Summary of correspondence between Linda Kelso and Ian Hadley
concerning the legitimacy of his candidacy for the role of
International Chairman of Mensa.
Rule 2. Qualification of Candidates 2.1 Each candidate for an international elected office must meet the following qualifications:2.1.1 Each candidate must be a member in good standing as of the date of nomination and continue to remain a member in good standing, as defined in Article III, Paragraph F of the Constitution, throughout the election period, which ends on June 15, 1999.2.2 Each candidate shall be deemed to be running as an individual candidate, and the ballot shall provide for voting on each individual only for the office to which he or she has been nominated. The ballot shall not provide for an indivisible vote for multiple candidates who have chosen to campaign as a team as permitted in Rules 3.1 and 4.1.2.1.2 No international elected officer shall serve in the same elected office for more than two consecutive terms.
2.1.3 While holding office, an international elected officer may not hold any other international office or serve as Chief Executive Officer of any national Mensa.
Sent on January 22.
Dear Linda,
I am in the process of finalising the paperwork for submission to you of a
slate nominated by BMC for the forthcoming elections.Your "Instructions for Nomination" invite national committees to contact you
to discuss the best method of transmitting materials. Please consider this
such a contact, and advise me of your thoughts concerning this. I had
thought to send them to you by recorded delivery but it may be that receipt
may be problematic at your end. I think that I have sufficient time before
Feb 1 but that it would be prudent to contact you anyway.Best regards,
Ian Hadley.
Received on January 23
Dear Ian,
Yes, receiving mail for which I have to sign can be a problem. If
something is sent by postal service and arrives in time, I will receive a
notice and will pick it up at the post office.Today I saw the DHL driver and arranged with him to put envelopes under my
large, heavy doormat.The main thing is to advise me when you send something and by what means
so I can look for it.Sincerely,
Linda Kelso
Sent on January 26
Dear Linda,
Thank you for your prompt response. Do you have a fax number that could be
used to confirm acceptance before Feb 1, then we would not be at the mercy
of International mail delivery times?Ian.
Received on January 26.
Dear Mr. Hadley,
In response to your e-mail just received, fax or electronic copies of
nominating, campaign or biographical materials cannot and will not be
accepted as legal documents for this election. The rules are very specific
and clear on that. However,Previously, you wrote to the international election committee:
"I am in the process of finalising the paperwork for submission to
you of a slate nominated by BMC for the forthcoming elections."Since I answered that e-mail, I have learned that you are an employee of
British Mensa, serving as their Executive Director.The members of the committee would like to know why you, as Executive
Director of British Mensa, are finalizing paperwork for political
candidates. We mean no disrespect. However, as you are in the role of
managing British Mensa as a professional employee, we would appreciate it
if you would be kind enough to let us know why the candidates themselves
are not doing their own paperwork?You also wrote:
"Your "Instructions for Nomination" invite national committees to
contact you to discuss the best method of transmitting materials. Please
consider this such a contact."The members of the international election committee would also like to
know why you ask us to consider your letter as the kind of contact we have
invited. Would you kindly clarify for us your own role in the national
committee? We hope we are not in error, yet we believe you are a
professional employed by British Mensa.You wrote:
"I think that I have sufficient time before Feb 1 but that it
would be prudent to contact you anyway."We are looking forward to your reply. Thank you.
Linda Kelso, Chair
The International Election Committee
Sent on January 26
Dear Ms. Kelso,
My present role as an employee (ProTem contractor to be exact) is a
temporary one meant only to fill a gap and satisfy a need for BMC and will
terminate in June of 1999. I am also a fully paid up member in good
standing of Mensa and have been since 1979. I am part of a slate which is
nominating, and specifically my candidature is for the role of Chairman.I hope that this satisfies your queries. Although BMC voted to support our
slate, the Chairman (CEO in your parlance) is presently on vacation skiing
in Italy and will not be available to sign documents, therefore I have asked
that Therese Moodie-Bloom provide the documents from Australian Mensa which
also supports our slate and is willing to nominate.I have perceived nothing in your advice which precludes my candidature. If
I am mistaken then please advise me and direct me to the specific regulation
which may govern my candidature. I did not inform or advise you of my
current role as CEO of British Mensa Ltd. as I considered it was not cogent
to the issue of International elections. I still do not and am somewhat
bemused that it should have been brought to your attention.Regards,
Ian Hadley.
