Kangaroo Court - sham proceedings which are set-up in order
to give the impression of a fair process. In fact, they offer no impartial
justice as the verdict, invariably to the detriment of the accused, is decided
in advance. Such courts are associated with groups who have found a need to
dispense a rough and ready form of justice but are, temporarily at least,
outside the bounds of formal judicial processes.
I
have given the events of the last few weeks some thought and decided that since
the Essex Warriors Wargames Club had decided to carry out a “Character Assassination” in a
determined attempt to destroy my reputation and defame me in public and
post lies about me to back up their reasons to expel me from the club I think
people that know me deserve to read my side of events and make up their own
mind if I have been treated fairly.
I had to go back through all my
emails from August 2018 to draw together a pattern of harassment from Les
Mills. I think it all started from the time a former club officer shouted and
swore at me during a club meeting in front of invited guests and I made a
formal complaint. The committee of the time didn’t want to deal with it and it
took me three months of pushing before they decided to follow the clubs
disciplinary procedure. I felt at the time had it been me being accused of a similar
offence that I would have been expelled but they basically allowed the club
officer to remain in post with a “slap on the wrist” this made me think that I
was a marked man from then onwards.
Scroll forward to August 2018
I freely admit that I made a public
comment on the club Facebook page [which I subsequently deleted] about how
certain members operated in a closed clique, never opening their games up to
other players nor to people who visited the club to see how the club works.
Rather than deal with this issue I got a formal rebuke which I accepted, deleted
the FB comment and considered the matter closed.
Here is the club email from August
2018 and my response which remained unanswered.
Dear Drew,
I am writing to you on behalf of
Essex Warriors Committee regarding your use of Essex Warriors Facebook page, in
particular your post timed at 21:06 on Tuesday 7th August.
Several club members have
complained that this post and the subsequent comments unfairly portray the club
in a bad light. While we appreciate that you are keen to get involved in a
game, it is not appropriate to post your frustration in such terms on a
publicly accessible Facebook page. Indeed, we wonder what you hoped to gain
from the post. It will hardly encourage people to offer you a game if you
publicly accuse fellow club members of being unwilling to interact publicly
because they do not respond to your emails or label them dinosaurs for not
following social media.
As you know, Essex Warriors
Facebook page is a public group which can be viewed by anyone on Facebook.
There are around 100 members in the group, of whom only about 33 are current
members of Essex Warriors; the remainder are various interested parties,
including those who are thinking about joining the club and ex-members who have
moved away. However, literally any Facebook user can see the posts; one of our
members reported that a non-wargamer friend of his mentioned your Facebook
comments in the pub last Thursday. There is real potential for such careless
posts to damage the club’s reputation.
Section 10.2 of the Essex Warriors
Constitution states that “Any member whose conduct appears likely in the
opinion of the Committee, to disrupt the functioning of the club or to
jeopardise its reputation shall be liable to have his membership terminated or
suspended. Such conduct is defined as including illegal action, grossly
offensive behaviour or expressions towards members of the public present as
guests of the club or its members, or other actions or expressions which appear
to the committee to be discreditable to the club as a whole.”
Having discussed the situation, the
committee have unanimously concluded that your Facebook post of 7th August
and your subsequent comments do constitute behaviour which jeopardises the
club’s reputation and is discreditable to the club as a whole. At this point we
do not propose to suspend your membership of the club. However, you should
regard this letter as a written warning about your behaviour and you are
requested to refrain from making any further negative comments likely to damage
the club’s reputation. Any further incidents will be dealt with more severely.
Les Mills, President Essex Warriors
Peter Grimwood, Secretary Essex
Warriors
Peter Hockaday, Treasurer Essex
Warriors
Steve Clarke, Quartermaster Essex
Warriors
14/08/2018
Notice to Members 14/-08/2018
Dear Essex Warriors Members
Several of you have expressed
concern over a recent post on our Facebook page and the comments it
subsequently attracted. You felt that it presented an unfair and
unrepresentative picture of Essex Warriors and was potentially damaging to the
club’s reputation in the wider world. Your Committee have investigated the post
and have issued a written warning to the person concerned. No further action
will be undertaken unless the offence is repeated.
Essex Warriors Facebook page is a
public group which is viewable by literally anyone on Facebook. The group has
around 100 members, of whom only 33 are current Essex Warriors members; the
remainder are various interested parties including ex-members who have moved
away and others who are interested in joining. Only the group members can post
and make comments on the page but anyone can see the posts. To illustrate just
how public the group is, a member has reported that his non-wargamer friend
mentioned the recent post in conversation at the pub!
