World Ploughing Organization
Executive Committee Meeting via Skype
Thursday 11th December 2014 (8 pm – 11 pm)
Attended by:
Chairman – Tugomir Majdak, Croatia
Vice Chairman – Colin Millar, New Zealand
Deputy Vice Chairman – Rasmus Mjølhus, Norway
Executive Committee Members – Gebhard Betz, Germany
Jim Sache, Canada
Host Country Executive Member – Lars Gammelvind
(Gebhard Betz and Jim Sache had very limited access to the meeting due to Skype breakdown)
AGENDA
- BOARD MEMBERS AIRFAIRES IN ASSOCIATON WITH AFFILIATON FEES
- MACEDONIAN SUBMISSION TO GENERAL SECRETARY
- LIGHTING SYSTEM
- TREASURERS REPORT
- FINANCES
- RULES OF PROCEDURE FOR EXECUTIVE Adoption of procedure for sending Executive Minutes to Board Members
- RULES OF PROCEDURE FOR BOARD MEETINGS
- WPO HISTORY
- CORRESPONDENCE:
Letter from French Board Member
Email to GS from a Board Member RE: Bullying Tactics on Judging Panel – ref. GS
- RULES 2015
- WORLD PLOUGHING CONTEST 2015, DENMARK
- GENERAL SECRETARY REVEIEW
- BOARD MEMBERS AIR FARES AND AFFILIATION FEES:
Jim explained that Canada and some other countries take flight cost off affiliation fee instead of submitting flight costs and have always done this.
Colin did not agree with this system saying that the variation is huge between what different countries are charging for flights.
Gebhard said that it is a matter for the Treasurer to handle and he did not mind either way once the Treasurer had an arrangement with the affiliate country.
Lars said that it would make sense going forward to oblige countries to claim for flights before the end of the same account year as the World Contest.
Tugomir agrees that the affiliation fee and the airfares are 2 different things.
In 2014, Croatia decided at National level to pay costs but Tugomir did not submit claim.
Affiliation fee on one side and airfares on the other side.
Colin stated that the “Claims Form” supplied by the GS to all affiliates for claims of travel to Saint Jean D’illac, clearly explains the following:
The Auditors insist,
Deduction of travel costs in respect of current year from next year’s affiliation fee is irregular and not acceptable.
All claims must be made within one month after the contest.
- MACEDONIA – follow up from World Board Meeting
NO CORRESPONDENCE
The Macedonian World Board Member Pere Mitrev was due to send in a letter explaining his concerns to the General Secretary – no letter was submitted up to the date of the Executive Meeting. Chairman – Tugomir proposed that he contact Pere Mitrev on the matter.
- LIGHTS FOR COMPETITION
Colin said that the lights were an improvement in 2014
Lars had said in his Head Steward Report that he would like the lights to be better in 2015 and Lead Lights might be an option.
Jim said that Led Lights use less power but Colin said that the WPO used Lead Lights before and they were not good.
General Secretary to investigate the possibility of Led Lights.
- TREASURERS REPORT
David Johnston had reported to the General Secretary that the countries that have paid affiliation to date are: South Africa, Russia, USA, Norwayand Wales. Notices for payment went out end of October.
He also reported that after a lot of hasslethe Swiss Bank Account closed on 21 November 2014 and he has opened a HSBC account because the WPO already had an account in HSBC in Workington so he did not have to go through the long process of having to prove who WPO was etc. as required by the Money Laundering Act. Only the General Secretary had to provide identity as she was not a signatory on that account.
The HSBC account is now up and running and the treasurer has paid out some members travel claims.
- FINANCES
Colin had forwarded proposals regarding revising the presentation of accounts at the WPO AGM so he declined to comment further.
Tugomir reported that he had spoken to his National Treasurer to get some idea of their system of presenting accounts and he thought that the new rules regarding no booking of official delegate places on World Package before affiliations are paid should improve the system of collection affiliation fees on time.
Rasmus thought that Colin’s proposal was easy to understand and provides most information you could need and the presentation is made in a way that when you start to read it – the more curious you get – and you will find all your answers on the one page.
Rasmus said that Colin has done an excellent job on preparing this template.
