The Real Estate Stop 949-7867 • 246-2757 Saturday Morning
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October 7, 2010 • Issue 768 • $1.00 Serving St. Joseph Island since 1995 “Your Island Newspaper” Visit us online at www.islandclippings.com Tel: 705-246-1635 email: [email protected] Fax: 705-246-7060 Saturday Morning ‘Showdown’ IT HAD ALL THE DRAMA befitting the ‘Shootout at the OK fact, most agreed that it simply made sense. The disagreement Corral’. was centred around the way in which the idea had been presented – outside of normal channels and protocol. The notice of a Special Meeting of the Matthews Memorial Hospital Association brought a small but determined crowd The very nature of such a special meeting is cause for suspi - to the Legion Hall on Saturday morning. It quickly became cion and hostility, since by invoking the Bylaw, a group of obvious that they were there to do battle. members are in fact, bypassing the Board of Directors to force a vote. It is usually interpreted as tantamount to a ‘Non Five MMHA Members, Mark Henderson, Keith Barlow, John Confidence Vote’ against the Board. Brescacin, Ches Wallace and Charlie Nelson had invoked MMHA Bylaw 5.02, which gives members the right to call for “That is absolutely NOT the case here.” stated Mark a Special Meeting of the Association to discuss and vote on a Henderson, spokesman for the five members. specific resolution. In this case, the proposed resolution was “We are simply responding to requests from our ‘Snowbird’ to move the Association’s Annual Meeting from January, 2011 residents who, because they are away in January, feel disen - to early November, 2010. franchised and unable to participate in the Association. We Historically, the Annual Meeting had been held in mid- have called this Special Meeting, to deal with one subject, and December until about 10 years ago. Due to the meeting’s one subject only: to change the date of the Annual Meeting.” proximity to Christmas, many members found it inconven - he said. “With no Board meeting scheduled for October, we ient, so the meeting date was moved to January. There was no felt we needed to bring up the issue while there was still time real argument to changing the date to earlier in the season; in to rectify it.” Continued on the next page David Nelson Sales Representative “Your Island Realtor” The Real Estate Stop 949-7867 • 246-2757 Saturday Morning ... continued from page 1 The MMHA Board of Directors did not agree with the need called, is to be chaired and governed as any meeting - by the for such a meeting, but were required to attend, under the Chair of the MMHA and the Board of Directors. In spite of Association Bylaws. the mandate set out by the Bylaws, the Chair and the Board members present were advised they would not be chairing or Mr. Henderson is Reeve of Jocelyn Township and a key leader participating in the meeting.” of the movement to establish a new, fully-functioning hospital that is independent of the Sault Area Hospital. Ms. Mr. Henderson called the meeting to order, stated the Witty, in addition to being a Sault Area Hospital Board proposed resolution and made a motion that the meeting Director, is also Chair of the Matthews Memorial Hospital discuss its adoption. He then opened the floor to arguments Association Board and a Co-Chair (along with Jack Priest for or against the motion. The first speaker was Ms. Witty, and Tom Dalton) of the Central Algoma Rural Healthcare who advised Mr. Henderson that the meeting could not be Committee, who are themselves working with the health recognized as a legitimate meeting of the Matthews Memorial authorities to arrive at tangible solutions. Hospital Association. While they are hopefully ultimately working on the same She went on to say that the Board of Directors are, in fact, long-term solutions to our community’s health care needs, quite willing to entertain a request from the membership to the two factions have often disagreed on their respective change the Annual meeting date to accommodate the visions for the future, and how to approach achieving them. majority of the membership. She pledged that the issue would be studied and would be dealt with at the next Annual The atmosphere in the room on Saturday morning was General Meeting. Mrs. Witty further explained that a change highly charged from the time the doors opened. The tension to November 3, 2010 was not possible, since the fiscal year hung in the air as everyone waited expectantly and nervously, end for the Association is October 31, 2010 and the financial for the drama to begin. And the drama wasn’t long in statements would not be ready in time. coming! Mrs. Witty questioned the need for a Special Meeting, stating With the meeting start time approaching, Mr. Henderson and the membership