Strategy I'm the guy who tried to run for the board, ask me anything

[Winterlong]

Hi, I'm James. I'm the guy who ran for the board earlier this year and was blocked by the new nominations committee.

Long time lurker on this forum.

I'm happy to answer any questions you have.

Even if you wouldn't have voted for me, the point is this - the members deserve a say in how the club is run.

The constitution of the North Melbourne Football Club guarantees members the right to vote, a right that has been taken away by the current administration.

We own this club. Ben Buckley does not.

If the current mob are too scared to face an election, can we trust them to stand up for the club when the heat is on?

 

[gokangas]

G'day. I'd be interested to know the process you went through. Who interviewed, you, what did they want to know etc. When this preselection crap was first raised there was significant discussion here. Unfortunately the club usually gets the numbers at AGMs to get through what they want as they did with this one. I thought it was an anti Peter DeRauch rule at the time.

 

[Winterlong]

Here is the letter I wrote to Buckley on 18/2 after the committee knocked me back, should provide some background


Dear Mr. Buckley

I write regarding the recent decision of the Independent Nominations Committee’s decision to reject my nomination to run for election to the board of the North Melbourne Football Club.

I thought it prudent to raise these matters with you directly in the first instance, to explain my experience of this process.

I was waiting to receive formal written notice of the INC’s decision before writing to you, however it has not been forthcoming.

To aid your understanding, I have recapped the pertinent events.

The notice of nominations opening was posted at 6:34am on January 23, 2019. It featured on the homepage of the North Melbourne website for less than 24 hours.

Whilst strictly in accordance with the rules, the decision to not notify members by email is puzzling, as is the decision to not make any mention of this notice through the club’s social media channels.

Once I had submitted my nomination, the Returning Officer called me and stated, incorrectly, that I was required to submit my candidate statement before the date set down in the rules.

He was unaware of the membership of the nominations committee and admitted he had performed a google search on me. As someone who is in the business of conducting elections, I found this very unusual.

On 11 February 2019 I attended a meeting with Peter Nash, chair of the independent nominations committee. The Returning Officer helpfully informed me that Mr. Nash’s presence on this committee was due to being a former colleague of Carl Dilena at KPMG.

We had a cordial chat that lasted around an hour. Towards the end of the meeting Mr. Nash showed me his copy of the Nominations Committee Charter and we went through them point by point. At no stage did he raise concerns with me regarding my suitability.

Mr. Nash also informed me that, as far as he was aware, at least one of the members of this committee was overseas. I took this as an explanation as to why I met with him alone, rather than facing the entire committee, which was my expectation.

After this meeting, Mr. Nash said he would confer with his fellow committee members and get back to me.

On 13 February I received a call from Mr. Nash, notifying me that my nomination had been rejected. In my opinion, he offered vague reasons for the rejection, and promised to send through a more formal, written notice of the committee’s deliberations, which I am still yet to receive.

Following this conversation, I requested the Nominations Committee Charter from the Returning Officer. What followed what a three hour email back and forth before he finally supplied this document. I have attached a copy of this correspondence for your reference.

I understand that this is the first time this committee has been required to convene, as it was established at last years AGM.

I had assumed the primary purpose of this committee was to weed out bankrupts, people with criminal records and other people who neither understood nor take seriously the role of director.

According to the rules this club is a democracy, almost unique amongst the other AFL clubs, and this remain a source of great pride to all those who are passionate about the North Melbourne Football Club.

As a lifelong fan of this great club, a small business owner, someone who has served as director of a company with an annual turnover of $473.6 million I was deeply shocked to be rejected.

I am concerned that this precedent will effectively bar a great number of our members from involving themselves in the administration of the club that we, as members, collectively own.

I am certain that this was not the intention when establishing this committee, as such a precedent would not doubt cause great shock and distress to the membership.

As such, I would humbly request that you would clarify the intended purpose and scope to the members of this committee and invite them to reconsider their ruling.

