Tredworth Residents' Association; The Future?

[Deleted]

Well, that was fun. The AGM didn't happen, but only because I kicked up such a fuss. Not only had the necessary seven days' notice not been given (despite Pat Scannell's claims), but only seven residents had turned up by 6.30pm (half an hour after the advertised time). A quorum for an AGM is ten residents. They didn't have a quorum last year either, but that didn't stop them from going ahead with the AGM as if it was all fine and dandy. Pat repeatedly called me a wicked woman and claimed that I was only out to cause trouble. He also said that he didn't see why there had to be a quorum. So much for local democracy.

[Joe K]

'Fun' indeed. I didn't realise I was so much in Pat Scannell's bad books, but then, I have no idea how much poison is being poured in his ear at GCH-arranged meetings. That unknown fellow (though allegedly a Tredworth resident) who sat behind you made a disparaging remark about yourself the moment you left, and Pat was characteristically uncharitable. He then said that I would carry any tattle back to you. But I'm pretty sure he must say much worse behind my back, too. Though he needn't have worried. Spitting out 'Bitch!' at you, seemingly apropos of nothing in particular, was the highlight of his childish antics, so I didn't need to carry that tale. Everyone else may conveniently 'forget' it, though.

It's ironic that Pat behaved in a manner which surely put anything Ray and I were accused of (in a secretly convened kangaroo court) last April in the shade, yet Lyn Scudamore would only 'shush' him. If I don't actually report his behaviour, and I'll have to dig out a copy of the TETRA constitution to see if it covers that, I'll certainly bring him up short the moment he steps out of line at the next attempt at an AGM. He couldn't seem to decide if he wanted to quit and give the whole shebang to us to sort out, or complain that no-one else was prepared to help, only moan. Lyn would be quite alarmed by the former option, because man-baby quitter-monkeys as they are, GCH still seem to find Scannell and Ward more malleable than people who appreciate the point of having rules.

I almost wish we could start some group, just to show people how it should be done properly, to wit fully accountably, but except for the CCCP, I don't feel as if I have the time or the energy to do more than hold bad groups to account, when they don't pull down the shutters. Not long after you left, they decided to make the meeting one for the committee instead, and I was firmly invited to leave. I didn't argue for long, just clarified that it was an unannounced impromptu committee meeting, and left. If I hadn't, they could still have had their little session informally later, at the city farm.

I realise, having seen the Jan 13 newsletter, that the AGM minuted is not the one I attended, but one that was held at Parry Hall. I guess the one where a new committee was elected at the Vic, when TETRA absorbed the TRA doesn't count, if it was even minuted. I am curious about whether any of TETRA's latter Parry Hall AGM's have been especially well-attended. People in the area seem to be getting wise to Pat being a blowhard more interested in massaging his own ego than caring for his community, and transferring TETRA business to Tredworth may have been the only way to keep it going at all. How long for, though?

[Joe K]

In case I forget, this is happening on April 17th:

Celebrate the Community Pride Day by
tidying up Parry Gardens and allotments.
There will be information stalls and
refreshments are provided.

I was wrong about the last AGM, or rather, misinformed, natch. The document (and it seems they can make the newsletters available in digital form if they want to) stated that the Jun 10th AGM took place at Parry Hall, but I remember now that it was moved to the Big Vic, presumably without consulting residents who might have attended at Parry Hall (and I did ask Pat Scannell about the wisdom of this, but of course he was dismissive, and well on the way to having another paddy, so I dropped it).

So I did attend the June AGM, and the only reason I can see for them leaving me off the attendance list is incompetence, which can't be ruled out, or that it was done deliberately, with them reasoning that as a non-resident, I shouldn't be counted. Perhaps they were concerned about legitimising my involvement in any way.

I shall have to ask who wrote the minutes, whoever it was wrote attrociously.

I've extended my FoI requests about Common Purpose to GCH, as Lyn Scudamore just reeks of CP 'managing' of awkward questions, in good time for the new AGM date:

Common Purpose training courses

[Joe K]

Unsurprisingly, the request directed at GCH is being dealt with by Gloucester City Council's Ruth Silk.

[Deleted]

GCH is an arms length management organisation, which means that the city council is not supposed to stick its nose in; so why is it allowed to answer an FOI request directed at GCH?

As to the man who sat behind my right shoulder - someone was named Paul, and it might have been him. I think that he might live near Pat, but I may have misunderstood. He was asking about money from GCH for a communal garden, and it's unlikely to be anywhere but the one that serves the maisonettes where Pat lives. That garden has had umpteen thousand pounds spent on it over the years. There are frequent overhauls, all paid for by GCH.

