definitiveguide2ragdolls.myfreeforum.org :: a worried member

opalstar · Raggie Cat

I am not sure where to post this so just put it on this part.
I am very concerned to find out at the TBRCC - AGM - Sunday, that the 'private independant company' who are hosting the clubs web site/emails to committee - (and forum???) is actually the father of a member of the club. This member is also a partner to the person who explained to us/ and said he was responsible for putting the tracker on the emails that came about the expulsion of people from the the TBRCC.
Thinking about this in restrospect, we did not actually see any proof to back up this claim of forwarded tracked emails. also, I wanted to know why a ordinary member was privey to private committee information which then allowed this ordinary member to become involved in all of this. I know this ordinary member and one of the people involved in the expulsion have past history. I did privately question the chairman about this, and he veryified my statement is true, I also explained it was not a comforting thought, and actually looked very 'bad', which he agreed.
Please do not get me wrong, the committee are all my friends, and have done a fantastic job of taking over the running of the club, but I cant help feeling perhaps the commitee have been a bit nieve in some of their actions, and the closeness of the people involved is a little disconcerting.
What do I do about this ?? I do not want to upset anyone, as I have friends in both 'camps'. :-( :-(
Heather

Helen · Top Raggie

Hi Heather

I sympathise for the position you are in, you have to remember that is only the tip of the iceberg of what they told you- C****** P****** whom I know is the person you are talking about having being on the receiving end has a lot to answer for in her ongoing vendetta against Allen and Chris of which we are casualties of war of which B**** told myself and Zoe that we were!! B**** has applauded C****** for her actions despite it being doctored and anyone with an inch of knowledge would know freeserve has been gone for years- but that is what they have me down as my ISP. I can prove otherwise. I so wanted to have my say but know that the jury had been in, judged and sentenced before I even entered the building- if they had nothing to hide and had REAL evidence then they would have welcomed us in. I feel for the genuine members! after all the committee not only didn't have the decency to read out our statement or any other members correspondence! They even had to have bouncers on the door! there was no way I was going to enter that room and be treated like some of the members were who were there trying to speak. They didn't want anyone to have their say or opinion so what was the point in me trying. The committee of the TBRCC are guilty of deformation of character, I have evidence to prove my innocence as we all do! You have to go with your heart and gut feeling

I do have to say that although our letter stated it was a committee unanimous decision to have is expelled there were members that disagreed so we cant condemn them all, the guilty ones know who they are. I never in a million years thought I would publicly slate the club I loved but we had the best outcome as I would be embarrassed to be a member of club that has such disregard for its members!

Helen

holliedale · Raggie Cat

I for one am horrified that a club that was previously so respected has now fallen into the hands of people that really do not have the welfare of the ragdoll cat at its heart and are more disposed to outcasting well respected, experienced breeders that have given so much to the breed and club and still have so much to give because individual committee members have taken a dislike to them !, I think the club should be ashamed of it behaviour towards its members and I for one will now not want to be part of a club that use tracking devices on there correspondance ! and I know that there are other members too that will also not be renewing subscriptions! in all the years of being involved in breed clubs, I have never seen a club that has been ruined like this, I hope the people involved in this shameful act will one day realise how awful their behaviour has been but sadly the damaged to the club has already been done.
The members which have suffered at the hands of all this, should walk with heads held high, you are the voices of true ragdoll breeders who whole heartedly do there very best for the breed, and you are the ones at the end of the day will still be there breeding your beautiful cats of correct type and temprement, guiding new breeders along the way who cherish you knowledge that you so happily share, I for one believe a new club should be started, that genuinely cares for the breed, the club would offer a wealth of knowledge of the breed, and would be open welcoming club to breeders old and new, and I know that with people like Nikky, Chris & Allen, Helen, Zoe and other genuine caring breeders its would be a club that will go from strenght to strenght and I would be proud to help in any way I can in getting a new genuine ragdoll club started.

opalstar · Raggie Cat

Hi Helen, I understand your feelings, and your frustration, but you should have come into the meeting/AGM. Yes,you were angry at not being allowed in, I am not involved, so not emotional about it, I can understand both sides of the thinking, the committee perhaps thought it would be disruptive if the appeal was at the earlier part of the AGM. Many members asked for it to be kept 'to the agenda'. We have to think about how the 'ordinary' members feel, they dont really want a big fuss and many dont understand the ins and outs of the politics at all, for them the cat club is about showing/newsletters/annuals, etc. basically happy things.
I am not going to bad mouth anyone, because I have friends in both camps. You are wrong, there were people there that wanted to hear both sides of the story, wanted the truth, you all did yourselves a great injustice by not waiting to put forward your case. Yes, you were all hurt, indignant, cross about it all, but if I were every accised of anything, I would wait many hours to let others hear my side. I popped in and out the room many times on my visit to the 'ladies' I saw no bouncers Helen??
There were many question not answered, many questioned answered but no actual provided proof to back these. You all should have stayed, it was important to us aall, to the club, and to yourselves.
Heather

