Former SVGCA president calls executive members ‘snakes’

Former president of the Grenadines Cricket Association Julian Jack says he was betrayed by some members of his former executive, whom he said were like snakes.

Jack’s denunciation came last Saturday, following his unsuccessful defence of a vote of ‘No Confidence’ brought by affiliates against him.{{more}}

In the referendum, Jack was defeated 65-25, which paved the way for his removal.

The vote of ‘No Confidence’ against Jack was fuelled by a petition tabled by captain of the Smashers team Marvin Harry, for which 40 signatures were garnered, thus facilitating last Saturday’s Special General Meeting, held at the Media Centre at the Arnos Vale Playing Field.

Expressing betrayal, Jack told the members of the media: “The executive members, man, they are like snakes; it is only snakes that would wobble round you and don’t bite you, but when they see you passing, they sting you in your head and you can’t see them.

“Some of the things that Smashers raised, Smashers could not know about those things… That means that there are people inside the executive who would have come out and talked about certain things,” Jack complained to the media.

Furthermore, Jack was left almost speechless in his response to one of the resolutions tabled in the petition, concerning a strategic plan for cricket in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

The former president reported to the meeting that there were two such documents.

However, Jack was deflated when Elson Crick, who stood as his first vice-president for many years of his tenure, pointed out to the packed gathering that the only such plan was prepared by him about three weeks ago, and was in a draft stage.

Just prior to last Saturday’s meeting, second vice president Denis Byam, as well as assistant secretary and committee member Kishore Shallow stood up and announced their resignations.

They followed committee member Cecil Charles, who did so on Tuesday.

In further summing up his removal from the top post, which he has held for the past nine years, Jack said this was partly because some persons who had previously wooed him to contest the vote, did not give him the support when it mattered.

Jack, however, reaffirmed that the no confidence motion was unjustified.

“I don’t think they went about it in the first case, justified their action they have taken … The positions which they have taken, they are very trivial matters, those are things which [we] could have sat down and dealt with,” Jack contended.

Among the concerns raised in the call for Jack’s removal related to issues of spending, conflict of interest, choice of investments for the association’s funds, the state of Under-15 cricket, the lack of leadership; the relationship with the National Sports Council; and allegations of bias towards Radcliffe cricket club.

Jack revealed that his troubles and stability as president began coming to the fore within the last year.

“In the last year, when there are people on the executive vying for president and sabotaging some of the programmes,” Jack said of his former cohorts.

Mustering some acceptance in light of his demise, Jack conceded : “The people have spoken and whatever they say, I will abide by that.”

Jack’s ousting enforced another other proposal in the petition, that was to call fresh elections. This process ushered in Kishore Shallow, who was installed as president – unopposed.

Crick, however, had to go to the ballots to defeat Rohan Ash, 52-23, for the position of first vice-president.

Others on the former executive who were returned were: Denis Byam as second vice- president, secretary Samuel Holder and committee member Deighton Butler.

The new faces are treasurer; Jenry Ollivierre; assistant secretary Cleton Burnette and committee members Rommel Currency, Miles Bascombe and Samantha Lynch.

The new executive’s life will end when the next Annual General Meeting is called within the first two months of the new year.