The Cumberland Throw

Parramatta Leagues Club General Meeting – Your Attendance Is Crucial

Next Tuesday, 14th May, a general meeting will be held at the Cumberland Lounge of BankWest Stadium to again vote on the adoption of a new constitution for Parramatta Leagues Club.

As many PLC members are aware, an important objective for ILGA appointed Administrator, Max Donnelly, has been to implement governance reforms at the club via a new constitution which would incorporate transitioning the leagues club’s board back to member elections.

To that end, his constitution proposes the merit appointment of a new board, with triennial elections to follow. This would take the form of a three year cycle where two, two, then three board members would progressively be subject to elections for their positions.

Earlier this year, a petition organised by opponents to Mr Donnelly’s processes argued that the first board should be elected by members. They rejected any consideration of the appointed skills-based board model proposed by Donnelly.

The Cumberland Throw supports Max Donnelly’s proposed constitution, including the appointment of the first board. (Our full 2018 interview with Max Donnelly can be heard here.)  We cannot afford a return to the factional fighting which has long featured in Parramatta Leagues Club elections.

An organisation which has total assets of over one hundred million dollars, and a $150 million hotel development looming, requires the best qualified people on its board, especially as it transitions to triennial member elections. Importantly, history has proven that a well governed PLC is crucial to the Parramatta Eels.

To that end, we encourage any eligible PLC member to make the effort to attend the meeting on Tuesday 14th May.

For Mr Donnelly to appoint a board, 75 per cent of leagues club members must approve his proposed constitution. It’s rare for meetings to draw much more than 200 voting members. If such a number again attend, it will only require around 50 opponents to prevent the adoption of the new constitution.

We therefore need to maximise support for Max at the general meeting, and that can only happen with more members attending. Hopefully, previous opponents might also realise that continued opposition is only prolonging Max’s stay.

The longer this drags on, the longer Max Donnelly will remain in his Administrator position. Every time this constitution is rejected, the transition of control to members is delayed.

Paul Garrard has been one of the most prominent opponents to Max Donnelly. He’s been quoted as saying, “You are going to always get factions – it doesn’t matter if you have a tuckshop or a club.”

Let that comment sink in. Why should we accept factionalism as easily as that?

Max Donnelly’s constitution offers a solution.

Please attend the meeting to support his constitution and a path to a better future.

 

The details are as follows:

Date: Tuesday 14th May

Location: Cumberland Lounge, Level 1, BankWest Stadium – Entry via Gate F, Western side

Time: 7pm (registrations from 6pm)

Please note – For member who are time poor, voting will be possible after the meeting preliminaries are completed (approximately 5 minutes after the commencement of the meeting).

The ballot box will be opened from then so that you can cast your vote and leave. Of course, if you enjoy a debate you are welcome to stay and listen before voting.

 

Eels forever!

 

Sixties

 

 

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28 thoughts on “Parramatta Leagues Club General Meeting – Your Attendance Is Crucial

    1. sixties

      Opponents to Donnelly have again petitioned to have their constitution voted on and it will be heard on that date. I didn’t want to confuse the issue by addressing a future meeting now

      1. !0 Year Member

        Sixites. Can you still attend even if you have not been a member of the leagues club for 3 years?

  1. Colin Hussey

    To me this is a vital meeting, and am just shy of 3 months short of the 3 year membership requirement to vote, after my foolish decision to drop both the old football club and PLC membership after 12 months of incompetence by the mob elected in 2009, I constantly remind myself of that after being a member of the clubs since 1968.

    I strongly urge all members here and eligible to vote to get to the meeting and get this decision passed.. Its well overdue and if complacency becomes your motivation to not go and voted, then I ask the question Do you really support the Parramatta eels?

    If the answer is yes, then go and vote, if you really care about the future of the club at all..

    1. sixties

      There’s plenty of parking, and if you haven’t been into BankWest Stadium you can check it out on the night. You can vote and leave – maybe enjoy a meal and a beverage at the club.

  2. Milo

    Thanks Sixties; work commitments up here prevent me from attending; its a shame that online voting cannot be done. Those comments from Garrard are a joke.

  3. BDon

    Sixties, you’re right about Donnelly, his appointment won’t be dispensed with until the State government are comfortable that proper governance and competent management are in place. Otherwise, what’s the point of the whole exercise?

    1. sixties

      Exactly, and the sooner we vote in the new constitution, the sooner we start triennial elections.

  4. Scott

    I will be there an looking fwd to everyone yelling out SIT DOWN to the same flops trying to get M Donnelly reforms blocked . If theyd just voted for them when they first came in Max would be long gone and they could put there people up for election lol no chance i hell id vote for any of them .will the bar be open ?

  5. Clive

    It still amazes me that these same agenda driven stooges keep turning up to try and get control of the club again. Seriously get a life and move on you greedy, selfish old fools.

    1. sixties

      It doesn’t take many family and friends of opponents to block the constitution Clive. Which is why we must turn up in numbers. It requires a 75% yes vote to get this home. I expect the no vote to have between 70 and 100 there. You can see why every yes vote is needed. We have to move forward as one. We can’t stay locked in the past.

      1. Colin Hussey

        Sixties, this is where it really maddens me regarding the dumb play agendas the opposition will be mounting. IIRC there were around the 200 mark at the last event, mostly those on the opposition side of things who voted it down.

        Hopefully that with the posts by some basically fanatical 1eye’ers who have switched to the yes side, and one of them in particular whom I applaud for his great post to support the yes vote, I sincerely hope that will be enough to get the yes over the line.

        If not this time round, once Independence day arrives this year I can vote and will be there afterwards.

        1. sixties

          Let’s leave the past in the past. Time to move our club forward.
          To be honest, I’m disappointed to have to write anything political on TCT. It’s not what our site is about. But poor governance at PLC led to the dramas around the salary cap. The Leagues Club came into existence to provide financial support for rugby league in the Parramatta district – from juniors to first grade. Until we have reform, our rugby league operations will be at risk. In better seasons such as this complacency is the enemy.

          1. Colin Hussey

            I don’t disagree re the past, problem to me though is how many still want that time frame owing to their own agenda’s, & wasn’t Garrard on the board previously?

            Too many want to put down the past, yet it would seem they cannot get out of when it comes to actually moving on the need for change.

            Change is not going to kill the club, remaining as is, that’s another matter.

          2. sixties

            Yes he was on Sharps board.
            I won’t throw stones at the past, but we just can’t move backwards. Those opposed can trace connections either directly or indirectly to previous boards. The past is the past. We have to leave it there.

  6. Anonymous

    Don’t support this brainless proposal … the club will suffer for ever….
    If you truely love Parra and want to see Parra win Premierships don’t support this. Max Donnelly said in April this proposal will not be successful. Look at his board are making decisions! It’s a mess!

    1. Jason

      I’m gathering this dribble is from Andrew E..

      The only way forward is voting yes to ensure we don’t have uneducated dimwits on the board who only care about their own interests.

      Who wouldn’t want online voting and skills based board model. Vote yes

  7. Scott

    What was the result ? After listening to them against fools ,special mention to Gerard hes a deadset gronk and yeah labozzeta your dapto dog family do block vote i went home . No beers on tap either

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