These pages will be dedicated to help you sort out the truth from the fiction .
All of the scandalous letters will be reproduced here - you will be able to draw you own conclusions.
In due course the various communications reproduced here will be placed in chronological order
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(Click the letter to enlarge) |
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The letter that contained all the lies. |
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Sir Winston Churchill said, 'A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on'
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The above link will take you to the guest pages Menamin wanted the Members NOT to see. |
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| One of the
statements Menamin made his letter was that John Williams had
registered the EOA web site in his own name.
Implicit in this is was the idea that something was "going on". So, lets clear this one up right now. When I needed a credit card from the EOA to buy the web space (It can only be purchased with a credit card) I naturally approached the then Secretary of the EOA, John Williams. I used his card details to purchase the site. (The EOA did not then, and does not now, have it's own credit card) You will notice if you look at the screen shot of the registration, that the "optional" Company/Organisation field has been completed. This field is designed to show that you are registering the site on behalf of the Company/Organisation named. How then did he get it wrong! There is a facility within many web pages known as a "Whois" search. This search is meant to show who owns a particular site. In fact what it shows is the Registrant (who is usually the owner) as the Company/Organisation field is normally left blank. The fact that the registrant is often not the owner, is stressed when you do the search! As far as Easyspace (the Service Provider) is concerned, John Registered the site on behalf of the 'Eventide Owners Association' and they are the owners of the web space - not John. It is unfortunate that Johns name continued to appear as the owner because the details in the other fields had to coincide with the credit card used. Was this a simple mistake for Menamin to make? Not really, an e-mail to Easyspace would have told him the EOA was the owner and John was only the Registrant. Instead he wrote a libellous letter to all John's friends! B.S. ************************************************************************* October 2003. John has had no apology, and after repeated requests for a simple 'Sorry' which would have sufficed, has now got to the stage of issuing a writ.
************************************************************************* As a result of the libelous letter by McMenamin, the lack of notice of the AGM and the deliberately misleading statements published on their web site by one of the Vice Presidents, ( Copy to be displayed here shortly), the AGM was the most distasteful event I or any other member had ever witnessed. The president rushing round tearing up papers we gave out, including the events organised for members, the obvious attempts to intimidate and interrupt any member supporting the ideals of an owners assoc and the comic use of a brass gavel by the chair, the total lack of committee procedure, (He actually stood up and proposed himself for the chair, so eager was he to take control!). Eventually the meeting descended into uproar as he refused to answer questions from the floor from members, who then left in disgust because he declared the meeting closed! We have all this on tape!. (Sadly therefore there were no presentations, nor RNLI raffle, which we all took prizes for.) ************************************************************************* At the AGM in 2003 the committee and a few misinformed friends voted against other members to make the association a 'non owners' association, with many of the officers not owning boats at all, let alone Y.M. sponsored designs. More of them were intending to sell and failed to disclose that fact too! A large part of the membership approached me, as ex Secretary to start an alternative Association for real owners. At first, we were not going down this road, but instead intended to repossess the EOA at a later stage. However as more and more friends indicate that they are resigning from the eoa or are not renewing their subscriptions, we felt this was a lost cause. Next year there may only be non owners in the eoa. We are wondering which phone box they will use for their agm?? For my involvement, in speaking to the membership and presenting your case at the AGM, have been accused of 'misconduct', by the president and suspended. Is it a ruse to try to silence the truth, it has seriously backfired on them. Over 100 ex eoa members have joined us. They share the view that an owners assoc should be just that. Today 16th October, I have received a letter from McMenamin informing me he has thrown me out of the eoa! This however is not in accordance with their constitution wherein I must have a hearing, that part he conveniently forgets... As he has made up his own rules and fails to abide by the rules of the eoa I do wonder if the committee had any say in this letter, as they did not in the letter where he branded me a liar cheat and thief! The writ for that is being issued shortly! Is the man hell bent on the destruction of the association, what drives a person to do such things,? Is it jealousy or desperation as he cannot win fairly? Either way the eoa looks to be dead in the water, their website, which was stagnant for 9 months under the expert control of 'Seymour Jones', failed totally in September, as we predicted it would. Now the domain name has been purchased by