Joseph Mc Leod, president of the Amateur Swimming Association of T&T, has said that among some major amendments to the constitution he will be lobbying for at the general council meetings, will be a reduction in the turnout of clubs that could form a quorum for major decisions to be made.
Mc Leod, who has been under fire to call an Annual General Meeting (AGM) and Election of Officers, yesterday said he wants 30 per cent of the turnout at council meetings to be considered a quorum so that the sport can move on. The current constitution states that a quorum comprises 50 per cent of the clubs.
Mc Leod explained that the low turnout of clubs has been defeating the purpose of holding council meetings, which is to make key decisions. “At the last meeting on November 14 held to discuss the by-laws of the new company, there were only six clubs. Now at another meeting on December 5 to continue the discussions, six clubs attended out of 24 clubs registered and that cannot be acceptable,” Mc Leod said.
He added: “This makes me wonder how serious those members are about the future of the sport. When key decisions are made at meetings with small attendances, they criticise the executive as they are doing now, yet they do not come to meetings.”
Tidal Wave Aquatics, Silver Sharks, Eagles, Atlantis Aquatics, Tsunami, Point Fortin Aquadarts and Marlins were the clubs that attended the meeting on December 5, at St Michael Pool in south Trinidad, and they were informed via emails and at the last council meeting as every other club.
Mc Leod lashed out that those criticising his executive, saying if they don’t want him, they need only to attend council meetings and raise a vote of no-confidence in him. “If the clubs vote against me, then I will go, but do not stay away from meetings but yet be most vociferous about decisions when they are made,” Mc Leod said. Because of this turnout, discussions were held mainly on the criteria for clubs seeking membership in the new company and according to the swimming boss, a suggestion was agreed on for clubs to have a minimum of 10 members.
Mc Leod said this would ensure that clubs would be able to compete in different disciplines such as syncro diving, water polo, high diving and swimming. In the current constitution, clubs can register with just three members but Mc Leod said this enables clubs that are not totally serious to join and then drop out.
Meanwhile, president of Seahawks Aquatics Derek Changar, one of the clubs that has publicly criticised Mc Leod, said he is throwing his support behind the embattled president. “I do not always agree with Mc Leod but it is wrong for members to criticise him if they are not at council meetings. I have seen it happen and it is not fair,” said Changar. He added; “It is exactly this situation that has created main concerns among clubs. At a council meeting early last year, it was agreed by about seven clubs that no elections will be held until the new company has been formed and now that the decision was made, the clubs that were not at the meeting, are up in arms and calling for elections.”
Some of the clubs that stayed away from the meeting on December 5 are Blue Dolphins, UTT, Seahawks, Aerios Aquatics, Torpedoes, Flying Fish, Tiger Sharks, Royhill Seals, Tobago YMCA, Piranhas and Petrotrin among others.
WALTER ALIBEY