TETRA's constitution used to have oodles of nonsense about being polite to everyone at meetings and respecting all cultures, blah, blah, blah. It clearly doesn't apply to the great and the good. If you or I swore at or about Pat or Tony, how long would it be before we were banned?

[Deleted]

BTW, back when Avis Tocknell was still alive and I was still in Pat Scannell's good books, he would keep on publicly praising me at every opportunity. I don't know if he thought that I believed him to be sincere. He would say spiteful things about anyone he didn't like. That's how I know that he and Don Jones didn't get on. (That's why I mentioned Don a couple of times - just to stick the knife in). Any information that Pat doesn't want spread is tittle-tattle - which is completely different from his musings on other people, of course.

[Joe K]

It's difficult to know if people do expect to be believed when they softsoap us and others, or don't much care either way. Trouble is, once they swallow the Kool-aid and believe we are 'wicked', any amount of insincerity, or bending and even ignoring the rules is justifiable, and even the most helpful of suggestions from us can be viewed as a cunning ploy.

And just to note, another no-show from the police at that meeting, although they were supposed to give a report. Did anyone tell them that, I wonder?

[Joe K]

Oh yes, I remember what that fellow (Paul, you say) said. It was 'Who's Gobby?' Which is kind of ironic...

[Joe K]

When I checked my files for the TETRA constitution I drew a blank, so I Googled on the off chance. That didn't work either, though I did find this interesting document from 2005: Tenants' Forum

I do have the constitution for TRA, such as it is (before it was approved, I asked that an extra pledge to advertise meetings be added, but Tony Ward said that wasn't necessary, months before he and Scudamore decided to disolve the TRA because no-one was coming to the meetings), but not TETRA's, it seems. I wonder if anything like the following can be found in that?

1. To be courteous to each other and assist other members in seeking the best possible solution to the problems being discussed.

7. To ensure no member will discriminate on any grounds against any other member, group or member of the public and not allow discriminatory language to be used in discussions.

[Joe K]

Apr 29, 2013 23:38:47 GMT Joe K said:

Pat Scannell, by the way, appears willing to move the TETRA AGM to the Victory Hotel on June 10th if GCH want him to. He doesn't seem fazed by the possibility that this will lead to no-one from Tredworth attending, and far fewer from the usual crowd, leaving the AGM inquorate. He doesn't care that residents had no say in the change of venue, as long as he rang up the committee members and got their agreement.

Save us from people who find details tiresome...

Reminder of what I said in April last year. As I said above, it wasn't a surprise to me on the day that the AGM wasn't quorate, or that no-one would give a damn. Even if I had brought it up, my my interjection would have been treated as 'sabotage'...

[Deleted]

So, at the moment it's looking as if the rescheduled AGM will be at 6.30pm on 12th May at the Big Vic. I wonder why we can't have the back room, like we used to. It was noisy in there, and not just because of the arguments. You can't expect the other users of the pub to keep the noise down because someone's having a meeting.

[Joe K]

I'm not sure why the back room wasn't available. I got the impression from the staff that it was down to the pub's circumstances, not TETRA, but I might be wrong. Hopefully, things will be different next time, but then, I'd also hope that some kind of creche, or just someone to look after the toddlers so the meetings can continue without interruption, would be a possibility, with six councillors and their (mostly Labour, in fact all, since Saj Patel never attends) supporters to organise it, but it never seems to happen...

If Lyn Scudamore keeps her word, and the AGM is properly advertised, the posters should say which room the meeting will be in, anyway.

[Deleted]

There's still no notice about the AGM on the Parry Hall noticeboard or GCH's website. Has there been a notice in the Citizen?. I certainly haven't seen one.

[Joe K]

Thanks, Kay. I was intending to check on that board. I guess on Tuesday, I'll be going to GCH's offices to ask Anita Pope how 'in hand' they have that.

Incidentally, I 'caught' Usman Bhaimia putting an election leaflet through my door this morning. He couldn't explain why he never replied to my emails, but amongst the bumf, he told me that he, and his son, think I 'work harder than most councillors'. I'm going to ask him to tell that to our police, and maybe get them to explain why they treat me like a criminal. If he can get a response from them, I'll put aside my belief that the main parties have nothing to offer me, and vote Labour instead of UKIP. But experience tells me he'll throw away that last chance, making the choice for me...

[Deleted]

I had a TETRA newsletter through my door yesterday morning (the first newsletter that I've received since 2009). The AGM is to be at the Big Vic at 6pm on 12th.