MEMBERS of the Institute of Travel and Tourism who have recently received their ITTjournal will have noticed that both chief executive LindaGibson and president Richard Lovell made reference to the special resolution to amend the Articles of Association at the emergency general meeting.
Both writers stated, quite accurately, that the motion was passed with an overwhelming majority. ITT members should be aware although this is the truth, it is not the whole truth.
Before the vote was taken, chairwoman Carol Dray announced she held a sufficiently large number of proxy votes, allocated to her without voting preference, to ensure that regardless of the view from the floor the motion could be accepted or rejected as she felt fit. Faced with a “no win” situation, I feel most of the members present voted for the motion or abstained.
Thus the result was not atriumph for the democratic process but a triumph for asystem that allows proxies to be used to implement the wishes of the board of management, whatever they may be.
But I suspect most members who submitted their proxies were unaware of this.
Many organisations allow those who submit their proxies to the chair a choice of voting options.
Until such a democratic system is instituted within the ITT, may I suggest to those members who feel it is wrong forimportant decisions of this type to be made in line with the board of management’s own wishes, to allocate their proxies to a member who will be in attendance at the meeting and to indicate clearly how they would like their vote to be cast.
Richard English
St Albans
Hertfordshire