Daniel Evans
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There are plans in the works to do a webinar on this very topic, shall keep you posted and send you an email direct so can update you on the current position Collette
The issue will be addressed under the Agenda item ‘Chairperson Position’ and you have personally had a more detailed update on this subject via email directly on 12th November which you have subsequently responded to acknowledging receipt, with a subsequent reply provided on 14th November
Any further posts prior to the EGM will not be monitored as I am unable to set up the meeting and monitor any further comments here
Rosemary, in the absence of other offers to assist my main goal is to try and ensure the needs of current members and the numerous requests for training are met because at present we have already refunded half a dozen delegates monies further to the September and October training being cancelled at short notice, and we also have a similar number waiting for new courses to be announced who have queried the lack of courses with Central Office which can be confirmed with the Company Secretary if needed. This equates to approximately £4000-£5000 in training revenue which we may lose if we don’t facilitate some form of training quickly as they will look for alternate providers, waiting a further month to take any action or begin developing alternates would be irresponsible in my opinion, as these funds are important for our ongoing survival as an Association.
The training course being adapted for provision is actually my own internally produced course which took many hours of production, the amended version of which going forward I’m happy to provide free intellectual property rights to the Association on to prevent yet another trainer claiming the intellectual property rights on and leaving us in the same position for a third time!
It would be a further dereliction of duty to completely stop any functioning of the Association goals during this period of transition, and in the absence of others on the board I’m actually just trying to do my best to meet the needs of all concerned, which in terms of time and resources has meant giving a lot more than I’d imagine anyone would expect of my role and which to be totally frank along with the accusations being consistently levelled at me in recent weeks and months is not easy to sustain. If you choose to find fault in my actions then that is your prerogative but I can assure you there is no nefarious intent behind anything I’m currently doing, if anything it is being done with a sense of reparation and understanding of my prior performance due to the previous difficulties and complications I suffered and a desire to bring about real results moving forward.
Regarding board appointments, I will request all candidates provide a summary of their skills, which I will share with members in advance of the EGM as outlined in the constitution. I have not shared this yet, as not all interested parties have provided written statements, and it would be inappropriate for me to draft these on their behalf.
When I use “we,” it is purely a grammatical choice, as I am indeed the only one currently handling day-to-day operations. As outlined previously whilst you state I don’t have the backing of a significant number of members the vote at the AGM showed there is support for my position and the vote taken for my re-appointment to the board and the role of chair was ratified by a majority of those present, if a by only a small margin. No ‘Associate Members’ votes were included and I’ve already seconded a proposal submitted by a member to clarify the voting rights of the afore mentioned group which I’m happy to share with you separately.
At present I have made no decisions or choices outside of the previous remit provided to me by prior Boards and the Constitution and have no intention of exceeding my authority in this regard, only to continue delivering what I can until such time as a Board is appropriately appointed to make decisions collectively moving forward.
I would also strongly encourage more members to share their thoughts as we prepare for the EGM, as on reflection it must be noted that this discussion thread has in the vast majority been had by limited number of people, of whom everyone who has taken the time and opportunity to meet with me in person rather than debating purely on the forums has provided a contrary view. To this end again I would repeat that if anyone wishes to sit down with me personally I’m more than happy to do so…..
Hi Paul, thank you for your post. I just wanted to clarify that I’ve sent you a personal email suggesting we meet to facilitate open and productive discussions on all points raised in my original message and your subsequent posts, as there still appears to be clear misunderstandings in the discussions between us.
My intent with the initial offer to meet was to ensure we could discuss any broader concerns or questions you might have in a constructive setting, not solely the statement made by Emma at the AGM. I apologise if this was unclear, and I’m happy to provide any further clarification needed.
Thank you also for your suggestion regarding an independent chair. I’ll definitely consider the option of an AIIC member who isn’t running for the board, as it could be a valuable path forward if finding an external candidate proves challenging.
Thank you, Rosemary and Paul, for your feedback. I appreciate the clarification on the process and the importance of ensuring transparency and independence in all decisions. Let me address these concerns.
Firstly, I fully agree that the Chair should be neutral, especially considering recent events. The intention behind consulting with contacts at the Cranfield Trust and The National Council for Volunteer Organisations is to find a truly independent Chair who brings no prior bias to the table, the main issue I’m finding at present is that as we are not a social enterprise our requirements do not align with the offerings of these organisations. The aim of the process though is simply to secure a respected figure who can objectively oversee the EGM and facilitate fair board appointments. If anyone has suitable alternative suggestions on this subject I’m happy to consider the options.
