Apology required from Marathon Committee

This message has been widely circulated and made public because the
Marathon Committee has recently banned Committee members from
discussing Marathon business outside of the meetings. They have also
declared (to themselves, obviously, as they aren't allowed to tell
us!) that, in future, committee minutes are secret and not to be
issued to anyone.

The following is a reply to Christine Laws - ex Race Records Officer -
who has failed to send my Club any communication whatsoever (until
very recently) - no promotion / demotion letters, no newletters, no
information regarding AGMs etc for the last 3 years at least, despite
reminders and our address appearing in BCU documentation and archives.

It is written because of the disgraceful way she dismissed our
secretary's factual statements, rather than accepting her error and
apologising.

In message Christine Laws wrote:

> Dear Rita

> Thank you for the updated information. This post of Marathon records officer is a volantary one and not part of the BCU HQ Office at Bingham (18 Market Place, Bingham, Nottingham, NG13 8AP) which is where you will need to contact for correction of your Clubs details. When Ealing Club first appeared a few years ago the only contact I had was Ian Bowditch and it is only in the last few months that I have had any other contacts which was given to me by James Smythe.


> Christine Laws
> MRC Records Officer

Dear Marathon Committee,

A straightforward apology would have been more appropriate.

Despite many reminders in writing and verbally via Marathon Committee
members, we have not, until very recently received ANY letters or
communication from you for at least 3 years. We have no record of any
prior to that, either.

We have never received any 'form' for update of marathon paddlers and
are bemused by the apparent urgency. It seems that your system has
been able to cope perfectly well without any contribution from us in
the past.

You claim in a previous reply to our secretary that Ian Bowditch (whom
you mention above) was our secretary. He is not and never was our
secretary and has never served on our committee. To repeat the
statement made by our secretary: we have never issued you with Ian's
details. Nor has he. He also tells me that he has written to you twice
to have your records amended, and has returned letters that you have
sent to him. Did you not get the point???

With regards to your claim that you have only had 'other contacts in
the last few months' given to you by James Smythe: that is inaccurate
and misleading - it was over a year ago when James pointed out your
errors to you. Further, previous Club secretaries have written to you
giving a clear contact address which have been ignored.

Please note that we are all volunteers here, too, so I don't see the
relevance of the above statement. Regardless, just because a post is
manned by a volunteer does not mean we should expect substandard or
shoddy treatment. WRT your patronising statement about the BCU: this
has absolutely nothing to do with the BCU. It concerns you and the
Marathon Committee. We know the address of the BCU and the BCU have
our address and we are quite capable of corresponding with them
without any assistance from you. We have always received mail from
them and it only took them 30 months to correct a minor detail in our
address.

Allan Bennett
Chairman
Ealing Canoe Club

PS: thanks for your recent email about the most recent Newsletter. Not
particularly fussed, but no newsletter was attached as claimed. So
that's still Newsletter: 0


> ----- Original Message -----
> From: ECC secretary
> To: Christine Laws
> Sent: Tuesday, December 04, 2007 12:25 PM
> Subject: Re: Listings for the EALING CANOE CLUB


> Dear Christine,

> Please note that we have never issued your office or anyone else with the mentioned address, and that person has never been our club secretary, nor held any official position on our club committee. We have also tried on several occasions to have your office redirect our correspondence but have been ignored.

> Please note the right address for the Club for any future correspondence is:

> The Secretary
> Ealing Canoe Club
> Horsenden Hill Farm
> Horsenden lane North
> Perivale
> UB6 7PQ

> e mail: secretary.DeleteThis@ealingcanoeclub.org.uk


> Many Thanks

> Rita
> Secretary.

> Christine Laws <christinelaws.DeleteThis@lineone.net> wrote:
> Dear Rita

> Please find attached a copy of your clubs paddlers for checking and a copy of the original covering letter.

> The original was sent to the secretary at 234 Xxxxxxxxx Xxxx, Xxxxxxxxx.

> Christine Laws
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: rita.
> To: Christinelaws.DeleteThis@lineone.net
> Cc: Allan Bennett
> Sent: Monday, December 03, 2007 11:01 AM
> Subject: Listings for the EALING CANOE CLUB


> To,

> Christine Laws,

> Thank you for your e mail of the 30/11/2007, requesting return of completed forms for our Club listings.

> We are not aware of ever having received such a form.

> Please note our correct address:

> The Secretary
> Ealing Canoe Club
> Horsenden Hill Farm
> Horsenden lane North
> Perivale
> UB6 7PQ

> Can you please arrange to send the forms to the above mentioned address or to my mail box and I will arrange for them to be completed and returned forthwith.

> Thanking you

> Rita Xxxx
> Club Secretary