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Thread: CFC Governors' Quarterly On-line Meetings to Remain Closed

  1. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ken Craft View Post
    It is less transparent than it was prior to online meetings. All comments in Governors' Letters were available to the membership. Not all comments made by Governors in online meetings are available to members even after the meeting ends. To suggest that the CFC is one of the most transparent and open organizations around is nonsense.
    I think I could live with the entire comments of the meetings becoming public, once the meeting was over. It would make for less onerous work on the part of the summarizer.

    I just think that while the meeting is in progress, we don't need outside distractions commenting (typically negatively) on what we're debating.

  2. #12

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    Hi Bob A. and Ken,
    I am curious whether your convictions on this matter would be satisfied if the meeting were made open to the public after it was completed. I don't personally have a problem with any person seeing what I've posted or discussed, and the sole reason I voted against this motion is I felt it could cause problems during the bidding proccess for our marquis events. To my mind, the fact that bidding parties cannot see opposing bids is essential to ensure each group puts forward its best bid.

    It's not clear to me that transparency implies that the public should be able to view the entire process whil it is going on-- transparency seems more related to making sure people are accountable for their decisions... and this I feel would be satisfied if the meeting were made public once completed.

  3. #13

    Default Full Minutes of On-line Governors Meetings? ( Instead of Summaries )

    Hi to Chris Mallon:

    Can the special " confidential " governors' on-line meeting forum for the 2011 Winter Meeting, now be changed into a " public " forum that members/public could access?

    Can it be frozen, so that no one can make any further posts?

    Bob

  4. #14

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    That would bring us back to the level of the previous system, Stuart.

    I think confidential matters can be dealt with confidentially.

    If the House of Commons, Senate and all of the provincial and territorial legislatures can meet in public I fail to see why the CFC cannot do the same and withstand scrutiny of its deliberations.

  5. #15

    Default Transparency - What Are the Requirements?

    Hi Stuart:

    The motion 2011-F allowed for the times when " confidential matters " arose:

    Motion 2011-F - DISCUSSION - Opening On-line Meetings

    Moved: Bob Armstrong; Seconded: Ken Einarsson

    - that CFC Handbook SECTION 2 – Rules and Regulations, Article One, section 22A – Procedures for Governors’ On-Line Meetings be amended as follows:

    1. Section 1, The Meeting, subsection (i ) be amended ..........

    Where the governors vote that a matter is “ confidential “ in nature, and should be dealt with “ in camera “, the Chairperson shall direct that the meeting be adjourned to such Private CFC Discussion Forum as may be available, including the Governors’ Discussion Board. In such a case, after the confidential matter has been dealt with, the Chair shall direct that the meeting resume in the public forum.

    2. .............

    The argument presented in favour of the motion was:

    ........

    A list of arguments has been developed on both sides of this issue, as follows:

    PRO's
    1. .........

    2. .....

    3. Confidentiality Issues: The meeting can always be adjourned to a private forum temporarily if " confidential " matters arise.

    4. Governor Activity Monitoring:

    Though posting of summaries gives some information on the meeting, they are very truncated, and don't reveal which governors took what positions. Members may be interested in how their own local governors contributed. Public view-only meetings allow the members to measure their local governor activity.

    5. ......

    CON's

    1. .......

    2. .....

    3. Confidentiality:

    The issue of confidentiality could be raised on numerous occasions. Arguments will have to be made each time, and this will take valuable time away from the meeting. As well, confidential information could inadvertently be disclosed BEFORE the issue of going " in camera " gets raised, and this information could then be posted elsewhere.

    4. Summaries - The fact that the procedures state that " minutes " ( interpreted as " summaries " ) are to be posted on the CFC website almost immediately after the meeting, meets the test of having a " public " component to the meeting.

    ..........

    As a non-profit corporation, we should be as “ public accessible “ as is compatible with successful running of the organization. This change makes CFC more accessible, and contributes to CFC running more successfully.

    Making the proceedings in full available is second best in my mind, though better than what we have now. But the governors have spoken for the moment about open " public view-only " meetings, I guess, so that is dead for a while.

    Bob

  6. #16
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    I really am an idiot!

    I never should have posted any comments on this topic, it only add fuel to this silly argument. Sorry folks.

    I guess it is too late to plead that we actually try and tackle the real issues instead of all this political nonsense.

  7. #17

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    Planning on insulting any more Governors today, Bob G?

    There is nothing more fundamental to an organization than how it conducts its business. It's unfortunate the president of the federation doesn't see it as a "real issue".

  8. #18
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    Mississauga ON Canada
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ken Craft View Post
    Planning on insulting any more Governors today, Bob G?

    There is nothing more fundamental to an organization than how it conducts its business. It's unfortunate the president of the federation doesn't see it as a "real issue".
    Of course the conduct of the organization is important, but I am dismayed that it now overshadows any (all?) real work. Fred's point earlier is fair enough - not all Governors are the same - but what I am claiming is that the CFC *currently* is spending almost all of its time and resources on procedural matters and virtually nothing on what should be the primary focus: the nurturing of the game of Chess in Canada.

    There are no new initiatives for organizers or players. Money is being spent on a new website, but I have not seen even a hint of what value that will bring other than a more modern portal to view the Governor squabbles over what amounts to trivia.

  9. #19

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    Several motions were passed on the most recent online meeting re. CYCC qualification, a healthy and spirited discussion took place about membership models, discussion of the rating formula took place.

    ETA: The president also posted some interesting final remarks today.
    Last edited by Ken Craft; 01-25-2011 at 03:30 PM.

  10. #20

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    Quote Originally Posted by Ken Craft View Post
    I would suggest closed meetings do not jive with the second suggestion below:
    Elements of Good Governance
    Recommended practices for not-for-profit boards of directors
    The Panel on Accountability and Governance in the Voluntary Sector,14 chaired by Ed Broadbent, identified eight tasks required of the boards of charities and public-benefit not-for-profits15 to further developeffective governance:

    ■steering toward the mission and guiding strategic planning;
    ■being transparent, including communicating to members, stakeholders and the public and making information available upon request;
    ■developing appropriate structures;
    ■ensuring the board understands its role and avoids conflicts of interest;
    ■maintaining fiscal responsibility;
    ■ensuring that an effective management team is in place and overseeing its activities;
    ■implementing assessment and control systems; and,
    ■planning for the succession and diversity of the board.
    Good find, Ken. How do you think Ed Broadbent would define 'conflicts of interest'?

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