So, when posting on Essex Warriors
Facebook group please be aware of the possibility that your posts and comments
may be seen by anybody who cares to look. If you have suggestions for improving
any aspect of the club you should refer them privately by email to a member of
the Committee rather than posting them on Facebook. Three of your Committee are
on Facebook but Facebook discussions can often generate more heat than light;
direct email communication is to be preferred. Finally, any negative comments
likely to damage the club’s reputation should of course be avoided.
Essex Warriors Committee
My Response 14/08/18
Peter etc
So rather than deal with the actual problems with wider gamer
participation within the club the committee decided to give me a bollocking
instead, "to protect the reputation of the club". The committee
didn't seem to be too worried when I was publicly abused by the former club
president in front of invited guests until I pushed my complaint as hard as I
could to the other three committee members?
History is littered with examples of organisations putting reputational
protection first that has resulted in criminal acts being covered up only for
them to come out years later. Whilst nothing I have complained about is of a
criminal nature, it is discriminatory and should be challenged. Perhaps the
committee should reconsider it's position in this light and think of ways that
game publicity should be addressed to ensure no one feels excluded from the
wider club activities.
So be it if that's how you want to deal with the problem of small
cliques of players excluding other members from their games.
I know you cannot force players to open up their games but it's clear
that with a few exceptions the current membership does not offer their games to
wider membership. This isn't healthy for the club because it makes it an
unfriendly place for new or existing members to attend and participate in games
they may have never played before.
I have noted the formal warning and will take the committee's comments
into consideration in future when posting in a public forum about the club.
Out of interest is this warning of an indefinite nature or time limited
predicated on continued good behaviour?
Drew
Note that between 14th August 2018 and 20th
t January 2021 I have received no communications either verbally or
in writing complaining about any unacceptable behaviour. It would appear that
the current club committee decided to fabricate this point to back up their
false and libellous allegations. Don’t forget the warning email contained the
sentence “Any further incidents will be dealt with more severely.“
The club went into formal closure
on 23rd March 2020 due to covid-19 Government restrictions and still
hasn’t reopened. So the committee on the one hand claimed that I had committed
unspecified transgressions between 14th August 2018 and 23rd
March 2020 but took no action against me during this time. Note they didn’t
take any disciplinary action between 23rd March 2020 and 21st
January 2021 either during the club lockdown.
Its clear to me that the problem
has arisen because whilst the committee were taking policy decisions in secret whilst
not consulting the membership before hand and when I raised legitimate points
on their flawed understanding of the Covid-19 restrictions and how to operate
safely they resented being questions. You will read that I was accused of
wasting the committee’s valuable time in one email for questioning their
decisions.
On 21st January 2021 I
received an email out of the blue telling me I had been expelled from the club
until 2026. The committee justified this by making unsubstantiated allegations
of bullying, but never listed any actual events where this was supposed to have
taken place, This came as a shock since the club has been closed since March
2020 due to Covid-19 so it could not have been due to any actions I had taken
whilst attending the club and had there been any events before this time after
August 2018. I can’t understand why they
not dealt with as was stated they would have done in my August 2018 warning
letter.
Here is the email from the
committee 21st January 2021
Dear Drew,
Due to your behaviour and
comments made towards Essex Warriors Wargames Club and its members over the
last two years plus, the Committee in accordance with the Club Constitution
feels your membership is no longer compatible with the club. The Committee has
therefore issued you with a 5 year ban to expire at the AGM of the club in
2026. Should you wish to rejoin after this date then a written request should
be made to the Club Committee of 2026 or subsequent years.
Your ban will mean that you may
not attend any club meeting, open day or special event organised by the club as
a guest without the express approval of the Club's Committee. You will be
removed from any media system run by the Club. This action will be reported to
the Club's membership and no one else. Should you make any comment directly or
implied in any format concerning the Club or its current membership, the Club
reserves the right to reply in the public domain.
Your club membership will be
forwarded to you in due course.
Leslie Mills
Club President , on behalf of the
Essex Warriors Committee
As you can see within the email
there were no specific allegations just some general but unspecified allegations.
I responded to this email by trying
to lodge an appeal and asking for details of the allegations.
Les
So I get no warnings about any supposed unacceptable behaviour?
What comments have I made to individual members apart from Les who kept
suggesting to me that I should leave the club which clearly indicates where the
antipathy towards me is coming from.
Do I have the right of appeal as per the club constitution?
What specific offences have I supposed to have committed towards the
club?
Given the club has been closed since March 2020 it cannot be due to
anything I have done in person. I guess it's easier to expel someone who raises
genuine concerns and questions about how the committee runs the club than
actually address those concerns to the member. I last contacted the committee
some weeks ago about future opening of the club to be advised that we would be
governed by the law and hall committee which I accepted should be the
case.
