Wednesday, December 20, 2006

NSWCA Bullies Matthew Sweeney

Just a day after we have some warm words to say about the NSWCA, we immediately find ourselves completely gobsmacked at their seemingly complete stupidity. Led by president Bill Gletsos this body seems intent on behaving like a schoolyard bully. No, actually, make that the Ministry of Censorship. They recently sent Matthew Sweeney the following letter:

Dear Matthew,

It has been noted by Council that your ban on participating in NSWCA events and activities is due to expire on 31th December 2007. It has been further noted that your crude, foul, and vulgar language, is still evident on websites associated with chess and available to the public.

The council hereby advises that should you intend to apply for membership under the constitution of the NSWCA for 2007, an apology for your crude, foul and vulgar language and an assurance that there will be a cessation of such language in the future, should accompany your application for membership.

You should be aware that clause 3(1) of thew constitution provides the following:
" ...The council of the NSWCA shall have the right to refuse the application of any person who has been suspended ...

We look forward to receiving your genuine apology and assurance with your application for membership.

Yours faithfully,
NSWCA Inc.


So, recognising that the ban is over, the NSWCA is pretty much doing everything it can to stop Matthew Sweeney from becoming a full participant in NSWCA events. Just how low can these guys get?

Why in the world does the NSWCA concern itself with Mr Sweeney's pronouncements on a internet bulletin board? How does Mr Sweeney's online behaviour affect NSWCA events and their members? Whatever crude language that Mr Sweeney has to say, they surely affect only himself; that is, to possibly make him look crude and foul in the eyes of the general public! In other words, the public can decide for themselves. We don't need the NSWCA's protection.

This afternoon, I had the good fortune of accosting Bill Gletsos in Chess Chat's online chat facility. I asked him, "On what basis do you not accept Matt Sweeney's application for membership after his current ban expires?"

His reply was predictable: "That is a matter between Matt and the NSWCA. It is no business of yours."

On the contrary. When the state's chess association pokes its nose in matters that doesn't concern them (someone's language in an internet site) - it is, in fact, everyone's business.

We should mention that Mr Matthew Sweeney currently maintains his own bulletin board - the Australian Chess Club Forum. Their members, though infrequent posters, include a number of prominent chess organisers in Australia who are evidently happy to interact directly with Matthew.

27 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm wondering if Matthew Sweeney, in order to secure the renewal of his NSWCA membership, should ask to appear before the NSWCA Council so that he can demonstrate that his apology is genuine.

If he does then should take note of the recent example of Miss Kentucky and her contrite apology to Donald Trump for her wayward past and the way it has compromised the Miss America title and accordingly appear before the NSWCA council in a full split evening gown with matching shoes, handbag and tiara and polished off with a well cultivated broad southern accent in the hope that tearful entreaties will succeeed in him being spared the council's equivalent of Trump's "You're fired!"

_____

Actually he should seek to join the ACTCA given that Wollongong seems closer to Canberra than Sydney. Someone from the ACTCA would know if there is such an option. Were he to become a member there would the NSWCA be prevented from banning him playing in NSW?

Finally, the conditions of membership which a person implicitly agrees to when applying to join an organisation ought to be sufficient. Demanding anything over and above that amounts to humiliation or maybe even harrassment. Besides, no amount of genuineness matters as in the end acceptance of membership is at the NSWCA's discretion I would think.

Anonymous said...

Gletsos has totally lost the plot here. Matt,you should just take them to court.

Anonymous said...

Yes, the recent actions of the NSWCA towards Matt Sweeney are regrettable. This smells like nothing more than a politcally driven vendetta by Bill Gletsos. What perplexes me is why the other NSWCA councillors voted in favour of such action. To what extent can a State Chess Association govern the off board, non-chess related behaviour of their members? The NSWCA is endeavouring to push the envolope in this regard.

Conclusion: There's something rotten in the state of NSW and it ain't the cheese!

