My emails to PDG's and to LCI

The following are a few emails I had sent to PDG's and to LCI since December 2016. If the PDG's or DG or LCI had taken the Bull by the horn matters could have been resolved in a much more amicable way. 

Currently I have initiated emails with LCIF and hope they would be more responsive.

luqman michel <luqmanm2002@yahoo.co.uk>

To:lawrence.ting, PDG Betty Wong,

Peter Liau

 12 Dec 2016 at 04:58

Dear Dato,

PDG John S F Ho has been controlling my club for the last 2 years that I have been a member of this club. I regret to inform you that answer to simple questions are not forth coming.

I have been told that PDG’s will not involve themselves in club matters. This I can accept but please tell me what I can do when I believe that something against the constitution is being carried out.

1.       Article v of constitution and by-laws of my club – Resignation

Section C says:

“The name of any member who shall absent himself from four consecutive regular meetings of the club without acceptable cause being given to the attendance committee chairman or the club secretary, shall be submitted to the BOD by the secretary at the Board Meeting next following the fourth such absence, and the BOD shall decide whether such member shall be dropped from the club or retained on the club roaster.”

At all directors meeting that I had attended since I joined in October 2014 not once did I see such a list as mentioned above let alone it being deliberated upon.

There are many members who have not attended any meeting for a period of 12 months and more.

2.       There are 3 bank accounts operated under the name of LCKKHost name in Alliance bank in Kota Kinabalu. Only 2 of these 3 accounts are audited by our in-house auditor Lion Horace Ho. Many of the past presidents and members are not aware of the 3^rd bank account. This account can be misused and money misappropriated.

Many other matters are club matters but I would like a response from you on the above 2 matters. I would like to include your response in my blog:

www.myclubexperiences.blogspot.com

Thank you and Kind Regards,

Lion Luqman Michel

Member of LCKKHost

Note: At that time I only knew there were 3 bank accounts - 2 accounts that were made known to all members and BOD and one account that were privy only to a few Past Presidents. 

Subsequently I discovered that there were another 2 bank accounts and a Fixed Deposit account in Hong Leong Bank Berhad.

Here is a response from PDG Lawrence Ting.

Sent: Tuesday, 13 December 2016, 8:35
Subject: Re: The Lions Club of Kota Kinabalu Host

Dear Luqman

Thank you for your email.

As Immediate Past District Governor, I am not in the position to get involved in your club dispute.

You may seek the advice from District Governor Eve Wong on the possibility of settling the issue by Dispute Resolution as provided in LCI Standard Club Constitution and By-Laws (Revised June 30, 2016)

Kind Regards

Dato’ Lawrence Ting

Immediate Past District Governor

          District 308-A2

Note: PDG Dato Betty Wong responded about a year later saying she had missed my email as it had gone into her spam file.

Here is the response from LCI Legal. Please note the dates of all these emails. I was a member of LCKKHost when I initiated discussions with LCI.

Kingsbury, David <David.Kingsbury@lionsclubs.org>

To:luqmanm2002@yahoo.co.uk,districtadministration@lionsclubs.org,legal@lionsclubs.org,Finance@lionsclubs.org

4 Jan 2017 at 05:45

Dear Lion Luqman Michel,

Thank you for contacting the Legal Division regarding local registrations by your Lions club.

As you may be aware, all Lions clubs are autonomous, meaning each club is responsible for day to day operations, including compliance with local laws. While Lions Clubs International does not oversee the day-to-day management of each Lions club, we do provide dispute resolution procedures to address all Lions-related complaints. In the event an issue causes concern as to whether a respective club is compliant with local laws, registrations and filings, a complaint may be filed under the Club Dispute Resolution Procedure (CDRP). The CDRP provides

“All disputes arising between any member or members, or a former member or members, and the club, or any officer on the board of the club, relative to membership, or the interpretation, breach of, or application of the club’s constitution and by-laws, or the expulsion of any member from the club, or any other internal Lions club matter whatsoever which cannot be satisfactorily resolved through other means, shall be settled by dispute resolution. Except as otherwise provided herein, any time limits specified in this procedure may be shortened or extended by the district governor, conciliator or the International Board of Directors (or its designee) upon a showing of good cause. All parties to any dispute subject to this procedure shall not pursue administrative or judicial actions during this dispute resolution process.”

 

As you will note, all disputes arising between current or former members of a club regarding a breach of the club’s constitution and by-laws “or any other internal Lions club matter whatsoever”, including the manner in which a respective club’s financial accounts are addressed, shall be resolved by the Club Dispute Resolution Procedure. You may review the Club Dispute Resolution Procedure at http://www.lionsclubs.org/resources/EN/pdfs/club_dispute.pdf.

 

I trust I have provided guidance in this matter.

 

Kindest regards,

 

David Kingsbury

(The above are all posted now for the view of LCIF. I am sure they would want this transparency)

More emails to follow tomorrow.....