I realised had I replied all it would go to the general email address so
address this to the committee only.
Failure to be more open about what has caused the issue will leave me
with no option but to contact club members directly with my concerns about my
unfair treatment.
I did wonder why I was moderated on FB posts and why the committee was
failing to respond to my query about this.
Drew sent 21st January 2021
I submitted my appeal which the
Committee refused to allow because it was the same people that instituted the
expulsion that decide if the membership should review the decision to expel was
valid or incorrect.
The EW Committee of course didn’t
allow my appeal to the full membership so acted as Judge, Jury and Executioner
in my case. Here is their notification of rejection.
Refusal of the Committee to allow an appeal to the full membership – IE
the people that decided the punishment refused to allow an appeal
Dear Drew,
We regret to inform you that your request to appeal is refused. The
Constitution allows a member to appeal against suspension or expulsion if two
members of the Committee agree that an appeal may be heard (Essex Warriors
Constitution section 10.6). Unfortunately, after an extensive online debate
amongst the Committee we cannot muster the requisite number of Committee
members prepared to allow the appeal to proceed. It must be said that you have
not helped your case with your intemperate communications to the Committee and
to individual members over the last few days.
Your disruptive behaviour over the past few years both online and at
club meetings has been tolerated but the Committee has now decided that enough
is enough. You have persistently failed to comply with the standards of
behaviour required of club members as expressed in the club’s code of conduct.
You have been warned on numerous occasions over the years and indeed were
issued with a formal written warning from the full Committee in August 2018. In
fact, the Committee has been forced to expend considerably more time and effort
on dealing with your behaviour online and at meetings than it has with all the
rest of the membership combined. [None of this so called disruptive
behaviour during club meetings was reported to myself and this is the first I
have heard of it. again is sounds like the committee was making things up that
could not be challenged because there was no record of any incidents].
Although the club has not met at Writtle since last March 2020, you have
continued your disruptive behaviour online both on the club Facebook group and
by challenging the Committee’s decisions at every turn. You set the tone by
your email to the Committee dated 1st June 2020 regarding Covid
19 restrictions, in which you stated that “Social distancing is just advice
(sic) to be ignored or accepted by each individual”. [This is in fact a
statement of the law – it is just advice and not a legal requirement, had the
committee actually read the legislation like I have they would actually
understand that this is the case]. Over the following months you continued in
the same vein even as the pandemic worsened. Your many vociferous emails and
messages to the Committee challenged our decisions and those of the Village
Hall regarding public safety. [At no time did I challenge the village hall
decisions I did contact the hall hire manager asking her to confirm specific
restrictions, which she did in an email to my complete satisfaction, the hire
restrictions completely backed up what I had been discussing with the club
committee and totally undermined their position on how the club was legally
allowed to operate if and when it reopened these emails are posted below] Your view seems to be that, unless enforceable
in law, all the government guidance is just advice which could be ignored in
pursuit of getting a game. We note that you have criticised our decisions on
your personal Facebook page, characterising the Village Hall restrictions as
‘verging on paranoia’. Elsewhere you have likened the Committee’s decision to
bar you to the activities of a notorious Nazi court. While you did not name the
club or the hall in either post, we deplore your actions. [I named no
individual or organisation in either post but clearly the committee might have
felt it reflected badly on their Kangaroo Court?]
Let’s be quite clear. We are not barring you because of your views on
Covid 19 restrictions, wrongheaded though they appear to us. We are barring you
because of your continued disruptive and bullying behaviour. We are
a members organisation and as such can choose who our members are. One would
wonder why someone so unhappy about the club and how it is run would want to be
a member anyway? While it gives us no pleasure to use our powers to bar you, we
feel you have left no other course open to us. This is the first time this
power has had to be used in our history and the decision was unanimously
endorsed by the whole Committee
Essex Warriors Committee
Les Mills, President
Peter Grimwood, Secretary
Ian Roberts, Treasurer
Mike Fitzsimmons, Quartermaster
Steve Dix, Hall Manager
Peter Hockaday, Communications Officer
25th January 2021
In response to requests for further
information Les Mills sent this out to the members but not myself. In it he
made libellous allegations and some complete lies.
