BI EGA 31/10/2021

BLACKBALL INTERNATIONAL EGA MINUTES

31st October 2021 Subject : Termination of Ross McInnes

Meeting attendees: Mark Cottingham (President)

Saths Reddy (AAPA Council)

Sean Rumbado (EBA Council)

Glenn Williams (Australia Council)

Kevin Byrne (Vice President)

Samantha Cottingham (Treasurer)

Ross McInnes (Board Member)

Paul Coldrick (Board Member)

Yvonne Ewing (EBA Representative)

Absentee: Mycherif Zine El Abidine

Meeting was opened at 10.05am UK time by President Mark Cottingham. Mark thanked everyone for their attendance.

The reason for the EGA being called is for a motion of Immediate Termination of EBA BI Board Representative Mr Ross McInnes which was brought forward by Australia Council member Mr Glenn Williams and the motion seconded by AAPA Council member Mr Saths Reddy.

Sean Rumbado wanted it recoded on the minutes that the EBA were attending the EGA. However did not agree with the process due to the EBA believing it is being held non constitutional as worded within the BI constitution. However both Australia and the AAPA both agreed that the interpretation of the clause was directed at the members neing the continents as they are the rightful members and not the board.

This subject was discussed and agreed that there was no clear indication in the wording to its meaning and that all parties had different view points on the meaning. The EBA understood the meaning to be only board members could call for an EGA as per clause 5.2 (i), whereas Australia and the AAPA understood the constitution to state that an EGA could be called if 50% of it members called for one, as per clause 5.2 (ii)

The President then asked Mr Williams to read out the claims being made before discussion would take place...

• _Breach of Constitution Clause 4.7 (i)- Members of the Board are obliged to safeguard the interest of BI

• _Threatening/blackmailing comments and posts on social media and e-mail towards Blackball International.

• _Inability to leave out any personal issues Ross McInnes has made it impossible to hold a position on the Blackball International board ongoing.

• _Breach of Constitution Clause 4.7 (ii)- The Board implements/executes and supervises all decision taken at a GA

• _Unwilling to accept the GA Assembly decision which included the EBA Chairman and Vice Chairman's attendance regarding the BI new board members and their voting rights, as documented in the undisputed Minutes of the GA.

• _Threatening/abusive message to the Blackball International President regarding the applicants for recent posts with Blackball International.

• _Unwilling to accept the GA Assembly decision regarding the acceptance of Malaysia as a new Blackball International Continental member.

• _Breach of Clause 4.4.4 - Treasurer's responsibilities

• _Ross McInnes has been unable to deliver any responsibilities placed on him in his role as Acting Treasurer with Blackball International for the past 2 years. This includes signatories and access to the Blackball International bank account and also a review of an international banking options causing issues accessing monies.

It was also discussed that some of the clause numbers had changed within the constitution and did not match the revised edition of 2018. It was explained by the President that at GA of 2021 it was agreed that the constitution would be adjusted to include the new clauses to be added, the amendments that were also agreed and at a stage shortly to come a complete revision of the constitution was to be made. The President informed everyone that although members should have the up-to-date constitution that none of the wording had changed only the clause numbers due to them being correct before and had been adjusted when amending the constitution as agreed. A new copy of the constitution will be re-distributed to all members, council, and board of the amended 2021 version.

The breaches as put forward were then discussed in order, where Mr McInnes would be given the chance to reply to each one...

• _Breach of Constitution Clause 4.7 (i)- Members of the Board are obliged to safeguard the interest of BI

• _Threatening/blackmailing comments and posts on social media and e-mail towards Blackball International.

Mr McInnes agreed that the post had been made although he believed that he needed to make BI take some action in announcing the 2022 World Championships to France as this was not happening. Mr McInnes did not view the posts as threatening or blackmail but merely pushing BI into releasing the information.

• _Inability to leave out any personal issues Ross McInnes has made it impossible to hold a position on the Blackball International board ongoing.

