Preface: The following letter was originally sent to the Hub membership on November 18, 2017 by the Concerned Members Committee of the Hub (CMC). It outlines our concerns about the current leadership of the Board following the September resignation of 7 of the 11 directors who were elected in June, 2017 and the abrupt “termination” of 15 staff members. Only 4 of those elected directors remain in office.
The following letter is signed by the members of the CMC. You will know many of us from our work at the Hub as directors and volunteers. You will also know us as volunteers in many facets of life in our community. I doubt you will know us as women who bully, harass and intimidate.
SUBJECT: SPECIAL MEETING OF MEMBERS OF THE HUB (ACC), MONDAY, NOV. 20, 2017, ALMONTE OLD TOWN HALL AUDITORIUM, BRIDGE ST. ALMONTE, 7 – 9 pm ELECTION TO BE HELD, LIST OF BOARD NOMINEES
Dear ACC Member
On Monday night an election will be held in the Almonte Old Town Hall Auditorium. The results are important. It is your decision. The decisions for board composition (whether the current Board stays or is replaced) will be based on 2/3 of the vote (for those who attend or, appoint a proxy to vote on their behalf). The CMC is prepared to accept any decision on Monday night made by the membership.
Our efforts to challenge the Board since September have been a result of the Board actions and decisions made over the past 5 months and the fact that only 4 out of 11 elected directors remain on the Board. The last straw for concerned members was the breakdown and illegal adjournment of the Sept. 25th General Meeting of Members and the complete lack of respect for the membership to ask questions and be heard.
It was unacceptable to us to not have a forum for membership to voice concern. As a follow-up, we formed the Concerned Members Committee and hosted an information session which many of you attended which the full Board chose to forego.
For those of you who came out to learn more, we want to thank you for being part of the process to get more informed. This was a great opportunity to ask questions and hear first-hand answers to your legal questions from Alexandra Tzannidakis LL.B. Having her expertise on bylaws and the Ontario Corporation Act (OCA) for charities and Non-Profits helps us all with a greater understanding of our responsibiity as membership and what the Board is expected to deliver.
Despite recent communications by the Board (which is a result of the CMC and their pressure on the Board to be transparent and clear), we still don’t feel they have adequately answered the current financial status of the organization, the cost of the decisions made or how they plan to give back to the community. These should have been defined, shared with membership before any action was taken. This lack of strategic thinking and transparency shows a lack of leadership that we feel still needs to change.
The following people have agreed to consider a nomination from the floor to serve on a newly elected Board or to augment the current Board pending on the membership decision: (names have been removed*)
We welcome additional nominations from the floor but we felt it important to share that we are not only willing to defend the memberships’ legitimate right to be heard and hold the Board accountable, but most importantly, ensure the values and mandate of the organization are in a position to continue in the future.
Respectfully,
The CMC:
Fern Martin
Julia Thomas
Janet Duncan
Mary Lou Souter
Mary Ellen Petrunewich
Barbara Carroll
Donna Smith
Renate Kordos
Eloise Caverson
Gail Murphy
Elizabeth Dunning
Jean Macpherson
Barbara Cotterill
Paddy Thomas Vargas
* The names of our nominees to replace or fill Board positions have been omitted as they are not signees to this letter.
