The GFA presently does not allow any GFA Member in good standing to appear on the official GFA ballot which is presented at the AGM. Rather, the GFA handpicks its own "candidates", one person for each available Officer's or Director's seat. These handpicked "candidates" are then the only GFA Members whose names appear both in the official minutes of the GFA Directors Meetings and on the official GFA ballot presented at the AGM. This clearly results in the GFA Membership-at-large very understandably but quite erroneously concluding that these handpicked "candidates" are the only "choice" which they have. This is flatly untrue.
It is an irrefutable fact that at least in 2019 more Members in good standing than just the number of "candidates" which the GFA chose for itself to appear on the official GFA ballot which is presented at the AGM expressed a desire to run for open positions on the GFA. The GFA, without providing any explanation or justification for doing so, arrogantly disregarded the interest of any other Members in good standing, and instead freely chose to put on the official GFA ballot which is presented at the AGM only those candidates which the GFA handpicked to serve its own interests. When the GFA freely chose to deny the GFA Membership-at-large any real choice whatsoever for any open positions, they actually did so in accordance with the relevant GFA bylaws. This is simply unacceptable.
It is absolutely true that the GFA bylaws allow any Member in good standing to be nominated and seconded from the floor of the AGM, an event which the GFA informs me triggers a paper ballot method of voting, although I do not see mention of this procedural change in the most recent copy of the GFA bylaws which I managed to obtain from the GFA. However, the practice of intentionally excluding any and all GFA Members in good standing from even appearing on the official GFA ballot which is presented at the AGM clearly casts a pall onto any floor-nominated genuine candidate. The question in the mind of every GFA Member in good standing who is fortunate enough to be able to physically attend the AGM in person (because presently ONLY those members are allowed to vote for GFA Officers and Directors) surely must be, "If this floor-nominated person is qualified, why do they not appear on the official GFA ballot?"
Imagine going to your local polling station and being given a grand total of ONE handpicked "candidate" for every single leadership position on the ballot. How could such an exercise be called anything even close to a legitimate "election"? It simply cannot. Forcing the GFA Members to be unaware of the interest of of any and all other GFA Members in good standing in being legitimately elected as either a GFA Officer or Director is a simply outrageous practice which absolutely must be halted immediately. Any and all GFA Members in good standing who express an interest in being legitimately elected absolutely should be appear on the official GFA ballot which is presented at the AGM. Being presented with a selection of one hand picked "candidate", when more than one eligible Member has expressed a desire to be elected, is nothing other than a shameful, self-serving farce on the part of the GFA, and is the stuff of places like North Korea and Iran and Russia, absolutely NOT of places like our beloved USA. More on this incredibly vital issue in tomorrow's blog entry.
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