Action targets Clubs’ president
Fears for the future of the Clubs of Marlborough has prompted a member to draw on her governance experience to seek a vote of no confidence in the Clubs’ president.
Clubs member Margaret Sowry drafted the formal letter to force an extraordinary general meeting where members will call for a vote of no confidence in committee president Jason Clouston. Clubs staff are among those helping to collect the 60 signatures of paying members required for the petition.
At a meeting on Tuesday, more than 50 staff at the Clubs had been asked to reapply for their jobs or accept redundancy.
About half the jobs are understood to remain, and opening hours are to be reduced.
The management committee sent an update to members a week before saying it was not economically viable to open the Clubs in alert levels 3 or 2. The Clubs was already struggling financially before the coronavirus pandemic lockdown, and an operational review recommended the restructure, the letter said.
Sowry said during her six months as a paying member, she had become deeply concerned by Clouston’s behaviour as president.
Sowry had experience with governance from her time as secretary treasurer of the Clutha Valley Tuapeka Heritage Trust.
Her husband, Niel Sowry, had also been president of the Master Plumbers, Drainlayers and Gasfitters Association in the 1990s.
Chief executive Lee Davis had also been asked to reapply for his job or accept redundancy. His wife, Marie Davis, told Stuff the president and committee often ignored Davis’ advice.
Sowry said the letter was only seeking Clouston’s removal as president.
Both members and nonmembers had expressed their support for the petition since Stuff’s coverage, she said. ‘‘Our phones just went berserk.’’
The letter needed at least 60 member signatures before being presented to the chief executive, with seven days’ notice for the extraordinary general meeting.
The letter outlined the reasons for the vote of no confidence as a lack of communication with members about the Clubs’ ‘‘precarious’’ financial position, unprofessional behaviour from the president, and his refusal to reopen the Clubs when he was legally able to.
‘‘The president has been less than professional in response to member’s questions, and arrogant and rude,’’ the letter said.
Committee members approached by Stuff on Tuesday declined to comment, saying it was ‘‘a matter for members’’ and there would be no public statement.
But Clouston told Stuff the Clubs had refrained from public discussion of the restructure out of concern for their staff, who were facing ‘‘enormous emotional pressure and stress’’.
Pandemic restrictions prevented Clouston and the committee from meeting with staff or members to explain the process, and they were refused access to staff contact details due to ‘‘privacy considerations’’.
‘‘I always respond to members’ correspondence expeditiously and in a courteous manner. I am forthright, when the circumstances require, in conveying members expectations to senior staff who are employed, to ensure staff that report to them provide excellence in the service members expect from them,’’ he said.
Financial advice showed the income from the maximum 100 people allowed in the Clubs under alert level 2 would not have covered the Clubs’ outgoing expenses, he said.
He did not recall overriding the chief executive beyond his jurisdiction as president, he said.
‘‘I am the first person to encourage free speech and open and robust debate of issues around the committee table. I operate on the team ethos; every member’s view is equal to the others.
‘‘Both Lee and I inherited each other, as did the current elected members of the committee ... Every relationship, whether working or otherwise has its ups and downs. Our working relationship was no different.’’