/> www.rdansw.org.au

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