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Democracy at St.George
There has been some passionate discussion lately on League Unlimited about the performance and structure of the St.George and St.George-Illawarra Boards and how democratic elections operate at the Dragons.
There are 3 separate Boards of the following St.George entities:
1. St.George Leagues Club Limited
2. St.George District Rugby League Football Club Limited *
3. St.George Illawarra Rugby League Football Club Pty Limited **
The only election which can take place is for the Board of the St.George Leagues Club.
The Board of the St.George Leagues Club is comprised of 9 Directors who hold office for 3 year terms (each of these Directors is also on the Board of the St.George District Rugby League Football Club).
Below are the current Directors of the St.George Leagues Club and the year in brackets is when they are next due to stand for re-election:
Warren Lockwood (2015)
Ralph Piggott (2015)
Brian Johnston (2015) (Chairman)
Peter Doust (2016)
Bruce Spaul (2016)
Craig Young (2016)
Peter Black (2017)
Michelle McClelland (2017)
Martin Newman (2017)
e.g. Warren Lockwood is eligible for election for a further term in 2015 and then in 2018 and 2021 and so on.
If the number of nominations for the Board is greater than the number of vacancies each year, a ballot takes place in the days before the Annual General Meeting.
The duration of the ballot is for 40 hours over 4 days (10 am to 8 pm on Monday to Thursday before the AGM which takes place on a Sunday morning). No vote may be given by proxy, so the only way to vote is to attend the site of the St.George Leagues Club.
Following the 2006 election there was a significant change to the electoral process.*** Following a relatively close election result in 2006 when he successfully stood for re-election, Chairman Warren Lockwood expressed his Boards concern about what they perceived as overzealous campaigning. The Board consequently introduced election bylaws preventing the advertisement, circulation or distribution of any How to Vote material upon the Club lands or in the vicinity of the Club lands. Under the changes, the Returning Officer provides receptacles at a location in the vicinity of the entrance to the Club premises during the conduct of a ballot in which How-to-Vote material may be placed. Under the bylaws, the Returning Officer may impose restrictions on any election material for the purpose of preventing harassment of or inconvenience to members or where the election material is false or misleading, defamatory or otherwise inappropriate.
The incumbent Directors were returned to Office in the 2008 election with an increased majority under an election which operated under the new by-laws.
In 2010 there was a significant change to voting entitlements.**** The agenda for the 2010 AGM included a special resolution to change clause 42 of the articles of association. The resolution prevents any member from voting at an election or standing for the Board of Directors until that person has been a full member for 3 consecutive years.
The old clause 42 was as follows:
No member shall be entitled to attend or vote at any meeting of the Club unless the entrance fee, annual subscription and/or any other fee or charges then due and payable by such member to the Club shall have been paid.
The amended clause 42 is now part of the Articles of Association:
No member shall be entitled to attend or vote at any meeting of the club, to vote at the election of the Board of Directors, to be nominated for or elected to and hold office on the Board of Directors unless that person has:
(i) Been a financial member of the Club for a continuous period of three years at the date of the meeting or the date of voting for the election of the Board of Directors or the date of the nomination to the Board of Directors as the case may be; and
(ii) the annual subscription and/or any other fee or charge then due and payable by such member to the club shall have been paid.
It should be noted, that the Club is able to fill a casual vacancy (e.g. resignation and death) through appointing a financial member despite clause 42 - the person being appointed doesn't have to meet the 3 year rule.
The St.George Directors on the St.George-Illawarra Rugby League Football Club Pty Limited are:
Peter Doust (Executive Director)
Warren Lockwood
Brian Johnston
Peter Black
Please note, that this article is written from a St.George perspective. The Illawarra Steelers have different arrangements and an article on Democracy at Illawarra would be valued from any Steelers members familiar with their election arrangements.