Moreover, I’m sure the membership would welcome genuine clarity as to what specific experiences and traits are required to receive the approval of an appointed committee to run for election to the board of the club they love.

Yours,


James Wangmann

Managing Director

Argent Elections Pty Ltd (ACN 628 028 768)

 

[Gasometer]

Will Bran, Sansa, Danny, Ayra or Jon Snow sit on the Iron Throne come Monday?

Ps You should have run with IUB on a ticket. Everybody meh him

 

[gokangas]

Here is the letter I wrote to Buckley on 18/2 after the committee knocked me back, should provide some background


Dear Mr. Buckley

I write regarding the recent decision of the Independent Nominations Committee’s decision to reject my nomination to run for election to the board of the North Melbourne Football Club.

I thought it prudent to raise these matters with you directly in the first instance, to explain my experience of this process.

I was waiting to receive formal written notice of the INC’s decision before writing to you, however it has not been forthcoming.

To aid your understanding, I have recapped the pertinent events.

The notice of nominations opening was posted at 6:34am on January 23, 2019. It featured on the homepage of the North Melbourne website for less than 24 hours.

Whilst strictly in accordance with the rules, the decision to not notify members by email is puzzling, as is the decision to not make any mention of this notice through the club’s social media channels.

Once I had submitted my nomination, the Returning Officer called me and stated, incorrectly, that I was required to submit my candidate statement before the date set down in the rules.

He was unaware of the membership of the nominations committee and admitted he had performed a google search on me. As someone who is in the business of conducting elections, I found this very unusual.

On 11 February 2019 I attended a meeting with Peter Nash, chair of the independent nominations committee. The Returning Officer helpfully informed me that Mr. Nash’s presence on this committee was due to being a former colleague of Carl Dilena at KPMG.

We had a cordial chat that lasted around an hour. Towards the end of the meeting Mr. Nash showed me his copy of the Nominations Committee Charter and we went through them point by point. At no stage did he raise concerns with me regarding my suitability.

Mr. Nash also informed me that, as far as he was aware, at least one of the members of this committee was overseas. I took this as an explanation as to why I met with him alone, rather than facing the entire committee, which was my expectation.

After this meeting, Mr. Nash said he would confer with his fellow committee members and get back to me.

On 13 February I received a call from Mr. Nash, notifying me that my nomination had been rejected. In my opinion, he offered vague reasons for the rejection, and promised to send through a more formal, written notice of the committee’s deliberations, which I am still yet to receive.

Following this conversation, I requested the Nominations Committee Charter from the Returning Officer. What followed what a three hour email back and forth before he finally supplied this document. I have attached a copy of this correspondence for your reference.

I understand that this is the first time this committee has been required to convene, as it was established at last years AGM.

I had assumed the primary purpose of this committee was to weed out bankrupts, people with criminal records and other people who neither understood nor take seriously the role of director.

According to the rules this club is a democracy, almost unique amongst the other AFL clubs, and this remain a source of great pride to all those who are passionate about the North Melbourne Football Club.

As a lifelong fan of this great club, a small business owner, someone who has served as director of a company with an annual turnover of $473.6 million I was deeply shocked to be rejected.

I am concerned that this precedent will effectively bar a great number of our members from involving themselves in the administration of the club that we, as members, collectively own.

I am certain that this was not the intention when establishing this committee, as such a precedent would not doubt cause great shock and distress to the membership.

As such, I would humbly request that you would clarify the intended purpose and scope to the members of this committee and invite them to reconsider their ruling.

Moreover, I’m sure the membership would welcome genuine clarity as to what specific experiences and traits are required to receive the approval of an appointed committee to run for election to the board of the club they love.

Yours,


James Wangmann

Managing Director

Argent Elections Pty Ltd (ACN 628 028 768)

Response?

 

[Winterlong]

Response?

 

[Thewlis Dish]

Are you Lachie Hansen?

 

[Winterlong]

Are you Lachie Hansen?

Bit rough on Lachie, don't you think?