a drug company selling 'Aids' for the elderly.....http://www.eventides.org EOA, RIP. Long live the Eventiders, we will not let owners down. We actually like owning these boats.... My original suspension was a farce, apparently one is not allowed to voice dissent in any way, all his committee must be 'yes men' and not have opinions of their own, and certainly not express the wishes of the membership at large.? One is not allowed to speak to another member without the express permission of the president? I have this in a letter, that will be published with all the others on the 'what went wrong' pages. All these silly accusations, I have pleaded guilty to, as the right of 'Freedom of Speech' is the backbone of our 'system'. As a former Police officer and respected member of the community I will always try to do the 'right thing'. I believe they wanted me to try and intimidate me to resign to save them the job of sacking me. They also wanted to employ an arbiter, the RYA perhaps, to allow them to perhaps hide behind his recommendations? But of course there is no point in an arbiter, if there is no argument!! I plead guilty to standing up for the membership and questioning the status quo, on the grounds that it was the 'right' thing to do. I plead guilty to speaking to the members, and I will continue to do so, it is a great shame the committee failed to heed the wishes of the members.... I have now had complaints from several members who like me did not receive the last Bulletins. You will notice if you had one, that my name has been removed from the list of honary members and previously from articles I wrote, that were used, how petty and spiteful. Sadly I have come to expect this of them. Those who have complained have not had their Bulletins still, so they too are leaving, They really seems determined to destroy what is left. I believe that those on the committee with a conscience now have a problem with my suspension. However as far as I am concerned it is too far late for the eoa committee. I and many others will never give them any support. We have also removed the right to use any of our words or work. Many of the authors of articles in the old Bulletins, have given their approval for us to use their work for the benefit of new builders or restorers, if you also wish to too, let us know. We have a complete library of Bulletins. Normally suspensions of this sort, and as it is the first ever, I can only go by the eoa rules, last 6 weeks. However, to silence me for longer and ensure I did not get the letter he sent out, or the Bulletin with all my details removed.. ( I did get both thanks to all my friends out there.) He has stated he was holding my suspension in 'abeyance' until he answers my solicitors request from me for an apology for the libel in the letter he sent to members???? As he refuses to answer direct questions and apologise, that could have been forever in his book. What his libel has to do with my standing up for the members I cannot make out, nor can anyone else. Now in a fit of pique, as he no doubt realises the libel action is imminent, he has convinced the committee to expel Barry and myself, without any recourse to any rules, even the ones he invented! Now that is really shooting oneself in the foot, or in this case maybe the head! Footnote. As the libel letter in January was from him, as an individual, without the approval of others, (and I can now prove this without doubt, by the correspondence so far, admitting he did not get approval from the rest of the committee, before sending it!!!), this matter has nothing to do with the eoa. This of course is only part of it, as it would appear that the president has instructed a firm of solicitors to defend him, on behalf of the eoa?? Who had nothing whatsoever to do with it!!!! Does this mean the eoa are to be asked to support his financial interests in a matter that he as an individual has done. I feel this may well questioned , rightly, by any remaining members of the eoa, if it proves to be the case. The treasurers report at their next agm will be interesting. John Williams [ I consider the EOA's loss of the original web site name an absolute disgrace this is simply because they would not pay for it. As you can see it has now been purchased by a drug company - we can never get it back. I place the blame for this firmly in the hands of Mc Menamin and Jones. The empty space below is for me to publish their rebuttal which I will reproduce - in full, if they bother to reply. Barry Sturrock Webmaster] (Empty space waiting for a reply)
When I was asked if I would hand over 5 years of my work (The Web Site) I voiced my concern to Mc Menamin that Jones was incapable of maintaining the site. He assured me that he knew what he was doing. First he "lost" the Guest Pages then He "lost" the entire Web Site then He "lost" the Domain Name. I would describe this consummate incompetence totally in keeping with everything Mc Menamin does. Angry? Yes, I'm angry that these two buffoons could systematically destroy 5 years of my work which I have given free of charge.
Now in January 2004 having had an admission from Mcmenamin via his solicitors, that he indeed did lie in his letter to the members, accusing me of being a liar cheat and thief, I am still awaiting his apology. As it would not appear there is an ounce of gentleman in him, it appears to be a long wait. Thus we are publishing all his letters, including the one where he admits blocking the motion at the agm some years ago, regarding protecting the finances of the eoa, because he alone disagreed with it! Make your own minds up as to how honest you feel he is?! Angry, you bet I am! I will do all in my power to bring this sort of rogue to justice! John Williams.
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