28-06-2019, 07:50 PM
Good grief.
Why do all organisations which rely on volunteer labour inevitably slide into these types of morasses?
Further, from the WIA website:
https://www.wia.org.au/newsevents/news/2.../index.php
Date : 27 / 06 / 2019
[b]Author : Peter Clee - VK8ZZ[/b]
Summary
It is with regret that, following a lengthy deliberation, the board has voted to remove Peter Freeman (VK3PF) as the editor of AR Magazine effective immediately.
The circumstances that surround this decision are reflective of the challenge that has been highlighted several times at the AGM and subsequently regarding the need for the behaviour of the WIA and its volunteers to change to meet the challenges presented by the world in which we find ourselves.
Dr Harry Edgar (VK6YBZ) has been appointed “Editor in Chief” in a new role that will be an annually appointed board position no different to that of President and Vice President.
Harry will announce in due course the forward looking strategy for making AR Magazine the best Amateur Radio and Electronics journal in Australia.
In the meantime the board is working to receive handover from Peter and to ensure the delivery of the next issue of AR Magazine to our members in a timely manner.
The board would like to thank Peter for his contribution to the WIA and to the hobby of amateur radio over the past 10 years and wish him well in the future.
Authorised by
The Board of the WIA
27th June 2019
Background
As some of you would have observed, in previous years the WIA has reported in its financials an expense for “Editors Honorarium”.
An “Honorarium” is defined by Wikipedia as “an ex gratia payment, i.e., a payment made, without the giver recognising themselves as having any liability or legal obligation, to a person for his or her services in a volunteer capacity or for services for which fees are not traditionally required.”
In late 2018 the board received an invoice from Peter for $5000 comprising $4000 for the editors honorarium and $1000 for expenses. There was no justification provided for the expenses.
The finance team rejected this invoice on the basis that:
With respect to the honorarium component, an invoice is a demand for payment - The WIA has no liability or legal obligation to “pay” an honorarium.
The $1000 of expenses lacked any form of justification - The WIA has a long held policy regarding the payment of volunteer expenses - they always requires justification.
The finance team escalated this matter to the board in early 2019 and the board undertook significant research on the Australian Tax Office’s position on honorariums and expenses and the historical payment of the same to Peter.
Following a debate the board concluded that:
The manner in which these payments have been made in the past was inconsistent with the nature of the payments.
The $1000 unspecified expense claim that had been paid in the past breached the long standing policies of the WIA and must be rejected.
The board supported the finance teams assessment of the validity of this invoice and, over the course of the early part of the year sought to consider whether an honorarium was appropriate, and if so, what should be its quantum.
The board considered this matter from two key perspectives:
the work undertaken in preparing AR magazine would have been reduced due to the recent shift from 11 issues to 6 issues per year.
Financial responsibility given the uncertainty at the time regarding the WIA’s future revenues (This is related to the exam processes being shifted to AMC)
It was the view of the board at the time that:
There was no basis on which the honorarium should continue to be paid at the same rate as the number of issues, and therefore the work required, had been reduced (In later discussions with Peter it was disclosed by him that the work involved was around 20 - 25 hours per issue).
The payment of any ex-gratia payment should be held over until there was more certainty regarding future cashflows of the institute.
In May, 2019, the board had a conference call with Peter and explained this position. It was agreed at that discussion that the board would decide what to do at the June board meeting (Which was held on the evening of the 25th of June.)
On the 24th of June, Peter emailed the board demanding the immediate payment of the Honorarium threatening to withhold the July / August issue of AR magazine unless it is paid. This letter was sent to all of the members of the WIA board, to the members of the publications team and the broadcast team.
Having reviewed Peter’s letter the board scheduled a special sitting on the evening of the 26th of June to address this particular matter. It was concluded that the action, by Peter, in seeking to hold the organisation to ransom were:
Unconscionable
Inconsistent with the values of a volunteer operating in a volunteer capacity
Inconsistent with the values of the WIA.
representative of the self serving behaviours that have plagued the WIA in the past; and
entirely inconsistent with the behaviour our members should expect and demand.
The board voted unanimously to, effective immediately, remove Peter from his role as editor and to establish a framework that ensures that no single person can hold the organisation to ransom in this way again.
