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ECF Board tells Paulson: "Resign, you bum!"

Posted: Thu Feb 13, 2014 12:59 pm
by David Robertson
At a Board meeting on Saturday, February 8th, the ECF Board passed a motion of No Confidence in Andrew Paulson.

The voting was:

For: 5
Against: 2 (incl AP)
Ab: 2

I believe I know how individuals voted; and who moved the motion. But for the moment, those details can wait. Rumours of this vote were circulating at the 4NCL (3N) event last Sunday. I've been checking details since.

I understand Paulson had previously offered, in writing, to resign if he ever lost the confidence of the Board. He has now changed his mind. I'm shocked, utterly shocked! :roll:

More as I get it...

Re: ECF Board tells Paulson: "Resign, you bum!"

Posted: Thu Feb 13, 2014 1:03 pm
by Carl Hibbard
David Robertson wrote:I believe I know how individuals voted; and who moved the motion.
If true interesting to see the voting and if the other 'against' now also has to go :?:

Re: ECF Board tells Paulson: "Resign, you bum!"

Posted: Thu Feb 13, 2014 1:09 pm
by Roger de Coverly
Carl Hibbard wrote: If true interesting to see the voting and if the other 'against' now also has to go :?:
There were several Board candidates at the October elections who endorsed AP for President. They may now regret that. Those members of Council who supported AP for President may also now have to decide as to whether they now endorse the decision of the Board majority.

Re: ECF Board tells Paulson: "Resign, you bum!"

Posted: Thu Feb 13, 2014 1:14 pm
by Christopher Kreuzer
It depends on what happens next, I suppose, but who replaces any of the current board members if this becomes necessary? If enough board members resign, would that force an EGM?

Re: ECF Board tells Paulson: "Resign, you bum!"

Posted: Thu Feb 13, 2014 1:26 pm
by Angus French
Assuming the story is true: I wonder on what grounds a "no confidence" vote was taken?

So far as I understand, Board members can't force a fellow Director to resign, only the members (in the form of Council representatives?) can (I think this is company law).

Re: ECF Board tells Paulson: "Resign, you bum!"

Posted: Thu Feb 13, 2014 1:34 pm
by Roger de Coverly
Christopher Kreuzer wrote:It depends on what happens next, I suppose, but who replaces any of the current board members if this becomes necessary? If enough board members resign, would that force an EGM?

We've been here before, at the time of the Regan walk-out in 2008. Provided the remaining directors form a quorum and they wouldn't be a majority if they didn't, they just make appointments to the vacant positions. No EGM is needed, unless enough people call one. Even then, it wouldn't directly elect new directors. This is Companies Act stuff, not particularly unique to the ECF.

If sufficient of the voting membership demand it, it can also be possible for the voters to convene an EGM to remove a Director. Although Nigel isn't formally a director, it was what AP was indicating as his intention to remove Nigel by these means.
Angus French wrote:Assuming the story is true: I wonder on what grounds a "no confidence" vote was taken?
Wanting to remove Nigel from the FIDE Delegate position is one possibility, but the general silence from the ECF over strategic matters for about three months may indicate a seriously divided board.

I don't think the meeting with Kasparov during the London classic was ever a formal meeting to be minuted, but they could have posed a la Kirsan and issued a statement on the website.

Re: ECF Board tells Paulson: "Resign, you bum!"

Posted: Thu Feb 13, 2014 1:35 pm
by Mick Norris
It was confirmed at Buxton on Sunday morning

The question being, if AP doesn't resign, what happens next? Not sure that's been thought through by those voting in favour?

Re: ECF Board tells Paulson: "Resign, you bum!"

Posted: Thu Feb 13, 2014 1:36 pm
by Peter D Williams
The ECF do not have much luck with who is picked to be President wonder why it always goes wrong?

I do hope your all keeping safe in this bad weather we are having right time to make a nice cup of tea.

Re: ECF Board tells Paulson: "Resign, you bum!"

Posted: Thu Feb 13, 2014 1:40 pm
by Paolo Casaschi
Those will be some interesting meeting minutes...

Re: ECF Board tells Paulson: "Resign, you bum!"

Posted: Thu Feb 13, 2014 1:42 pm
by Carl Hibbard
Mick Norris wrote:It was confirmed at Buxton on Sunday morning
You would expect something official on the ECF site then by this point :shock:

Re: ECF Board tells Paulson: "Resign, you bum!"

Posted: Thu Feb 13, 2014 1:43 pm
by Mick Norris
I've been expecting something on here before today :lol:

Re: ECF Board tells Paulson: "Resign, you bum!"

Posted: Thu Feb 13, 2014 1:49 pm
by David Robertson
Roger de Coverly wrote:There were several Board candidates at the October elections who endorsed AP for President. They may now regret that. Those members of Council who supported AP for President may also now have to decide as to whether they now endorse the decision of the Board majority.
"(They) all did love him once, not without cause:
What cause withhold (they) then, to mourn for him?
O judgment! thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason. Bear with me..."


This isn't analogous to 2008 since no one (yet) is offering to resign. So the Board remains until Council resolves otherwise. What grounds for a No Confidence motion? It takes the breath away that anyone should need to wonder. I haven't nailed it down yet. But I think the ECU business was the final straw.

And since Mick Norris confirms my basic stuff was available at Buxton, you don't have to try too hard to work out Paulson's only supporter.

Re: ECF Board tells Paulson: "Resign, you bum!"

Posted: Thu Feb 13, 2014 2:07 pm
by Mick Norris
David Robertson wrote:And since Mick Norris confirms my basic stuff was available at Buxton, you don't have to try too hard to work out Paulson's only supporter.
I heard it from you first on Saturday before the Manticores left for dinner

Re: ECF Board tells Paulson: "Resign, you bum!"

Posted: Thu Feb 13, 2014 2:08 pm
by Jonathan Bryant
Carl Hibbard wrote:
Mick Norris wrote:It was confirmed at Buxton on Sunday morning
You would expect something official on the ECF site then by this point :shock:

Not official, but Nigel Short has tweeted some rather robust thoughts in the past couple of weeks. A bit odd that he hasn't mentioned this vote, isn't it?

Roger de Coverly wrote:There were several Board candidates at the October elections who endorsed AP for President. They may now regret that.

Of course AP had many supporters here on the forum too.

Re: ECF Board tells Paulson: "Resign, you bum!"

Posted: Thu Feb 13, 2014 2:10 pm
by Jonathan Bryant
Ooops double post. Don't seem to be able to delete this one. So I'll use it for the following:-

Phil Makepeace, February 2013:-
I'm sure that Andrew Paulson is a wonderful entrepreneur and I hope that he is successful with his chess adventures. However, I invite everyone to be wary with me.