“Dear Essex Warriors members,
I am obliged to inform you that Drew Jarman has
been barred from our club. Unfortunately Drew has been a disruptive element at
the club and on our Facebook group, matters on which he has been given advice
and warnings. His Facebook entries have been monitored as their contents fail
to meet club standards on a number of occasions. He has repeatedly challenged
Committee decisions in the past and particularly during the pandemic. He has
even broken club protocol [Please note that there is no such document as a
“Club Protocol” nor has any such document ever been sent to members demanding
that they must get permission to contact any outside organisation even in a
private capacity – so this is a total fabrication] by going around the
Committee to speak to the Village Hall booking secretary directly and de facto
tell her how to do things. [as you will read from my email to Wendy Risdon I
didn’t tell her how to do anything, I clearly laid out the legislation and
referenced the law and asked her to confirm if this was her understanding of
how the hall was allowed to operate for private group hires going forward under
the “Rule of 6” and venue capacity limit of 30 and the “No Mixing or Mingling”
of said groups, She confirmed that this was the case]. He has also caused the
unpaid committee members to spend a lot of time and wasted effort to deal with
the issues he raises concerning the pandemic and other matters. [I asked legitimate
questions concerning the committees decisions yet was accused of “Wasting their
valuable time – see email] His actions and suggestions continue to be contrary
to the spirit of the Club and Village Hall regulations and are likely to put
the Club at risk of either being billed for a deep clean or losing access to
the Hall, [at no time did I threaten any such action as claimed, this was an
outrageous lie and I did ask for proof of this, but none was forthcoming, I
even confirmed that I would be bound by current restrictions on 13th
January 2021] what either of which would put the club to great expense. So in
accordance with the Club Constitution his position was considered and voted on
by the Committee.
It has been decided that he should be barred until
the AGM in 2026, when he may apply in writing to rejoin. This means he may not
attend any of our club meetings, open day or special events as a guest without
the consent of the Club Committee. He will be removed from the Club’s Facebook
and other media communications. He will be refunded his 2020/1 membership in
due course. Should he make any unwarranted comments in or on any media he has
been advised the Club reserves the right to make a public response. [Basically
I am being told that if I go public with what happens the committee will repeat
their lies].
Those members involved in the Ancients
competition, can I leave you to sort out what you would like to do? I have
asked Peter H to act as a focal point for your comments as he is a player who
is involved in the competition.
We tried to reopen the club but events overtook
us. I have no idea when we will be able to reopen or under what
conditions. I am sorry to say I cannot give you any further information
on this. It goes without saying we will do our best to reopen as soon as is
practical.
On behalf of the Committee, Les Mills, President,
Essex Warriors
I have copied certain passages
below which I will answer to:
“He has repeatedly challenged
Committee decisions in the past and particularly during the pandemic” and “He
has also caused the unpaid committee members to spend a lot of time and wasted
effort to deal with the issues he raises concerning the pandemic and other
matters”
As a fully paid up member I have
asked the committee questions about certain decisions they have taken on our
behalf. I raised legitimate queries on how the committee had decided to
implement the government advice as it contradicted the written words in the
relevant govt documents. For this I have been accused of challenging their
decisions. Should I have just ignored the committee’s instructions knowing that
they were wrong in law or as I quickly realised the committee was having
difficulty in comprehending the ever shifting restrictions being announced by
central government try to point them to specific points in the legislation that
didn’t back up their flawed understanding of the law. You will see below a
series of emails asking for clarification on various matters announced by the
committee for which I was accused of wasting their valuable time.
“His Facebook entries have been
monitored as their contents fail to meet club standards on a number of
occasions” Apart from August 2018 I have not been informed of any further FB
entries on the EW page that broke the clubs netiquette rules. Had this been the
case why was I not informed of any transgressions? Nothing I posted was either
barred or retrospectively moderated.
“He has even broken club protocol
by going around the Committee to speak to the Village Hall booking secretary
directly and de facto tell her how to do things” Firstly what is this “club
protocol” Les mentioned has anyone ever seen this before? I never told Wendy
Risdon how to do anything I clearly laid out the various bits of government
advice to Covid-19 Secure venues and asked her to clarify if this is how the
hall was being operated in the event of a group hiring the hall for a function.
For the sake of clarity here is the email chain between Wendy and myself which
at no time mentioned Essex Warriors or the type of event being held.
My initial email to Wendy followed
by her response.
On 15 Sep 2020, at 20:24, Drew
Jarman wrote:
Dear Wendy Risdon
I am looking to book a hall and wondered what restrictions you have in
place.
