The following resolutions were received for
discussion at the upcoming AGM on Sat 27th Sept
2008. Please take the time to read and form an
opinion on each resolution.
Resolution 1 – from Shaun Ryan - Sept 8 –
2008 – Amend the current Constitution
In anticipation of S14 of the Constitution being
amended I Shaun Frederick Ryan being a member of
the Rhodesian Light Infantry Regimental
Association do hereby nominate the following
members for election to the Executive Council.
Chairman: Ian Buttenshaw
Treasurer: Martyn Hudson
Secretary: George Dempster
Member: Mark Pilbeam
Signed
8 September 2008
In anticipation of S14 of the Constitution being
amended I Martyn Hudson being a member of the
Rhodesian Light Infantry Regimental Association
do hereby nominate the following member for
election to the Executive Council
Member: Shaun Ryan
Signed
8 September 2008
Resolution 2 – from Shaun Ryan – Sept 8 – 2008 –
Nominations for election to the Executive
council
I, Shaun Frederick Ryan, being a member of the
Rhodesian Light Infantry Regimental Association
(the “RLIRA”) do hereby submit the following
resolutions to be tabled at the Annual General
Meeting of the RLIRA to be held at 14h30 on
Saturday 27th September 2008 at the Ramada
Jarvis Hotel, Hatfield, St Albans Road West,
Hertfordshire, AL10 9RH, England – and at any
adjournment thereof.
that
1. Section 14.0 EXECUTIVE COUNCIL COMPOSITION
be amended as follows:
(a) 14.1 c. “All Branch Presidents” be deleted
and substituted by the word “Treasurer”
(b) 14.1 d. “Members co-opted onto the Council
to fulfil a specific appointment” be deleted and
substituted by the word "Secretary".
2. That a clause be added: 14.1.e. Two Members
3. 14.2 be amended to read as follows:
(a) 14.2 The following appointments may be
filled by either Executive Council members or
members co-opted onto the Council for that
specific purpose
(b) 14.3 be amended to: "The Patron shall be a
member of the EXCO with no voting rights and
members co-opted onto the Council shall have no
voting rights".
For ease of reference, I attach Section 14 with
proposed amendments incorporated.
5. Paragraph 18 ELECTIONS be deleted and
substituted as follows:
(a) 18.1 All positions on the Executive Council
with the exception of the Patron will be elected
by a majority vote of the members entitled to
vote.
(b) 18.2 Every member entitled to vote shall
have one vote for each candidate standing for
each office on the Executive Council as
constituted in terms of Paragraph 14.1 a – d.
(c) 18.3 Within one month of the election of the
Executive Council, the Executive Council members
shall elect a Patron.
(d) 18.4 In terms of Paragraph 14.3 and 14.8 the
Executive Council may accept volunteers to fill
certain advisory posts or a more specific
appointment but such persons will have no
Executive Council vote.
(e) 18.5 The tenure for all appointments to Exco
for members with an Executive Council vote will
be for a period of 4 years (four years).
(f) 18.6 The period of office for those persons
appointed in terms of paragraph 18 14.3, 14.8
and 18.4 shall be for as long as the Executive
Council deems fit.
5. That the present executive council be
dissolved forthwith and elections for the
Executive Council be held immediately.
Signed
SHAUN FREDERICK RYAN
Dated 8 September 2008
14.0 EXECUTIVE COUNCIL COMPOSITION
14.1 The Executive Council shall comprise :
a. Association Patron
b. Association President(Executive Council
Chairman)
c. Treasurer
d. Secretary
e. Two members
14.2 The following Appointments may be filled by
either Executive Council Members or members
co-opted on to the Council for that specific
purpose
a. Association Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
b. Association Chief Financial Officer (CFO) (as
required)
c. Association History & Publications Officer (HPO)
d. Webmaster
e. Association Development Officer (ADO)
14.3 The Patron shall be a member of the
Executive Council, with no voting rights and
members co-opted onto the Council shall have no
voting rights.
14.4 The Executive Council is to be a
non-partisan international body and thus,
members may be resident in any part of the
world.
14.5 It shall be an essential requirement that
all Executive Council members be competent in
the use of, and maintain efficient and effective
system of email communication or its equivalent.
14.6 Executive Council membership shall not
preclude membership of other committees.
14.7 Only FULL Members may be elected to serve
on the Executive Council.
14.8 The Executive Council may call on the
assistance of consultants/advisors as and when
it is necessary or expedient, but with no voting
rights.