Why do all organisations which rely on volunteer labour inevitably slide into these types of morasses?
Further, from the WIA website:
https://www.wia.org.au/newsevents/news/2.../index.php
Date : 27 / 06 / 2019
[b]Author : Peter Clee - VK8ZZ[/b]
Summary
It is with regret that, following a lengthy deliberation, the board has voted to remove Peter Freeman (VK3PF) as the editor of AR Magazine effective immediately.
The circumstances that surround this decision are reflective of the challenge that has been highlighted several times at the AGM and subsequently regarding the need for the behaviour of the WIA and its volunteers to change to meet the challenges presented by the world in which we find ourselves.
Dr Harry Edgar (VK6YBZ) has been appointed “Editor in Chief” in a new role that will be an annually appointed board position no different to that of President and Vice President.
Harry will announce in due course the forward looking strategy for making AR Magazine the best Amateur Radio and Electronics journal in Australia.
In the meantime the board is working to receive handover from Peter and to ensure the delivery of the next issue of AR Magazine to our members in a timely manner.
The board would like to thank Peter for his contribution to the WIA and to the hobby of amateur radio over the past 10 years and wish him well in the future.
Authorised by
The Board of the WIA
27th June 2019
Background
As some of you would have observed, in previous years the WIA has reported in its financials an expense for “Editors Honorarium”.
An “Honorarium” is defined by Wikipedia as “an ex gratia payment, i.e., a payment made, without the giver recognising themselves as having any liability or legal obligation, to a person for his or her services in a volunteer capacity or for services for which fees are not traditionally required.”
In late 2018 the board received an invoice from Peter for $5000 comprising $4000 for the editors honorarium and $1000 for expenses. There was no justification provided for the expenses.
The finance team rejected this invoice on the basis that:
With respect to the honorarium component, an invoice is a demand for payment - The WIA has no liability or legal obligation to “pay” an honorarium.
The $1000 of expenses lacked any form of justification - The WIA has a long held policy regarding the payment of volunteer expenses - they always requires justification.
The finance team escalated this matter to the board in early 2019 and the board undertook significant research on the Australian Tax Office’s position on honorariums and expenses and the historical payment of the same to Peter.
Following a debate the board concluded that:
The manner in which these payments have been made in the past was inconsistent with the nature of the payments.
The $1000 unspecified expense claim that had been paid in the past breached the long standing policies of the WIA and must be rejected.
The board supported the finance teams assessment of the validity of this invoice and, over the course of the early part of the year sought to consider whether an honorarium was appropriate, and if so, what should be its quantum.
The board considered this matter from two key perspectives:
the work undertaken in preparing AR magazine would have been reduced due to the recent shift from 11 issues to 6 issues per year.
Financial responsibility given the uncertainty at the time regarding the WIA’s future revenues (This is related to the exam processes being shifted to AMC)
It was the view of the board at the time that:
There was no basis on which the honorarium should continue to be paid at the same rate as the number of issues, and therefore the work required, had been reduced (In later discussions with Peter it was disclosed by him that the work involved was around 20 - 25 hours per issue).
The payment of any ex-gratia payment should be held over until there was more certainty regarding future cashflows of the institute.
In May, 2019, the board had a conference call with Peter and explained this position. It was agreed at that discussion that the board would decide what to do at the June board meeting (Which was held on the evening of the 25th of June.)
On the 24th of June, Peter emailed the board demanding the immediate payment of the Honorarium threatening to withhold the July / August issue of AR magazine unless it is paid. This letter was sent to all of the members of the WIA board, to the members of the publications team and the broadcast team.
Having reviewed Peter’s letter the board scheduled a special sitting on the evening of the 26th of June to address this particular matter. It was concluded that the action, by Peter, in seeking to hold the organisation to ransom were:
Unconscionable
Inconsistent with the values of a volunteer operating in a volunteer capacity
Inconsistent with the values of the WIA.
representative of the self serving behaviours that have plagued the WIA in the past; and
entirely inconsistent with the behaviour our members should expect and demand.
The board voted unanimously to, effective immediately, remove Peter from his role as editor and to establish a framework that ensures that no single person can hold the organisation to ransom in this way again.