I have read the current guidance on meeting up in Covid-19 Secure
venues, especially Part 3 of the attached guidance for meeting up which makes
it clear that a Covid-19 Secure venue may allow a gathering of up to 30 people
but only if the gathering consists of multiple Groups of no more than 6 people
who are then forbidden from mixing with another group during the gathering.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-meeting-with-others-safely-social-distancing/coronavirus-covid-19-meeting-with-others-safely-social-distancing?fbclid=IwAR3GbE-wLgDJKzayMhlBsAeC7sh3g8K6nMdenhXHh4T4qUur4at3RIrwVVA
I gather each venue has to do a Risk Assessment which is then used to
decide on its actual maximum capacity in the event that it isn’t large enough
to accommodate 30 people legally. I also understand that anyone who attends
will be required to give the organiser their name and contact details for track
& trace which must be kept for 21 days after the end of the gathering.
The Statutory Instrument also makes it clear that Covid-19 Secure venues
may allow gathering of up to 30 people as long as they follow the Rule of 6
Guidance at all times.
See Section 3 [a] [2B] which defines a Group and Gathering.
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/986/made
Is the Writtle Hall Covid-19 Secure and are you allowing gatherings of
up to 30 people [or your lower capacity limit] to take place that will consist
of multiple groups each containing no more than 6 people as long as they follow
the For Hire rules in the venue?
Regards
Andrew Jarman
Her response. 17/09/20 [about
hiring Writtle Hall and Groups of 6 at no time did I mention wargames or EW]
Hi Andrew
Thank you for your email.
You are correct in all you have said. However, due to the size of our
main hall we can only allow 21 people in groups of 6 with 2 metre social
distancing.
We are Covid secure and a Risk Assessment is required from all groups
who hire the hall and we also have our own Risk Assessment. We have also had to
put in place Special Conditions of Hire with regard to Covid which run
alongside our own Conditions of Hire which all hirers are asked to read and
sign.
If you wish to discuss hiring the hall it is probably easier to phone me
on [phone number deleted] when we can discuss your requirements further.
Regards
Wendy Risdon
Secretary
Writtle Village Hall
Lastly this outrageous lie.
“His
actions and suggestions continue to be contrary to the spirit of the Club and
Village Hall regulations and are likely to put the Club at risk of either being
billed for a deep clean or losing access to the Hall, either of which would put
the club to great expense” At no time did I say I would be taking actions that
were against the current govt guidelines for Covid-19 Secure venues. I
reiterated this in an email to the committee as recently as 13th
January 2021 [copied further down the chain.]
Random
email from Les
05/11/18
Drew; thank you for your unnecessary
Email. les
Sent to Les about Social Distancing within Games
01/06/20
Les
As expected. Since the Government of all the Talentless jumped from
Level 1 to Level 4 over Sunday night I cant see it ending well.
Tim and I are happy to game, we chatted off list about this. I know
others are not of course. It might not be viable to reopen the club unless the
numbers attending make it worthwhile. Social Distancing is just advice to be
ignored or accepted by each individual. [This was in respect to any games
Tim and I would have played because the committee was demanding that we should
stay 2m apart despite our forming our own Group of 2 as per the regulations and
would not be mixing or mingling with other games or players]
As to the annual fees, if it results in closure until September might
just be worth bumping the cash into 2021 and reducing the subs unless members
request a refund.
Drew
Another Series
16/06/20
Les
Thanks for the prompt response. It's why I did it back channel. If
Social Distancing ADVICE continues I cannot see how the club can allow more
than two people per pair of tables to play in future which means we are
probably limited to two rows of three pairs of tables in the main hall, one
pair of tables on the stage and two pairs of tables in the small hall along
with keeping the doors open to ensure as much airflow as possible.
I cannot see the ancient players agreeing to time limited games given
most of them do not play in tournaments outside of the club.
The biggest impact will probably be on those must vulnerable and the
group that Mike etc plays in normally crowd round in a tight circle. Plus those
multi player games might become an impossibility. [this was before we realised
that legally anyone could form a Group of 6 and attend a meeting as long as
they didn’t mix or mingle with another group during the meeting].
I for one am happy to restart gaming today. I am an adult able to make
an informed choice as to the likely risks. It is for others to do the
same.
Drew
From: MILLS LESLIE Date: 16/06/2020 07:19 (GMT+00:00)
To: Drew Jarman <
>, committee@essexwarriors.org
Subject: Re: July meetings
Drew. I have said we will hold back from an early notification of July's
dates as we wait to see what changes may occur. As outlined we are subject to a
number of social fences. 1. Government, 2.Village Hall, 3 booked dates
and last individual choice. Also we may have to restrict table usage in the
hall. We may not be able to use the small hall. So the committee may have to
limit the number tables used by only two players. So that as many can play as
possible etc. You may wish to consider getting in 2 games a table on a
club day to reduce the game back log by means of game timing. On the up
side we may be able to get some extra club meetings in the Autumn months.
at this point in time I do not intend to speculate, but to wait and see where
we go. The committee will follow the Health and Safety guide lines on this.