could have approached the Association at Ms. Witty clashed over who would chair the event. “With all any regular meeting to submit their request. She stated the due respect to Ms. Witty’s official capacity, our group insists MMHA Board of Directors works on behalf of the commu - on leading the meeting since it is we who organized it and are nity they serve, from Echo Bay to Bruce Mines including all paying for it.” said Mr. Henderson. of St. Joseph Island and is receptive to the concerns of the Ms. Witty strongly disagreed. “The meeting was rightfully membership. “While the responsibility of the Board is to called under Bylaw 5.02 of the Corporation, relating to the uphold the Bylaws and conduct the business of the Corpora - transactions of the Matthews Memorial Hospital Association. tion, we also feel a responsibility to serve our members and However, as stated in Bylaw 5.13 a Special Meeting, properly community to the best of our ability.” she added. Then, the main battle was joined, as speaker after speaker spoke for or against the motion, with some attendees heck - ling their disagreement with the proceedings. After everyone had said their piece, the vote was taken to determine if the meeting would go any further. The vote was to continue, but it was a very close thing, with only two votes making the difference. Page 2 Then began Round Two, as Mr. Henderson again opened the floor for discussion for or against the specific resolution to Come in and see the move the Annual Meeting date. Again, tempers flared, insults were traded and the meeting once again polarized around the new pandora bracelets! two seemingly-intractable factions. Great for christmas gifts or It was quickly becoming a stalemate. Then began ‘the miracle’ of the meeting. At the urging of even for yourself... several eloquent ‘peacemakers’ from both sides, the tone of the meeting began to move from ‘confrontation’ to ‘compro - mise’. Mr. Henderson and his group offered to amend their motion to one of ‘asking the Board to consider changing the Annual Meeting date, and if necessary, also the fiscal year, to Mu Ñ Stree allow more of the Association’s members to play a part’. Jewellery With the resolution amended to place the matter back into the hands of the Board of Directors, making it agreeable to at both sides, Mr. Henderson then called for the decisive vote. It n’s Dr passed unanimously! Both ‘armies’ were able to retire from are eam the field of battle, and to declare a victory of sorts. K In the meantime, our ‘Snowbird’ residents, who had become ton Bea the focus of such intense debate, can still participate in this Hil ch year’s Annual Meeting, even if from afar. “Our members can at the waterfront Centre still nominate candidates, ask for the slate of officers and vote by Proxy.” says Ms. Witty. Hilton Beach Mark Henderson and his group were pleased with the WeD - Sat 10 am until 5 pm meeting’s outcome. “I’ve never seen such a thing, where there could be such strong disagreement, yet the final vote is unani - mous. I think this could be the start of a new era of cooperation … of something truly great!” Hunter’s Special And it’s time for that ‘something truly great’ to kick in! Regardless of which “side” one may be on, it’s clear that with 5 lb. Breakfast Sausage the issues facing us, we must all pull together to achieve our 5 lb. 6 oz. Beef Patties common goals. Time is running out. The Association – and our community - is facing a number of significant challenges, 5 lb. Centre Cut Pork Chops trying to protect and enhance our local health care in the face 5 lb. Side Bacon of apparent indifference or inability by the Sault Area 5 lb. Marinated Steak Hospital. Add in a possible severe shortage of doctors, espe - cially for ‘emergency’ coverage and the resignation at year-end DEB .00 IT MACHI of Board Administrator Wayne Van Sickle and you could have A NE $85 VAILABLE a recipe for potential disaster. Provincial Government Connie Witty assures us that things will never reach that Inspected Local Meat from the Farmer to You! ‘worst case scenario’. “We’re working around the clock to Fresh Local Beef, Pork & Lamb Available solve those problems. We have also been assured by the LHIN that they have firmly instructed the Sault Area Hospital that, Northern no matter how severe their financial situation might be, they can NOT allow any cuts to our medical services here. That’s Quality not just wishful thinking, that’s a fact!” Meats And at the end of the day, that’s what we need our local health care to be: a fact, not wishful thinking or worse, a Open: 8 am to 5 pm Monday to Friday memory! Call for more information Prices effective until November 15, 2010 290 Deplonty Road • Bruce Mines Phone: 705-782-4224 • Toll Free: 1-866-202-2535 Page 3 ELECTION 1611 P Line, St.