Molly wrote:
Look,
I am not saying don't hold the Board responsible. In fact, just the opposite. I am saying that you CAN hold the Board responsible at the next AGM, just as many of you held them responsible at the most recent AGM through the election of Lee. If you want more information, and you want a vision then you have every right to vote for it. And I hear the concerns of all and sundry on this matter.
But for the moment I am concerned that the silent majority of Carlton members who perhaps read these pages, and don't contribute, or whatever are able to understand that the failure to present a vision is not in and of itself a matter of deriliction unless the membership holds the Board to such responsibilities through their votes at the AGM.
The original point of this thread was along the lines that the Board is derilict because they have not provided a vision. I simply make the point that this is not the case unless the broad membership chooses to make it so through a vote at the AGM. The undecided now have the opportunity to decide for themselves (rather than through emotional argument) as to whether the fact they have not been provided with a vision makes the Board culpable.
And that's a debate which I have in no way sought to enter

I think we hear what you are saying, that the board is upholding its LEGAL responsibilities. I agree with you, I have no quarrel with the board on issues of legality.
However, this board ran on a platform of increasing transparency to members. It simply hasn't happened. And in terms of a vision, i'm not expecting to see the club annouce a vision statement in a press release. But I am expecting the club to be espousing elements of their vision for the future in the media, to increase the confidence of members, supporters and prospective sponsors about the future.
The club has had the opportunity to do this when they announced the financial results, but instead Collo harped on about the past and took potshots at Kouta's contract. They had another opportunity at the AGM, again, nothing.
It's public record that we have issues with sponsorship, and until we start being positive about the future, I can't see that changing. Instead we get a press release saying that we've managed to squeeze a few extra bucks from an existing sponsor by sending Denis to meet their CEO. Why the hell can't Malouf, as our CEO, espouse our value and get a commitment from decision makers, or Collo, or anyone currently involved in the club?
Instead we are stuck with reactive measures; reintroducing pay by installments membership to lapsed members, sending in Denis to a non-football meeting, getting players on the phones trying to increase membership. It's all so 1980's, no wonder why we are being left behind. And these things are sensible in our current plight, but where the hell is the vision and leadership from the executive and board???
So while all legalities are currently being met, I'm concerned because we appear to be directionless while at the same time being technically insolvent. We can't afford to sit on our laurels, because the board doesn't have a track record of being proactive, and at the moment we'll be behind this years financial plan again because of poor membership. We can't afford to just take the word of this board that it'll all be right by the end of '07, because the goal posts keep moving and it clearly won't be.
I'm afraid that if we don't hold them accountable and require excellence from them, that it might be too late if they don't deliver in '07 for someone else to turn it around after that.
<Apologies for the rant, i'm just incredibly frustrated>