Last thing I will say the committee is keen to get our club open and running as
soon as we can. les
Committee response
08/07/20
Drew, thank you for your comment. At this point in time we all would
like to see our club having it's meetings. We are however subject to a number of
restrictions. The Government/health team need advise [sic] on reopening. Then
The Village Hall committee will need to consider this and advise hall users on
any restrictions. We as a club meeting at such hall will need to comply. Since
we don't known as a fact said terms we need to wait to see. To the credit
of the village Hall committee, they have taken this opportunity to undertake
restoration of the hall's facilities during this period. We at this point in
time do not have any factual time scale on this. So like all hall users
in UK we wait to see. In respect of hall windows, I suspect they
are kept locked for security reason, so hall users (NOT OUR CLUB) don't leave
hall open. In respect of the clubs heating I take as my guide one our
members who has health issues and do my best to ensure they re comfortable with
in basic parameters. We can open doors and use the air blowers in main
hall.
les
On 07 July 2020 at 19:19 Drew Jarman > wrote:
It is essential that if the club reopens that they
windows remain unlocked and open to ensure ventilation keeps the air fresh. I
have tried to open windows in the past but they are always locked at Writtle
and no one seems to have a key.
Drew
Committee attitude over Face Coverings Exemptions causing problems
17/08/20 Dear Committee
Thank you for your hard work in respect of making
the venue secure.
Unfortunately as per the law I am legally exempt from wearing a face
covering by way of my disability which prevents me from placing anything near
or around my ears as this causes both my hearing aids to constantly whistle in
a high pitched tone which results in great discomfort to me and prevents me
from hearing. My actual ability to hear normally is already quite limited and
made impossible if people are wearing face coverings in shops.
By insisting I wear a face shield instead of a face covering doesn't
negate my exemption from the law and is direct discrimination as per The
Equalities Act 2010 S6
I refer you to the relevant
Statutory Instruments
791 which created the law on face coverings in relevant places
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/791
I specifically refer you to the following section:
Part 2, S4; 1; a; i.
Exemption by reason of disability.
And 831 which extended the law to the Hall
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/839/made
I am registered Deaf Disabled with London Borough of Newham. Copy of
registration attached.
This situation isn't ideal but is no different to anyone going into a
relevant place to find any other person legally not wearing a face covering.
I am legally exempt in shops and on public transport too and whilst I
have not used public transport since 6th June I have shown my exemption proof
in numerous shops without a problem.
Does the committee have any practical suggestions on how to solve this
problem.
The logical solution would be for me to only be allocated a game on the
stage if I attended.
Drew
Delayed Committee Response
26/08/20
Dear
Drew,
I
am writing to you on behalf of the Essex Warriors Committee regarding your
claim for exemption from the need to wear a face covering in Essex Warriors
meetings at Writtle Village Hall.
The
Committee cannot of course deny your request but we would remind you that
without a face covering you must maintain two metres social distancing at all
times within the hall. We have spoken with the Public Health department at Chelmsford
City Council and they have confirmed that our interpretation of the law is
correct.
You
have said that you cannot wear a visor in place of a face mask. Our Public Health
contact also observed that it is reasonable for the Club to ask an exempt person
whether they would be prepared to wear a clear visor in place of a face mask,
but the Club cannot insist on it should the exempt person be unable or
unwilling to do so. They also reiterated that one metre distancing is only
permitted to a person wearing a face covering.
So
you are officially exempt from the need to wear a face covering at Essex
Warriors meetings. However, as noted above, you must observe the two metre
distancing rule at all times including at the table. Given that our table
setups are typically no more than one and half metres across, this will entail
you and your opponent alternately standing back from the table while the other
makes their moves. We would ask you to inform your opponent when arranging the
game that you are exempt from wearing a face covering and, when booking your
game with Mike, please confirm you have informed them. Also, we are all trying
to create the safest possible environment to bring wargaming back to
Writtle. So we hope you will understand if we occasionally have to allocate
your game to a specific table in order to ensure two metre social distancing
can be maintained.
So
far there are two exemptions, yourself and one other. Any further requests for
exemption will receive the same consideration.
Regards
Peter
Hockaday
On
behalf of Essex Warriors Committee
P.S.
We are drafting an update email for members on progress so far. We will cover
exemptions in that email but will not name those exempt.
My Reply 26/08/20
Peter
I give the club permission to disclose my exemption situation to the
members, it's only fair that they know in advance.
