Talking About a Revolution

Well, once more, just like old times, I'm unsure of where to begin explaining about a weekend which has provided event after event of unscripted magnificence and ... "life-changing" events, although maybe the use of that phrase is a little over the top.. I suppose we'll do it chronologically then!

This past week, there has been much hype, (created by myself I suppose) about an Emergency General Meeting at my cricket club, Bedford CC. It was based around a "decision" made by our current "Director of Cricket", although I use both terms loosely, that stated his resignation. In the past, meetings like this would have done well if they attracted numbers that reached double figures, but on arrival, we were greeted by a room full to the rafters with members, parents and others who looked on edge. At first, I thought this looked a good sign. They had come to witness the resignation of a highly unpopular chairman, and all the better for it. The meeting began with a statement from the current 'Director of Cricket', that didn't really say a lot in all honesty. The only thing he didn't say was that he was resigning, which raised questions from the floor about whether or not he was actually going. On the face of it, I was starting to think he had merely threatened resignation to get all the members in one room, and outline his mad idea of getting hundreds of volunteers. Whether he was expecting people to just say, "Ok, I'll help", I have no idea, but no one has done so in the past 7 years, so I saw no reason as to why people would start now.

For about 20 minutes or so, I listened to our Director of Cricket outline his plan for sub-committees and his need for volunteers at the club. There were a couple of strong questions from a couple of others, who seemed annoyed at the fact they had been coaxed into a meeting that was supposed to be about resignation, but in fact, wasn't. However, there was no one who really stood up and questioned why no volunteers come forward. There was no one who stood up and asked the questions that needed to be answered. There was no one who stood up and proposed a complete overhaul.

Which is where I come in.

I was so nervous. All week, like I said, I had hyped myself up as one of a few people who were prepared to step up and speak against the management. For about half an hour, I had listened to the Director of Cricket's previously failed ideas of a volunteer programme, and eventually, I had the courage to stand up... And say (roughly):

"If I could just, have my say, (voice shaking slightly and heart rate at about 500 bpm). For years now, there have been AGM's and meetings to discuss the likelihood of the membership stepping up to become volunteers, yet year after year we have a situation where there is no one prepared to do it. As (Director of Cricket) said, people have lives and other commitments, and that is fine, but we've got to ask ourselves why there is NO ONE prepared to volunteer even 1 hour a week. For half an hour, we've listened to exactly the same things that we hear year in, year out, and unfortunately, we're going to get the same results. There is no reason to suggest that this will suddenly change. This is why, after speaking to a section of the membership, and after receiving the same feedback from most, I am prepared to stand up here this evening and propose that a brand new management take control of the club and I think we should have a discussion on this possibility."

And I sat down. There was absolute silence. The Director of Cricket, who was sat merely 5 metres away from me, had a face of absolute stone. However, he was the one that broke the silence:

"Ok, let's put it out to the floor. Does anyone have any thoughts?"

Again. Silence. It might well have been the longest silence I've heard in a fair while. Just as I was starting to think that I had stood up, completely went against the management, thinking people would jump to my defence, but instead people had bottled it, I heard a voice from the back.

"I would have to agree with Tom. This club needs a new direction and with the current commitee, we are simply going around in circles. I will be prepared to back the idea that a new management is needed."

I didn't really know the man. He was a parent of one of the junior members, but I was so relieved. One person had spoken up, and all of a sudden, the debate soared. Ok, it wasn't quite as one-sided as I had expected. Can I just make it plain, that the Director of Cricket is not a monster. He has done a very difficult job, practically on his own, for years and that has to be commended. But for the club to continue, it needs structure, and he isn't the person to bring it. It got to a stage where I was putting my hand up and putting myself forward as a Director, (for reasons I'll explain later), along with a couple of others. It got heated, but it was all very official at the same time. It was a strange atmosphere. I've witnessed things like this, but I have never been so heavily involved. Let alone be the instigator of such discussion.

