I hope you all had an enjoyable Christmas
but it is now back to reality with the grey, dreary and dark first few months of the year
ahead of us. It is always a depressing time of the year with little to look forward to,
however, should the weather be bad we will all be rushed off our feet and the first few
months will hopefully, fly by.
It will also be a good time to reflect on the way we conduct our business at
AGM’s and to see if there is a way in which it can be improved. Just because it has
been conducted in it’s present format for the past forty five years doesn’t mean
that it is the correct procedure for the future.
The 1998 AGM
I must say that I was extremely disappointed in the recent AGM. It is
totally wrong that the vast majority of the membership can be held to ransom by the tiny
minority whose only wish is to try and smear the name of Board members or to try to show
the membership how clever they are. It does, however, have the reverse effect and the
membership treat them with the contempt they deserve - as was reflected with the votes
they obtained. All these people purport to love DaC and the democracy that it stands for?
Don’t make me laugh; there is not one of them that has not walked away from DaC in
the past and their idea of democracy means everyone is entitled to it - so long as we
agree with them.
They prepare their strategy with meetings at the Piccolo, Marble Arch and
their sole intention is to destroy and waste the membership’s time. I do not believe
the members are interested in their childish
behaviour and how they can ambush the Chairman, although I must confess that I do enjoy my exchanges with them.
The Past - and the Future
Last year was the best year this society has ever had, there is absolutely
no question of that. Yet some misguided people will try and tell us differently and to top
it all, try and prove it.
At the AGM, there was hardly a mention of the records that were broken and
what was more disappointing - there was not one question on how the Board saw the future
for DaC, how we are progressing with the new terminals, absolutely nothing constructive.
There was no interest in the future prosperity of the members or the society,
just reflection on the past and trying to denigrate people - how very sad.
The membership have made their wishes known to you and if DaC is such a
terrible organisation, why are you still here and not deserted as you did in the past?
I know some of you like to draw an analogy with football and talk of me
‘yellow carding’ a member at the meeting.I think the comparison is very
appropriate and so long as some of the members
behave like football hooligans, they will be ‘yellow carded’. They are nothing but bullies and there is only one thing in this world that is worse than a bully and that is a bully that gets away with it. I am afraid they like to dish it out but they can’t take it, they don’t like being out-bullied. Let me emphasise one point; the vast majority of our drivers are excellent and are a credit to Dial-a-Cab and it is they - in addition to the Board who I believe are not prepared to tolerate the present position regarding AGM’s any longer. So, in the coming months it is possible that the Board will approach you regarding changes in procedures at the AGM, then you, the members, will be able to decide if you wish to keep the status quo or vote for change with more of the ‘ordinary’ members expressing his or her views and less of the zealots.
BOARD RESHUFFLE
Following the AGM and the first meeting of the incoming Board of
Management, there has been a mini-reshuffle. The new positions are now: Tom Whitbread
still with Driver’s Operations but this will include the Complaints Department. Keith
Cain is now the Board member responsible for the Call Centre while Aubrey Siteman
continues as our JRTA rep, Building Manager, Head of Marshalling and also Police Liaison
rep. Allen Togwell remains with Sales and Marketing while Michael Son comes in with
Special Projects.
May I end by wishing you and your families, a very happy and healthy 1999.
Brian Rice
