New Secretary for CCC.

Jopo

Active member
I see from the latest Twll Du update that the CCC seems to have a new secretary, Allan Richardson. The website gives no info. Anyone know how this came about? The CCC Latest News section has no info. One trusts it was constitutional.

Jopo
 

nickdegarepitt

New member
It was in the CCC newsletter back last October I think, they asked if anyone was interested in acting as secretary until the AGM as the previous sec had stepped down, the committee then voted on the matter, I think 3 people threw their hats in and Allan was successful.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Allan

Member
Hi Jopo
I am listed as the Secretary, but there was no news item to the effect that I was now the Secretary, that was an oversight, sorry.
Cheers
Allan
 

Jopo

Active member
Thanks for that Allan.


Reading the constitution I see other officers can select a candidate to fill a vacancy. Nice and cosy that could be - if one was paranoid

Jopo
 

MarkS

Moderator
I may be wrong, but I think committee members co-opting someone on to a committee in the event of an officer stepping down between AGMs is not an unusual situation.
 

royfellows

Well-known member
I dont believe that you are wrong, but Mr Jopo was clear that it would only occur as unusual to someone who was paranoid.
I cant think of anyone on here fitting that description for one moment.
 

mch

Member
royfellows said:
I dont believe that you are wrong, but Mr Jopo was clear that it would only occur as unusual to someone who was paranoid.
I cant think of anyone on here fitting that description for one moment.
:clap:
 

Simon Wilson

New member
That's good to hear.

I thought it was a little strange that three people offered to do the job and it made me ponder.

Regional councils seem to be working well, so why not the BCA?
 

Dave Tyson

Member
To put the new CCC secretary position in context.

I was elected at CCC Secretary at the 2014 AGM and served till the March 2017 AGM when I stepped down and Rob Jones took over (he was the only candidate). Sadly Rob has suffered health problems and so I stepped in mid summer to handle the paperwork for the Sport Wales National Governing body submission and other duties. I told the rest of the committee I would step down as acting secretary at the end of December.

The October 2017 Newsletter noted I was acting secretary and that the CCC committee would welcome applications for a replacement. This would be a stop-gap position till the CCC AGM in March. There were two applications, one from Allan and one from a couple of cavers (Nick & Clinton) who wanted to job share, brief CV's were provided by both parties.
 
Since I was leaving I abstained from the voting and the rest of the committee voted on the two choices and the final result was 4-3 to Allan.

The CCC constitution allows the committee to co-opt people to replace posts or provide extra expertise - It avoids the hassle and expense of convening an EGM. Democracy will be fully served at the March AGM when all the CCC posts come up for re-election.

Dave
[ex CCC Secretary]
 

Simon Wilson

New member
I have no idea who Jopo is or why she/he started the thread but the replies were all a bit fuzzy. It was partly the lack of clarity which made me wonder.
 

Jopo

Active member
I am Brian Jopling and have been known as Jopo since a boy. 'Jopo' appears on the minutes of caving/mountain rescue bodies so I am fairly well known by my nickname  in Wales.

Now retired from caving due to smoking related health problems I have been a member of SWCC for 46 years and live in Penwyllt. I have been involved in cave rescue since 1971 and involved with almost all of the big rescues in Wales until I retired as a warden 3 years ago and take no part in rescue other than still designing confined space stretchers and keeping myself informed of what is going on.

I am not particularly paranoid but have seen enough caving politics as a member of various bodies to be a little sceptical. I have a strong dislike of non democratic organisations and will always object to them - benign dictatorships or not.

I had been speaking to the now CCC sec just the day before I posted, and indeed acted on his behalf, without knowing his position.
I was therefore surprised to see Allan posting as CCC sec so asked the question, online because I don't much like old boy networks.
Some replies have been interesting and worth what seems the odd knock at having the temerity to ask the question.

The post by Dave Tyson

'It avoids the hassle and expense of convening an EGM. Democracy will be fully served at the March AGM when all the CCC posts come up for re-election.'

gives the answer but a simple note on the CCC website and a email to member clubs and organisations would have cost nowt.

If Allan stands at the CCC agm as sec I wish him well.

I must admit though that I am pleased that Cave Access Ltd no longer has all of it's directors on the CCC exec.

Hope that satisfies you Mr Wilson

Jopo



 

nickdegarepitt

New member
Simon Wilson said:
That's good to hear.

I thought it was a little strange that three people offered to do the job and it made me ponder.

Regional councils seem to be working well, so why not the BCA?
I think it is good for caving that 3 people put themselves forward to help cover as sec. Proves it wasn?t a shoe in which can sometimes happen when someone steps down, Dave?s explanation is spot on as I am the Nick he mentions, as an independent caver the process was democratic in my opinion, trust me if it wasn?t I?d be the first to shout it from the rooftops.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Jopo

Active member
Roy.

You have seen my previous posts about unelected undemocratic access groups like yours. It had a good airing and on balance my view was not the popular one held by those who post here.

Perhaps I am just being a bit paranoid about three principle CCC officers holding the same views on access.

Bye the way imagine the shitstorm that would have accompanied a change of secretary of the PDCMG without reference or notice.

Jopo
 

Ian Adams

Active member
I don?t think that is a fair appraisal of Cave Access Ltd at all.

The ?company? is a trust holding an access arrangement enabling all cavers/persons to enter caves & mines within the agreement.

It is entirely selfless and seeks to ?control? nothing. The persons involved in creating the structure sought to enable access for all people for all time. The people that did this chose to do so without financial reward or privilege.

The predecessor ?body? was a democratic body (ie. the CCC) which, at the time, failed to secure an agreement despite the best endeavours of the then access/conservation officer. Arguably (and I saw first hand so I can attest) it was certain persons within that democratic body that thwarted the process (does that have a familiar ring?). Consequently, following a change in officers at the CCC, the original agreement was pursued and protected.

All cavers benefit, including you Brian.

No one is taking anything away from anyone. No one has any malicious intentions and it is hard to see how anyone could harbour mens rea.

May I suggest that you commend the officers of the Cambrian Caving Council for their work in securing access for all rather than cast aspersions?

Ian
 
Top