Rasmus was of the understanding that David Johnston was reluctant to use such a document – Rasmus said that David must present documents according to English Law but that Colin’s template document should be an appendix to the Treasurers Report.
Lars thinks that Colin’s document would be a big improvement.
Jim agreed that Colin had done a good job and he found it easy to understand.
Colin said that all the information has come from the financial statements but he just simplified the presentation and that his format hopefully will improve system.
Referring to the Profit and Loss of 2010/2011
He said that if you look at it you will notice that in 2011 the WPO ran at a loss of 28,179 Swiss Francs and then in NZ the event was run at a huge profit which was a false impression.
Some accounts are paid with no approval – some expenses are paid for without approval.
An example was the Judges booklet from Ken Chappell and a measuring stick from England.
Anna Marie mentioned that William Hood signed off on 10 Judges Booklets being purchased by WPO for Canada 2013 (appeared in the 2014 accounts).
Colin referred to Judges Booklets that were handed out by Ken to all Board Members in Croatia (included in the 2013 accounts).
Tugomir said that it is a very good format.
He said that this is definitely a sensitive issue and the Executive need to deal with it, monitor and guide the treasurer even though executive members are not accountants.
The meeting agreed that this format is not finished but almost – directive for Colin and Lars to conclude and then present to Treasurer to use.
General Secretary referred to one World Board Member’s very expensive flights to/from France and Rasmus said that it would have to be checked up with the Treasurer.
Colin says that this has happened for years and it needs to be clearer what World Board Members should be spending on flights. He said that some expenses need to be clearer.
- RULES AND PROCEDURES FOR WPO EXECUTIVE
Tugomir introduced his Proposals for Rules of Procedure of the WPO Executive and sought comment.
Rasmus said that when he comments he is taking into account Gebhard’s letter of concern to the Executive about last Board Meeting in France.
His second concern was that the Executive Committee received some criticism regarding their conduct over the last 2 years. So in a way Rasmus agreed with Gebhard about procedures needing to be put in place.
Rasmus said that he has nothing against Tugomir’s proposals about the Rules and Procedures of Executive.
He thought it was important that if the Executive can go back to the board and say that no we have not being doing as well as we should. That is why we should have a meeting procedure.
That is Rasmus’s prime concern and recommendation. He believed that the Executive have worked very well over the last 2 years.
He thought it is probably no harm to have a proper procedure.
Jim agreed that the meeting was way too long on Sunday in France and Jim was expecting a report from the Executive at that meeting and when it never happened that is why the request for reports on every meeting came.
Macedonia should not have been allowed to take up so much of the meeting time as it was unscheduled.
Lars said that having rules and procedures is important for transparency, maybe rules for procedures for the board may be a good idea too but he is not sure that when the board meeting is going on that the Chairman calls control.
At the board meeting everyone is present – some countries are not aware of the work that the EC is doing.
Colin says that the rules for procedure are excellent and very useful.
Tugomir said that the feeling was that there was 2 sides at the meeting and we need to correct this. We need to identify how to correct this and how to report to the Board in a way that will satisfy the majority and make reports clear.
Tugomir said that there was definitely a feeling of 2 sides at the meeting and it is not correct for the general board members to feel that they are on the outside.
Tugomir said that if Executive were in agreement then he would continue with rules of procedures – the Executive were in agreement.
Tugomir will continue draft for Executive and revert back next meeting.
- RULES AND PROCEDURES FOR BOARD MEETINGS
Tugomir said that we have to establish procedure that everyone on the board has the idea that the meetings are open and transparent and open to comment.
Colin seconded this motion.
Rasmus would like to add procedures for board
Rasmus said that it is important to have good and valuable procedures.
If you go on internet you can find how to proceed with meetings
Tugomir is open to any draft
Rasmus says that an appendix to the board meeting and maybe an index of technical terms might help.
We have all experience of how meetings should run so any assistance that we can give to board would be good.
Jim thinks that a report to Executive a month before board meeting would assist in Board Members being up to date.
Tugomir agreed to draft short procedure for Board Meetings and he will prepare a draft for next Executive Skype.
- HISTORY
Regarding the History Rasmus has made a few comments.