 

[Kanga1996]

View attachment 674693

Well that’s ****ed . So only candidates of their choosing can actually run.


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Thewlis Dish]

Also, as someone who works in corporate dispute resolution, that is a professionally written "**** off" letter.

(Of course you knew that.)

 

[gokangas]

Also, as someone who works in corporate dispute resolution, that is a professionally written "**** off" letter.

(Of course you knew that.)

I think we can all see that - you are spot on.

 

[gokangas]

I wonder if de Rauch would get through?

 

[ferball]

Should have played them this song:

 

[King Corey]

View attachment 674693

That is pathetic.

Need to think about this more. Coffee first though.

 

[Devil Fish]

Just confirms all of our suspicions that the club is being run as a boys club. Mates looking after mates.

All patting each other on the back telling them how great they are.

And no 1999 GF reunion - main reason - the class of 1999 don’t/won’t conform to such nonsense.

Makes me sick.

 

[desie]

Did you ever receive formal notification with written reasons from the 'committee'?

I presume there was some sort of record taken of the meeting, surely their deliberations were guided by something more rigorous than a verbal briefing from Mr Nash?

Not that it makes any difference given that there's clearly no review mechanism but still, they did undertake to provide you something in writing.

 

[ferball]

I wonder if de Rauch would get through?

It seems the only people who will get thru are the ones they want. How much transpecracy surrounds this nomination vetting process? Not bloody much seems to be the case.

Just out of interest Winterlong ... you obviously did this before the membership debacle and the poor start to the season. What was your motivation? Poor results under Scott? Not happy with 4 games in Hobart? Just wanted to be really involved in the club you love?

 

[Val Keating]

Other then your love for our club, what’s your motivation for wanting a spot on the board?

 

[DesertRoo]

If they can handle the competition in a members based club, they’ve gotta go...

 

[gokangas]

James, I am curious at the timing of this article. The letter from Buckley doesn’t show the date.

 

[Themanbun]

Well, after reading this - my membership will be cancelled. I hoped it was a bit of spin from the newspaper. Nope, it is a pathetic board of this once proud club shutting out its members.

Sorry you've been through this, and we appreciate your efforts in bringing this to light.

If we want to save this club, we need to organise. It's not gonna be pretty.

 

[DuckYeah]

As many have asked, I am also interested in the motivation behind the intention..

 

[DuckYeah]

Well, after reading this - my membership will be cancelled. I hoped it was a bit of spin from the newspaper. Nope, it is a pathetic board of this once proud club shutting out its members.

Sorry you've been through this, and we appreciate your efforts in bringing this to light.

If we want to save this club, we need to organise. It's not gonna be pretty.

Thats the spirit, hit em where it hurts! You may end up getting the Tasmanian Kangaroos! Its a fine line you toe, financial hits to this club would ultimately see it vanish from the face of the earth! Nice work! I’ll buy two next year to make up for you!

 

[Themanbun]

Thats the spirit, hit em where it hurts! You may end up getting the Tasmanian Kangaroos! Its a fine line you toe, financial hits to this club would ultimately see it vanish from the face of the earth! Nice work! I’ll buy two next year to make up for you!

Sometimes you've got to let someone or something hit rock bottom before it can be saved. The only reason they can destroy your club like this is because you keep funding them to do so.

I've been criticised for saying so before, but I'm not going to subsidise a clique of people ruining our club and undemocratically denying any other alternative.

It's not longer a member driven club. It's a corporation. Corporations only listen to money.

 

[gokangas]

Sometimes you've got to let someone or something hit rock bottom before it can be saved. The only reason they can destroy your club like this is because you keep funding them to do so.

I've been criticised for saying so before, but I'm not going to subsidise a clique of people ruining our club and undemocratically denying any other alternative.

Understand what you are saying but one point is wrong. Whether we like it or not this is a democratic process because the members voted to allow this nominations committee to be established. We now have to cop this sort of thing because we allowed it to happen. Lack of interest despite much discussion at the time allowed the club to push this change through.