As to the 2m rule, I am perfectly happy to do this, I did suggest
deploying to the stage if no where else is suitable, ditto the back hall if I
would be the only game to use it though ensuring that the chairs are pre
positioned and putting a single table as an additional barrier would help
emphasise this requirement. [Note I said I am happy to do this, despite
it contradicting the “Rule of 6 and No Mixing or Mingling Law which allows ANY
6 people to form a group and sit together with no social distancing as per
going to the pub or restaurant]
Did the club make any further progress on ensuring that the windows are
unlocked to improve ventilation as per the WHO and PHE advice?
Drew
Les Mills series
09/09/20
Les
As club president you represent the membership. As a member I am fully
entitled to engage with the clubs officers about related club business.
If you feel that a member raising genuine concerns is a waste of your
valuable time I really dont know what to say?
As a volunteer for the position it is reasonable to expect that it takes
up your free time. I know this is the case having held various positions in the
Naval Wargames Society many years ago.
If it has become too onerous a task due to Covid-19 have you considered
co-opting other members to share some of the burden?
Drew
From: MILLS LESLIE <>Date: 09/09/2020 19:08 (GMT+00:00)
To: DREW JARMAN >
Cc: Peter Grimwood, Ian Roberts, Mike Fitzsimmons,
Steve Dix, Peter Hockaday
Subject: Re: [DBMMlist] "Game On" Sunderland - Saturday
19-Sep-20
Drew, let me assure you that the committee is looking at the COVID
situation, as will be clear by actions taken to check with authorised public
bodies on this. Some of these actions take time to get a response. We
will update the club as and when we have the information. This will be done in
an orderly manner. It would be appreciated if you would stop consuming
Committee members time on this. As a committee we are seeking to get the
club fully opened for members use at the earliest date possible . We are guided
as previously stated other parties. That is the simple reality. THE
PRESIDENT
09/09/20
I am having problems with some of the club committee.
I am legal exempt from wearing a face covering, as is another member. I
raised this with the committee when they published the reopening data. This has
finally been dealt with to both our satisfaction.
I have recently made constructive suggestions on how to proceed after
the change from 30 people meeting up was reduced down to 6 was announced last
night.
I have been accused of taking up too much of their valuable time and
they are now ignoring my email correspondence. Refusing to engage with members
raising legitimate questions is not on. Is this the sort of committee the club
needs at this difficult time.
When I suggested I was happy to air the details at the next AGM Les
Mills responded "Bring it on!"
Perhaps it's time for a change?
Drew
More of my time wasting? 21/10/20
Hi Drew,
In response to your question, I believe that you
are correct and that any member in a tier 2 area would not be allowed to attend
the club if it were in tier 1. This has to be confirmed by the rest of the
committee but I believe it is correct. We can only hope that this situation
resolves itself soon.
Regards, Mike.
On 20 October 2020 at 23:10 DREW JARMAN < wrote:
Dear committee
Due to Essex County being in Tier 2 along with London if for any reason
Essex dropped back to Tier 1 whilst London remained in Tier 2 or 3 that would
mean I and a few other members residing in London will not be permitted to play
at Writtle.
Something to remember when the madness starts to end.
Drew
Finally I asked some questions that came out of the email the committee
sent out in lieu of the AGM taking place by way of clarification – were any of
these questions unreasonable?
On 10 Jan 2021,
at 19:58, DREW JARMAN < wrote:
Dear Committee
Thanks for your hard work.
I read that assets were disposed of in a hurry on committee approval
including items being sold to members such as cloths. As a member I had not
been notified that this was being done nor offered a chance to buy anything.
In the spirit of open debate I have not raised this matter publicly but it seems a shame that some items were apparently just thrown away which
could have been repaired and EBayed to raise club funds.
Could we have a break down of assets that were sold that generated £26.
It is incumbent of the committee to ensure fair and open publicity of items for
sale to ensure that there isnt a chance that "mates" get a look in
and everyone else misses out.
I am a frequent EBay seller so am well suited to sell things for the
club in future if necessary.
£600 Hall Charge presumably covers the club up until 22nd March when the
National Lockdown1 was announced, confirmation of this date in the report would
be useful to know.
With the roll out of the vaccination programme proceeding apace along
with individuals being given proof of a vaccination certificate. This will also
impact on how society moves forward. Although by the govts estimate I am due my
vaccination in late February by the current. Expecting members to continue to
follow pre vaccine protocol Covid-19 Secure rules after vaccination might well
have a negative effect on attendance numbers. Why would people put up with
these restrictions when they could choose to meet up at home in comfort and
relative safety. Advice, Guidance & Guidelines do not apply in law outside
of legally designated controlled venues.