*St.George District Rugby League Football Club - In July 1987, the seven-man committee of the St George District Rugby League Football Club resigned and the St.George Leagues Club took over the running of the Rugby League club and appointed a sub-committee to administer its affairs. The St.George Leagues Club appoints the Directors of the St.George District Rugby League Football Club from the Leagues Club Board and there is no election for this Football Club. There doesnt appear to be a membership application form on the Dragons website for the St.George District Rugby League Football Club.
**St.George Illawarra Rugby League Football Club Pty Limited While fans can become Red V Members, the membership doesnt entitle members to any voting rights. The Directors are appointed by the St.George District Rugby League Football Club. Originally in 1999, Danny Robinson (General Manager of the St.George Leagues Club) was appointed to the Joint Venture Board, even though he isnt on either the St.George Leagues Club Board or the St.George District Rugby League Football Club Board. Mr Robinson is now no longer on the Joint Venture Board but remains as the General Manager of the St.George Leagues Club.
***St.George Leagues Club Journal (November 2006 February 2007) & http://r2k.info/news/zealous011106.html
****St.George Leagues Club Journal (March-June 2010)
Additional information: In elections including 2002 and 2006, the General Manager of the St.George Leagues Club was the Returning Officer. The role of the Returning Officer is to conduct, in its entirety, the election of the Board for the Board of Directors. The Returning Officer is responsible for the secure storage of the ballot papers at all times (the returning officer must at all time ensure the security of the ballot papers completed in the ballot. The unused ballot papers should be securely stored by the returning officer). The ballot papers are to show the candidates who are current Directors of the Club and to provide clear and concise direction as to the manner in which vote is to be recorded, having regard to the system of voting required.
The returning officer shall ensure that the ballot papers remain in locked ballot boxes up to the close of the ballot. The returning officer shall then remove the ballot papers from the ballot box, examine each ballot paper for formality and conduct the count. Each candidate shall be entitled to have one person act as a scrutineer during the count of the ballot papers. The candidate shall nominate a person as a scrutineer who shall be subject to the approval of the Chairman of Directors as specified in clause 48(iii) of the Articles of Association. A scrutineer may observe the process of the counting of ballot papers but may not participate, assist or interfere with the count.
There has been some passionate discussion lately on League Unlimited about the performance and structure of the St.George and St.George-Illawarra Boards and how democratic elections operate at the Dragons.
There are 3 separate Boards of the following St.George entities:
1. St.George Leagues Club Limited
2. St.George District Rugby League Football Club Limited *
3. St.George Illawarra Rugby League Football Club Pty Limited **
The only election which can take place is for the Board of the St.George Leagues Club.
The Board of the St.George Leagues Club is comprised of 9 Directors who hold office for 3 year terms (each of these Directors is also on the Board of the St.George District Rugby League Football Club).
Below are the current Directors of the St.George Leagues Club and the year in brackets is when they are next due to stand for re-election:
Warren Lockwood (2015)
Ralph Piggott (2015)
Brian Johnston (2015) (Chairman)
Peter Doust (2016)
Bruce Spaul (2016)
Craig Young (2016)
Peter Black (2017)
Michelle McClelland (2017)
Martin Newman (2017)
e.g. Warren Lockwood is eligible for election for a further term in 2015 and then in 2018 and 2021 and so on.
If the number of nominations for the Board is greater than the number of vacancies each year, a ballot takes place in the days before the Annual General Meeting.
The duration of the ballot is for 40 hours over 4 days (10 am to 8 pm on Monday to Thursday before the AGM which takes place on a Sunday morning). No vote may be given by proxy, so the only way to vote is to attend the site of the St.George Leagues Club.
Following the 2006 election there was a significant change to the electoral process.*** Following a relatively close election result in 2006 when he successfully stood for re-election, Chairman Warren Lockwood expressed his Boards concern about what they perceived as overzealous campaigning. The Board consequently introduced election bylaws preventing the advertisement, circulation or distribution of any How to Vote material upon the Club lands or in the vicinity of the Club lands. Under the changes, the Returning Officer provides receptacles at a location in the vicinity of the entrance to the Club premises during the conduct of a ballot in which How-to-Vote material may be placed. Under the bylaws, the Returning Officer may impose restrictions on any election material for the purpose of preventing harassment of or inconvenience to members or where the election material is false or misleading, defamatory or otherwise inappropriate.