Rasmus asks that if the executive agree with the proposals that Rasmus makes then we should procede on that basis.
The report should include the following:
- A brief description of the project.
- Responsible persons from WPO
- Name of persons or companies which are capable
to take on such a project
- An estimated cost frame
- Funding
- A time frame
The Executive decided to defer to next board meeting because we lost Gebhard on Skype.
- CORRESPONDENCE
Letter to Chairman from France
Tugomir introduces the background to the letter received from France.
a) To perform a test on all judges before competition,
Anna Marie explained what happens in Ireland
Rasmus says that it is very hard to tell a judge that he cannot judge – then there would be other implications. Executive can only recommend to the Board.
Rasmus says there is only a request from the French not a proposal – and until it comes as a proposal then we cannot do anything on this.
Jim said that countries are sending the best ploughmen so why are they not sending the best judges.
Colin says that countries send their judges and unless there is a problem then we have to accept what is being sent. The 3 are to make a unanimous decision, if one judge is poor, they do not have a major input to the end result.
Lars said that we really cannot compare the judges at world level with the judges at world level and in the world we don’t have same options.
In Denmark we have a new sheet with the pictures could be very helpful for all the judges and to have a little bit more transparency about who the panels were and who voted what.
Tugomir says that proposals should come from EC side and also affiliate side – that until the next contest, we can propose EC proposals for next board meeting.
Colin asked had France received a reply – Tugomir has replied saying that he did say to France that he would bring comments to the Executive.
Rasmus gathers that the French are waiting for a follow up – Rasmus proposes that GS that send a letter to France to say thank you for letter and that it something that the EC is considering but unless the French issue these as proposals to the Board then the EC cannot take further.
b) Do not display and/or publish the result of the first day, in order to avoid that leaders become a "target" on second day.
c) Give to the Scrutineers the possibility and instruction to report such lack of consistency to the Head Stewards for analysis and review on field with judge panels when needed.
French proposal is sent to WPO Chairman "...in order to improve in the direction of WPO goal "Fair and friendly relation between ploughmen."
Lars said that in Denmark if there is a difference of 3 points between sets of judges then the Head Steward will bring it to the attention of the Judges.
Email to GS from a Board Member RE: Bullying Tactics on Judging Panel – ref. GS
If EC receive an official letter about bullying then the EC would have to react - there is also the Protest option.
- RULES
Request that the WPO Executive send General Secretary comments or changes that can be made and send same request to Rules Committee.
- WORLD PLOUGHING CONTEST 2015, DENMARK
Denmark status/progress report - Lars Gammelvind short information.
Would like to have as few times included as possible so that there are no changes.
They want to have a workshop on one evening and that may change – this should try and include ploughing people from around the world. 3 different workshops with 3 different things to discuss and identify how these items are being developed around the world.
Maybe the Danish briefing system would be one of the subjects – anyone with suggestions for the workshops please add.
Colin asked about hire of tractors.
Clarifying that it is €250 to hire tractor and then a fee per day after that.
Tugomir asked about 5 or 10 day programme – is it possible to have other types of programmes – 2 or 3 days. For a group of 40 people.
Workshop idea is good said Tugomir – Macedonia example would not happen if we had workshops.
Colin said that workshop idea is brilliant and whoever can be involved great.
- GENERAL SECRETARY REVIEW
Everything is going ok at the moment and requirements have been put in place for coming year.
ANY OTHER BUSINESS
Letter from Welsh Ploughing Team 2015 requesting permission to arrive one day late for World Programme 2015 due to their National taking place on the Saturday.
Colin and Lars thinks that the delegates must arrive on official arrival date.
Tugomir thinks that they should be allowed to come the second day.
Rasmus disagrees – he would find it a little difficult to demand that competitor arrive on the first day of competition.
He says that you must attend all briefings – and that is not until Sunday night.
Executive to vote on this.
TROPHIES
Friendship Trophy – there is no leather scroll and we do not know the whereabouts of the leather scrolls.
It is not the same plough that was being used in the beginning.
ANNA MARIE TO ASK RASMUS TO FOLLOW UP WITH KVERNELAND
We need to look into having all names included on trophies from the beginning.