Regarding the potential board members, it was never my intent to select or eliminate candidates—only to meet with interested individuals to answer questions, understand their perspectives, and ensure that they feel prepared for the role. As you are aware Paul, I made the same offer to you but for your own reasons you declined. I agree that the final decision should absolutely rest with the members, and I support the idea of having candidates present directly to you, the membership, so you have a clear sense of each candidate’s experience and vision.
Whilst I remain in the position of being the chair as elected at present, and as I have done for the last few months, I will continue to try and have open dialogue with any members or interested parties to find a suitable path forward.
I appreciate everyone’s input as we work to create a democratic, transparent, and inclusive process, and I remain open to further suggestions on how to ensure this aligns with the expectations of all members.
Thank you, Stuart and Rosemary, for your thoughtful insights. I fully agree with the need for clarity, structure, and a proactive approach to moving the AIIC forward with a strong, independent board.
To address a few points: I’m actively in the process of identifying an independent chair, drawing on Stuart’s recommendation to leverage contacts at the Cranfield Trust. Additionally, over the past week alone, I’ve met with several potential board members to gauge their suitability and alignment with our vision. I’ve also met with my local MP to discuss the Liberal Democrats’ stance on making independent inventories mandatory—a critical area for our members.
Alongside these efforts, I’ve been advancing the foundational work for the Association. This includes drafting a focused vision for 12-month achievements, a 3-5 year business plan, finalising and ordering awards for Inventory Clerk of the Year, and creating and distributing both the weekly bulletin and the November newsletter. Additionally, I’ve been following up with external stakeholders on collaborative opportunities, arranging meetings with website developers for a potential overhaul, and meeting with our treasurer to review finances. I’ve also managed membership renewals amidst system issues, which I plan to address fully once a new board is in place to authorise the required expenses.
I understand the urgency around the EGM and am working toward a provisional date of 14th November, pending the appointment of the independent chair. Thank you all for your patience and commitment to our shared goals. I’m here to ensure we achieve the transparency and governance standards our members deserve as we transition to a Company Limited by Guarantee.
Whilst in consideration of the fact that my feelings are that any new board should be given sufficient time to evidence progress between now and the arrangement of the next AGM to avoid further accusations surrounding performance and delivery, especially as we will have lost a further period of time whilst arranging the pending EGM I foresee no issue with the meeting being arranged in May 2025 and articled as such in the relevant documentation for a more specific time frame moving forward i.e. Annually in May
This will give any interim board 6 months to deliver progress on some of the important larger works required to further the vision of the Association and provide evidence of such to the members at that time, even if it may be prohibitive to finalising some of the larger project work such as delivery of a fully redeveloped website, establishment of an independent governing board or expanded training offerings.
For transparency to follow up on this point, to clarify in terms of exact figures:
52 people registered to attend
29 people are registered as having attended including board members and company secretary
14 Advanced voting were received
2 Forms were submitted by those that left the meeting
6 People who voted in advance attended the meeting
6 People who voted in advance did not attend the meeting
It would not therefore appear that the option of advanced voting did not affect attendance in a significant fashion, in fact at maximum it only affected the decision making of 6 people not to attend
Due to time constraints and other pressing matters—including membership renewals, meetings with members, and engagements with external stakeholders such as agents—I will be allowing others to share their comments over the next 48 hours before providing a more detailed response.
In the meantime, I would like to address some immediate points of clarification:
Zoom Webinar Voting Limitations
The AGM was conducted via Zoom webinar, which unfortunately did not allow panellists to vote during the live polls. This was an unintended limitation of the platform. As a result, I did not have the opportunity to cast my vote during the meeting. I operated under the assumption that both Emma and I would have voted in alignment with our previously stated positions.
Advance Votes and Final Poll
The advance votes were collected based on a choice between Emma and myself for the position of Chair. However, since Emma withdrew her candidacy prior to the final vote, the initial poll was no longer relevant. Consequently, a new poll was created during the AGM to reflect the updated situation, focusing solely on my re-election. Again as per my previous commentary had advance notice to the secretary, myself and the membership been provided then. If anything this situation provided an additional vote against me because one member firm had access to multiple votes.
Company Secretary’s Vote
If the Secretary wishes to publicly declare her vote at this stage, she is welcome to do so. However, even if her vote were against me, the overall outcome would remain unchanged on a constitutional basis.
Moving Forward
I understand that there are concerns that need to be thoroughly addressed. I am committed to transparency and ensuring that all members feel heard and valued. After allowing time for additional comments, I will provide a detailed response to all the issues raised.