The incumbent Directors were returned to Office in the 2008 election with an increased majority under an election which operated under the new by-laws.
In 2010 there was a significant change to voting entitlements.**** The agenda for the 2010 AGM included a special resolution to change clause 42 of the articles of association. The resolution prevents any member from voting at an election or standing for the Board of Directors until that person has been a full member for 3 consecutive years.
The old clause 42 was as follows:
No member shall be entitled to attend or vote at any meeting of the Club unless the entrance fee, annual subscription and/or any other fee or charges then due and payable by such member to the Club shall have been paid.
The amended clause 42 is now part of the Articles of Association:
No member shall be entitled to attend or vote at any meeting of the club, to vote at the election of the Board of Directors, to be nominated for or elected to and hold office on the Board of Directors unless that person has:
(i) Been a financial member of the Club for a continuous period of three years at the date of the meeting or the date of voting for the election of the Board of Directors or the date of the nomination to the Board of Directors as the case may be; and
(ii) the annual subscription and/or any other fee or charge then due and payable by such member to the club shall have been paid.
It should be noted, that the Club is able to fill a casual vacancy (e.g. resignation and death) through appointing a financial member despite clause 42 - the person being appointed doesn't have to meet the 3 year rule.
The St.George Directors on the St.George-Illawarra Rugby League Football Club Pty Limited are:
Peter Doust (Executive Director)
Warren Lockwood
Brian Johnston
Peter Black
Please note, that this article is written from a St.George perspective. The Illawarra Steelers have different arrangements and an article on Democracy at Illawarra would be valued from any Steelers members familiar with their election arrangements.
*St.George District Rugby League Football Club - In July 1987, the seven-man committee of the St George District Rugby League Football Club resigned and the St.George Leagues Club took over the running of the Rugby League club and appointed a sub-committee to administer its affairs. The St.George Leagues Club appoints the Directors of the St.George District Rugby League Football Club from the Leagues Club Board and there is no election for this Football Club. There doesnt appear to be a membership application form on the Dragons website for the St.George District Rugby League Football Club.
**St.George Illawarra Rugby League Football Club Pty Limited While fans can become Red V Members, the membership doesnt entitle members to any voting rights. The Directors are appointed by the St.George District Rugby League Football Club. Originally in 1999, Danny Robinson (General Manager of the St.George Leagues Club) was appointed to the Joint Venture Board, even though he isnt on either the St.George Leagues Club Board or the St.George District Rugby League Football Club Board. Mr Robinson is now no longer on the Joint Venture Board but remains as the General Manager of the St.George Leagues Club.
***St.George Leagues Club Journal (November 2006 February 2007) & http://r2k.info/news/zealous011106.html
****St.George Leagues Club Journal (March-June 2010)
Additional information: In elections including 2002 and 2006, the General Manager of the St.George Leagues Club was the Returning Officer. The role of the Returning Officer is to conduct, in its entirety, the election of the Board for the Board of Directors. The Returning Officer is responsible for the secure storage of the ballot papers at all times (the returning officer must at all time ensure the security of the ballot papers completed in the ballot. The unused ballot papers should be securely stored by the returning officer). The ballot papers are to show the candidates who are current Directors of the Club and to provide clear and concise direction as to the manner in which vote is to be recorded, having regard to the system of voting required.
The returning officer shall ensure that the ballot papers remain in locked ballot boxes up to the close of the ballot. The returning officer shall then remove the ballot papers from the ballot box, examine each ballot paper for formality and conduct the count. Each candidate shall be entitled to have one person act as a scrutineer during the count of the ballot papers. The candidate shall nominate a person as a scrutineer who shall be subject to the approval of the Chairman of Directors as specified in clause 48(iii) of the Articles of Association. A scrutineer may observe the process of the counting of ballot papers but may not participate, assist or interfere with the count.
