Branded a felon

[John Ellison]

I'd like an opinion on this please.

I, as an hard working member of a club committee volunteered to do a particularly messy and unwanted job, liming a lake. Only one other chap off the committee volunteered but were being supervised by an EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE man with a bad back. The date for the job was set 6 weeks before the event. The Hon Sec. failed to inform the water bailiff untill Saturday afternoon that the job was to be done the following day.

When we arrived an angler had to be moved from the landing from where the boat was to launched.

Other anglers fishing the other side of the lake were unconcerned. We began at 09-30 having humped 58 bags of lime 40 yards from where we could launch. Off we started. The engine wouldn't start so we rowed. 8 bags of lime at a time in the boat, I'm on the bow bullying a bag of lime onto my knee then slashing in open with a knife. Meanwhile EXEC had got the engine running and now we are motoring. Each return to the landing we loaded up and off we went again. The bailiffs have now arrived and were directing us where to put the next load. As the day wore on we were being directed by the bailiffs with EXEC looking on. We did as we were bid. The original plan of liming a quarter of the lake was expanded by EXEC and the bailiffs, not us, we were just doing the donkey work. We were getting ever closer to the carp anglers. Then it happened!

My captain in 60 seconds of insanity ran the boat through their lines. The first I knew of this was when I was nearly cut in half by the first mans lines. Profanities flew from the bank. When we sailed through the other two the air was blue. My captain had quite a bit to say to them, not very nice either.I was shocked how my captain could be so stupid but I never said a word while in the boat.

I received a phonecall from Hon Sec, then a further one from el-presidente. And two copies of 'war and peace' from the offended anglers that had been penned to Hon Sec.

It transpired that my captain had once given such a mouthful to a BWB official that we nearly lost a length of canal. He'd done it again here.

One of them claimed erroniously that I had told them to go forth and multiply when in fact I had not spoken a word. I was being asked on the phone if I would appear before the EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE and give my account of events. Captain was going to get a rocket this time. LITTLE DID I KNOW!

When that day arrived I appeared before them and by now, captain had come to appreciate the folly of his madness and I in sympathy was not going to make it any worse for him than it already was. As when any dirty work needs doing he's always been willing to get his hands dirty, most of the rest of the committee just nod their approval when we'd done what they were not prepared to do.

Now he was offside on this occasion by a long way and I wondered just how they were going to punish him.

It was concluded that WE had brought the club into disrepute. I had put my head in the lions mouth and had it bitten off. They then had to advise the full committee of their reccommendation. The vote went thus: Yes we had 7 (of which 6 were executive members)against nil, abstensions 11. I

I had known 4 of the EXEC for over 30 years, another more than 20 and the other more than 10.

I have never, ever had any kind of complaint registered against me in all that time and was awarded life membership 2 years previous.

Now it's said that a good reputation must be defended and mine is Lilywhite. Yet in one fell swoop, I'm branded!

When I checked the club rules I find that the proceedures for diciplining members is defined within those rules and what I had just sat through bore no resemblence whatsoever to the rules as printed in the yearbook and the appeal proceedure could not be followed as printed in the book because proceedure as printed had not been observed. Correspondence from me to Hon Sec about !being stitched up! and sympathy from the president turned this little gem up!

"You must realize that everyone knows that you were not the one responsible for the action that caused the problem" SO HOW COULD I BE GUILTY OF BRINGING THE CLUB INTO DISREPUTE THEN?

To which I replied " I give you my absolute and utter assurance, that while ever that verdict remains, I shall have no further interest in committee business. I have been hung for a murder I did not commit".

The whole crux of the matter is this:

In the year book rules it states that bla bla bla shall form a committee and conduct the business of the club. Quite normal.

Under officials of the club we have the words executive committee and six names of the committee. THE IS NO FURTHER REFERENCE TO THEIR ROLE , FUNCTION, POWERS or anything else within the covers of the yearbook.

To overcome this dictum or lack of one, Hon Sec turned up a resolution from a 1973 committee meeting proposing that the executive committee be authorised to deal with any matters requiring urgent or confidential attention on behalf of the committee.

So why is that not within the rulebook.

I was present at the meeting when it was formed. It was formed because committee business was being leaked to rival clubs as soon as it had been discussed. Details of impending leases etc. needed to be protected. This was seen as the answer stop leaks, not march on Poland!

Never, not once, has Hon Sec ceded that if he had done his job properly and informed the baillifs in good time what was to be done, I doubt if any anglers would have been on the lake at all.

Zeig heil!

[Newt]

So now you can get on with the sport of angling and not have to deal with politics.

 

The way the power structure of this club operates (from what you've said) that sounds like a much better option.

 

And you've certainly found that some you thought friends were not which is always good (painful but good) to know.

 

As to the other gent who was with you, while a willingness to work hard is admirable, so little control over one's speech is a very bad thing in an adult and this fella sounds like a good man to avoid.

 

[ 02 August 2002, 09:20 PM: Message edited by: Newt ]

[fisherking]

Ho HUM,

 

Pass the Monopoly please.

 

John.

[Chris Playle]

John,

 

As Newt said.

 

Now that you have the chance, get out of it all, grab your rods and get fishing.

 

This has obviously got you all fired up, so put the agression and anger toward the club to good use and look after the interests of number one, you.

 

It's a simple question to which the answer you probably already know deep down. Which do you spend more time doing and which would you LIKE to spend more time doing??? Pandering to the club that stabs you in the back or enjoying what should be a hobby you can enjoy at your own leisure?

 

Tight Lines.

 

Chris.

[Gaffer]

John, in years to come the club will no doubt wonder where all of their good people went. What goes around, comes around!

 

Go fishing mate, sounds like you've done your bit.

[John Ellison]

Thanks for that chaps, I needed it!

Ive been doing a bit on the commercials recently, all I have to do is pay.

[Ray Larkin]

John

What was the lime for?

 

Regards

Ray Larkin

[big al]

i would imagine the lime was to reduce silt and increase the life in the water.a very messy job im told.

 

john at some time or other we have all been there indeed one of our committee ran through the lines of an angler recently.a discussion with the angler ensured where we pointed out he could of removed his lines easy.the answer is to shut the lake if work is being carried out somthing no ones likes .

 

as too to result well i would also support the guys saying go fishing ,but only after your name was cleared and it be minuted in the record as this could come back in the future.

all clubs should have a robust system to deal with any complaints. we have a saying if they don,t like it find someone else.chin up mate not sure if you are near watford but you are welcolme at my water anytime(could you give us a hand with the lime?) cheers big al

[Dunk Fairley]

john,

 

sad to hear of your committee dust-up. I agree with the others about going fishing. The trouble is, after you've been involved in something like that for a long time, it's hard to forget that you actually WANT to be involved at more than a "sit by the bank and let others do it" sort of way.

 

have you thought about joining and working with some other sort of angling body? such as the ACA, NFA or any of the others. My own work with the Specialist Anglers Alliance (formerly SACG) kept me oyt of bisness for a few years (I'm on a temporary layoff at the moment, due to waiting for an OP).

 

I don't know what area you are in, but I'm sure I can put you in touch with an angling body, who would need a pair of hands, or a good brain such as yours.

 

Apart from that, how about becoming an EA bailiff, or an NFA or PAA angling coach?

[Ray Walton]

Why did the carp anglers leave their lines out and not wind them in when they saw the boat coming?