Received on 28 January
Dear Mr. Hadley,
The International Election Committee has received your email message
stating,>> I am part of a slate which is nominating, and specifically my
candidature is for the role of Chairman.>>I have perceived nothing in your advice which precludes my
candidature.
>>If I am mistaken then please advise meThe election committee has taken the above as your request for a
ruling from the committee on whether you are eligible to be a candidate in the
current Mensa International Election.>> and direct me to the specific regulation
The International Election Committee has been empowered by Mensa's
International Board of Directors. This committee was appointed in
accordance with Section X[B] of the Mensa Constitution.Rule X[B] states:
"The Election Committee shall be responsible for the conduct of the
election, promulgating whatever rules and regulations it shall deem
necessary...The committee derives its power from the above section of the Mensa
Constitution. This section gives the election committee sole
responsibility to set rulings for the election. It authorizes us to make
all rulings we find necessary to conduct Mensa's election.>>I did not inform or advise you of my current role as CEO of
British Mensa Ltd. as I considered it was not cogent to the issue
of International elections.The election committee has given consideration to your request to be a
candidate in the current election. The committee has determined you would
not be eligible to be a candidate in this election.Your current position as the executive director of British Mensa would
present a conflict of interest with your being a candidate in this
election, and would present conditions of unfairness due to the undue
advantage your position offers you over the other candidates. The
committee has been charged by the Executive Committee of the International
Board of Directors with conducting an election that will be fair to all
candidates.>>My present role as an employee (ProTem contractor to be exact) is
a temporary one meant only to fill a gap and satisfy a need for BMC
and will terminate in June of 1999.The duration of your employment does not affect the committee's
decision. We have made our determination in the interest of fairness to all
candidates, and in accordance with our charge by Mensa's International
Board of Directors.Sincerely,
Linda Kelso, Chair
International Election Committee
Sent on 28 January.
Dear Ms. Kelso,
>Your current position as the executive director of British Mensa would
>present a conflict of interest with your being a candidate in this
>election, and would present conditions of unfairness due to the undue
>advantage your position offers you over the other candidates. The
>committee has been charged by the Executive Committee of the International
>Board of Directors with conducting an election that will be fair to all
>candidates.
Could you be specific in what manner you consider this to be so? What
conditions of unfairness do you refer to? What advantage to you see the
role of Executive Director bringing to the election? I would like you to be
specific and to the point please citing examples and substantiating what
appears to me to be a partisan stance.Regards,
Ian Hadley.
Received on 29th January
Dear Mr. Hadley,
This is to confirm that the International Election Committee has
disqualified you as a candidate in this election. We explained the reasons
for that in the original letter that we sent you.In reply you asked:
>>Could you be specific in what manner you consider this to be so?
What conditions of unfairness do you refer to? What advantage to you
see the role of Executive Director bringing to the election? I would like
you to be specific and to the point please citing examples and substantiating
what appears to me to be a partisan stance.We explained the reason for our ruling in the letter we sent you. Specifically,
Your current position as the executive director of British Mensa would
present a conflict of interest with your being a candidate in this
election, and would present conditions of unfairness due to the undue
advantage your position offers you over the other candidates.The members of the committee did not make this decision lightly and without
much discussion.We cannot engage in any further communication about this decision.
Sincerely,
Linda Kelso,
Chair International Election Committee
Sent on 29 January.
Dear Ms. Kelso,
You most recent e-mail adds nothing to the sum of my understanding of your
rationale.If I may summarise, you seem to be saying that your remit permits you to
retrospectively change your rules in an ad hoc manner without any
explanation other than that it is your decision.I find this unacceptable, as do many others.
I expect (as does BMC through the formal request via Peter Boswell, the
proxy of the British Mensa CEO) that you will confirm receipt of my properly
submitted paperwork in time for these elections. Should that submission not
be honoured, although I have met every criteria specified by you in a timely
manner, then the matter of the legality of these elections must be put
before the Ombudsman and the membership of Mensa.I regret that this course of action must be taken, however the real energy
and effort put out on my behalf by a myriad of people cannot be treated in
such a cavalier manner by your committee.Regards,
Ian Hadley.
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