Thank you for your patience and understanding.
I’ve already asked both publicly and privately that accusations such as “I do not believe that if Emma had not resigned because she found working with Daniel so impossible that she would have been allowed to take the role of interim Chairman” which have no factual basis cease, there is no need for this in what is a members Association where over the years I have given a large amount of my time, initially on a voluntary basis for almost 2 years before becoming chair because of the sudden retirement of the previous chair. I consider it inappropriate and an attack on my character that has no foundation so once again ask that no further comments of this particular nature are thrown around without due consideration.
Please can you outline specifically where in the constitution you believe there is allowance for an interim chair to be put in place further to a vote of members at an AGM where the existing chair was re-elected as per the constitution?
On all matters of the EGM I shall ensure that the Secretary is copied in and involved however there is no valid reason not to make any EGM a hybrid event with in person representation, or for the Secretary to be responsible for the organisation of venues or independent chairs. No previous General Meeting of the Association has been subject to this stipulation and I see no reason for them to be enforced outside of constitutional change at this time, the Chairperson has always been responsible for facilitation of any General Meeting.
The statement that members did not have the opportunity to react is factually incorrect as the chat box was active for the entire meeting and multiple opportunities were provided at the end for those present to raise any queries, if a request to take the floor had been made at this stage, similar to how it was at the start then it would have been granted. Any accusation to the contrary is again unfounded and based purely on conjecture rather than facts.
Pending finding an independent chair and a suitable venue to hold the EGM the date I’m currently working towards is Thursday 14th November
An EGM can only be formally requested by a member of the board which I did publicly as requested during the AGM and in adherence with the following clause of the constitution:
Any officer of the board may convene an extraordinary general meeting of the association or an ordinary general meeting of the association at any time, such meeting to be convened within 30 days of the request or as soon thereafter as is reasonably practicable.
The date offered above would be in line with this, but as mentioned must be reasonably practicable in terms of appointing an independent chair and availability of a location, plus notification of the meeting to all members
At no time have I suggested delaying the EGM for 6 months, this period was made in reference to the next AGM which as suggested by Rowley could potentially take place between March and April next year, although under the draft Articles of Association it is prescribed as being due in June
The current incongruence currently surrounds the over-riding of the election which already took place at the AGM in relation to my position as per below from the constitution, which allows only for interim appointment of new officers and not removal of existing at an EGM:
The election of the board and its officers shall take place at the annual general meeting and take the form of a ballot. If necessary, officers can be appointed at an EGM on an interim basis pending confirmation at the next AGM.
Voting of the officers shall be done by majority and, in the event of a tie, the chair person shall have the casting vote. Officers shall be elected or their positions renewed at each AGM.
Thank you all for sharing your thoughts and concerns about the recent AGM. Please rest assured that despite the current difficulties we are in no way heading to a situation of non-existence either under my leadership or that of another party, as I tried to explain in my ‘ramblings’ much progress has been made with external stakeholders to progress our position in the industry through in person and virtual meetings in recent months and there is very much light at the end of the tunnel.
AGM Notice and Voting Process
Firstly, I’d like to clarify that the AGM was initially notified to all members on 9th September and the voting form outlining the options was sent on 10th October, these were both followed up on numerous occasions to encourage attendance and participation.
The voting form was sent out in advance and was available to all members. We made every effort to ensure that all eligible members had the opportunity to participate in the voting process.
We initially had over 50 people registered for attendance the list for which was provided to Central Office on multiple occasions as it was updated.
Constitution and Voting Rights.
You brought up important points about the constitution, particularly regarding the voting rights of associate members. I acknowledge that the current constitution is unclear in several areas, including membership classifications and their respective rights.
This ambiguity underscores the need to revise our governing documents. Moving forward, we need to update the governance structure using the Articles of Association and other regulatory frameworks to provide clearer guidelines and improve our organisational structure. This is a process again that I’ve invested a lot of time into recently, reviewing the publicly available documentation from associations such as RICS and other institutes with a similar frame of reference to our own with a view to drafting more comprehensive and robust documentation.
The initial post by Paul, seems to confirm the vote as held at the AGM which mean that pending an AGM it is potentially incumbent on me to work with any appointed board in the role of chairperson which I’m more than happy to do as previously stated, although at present I’d still like to leave this question open to interpretation and comment from others to avoid any further accusations of autocracy or undemocratic behaviour.
AGM Format and Presentation
I understand the concerns about the AGM being held as a Zoom webinar. Your feedback is valuable, and we’ll consider alternative formats for future meetings to enhance transparency and member engagement.