Drew
13/01/21
Dear Drew,
Thank you for your email. After reviewing your queries and comments, the
Committee responds as follows:
Disposal of Assets
Mike Fitzsimmons reports that you
did know that some assets were being disposed of at the beginning of the year
and indeed you yourself bought at least one of the cloths that was sold. As far
as he can remember 5 cloths were sold to club members.
The club assets that were disposed of were old
books and magazines that had been in the cupboards for quite sometime. Many of
the magazines were in fact Mike’s that had been left since the last open day.
As for the books (of which there were 3), all of them were damaged beyond
repair. We also had to throw away a few broken hills which were at least 10
years old and unserviceable.
Rent
The £600 rent does indeed represent the six meetings which took place
from January 2020 to March 2020 inclusive. The meetings cost £100 each since
they all used both halls. As Ian’s report states, the Hall did not charge us
for meetings which we had to cancel because of the pandemic.
Covid-19 Protocol.
We are at a loss to understand your reasoning or even why you feel it
necessary to raise this matter right now when the pandemic is at its height. If
people wish to play at home, that is their own business although they will
still be subject to government restrictions. However, the club has a
responsibility to ensure that members meet in a safe environment. Moreover, the
club has to comply with the Hall’s conditions of hire, which include health and
safety considerations.
We do not know what rules will be in place when the authorities allow us
to meet again. However, the authorities have been at pains to emphasise that
vaccination is not a magic bullet and that a certain level of restrictions may
be needed for some time. When the club reopens, we will follow both government
guidelines and any revised conditions of hire issued by the Hall.
All members and their guests present at a club meeting have a
responsibility to ensure they do not endanger the health and safety of
themselves or others (Essex Warriors Constitution Section 10 Conduct of
Members, Sub-section 10.1) We consider that this duty includes complying with
whatever guidelines are in place to protect members and guests from risk of
infection. This is not a matter for debate or interpretation and the guidelines
will be rigorously enforced during meetings. If you feel unable to accept this,
perhaps you should resign your membership. We will of course refund your
membership fee.
Essex Warriors Committee
My response dated 13/01/2021 18:01
I can assure you that I did not purchase any cloths from the club. There
must be some confusion there as I already have my own cloths of the pre printed
higher cost type.
Thanks for updating me on what was disposed of earlier this year.
Re vaccination, restrictions & reopening venue.
Of course the club must be guided by the legal restrictions, I was just
pointing out that if the restrictions are relaxed for private meetings but not
in the hall due to onerous govt regulations it might end up stopping the club
from being viable.
Repeating your offer to refund my membership in some sort of effort to
persuade me to leave isnt working. I am aware of the clubs duty of care. The
disaster that is our government's response to this pandemic has affected
everyone badly. We are part way through month 10 of being denied our own
freedom to choose to meet up legally and clearly the hapless idiots in charge
of national policy still do everything way after the event when it's too late.
Drew
Finally
This Facebook post on my own FB page in response to a wargaming friend was
used against me too. I restated the legal situation & adherence to any
legal prohibitions so wasn’t advocating breaking any actual laws. I made it
clear that I would follow the law applicable at the time. I know other
individuals have been meeting up indoors & wargaming in private houses in
secret in direct violation of the law [I wont name them but they know who they
are]
20/01/21
Lucky you, our hall is Covid-19
Secure meaning even under Tier 2 they were insisting on conditions verging on
paranoia. Our club even stopped all games of more than 2 people despite the Rule of 6. None of which were actual law. Other clubs got hit by bans on more than
6 attending despite this being legal if mixing and mingling was prohibited. If
6 people are legally allowed to meet up in doors and Social Distancing is just
advice it basically killed most clubs options to reopen. Personally as a mature
adult I would be totally happy to do my own risk assessment and decide if I am
willing to meet up and game indoors at a venue of my own choosing subject to
any legal prohibitions in place of course. The main issue is adequate
ventilation to ensure any viral shedding is quickly dispersed plus some common
sense of course.
01/02/21I personally feel I have been treated very badly and unfairly by the Essex Warriors Committee. They made unsubstantiated allegations, refused to state when and where any of the alleged incidents took place and when challenged to supply the evidence to back up their claims have not done so. At least one member asked for further information and was sent a repeat of the lies and libellous comments.
So we are where we are, I don't expect the current committee to change their decision and by my going public I have opened a can of worms which will make Essex Warriors Wargames Club look bad in the public eye.
I was informed back in January if I went public that Essex Warriors would respond, yet to date no one has actually responded. Its clear that they have decided to ignore anything I publish and pretend that nothing is wrong. Some of the current members know what has happened. I have received comments of support from some and have been completed Ghosted by others, some of whom I thought of as friends. I guess that fear of being targeted by the committee if they speak out has silenced some people.