For about an hour, there was a debate as to why there was no structure, where the club should be and where it should go and many people got involved. A couple of people were as aggressive as I was in backing the change for a complete overhaul, but there were people in there who defended the Director of Cricket. On the face of it, it was probably 50/50, but the people supporting the Director of Cricket were not the sort of people who would come forward and defend him on an official level. After the meeting, I discovered there were a fair amount of people who were prepared to back me up, but felt it better to not speak up about it at the meeting.

The club is a charity. It has a constitution that must be followed and procedure has to happen. Before this meeting, there were 3 Directors at the club. 2 of which resigned, leaving the current Director of Cricket. There HAS to be at least 3 directors, or there is no charity, meaning no club. The membership cannot "vote out" the chairman, (the same person as the Director of Cricket). The only people who can vote on the chairmanship are the Directors. As long as someone proposes and seconds a person to become a Director, they can be a Director. There isn't really any requirements to becoming a Director, but there can only be a maximum of 20. After the AGM, where the Directors are proposed and seconded, the Directors have a meeting to vote on the Chairman.

So. The plan is to round up as many people as possible who agree that there needs to be a change, (which is a fair few more than those who spoke up in the meeting), and get them all on the committee as Directors. At the Directors meeting, we all vote against the Director of Cricket and get rid of him, then vote in our own chairman. It is a revolution, albeit on a miniature scale, and it needs people with balls to carry it out. Why hasn't this happened before? Without trying to sound clichéd, it's complicated. The rigmarole and chain of events are too difficult for people to bother contemplating getting around, so they just don't. Most of the people in that room on Friday evening accepted they "didn't know the politics of the club", so they didn't know how to change things, and therefore just let things happen. The current Director of Cricket, (also Chairman), is too stubborn to resign, therefore we are left with the only option of ousting him.

It's quite difficult to explain the atmosphere plus the ins and outs of that meeting. Some people with strong opinions got involved, and there is no way on God's Green Earth, I'd have kept myself composed in such an arena a couple of years ago. I think it's a sign of the development I have made that I could keep myself together in such a debate. To instigate such a discussion, is something I didn't think I was capable of, even a couple of months back, so I'm really very proud of what I did on Friday evening. I even gained a couple of slaps on the back afterwards for being brave enough to say what many people have been thinking for years, but just didn't have the bottle or understanding of the situation, to stand up and say it.

To wind down, I went out on Bedford town on Friday evening with a few of the Hawkers. As it was running late, I asked Sofee to drop me off at Queens Drive so I could get some money and buy a bottle of the favourite. I was very happy and surprised then, when Sofee told me I could have a fairly large bottle of JD on him! Thank you VERY much! It was very, very much appreciated. And I can tell you it is now all gone!

Friday night was a good old catch up, but I have just got back from Part 2, which took place in Birmingham. Without going into too much detail, we were delayed on the train there, at Northampton, because the train driver seemingly went on strike mid-shift, we spent a lot of time walking around the Bullring, then spent a lot of time drinking and learning the dance to 'Gangnam Style'. I also went to a casino, for the 2nd time ever, and came out with a £10 profit, which whilst drunk at 3.30am is a pretty good achievement! It was a solid night, but now I am rather tired. Back to work tomorrow! The next instalment of the UK tour is Nottingham, from 5-7 October for Chief Waster's 21st, which will most probably be very interesting!

But the event that has changed me as a person the most this weekend, has to be the events of Friday evening. Finally, after years of fights and frustration, change is coming to the club that means a lot to me. Every Summer, I say I cannot wait for the season to start, but come next May, I may well have a major say in what goes on there. All because I had the bottle that I never knew was there, to stand up for what I believe in. Although this is going to sound incredibly cheesy, there is one man I'd like to thank for this. There have been others, but there is one man especially who, despite it being very hard work, has made me feel like I can stand up for myself. CC. He's been through events of his own, yet still has time to help anyone who asks for it. He was the man who backed me 100% in coming up against the FA, when others wondered what the hell I was playing at, and during the times where I thought I was making the wrong choices, in whatever they may be, he has always been there to reassure me that I was making the right ones. And now, after these two cases where I have stood up for what I genuinely believe in, I have made major developments in becoming the best person I can be. And without CC, I don't think I could have done that. Thanks mate.