Mr Millers excellent presentation and talk was met with wide applause.
The next speaker was Mr Darryn Snooks (President; Australian Classic Rally Association, Chair Victorian Rally Advisory Panel, Member Vic State Executive and Member of ARCom (though not representing ARCom at this meeting)
Mr Snooks spoke on delegated authority and respect of Commissions.
Mr Snooks rhetorically asked the question about what respect the Board had for the knowledge, skills and advice of its Commissions and the work they do in putting recommendations forward for the various categories they represent and advise on?
In particular the example was given of the submission made to allow a couple of New Zealand domiciled BDA Escorts, competing on Motor Sport NZ Log Books, to compete in the 2010 ARC despite these cars not technically meeting the strict roll cage requirements in Australia. In this example, despite many precedents and a strong supported position being put forward, the Board vetoed the request of ARCom for such an initiative.
Many examples were provided whereby in lots of motor sport categories within CAMS vehicles are allowed to compete with less than the current technical specifications (including in fact in rallying), however the Board chose to ignore the recommendations of ARCom to allow this.
Mr Snooks gave an excellent talk on how this initiative was part of trying to reinvigorate the ARc through bringing some of the sound and excitement back to rallying that was the drawcard of rallying in its heyday.
Mr Snooks very well measured and presented talk was also met with wide applause.
The next speaker was Mr Jim Rearck (President of the Maserati Club and Chair of the Speed Events Panel and Member of Victorian State Executive)
Mr Rearck spoke on strategic planning and what, if anything, was CAMS plan for the future?
Mr Reark (assisted by Dr Gowers) spoke to the apparent lack of any current plan and queried how, in the absence of any plan, could CAMS move forward for the benefits of its members nor address the challenges that CAMS is now facing?
It was suggested that there was a total mismanagement by the Board in terms of meeting its goverance responsibilities.
Mr Rearck & Dr Gowers pointed out that the Australian Sports Commission is very clear on how national sporting organisations ought have appropriate strategic plans so as to reflect and meet the interests and aspirations of its MEMBERS.
The meeting was advised that the only document in circulation was over 5 years old, is now well out of date, and reported information from the CAMS website that a new plan is underway, has not been met through any interaction with its membership nor reports on progress.
A question from the floor was received as to whether the CAMS summit (held in Torquay in September 2009) discussed or addressed issues and ideas towards a new strategic plan.
Dr Gowers responded that despite his election as an Alternate Director and senior Member of the CAMS State Executive etc that he was not invited to attend the Summit, so he was unable to comment.
Others present, who did attend the Summit (Mr Robertson), advised that a potential forward strategic plan or items for within such a plan were NOT discussed or on the agenda at the Summit.
Mr Robertson, who attended the Summit as a Commissioner of the AMRC advised the meeting that there was little or no evidence of a forward vision for CAMS.
The meeting showed their support for the presentation by Mr Reark and Dr Gowers with enthusiastic applause.
The next speaker was Mr Mike Herlihy (President of the MG Club)
Mr Herlihy spoke to the CAMS website and IT issues for CAMS.
Mr Herlihy began by asking the meeting to provide by a show of hands who was "happy with the new CAMS website"? Not one hand went up.
Mr Herlihy provided background as to his extensive professional experience in IT and specifically website development and design.
Mr Herlihy gave an excellent presentation on how it was quite clear that the developers of the new CAMS website had little or no understanding of either the demographic of CAMS nor who the core users of the website would be.
The meeting was advised the problems were obvious and existent, however there was no apparent restorative action being taken to try and address the significant issues as present.
The meeting was advised that many many complaints were being made to CAMS and that the unresolved situation was massively undermining the confidence of all who rely upon the website for information in our sport, and in turn undermining the confidence in the administration of CAMS.
Mr Herlihys well considered and delivered presentation was, like all before him, met with universal applause.
The above presentations concluded about 21:10hrs, and the meeting Chair, David Bellenger, invited Mr Papadopoulos to respond on behalf of the CAMS Board.
Mr Papadopoulos advised the meeting that he and the Board are listening and are taking the concerns of this Sport & Club Development Council seriously.
In particular, Mr Papadopoulos advised that the Board are reconsidering the issue concerning minutes, and that he expected the situation to revert to what it formerly was and for minutes to be distributed to State S&CDC's etc. This of course being subject to decision by the Board.
The meeting was advised that appointed Director, Mr Bob Glindemann has advised that when his term concludes in December 2009 that he is NOT seeking reappointment.
Mr Papadopoulos advised that the Board consciously decided to operate in 2008 with a deficit budget in "the interests of members".
With regard to the NZ rally cars issue, Mr Papadopoulos advised that this was a risk management decision by he and the Board due to fears of prosecution and/or the need to appear before a Coroner.
The Presidents position on this was challenged by David Kelly (yes, that's me!) in terms that on the basis of having done appropriate risk assessments (which had been done by Mr Snooks and ARCom) that the personal risk for Directors (or indeed others) was infinitesimally small.. but that more importantly, if he as President or other Board Members were afraid of the risk as Directors of an organisation involved in inherently "dangerous" activities, then they should stand down in favour of those who were happy to have such responsibility.
This particular challenge was met with wide applause by those assembled at the meeting.
Mr Papadopoulos response to all the presentations was quite short, and the meeting went into open forum at approximately 21:20hrs.
The open forum had a range of speakers from clubs here in Victoria, all of whom spoke reasonably and respectfully in support of the presentations as given earlier in the meeting.
One interesting statistic that was fleshed out in this part of the meeting was a report from an independent web traffic measuring body which showed that since CAMS launched its new website, that traffic was down a staggering 74% on previous levels.
Also in the open forum part of the meeting, a number of management decisions were queried and the response of Mr Fountain was sought. Mr Fountain did respond in part to most queries raised, however his responses were in some ways evasive and unsatisfactory (certainly in my eyes and as suggested by a number of people I spoke to after the meeting). There were a number of areas where in fact the responses given were to our understanding false.
The open forum part of the meeting continued until approximately 22:00hrs whereupon Mr Robertson was called to provide a summation of the meeting and the issues before it and for CAMS.
Mr Robertson thanked the President for his attendance.
Mr Robertson opined that if CAMS was ANY other Company, particularly any other public company, and based on the extremely poor performance, transparency and governance as illustrated by the Board, that the shareholders would have long ago caused a spill and elected a new Board that was ready to appropriately govern.
The complete lack of accountability nor availability of ANY Key Performance or other Indicators was identified as a significant flaw in how the members of CAMS could appropriately measure the Boards performance (or lack thereof).
Mr Robertson summarised that in the view of the clubs and its members here in Victoria, the performance of CAMS and its Board was simply not acceptable. It was suggested that Board MUST change in order that the challenges for CAMS can be met with fresh eyes.
It was identified that nearly all at the meeting were either club delegates or senior personnel (such as Presidents) from CAMS Member clubs here in Victoria.
Mr Robertson opined that both the turnout to this meeting and the extremely strong show of unanimity of opinion at this meeting illustrated that the resolutions as passed by the Victorian S&CDC were in NO way frivolous, but instead a meaningful call for change and new people to lead and govern CAMS in the interests of its members.
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R but it does indeed sound like CAMS has some major issues to deal with.
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