Because he disagreed with the decisions of the BI board he continued on a personnel pursuit which involved threats to BI, Social media posts about BI all over social media

• _Breach of Clause 4.4.4 - Treasurer's responsibilities

Ross stated that he has never seen himself as the treasurer, he had helped in that roll in going to the bank to get the statements as he was one of the signatories on the account.

There were discussions brought up surrounding financials of 2018 worlds and also the GA that was held at that time. Mr Reedy claimed that Mr Kevin Barton had been asked to be acting treasurer at that meeting although it was confirmed by Sean, Yvonne and the President that this was incorrect, and Kevin was actually put forward as Acting Secretary for 6 months.

Ross insisted that he was no treasurer and that yes he had been asked to carry out certain rolls and also to had been asked to look for another bank account or options as BI could not access their account due to it being in England and there being no internet access for other board members to become signatories of the account.

At this point it was also brought up about the debt that had been caused by the 2018 BI World Championships in there being insufficient funds to back what had been guaranteed as prize funds.

• _Breach of Constitution Clause 4.7 (ii)- The Board implements/executes and supervises all decision taken at a GA

Mr McInnes agreed the emails relating to the appointments had been sent, however stated they had not been carried out correctly and that he would call and EGM of the EBA to dispute the appointments of the new board members.

It was discussed with reference made to the minutes of the BI GA of the process that was to be taken for the appointments

• _Threatening/abusive message to the Blackball International President regarding the applicants for recent posts with Blackball International.

Mr McInnes denied that the messages had been threatening and abusive although agreed that he had sent them. The President read some of the messages out and was then questioned by Mr Rumbado to why it was deemed these messages were threatening and abusive. The president response was threats and abuse come in many different forms and the way they were worded to the president of BI were deemed to be of that nature. It was also discussed that this is the way Mr McInnes writes his messages and are not meant in the nature as they maybe seen as, However this is not an excuse for it to happen.

The messages related to the proposal of new board members with Mr McInnes stating that Mr Kevin Byrne and Mr Trevor Harte should not be involved as it had become known to the EBA that monies within the EBA in the past had not been accounted for correctly although the EBA did not wish for this to be made known, and that also Samantha Cottingham the wife of the president should not be on the board as it’s a conflict being the presidents wife. These message were sent both before GA back early 2021 and also after the appointments of both Mr Kevin Byrne as Vice President and Samantha Cottingham as Treasurer.

Mr Bryne wanted it noted that these claims were incorrect and that he has never received any money from the EBA in any form.

• _Unwilling to accept the GA Assembly decision regarding the acceptance of Malaysia as a new Blackball International Continental member.

Mr McInnes agreed to not accepting the decision of Malaysia made at an EGA due to the fact that he and the EBA believe that the BI EGA was called incorrectly by the President.

The president stated that he does not have the power to call and EGA and only sent out the meeting request on the back of emails by the EBA president and supported by both the AAPA and Australia. Also the President recalled the GA meeting saying that everyone at that meeting agreed it was only a formality and could have even been finalised via email.

As it’s only the council who vote and the board had agreed at the GA to Malaysia joining then it was a formality vote. When the GA was held no one had disputed that it could be agreed via email and without a meeting being needed as it was agreed.

The attendees where then asked for any final comments on the breaches, matters from the past were brought up which were not relevant and were disregarded from the talks.

Yvonne Ewing stated that Ross speaks from the heart and that his passion sometimes over takes what is right although she believed he always has the best interests of the game in place.

Sean Rumbado believed a reprimand should be more in order than a termination, however as that’s not the motion it can’t be put forward as an option.

The president asked for the motion to be reconfirmed of the termination of Ross McInnes from the board by both Australia and seconded by the AAPA...

Voting took place on the motion with the following votes.

AUSTRALIA: YES

AAPA: YES

EBA: NO

Motion was passed that Ross McInnes was to be removed as a BI board member.

Meeting was closed at 12.52 UK time.

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