Going forward it would seem prudent and beneficial to return to in person meetings in or around London, potentially with a hybrid approach to allow members from other areas to attend, with clear instructions and information regarding voting being made available to increase participation.
I’ve already begun to research potential locations for the EGM to be held in early November and have started to search for an independent chair to facilitate the meeting in a more neutral manner in line with the expectations of those involved. Again, the accusation that I’ve not done any work to achieve this is in the last few days is unfair, the post to the forums, not a direct message as indicated by Rosemary, around mentoring programs was made in good faith to continue dialogue on other subjects raised by members as part of the engagement questionnaire. I’m committed to continuing content creation and facilitating discussion around other topics pending resolution of all these issues so that those who want additional value as members continue to receive it and are not just having to solely deal with what is in many ways a negative subject.
Regarding my presentation, I want to acknowledge that I was indeed nervous during the meeting. This was due to the circumstances and some correspondence that took place shortly before the AGM began, and in the context of the unfairly harsh treatment I feel that I’ve been subjected to for months, including attacks on my character and abilities, despite being transparent about some of the personal difficulties I’ve faced, which from other members I’ve received understanding and empathetic support.
Under normal circumstances, I am confident in conducting meetings, and I apologise if my delivery did not reflect that. As I’m sure you can appreciate the presentation alone took a significant amount of time to produce in the weeks prior to the AGM, along with managing the membership database without technical support and undertaking a huge amount of membership engagement, to name but a few areas that I’ve given my time to addressing in this period.
Leadership and Board Positions
The lack of an alternative chair at the AGM was a result of Emma’s unannounced resignation. Despite having prior notice of the situation, she chose to resign rather than offer to act as interim chair. This unexpected development left us without a transition plan for leadership during the meeting in the event my election was not confirmed.
Many requests for an alternative option and continuity plan were made to Emma in the two months prior to holding the AGM but despite this none was forthcoming and at no time was there any notice of the potential for an immediate resignation.
As per the webinar on 3rd October and distributed to all members, the suggestion was to allow the resolution of the dispute over the chairperson’s role, subsequent to which the chair would be able to facilitate creation of a new board pending appointment at an EGM.
Voting Outcomes
Concerning the votes from No Letting Go franchisees, I want to clarify that their votes were not included in the final count. Had they been considered, we would have achieved a sufficient majority, and many of these ongoing discussions might have been unnecessary.
Open Letter and Member Engagement
It’s disheartening to note that the responses so far haven’t acknowledged the information I shared in my open letter to the association members. My intention was to address concerns transparently and foster a constructive dialogue about the future of our association.
It is even more discouraging to be further subjected to more personal insults which do not serve to foster a positive environment for discussion around the best options for the future.
One of my main reasons for not responding to the statement levied against me at the AGM was to avoid the need for any public wrangling to maintain some degree of professionalism.
Every person involved in this forum post at this stage, along with dozens of others, has received personal communications from me in recent months, well in advance of the AGM, in an attempt to address your concerns and the offer to converse is still available to each and every one of you either in a public domain or privately.
I would also strongly refute that everything that has been achieved in recent months is purely ‘fluff’ and that anyone should just ‘take my word for it’, to which end if requested by anyone I shall further take the time to document in more detail my achievements and post them here in whatever format requested. With all the other distribution taking place much of the information has been held for later publication to avoid overloading members. It should be taken into consideration that this is supposed to be a part time limited role and in recent months I’ve actually committed more than full time hours in an effort to get the agenda back on track, again something that can easily be evidenced through documentation and records if needed.
Moving Forward
Paul I respect and appreciate your willingness to step forward for a position on the board and to potentially serve as Chair after my departure upon consideration of all responses to the constitutional questions sent out to over 50 people and copied to Central Office for transparency, this has not done individually without inclusion as indicated, however it would have been a breach of data protection to include all recipients in an email in the fashion you seem to have been requesting.
Active participation from members is clearly essential for the growth and success of the AIIC and I’ve had a few other expressions of interest in joining the board already which will also be presented at the upcoming EGM.
I encourage all members to continue sharing their thoughts and engaging in open discussions at this time. Your feedback is crucial as we work together to strengthen our association. Although I would ask it is done in such a way as to maintain professional standards and not devolved to insults or defamatory comments as it has to date.
Thank you all for your commitment to the AIIC. Please feel free to reach out if you’d like to discuss any of these matters further as I have already done with each of you in an attempt to have open dialogue.