Resolution 3 – received from Digger Essex Clerk
–Sept 9th 2008 – Replace the existing
constitution with a simple charter
THE CONSTITUTION COULD BE REPLACED BY A SIMPLE ‘CHARTER’
~ A PROPOSAL BY THE (then) PATRON ~
PREAMBLE
The Constitution of the RLIRA has been the cause
of much discontent and unnecessary friction. The
fuss about membership, elections, and the
debated constitutional authority of the
Executive Council (ExCo) has caused much
irritation and angst. The current Constitution
is too controlling, restrictive and complicated,
and also, in parts, ambiguous.
Since the rebirth of the RLIRA, the branches and
the ExCo often have worked independently, and
the current constitution has too often been
proved cumbersome and irrelevant.
The ‘branches’ are the lifeblood and energy of
the Association and repository of its values.
Quite rightly and sensibly they have
independently, and with common sense, and
irrespective of the current constitution, chosen
their own modus operandi to suit the
personalities, cultures, communications, and
conditions of their regions. We should accept
this as an irrefutable and irreversible fact;
and build it into our Association’s modus
operandi (MO). This would mean reducing the
authority of the current ExCo significantly; and
giving it titular, administrative and
coordinating roles only.
SOME RANDOM SUGGESTIONS
Because we are not a legally composed body
operating under some governmental control and
benefiting from governmental economic
privileges, I do not believe that we need a
formal constitution in order to exist. All we
need is ‘charter’ to state our raison d’etre and
Association MO.
To break away from the demeaning term ‘branches’
indicating subordination and a need for central
and controlling ‘core’ (the trunk), I also
suggest we return to the simple term ‘Group’,
and have ‘regional groups’ rather than branches.
The Association would then be an organisation of
‘allied’ but not subordinate groups.
As the Association would also no longer be
controlled by, or be subordinate to, a central
and governing core organisation I also suggest
we return to the old well established
coordinating term of ‘Headquarters’ or
‘coordinating cell’ rather than that of
‘Executive Council’.
Also, as a matter of passing interest, but not
substance, we are not really a ‘regimental’
association because we were never a regiment in
that we only ever had one battalion. A regiment
is traditionally a group of battalions using the
same title. I suggest therefore that we assume
the simpler title of Rhodesian Light Infantry
Association. It is also simpler and easier to
say ‘RLIA’ rather than the tongue twisting ‘RLIRA’.
We probably picked up this title by using
some-one else’s constitution, probably South
African, or the original Rhodesian constitution
based on that of a British Regeiment.
By having a simple charter and no constitution
we can avoid all the complications of rules and
procedures that annoy and restrict the current
branches from accelerating their and our
Association’s essential purposes of fellowship
and commemoration. Control of the separate
regional groups would be totally in the hands of
the headquarters of each of the regional groups
(or whatever we title them), as it is now, and
should be. I have also avoided using the flaccid
word ‘committee’.
Although our original goal was expressed as ‘The
maintenance of the bonds of friendship, support,
and comfort created by the memory of shared
service in the Rhodesian Light Infantry’, I
believe that we must now be more inclusive and
recognise that if the Association is to continue
after we who once served in the Regiment are all
gone, that, in order to preserve our ethos,
memory and memorabilia, we need to include
interested family, supportive youth, and
friends. Therefore any new charter should state
the purpose of our Society and how we work
together as separate groups, each group deciding
its own organisation and modus operandi to
achieve that purpose. I believe also that we
should avoid demeaning membership ‘categories’,
levels of worthiness, previous unit occupations,
and time in service that have caused some
vexatious friction and angst in the past.
I would suggest then that the Charter be
expressed something like this:
Charter: ‘The Rhodesian Light Infantry
Association is a free and loosely knit society
of those interested in maintaining the memory of
the fellowship of the Rhodesian Light Infantry,
the achievements of the battalion, the
commemoration of those who died in service with
the battalion, and celebrating the ethos and
spirit gained by service in that battalion. Each
supporter of the Association being titled a
‘supporter’.’
Organisation and Operation.
Composition: The Association consists of
regional groups and a central administrative and
global-activity coordinating ‘Association
Headquarters’ (the AHQ).
The Association Headquarters (AHQ): The
AHQ will
consist of those nominated by the regional
groups to fill the positions of the AHQ Chairman
(who will, ex officio, be the President of the RLIA) , the Association Secretary; the Legal
advisor and public relations coordinator; the
principals of each and every regional group; the
web-site manager; and the Association and RLI
historian (a supporter who will also provide
corporate knowledge of the battalion and the
RLIRA: e.g. some-one with background of such as
Chris Cocks). The AHQ will also co-opt other
suitable supporters for special RLIA projects
when necessary.