opalstar · Raggie Cat

woa Holliedale, slow down a bit. The commitee is new, have done a great job, and do put the welfare of the Ragdoll and of the club at heart. That is not the problem. No one can say they have not pulled out all the stops to keep the club up and running, and they really are all good people.
Its not that worries me. I will always be a loyal member of the club. What worries me is the fact that non committee people have been involved in/ and the instrument of the coming about of the alleged 'crime' that has caused the 'accused' people to be 'thrown' off the club. it does not matter who those 'accused' people are, what matters is the fact that this could be me, or you, we could be innocent people excluded because of some technical computer information. I am going to ask the club for the proof.I feel really uncomfortable about all of this :-(
Heather

holliedale · Raggie Cat

Hi heather
The problem I and many others feel is that if the committee was commited to the welfare of the breed then none of this would have have happened, and yes it could happen to any of us, weather this was part committee and part certain members that created this silly vendeter against these very well respected breeders or who ever within the club that was involved in the expelling of these members, this is a totally unforgiveable situation that has been allowed to happen and the clubs committee IS RESPONSIBLE for allowing it to carry on in the manner it has, that is what myself as a member of the club and others are totally ashamed off, no one has mention the damage that may have been done to these innocent breeders reputations, at the hand of this club. Would you risk your reputation as a respected and recommended breeder with a club that can behave like this, I for one would not and nor will many others. I can understand that its hard for you as you have friends in both sides, and all the above is merely my opinion of the club as it now stands and is not personally aimed at certain people. But I do believe that the reputation of the club has been very damaged by this mess, which is extremely sad considering that many people have given years and years of dedication to the club and now the club will suffer at the hands of the individuals that seem to have set about to make it their task to out certain members through what seem to be for their own personal reasons. its all such a shame this has happened.

opalstar · Raggie Cat

I feel the club has suffered from 'in fighting' for some time, there has been an element of unrest for ages, No-one can blame the new committee for that it was before their time. I sat on committee twice, beleive me, its has its down side. I just think a more clearer version of the truth needs to be bought forwarded, I feel the whole story has not been told completely. We all need to know the absolute truth, its our right as members.
I am sorry to bring it to anyones attention, I was going to post on the TBRCC forum, but I deleted it, as I felt it might be censored or removed, but perhaps it would be correct if I did post it there. I know that some TBRCC members do read/post from this forum, so thought it would be the better place to post it but perhaps I was wrong, I dont know??
Heather

Gail · Aristorag

Sorry Heather
I am with Hollidale on this, the infighting appears to have been caused by the people who have pushed the new committee into this stupid decision, I really believe that the committee has been duped by some of the current committee and some existing members with axes to grind.

These people have apparently recruited old members and new just so they could vote against the expelled members at the AGM.

They have apparently bad mouthed the expelled members breeding practices and their handling of the club.

The committee have tried to entrap the ‘ex’ members, when a quick conversation would have sorted it, but instead they went to extreme lengths!

Are you not in the least bit worried? The majority of the people who were expelled were not ordinary members, when I joined the TBRCC these were the trusted and professional people that I and many other new members dealt with, therefore this should have indicated to the committee the enormity of their decision. (Two of the expelled members were held in such high regard that they were our Vice presidents!)

In addition this raises concerns to me as an ordinary member, that if people held in such high regard can be expelled without any consultation to the members, where does that leave the rest of us.

Whilst I as a member of the club am aware that ordinary members are not privy to every decision taken by the committee, this was a huge matter on a very different scale to the general day to day running of the club,
To make such a huge decision without consultation to members is autocratic.

I am deeply saddened by what went on over the last six months and I am not renewing my membership of the TBRCC - I had tried previously to renew but my ‘two’ applications for renewal were ‘lost’, please forgive me being suspicious– I have never made any secret of the fact that I like and respect the 6 expelled members and I am aware I have asked both privately and publicly uncomfortable questions to the committee. They are most probably glad to see the back of me.

I cannot be a member of a club that treats people in the manner that they have treated Chris, Allen, Helen, John, Zoe, Nicky and also how they have treated their partners and children – who were also members but were removed from the membership.

Whether the 6 people were right or wrong they did not deserve to be treated as they were, by all means if people are hurting their cats and despite guidance and support continue to do so YES expel them from the club – but for opening an email -GET REAL! This smacks of jealousy pure and simple!

LorraineD · Kitty Raggie

Well said Gail
I am with you on this, they should not be punished for that it is stupid.
I also agree that they should start their own club.
Hold your heads up high you have done nothing wrong.
Lorraine

opalstar · Raggie Cat

Well done Gail, you are saying what I am thinking, but in a better way. The problem for me is I have friends in both 'camps' and that is really difficult. I also feel that some of the committee have not the full grasp of what really took place, if I were them I would be very, very, angry to find out I had not been informed. But what do we do, I do not want to see The British Ragdoll Cat Club disapear, its a great club, and does so much for its members, and for the breed. On the other hand, if it can happen to Chris, Allen, and friends, it could also happen to anyone of us.
Heather