This AHQ could assist, where possible and
invited, all activities towards promoting and
achieving the charter of the Association; and
establish and maintain a ‘supporters’ roll; the
Association website, coordinate, where
requested, inter-group and global matters; and,
if necessary, conduct general meetings of the
Association electronically. It will also
arbitrate in any disputes relating to the
purpose and activities held in the name of the
Association. The AHQ is also responsible for
maintaining, with dignity and care, any item
representing the existence and ethos of the
First Battalion of the Rhodesian Light Infantry
(such as the Trooper Statue and the Regimental
Colours ~ both Imperial and Republican); and any
other battalion documentation and memorabilia.
To do so the AHQ may have to conduct fund
raising activities and request support from
regional groups. The RLIA Headquarters will
manage the organisation’s web site and produce
an annual Association newsletter that will
include a report from the Association President.
The AHQ will also be responsible after
recommendation from a regional group, and at AHQ
discretion, be responsible for nominating ‘Life
members’ from those who served the Battalion
well during its existence, and ‘Regimental
Stalwarts’ from those who have served the
Association with distinction.
Regional Groups: A Regional Group may be formed
by any group of ten or more supporters (or less
at the discretion of the AHQ. e.g. in the USA),
who have the purpose and charter of the
Association at heart. Each Group will establish
its own headquarters and MO. These groups could
be such as: The UK RLIA Group, the South Africa
RLIA Group; the Australia RLIA Group; the New
Zealand RLIA Group, etc. Each regional group
needs the recognition of the AHQ to be
established. Regional Groups are encouraged to
produce their own regional electronic news
bulletins as and when required. They should also
keep the website and webmaster current with
enrolments or amendments. The webmaster would
advise on the proforma to be used. If we were to
use the word ‘group’, each could then become
'allied' to the Association, rather than be
subordinate 'branches', a distinction I
discussed earlier.
Membership: i.e. Supporters: Any person who has
the interests of the Association at heart,
whether a previous member with service in the
battalion, or relatives or friends, may become a
supporter of the Association and may become an
enrolled supporter of any regional group.
Enrolment of supporters into the Association is
free and requires no payment other than the
emotional interest and dedication of the
supporter. (As I have mentioned,, this would
remove the vexatious problems of various classes
of membership and proof of service. Also, none
of us are getting any younger and we may need
the help of family and friends to keep the RLI
spirit alive through future generations.)
FINANCIAL: if any single regional group needs to
have a region specific constitution to meet
their nation's legal demands for a constitution,
or banking arrangements, in order to establish
such as a charitable organisation exempt from
certain government taxes, etc. (as may well have
been the case in the adoption of another's for
our present constitution) then that regional
group should do so on its own cognizance and
responsibility. To do this, each current branch
may have to be retitled to meet regional
government requirements. For example; the term
‘Association’ is not acceptable in the USA for
our type of activity whereas the term ‘Society’
is acceptable.
AGM: Annual General Meetings of the Association
will be held electronically on the Regimental
birthday each year (1st February) and the AHQ
will be up for re-election by the group
headquarters at each AGM. Each regional group
has one vote only. Nominations for positions on
the AHQ should be submitted by 31st October of
the previous year. The AGM would only consider
motions placed before it also by 31st October of
the previous year (We may want to have a quota
system of votes depending on the number of
supporters in each of the separate groups).
Properly conducted elections will remove much of
the current angst about mandates.
PATRON: The AHQ will select a Patron of the
Association for purposes of a ‘father figure’
alone. The Patron will have no role within the
AHQ, but may be requested for paternal advice in
any matter or dispute . His term of office shall
be at the discretion of the RLIA AHQ. He should
be kept informed of any RLIA global or regional
group activities.
INTERNET & WEBSITE: The organisation operates
electronically through the use of Personal
e-mails on the internet, and the World Wide Web.
The Association website can be found at
www.therli.com.
Motto: The motto of the Association shall be
‘The Saints go marching on’
Emblem: The emblem of the Association shall be:
Addendum: The Association recognises with
gratitude and pride the work done by John
Salt;……….., ……(?)., etc; in Rhodesia to
establish he original RLI Regimental Association
in 1976 (?) and re-established in South Africa
by …….; ……(?). Etc n 1981(?), 1 but later
dissolved; and the rebirth of the Association
due to the efforts of Chris Cocks, in South
Africa, and Tony Young and Jerry Strong in
Australia in 2004. Without the vision and energy
of these RLI stalwarts the present organisation
may have not existed.
The RLIA heartily and deeply thanks them.
(To be completed by the Association Historian;
…Chris?)
Note: this style of ‘Charter’ would consist of
two to three pages only because the function and
operation of the groups would be established by
each group separately to meet the specific needs
and conditions required in that region. |