Anonymous said...

Can anyone name a single organization of any type that would not act in a similar, or even more exstreme way towards one of it's members abusing it's officials and members in the way that Matt has abused members of the NSWCA council and other members of the NSWCA it's self?

DeNovoMeme said...

Gutless Anon (GA):
Can anyone name a single organization of any type that would not act in a similar, or even more exstreme way towards one of it's members abusing it's officials and members in the way that Matt has abused members of the NSWCA council and other members of the NSWCA it's self?

MS:
Firstly, overall >95% of my sprays have been against one Dill Getlost. Recently, Dicky Gastro-Chills has copped the odd serve for his behaviour. I have also harshly criticised the council as a whole from time to time. However, it is The head that rots and the head that wil one day be upon a platter who cops it from me.

Secondly, let us take a look at the other side of the coin. Bill Gletsos is the more disgusting excuse for a publish relations man that any organisation could put forward. His outright public abuse of ordinary players and officials from other states marks him as toxic waste. He is not fit for office.

If you, GA, wish to point at me and yell unclean unclean, it is only fair and balanced to take into account the modus operandi of that rabid dog in the manger, Bill Gletsos.

DeNovoMeme said...

Anon: What perplexes me is why the other NSWCA councillors voted in favour of such action.

MS: There was no vote taken. It was an executive action.

Anonymous said...

Not all current council members were present at the AGM and I am sure werent aware of this.

Anonymous said...

Well these same people chose to ban him in the first place,so I would be surprised if they dont accept this stupid exstension.

How people cant see this as an attempt to stifle people's freedom to express critical thinking is beyond me. Maybe its the side effect of having John Howard as PM for all these years.

"Shut up and conform like a good robot"...

Is this what the mantra of australian chess should be?

Anonymous said...

Hi Matt,
How about we post examples of your abuse and examples Bill's abuse up here for all to see? Then we all can compare the two objectively and let the readers decide who the real abuser is. I'm happy to supply the examples of your abuse.

Dear 442,
Hurling crude abuse at people is not an expression critical thinking.

Anonymous said...

There aint a word of this bullying on chesschat. Has Bill banned it as a topic . lol

Anonymous said...

It's not banned on chesschat, just nobody seems to care enough to start a thread. Interesting.

DeNovoMeme said...

Gutless Anon:
How about we post examples of your abuse and examples Bill's abuse up here for all to see?

MS:
Go ahead. Make my day. The standards expected of a punter and a President are different. His arrogant public (and boring) name calling as NSWCA Pres. is a far more serious offence against NSW chess than my (colourful) diatribes against him.

GA
I'm happy to supply the examples of your abuse.

MS:
But you're not happy to supply examples of his abuse. LOL.
You are typical of the craven suckholes who draw close to the Big Dog for protection from unpleasent truths.

Anonymous said...

Hi Matt,
I'm happy to supply the examples of Bill's abuse as well, I just thought you might consider the ones I pick as bias. So who is going to supply Bill's abuse? If you can find examples of my abuse I'm happy for you to put them up as well. I go under EGOR on chess chat, see what you can find.

Anonymous said...

Good luck with it Matt, I'm sure you're able to simply join another state association and still play nearly everything.

EGOR, no we probably won't find much in your posts akin to abuse, but could probably fill a book with your dimwitted observations!

Anonymous said...

Just to clear one thing up, the letter to Matt was put forward as a motion, and the vote was a clear majority in favour.
EGOR

Anonymous said...

"EGOR, no we probably won't find much in your posts akin to abuse, but could probably fill a book with your dimwitted observations!"

Please feel free to give us some examples.
Egor

Anonymous said...

egor says Just to clear one thing up, the letter to Matt was put forward as a motion, and the vote was a clear majority in favour.

ok then why does Jason Hu say it wasnt? mabe he was not at the meeting. If he wasnt then as the new VP he should still be abreast of the minutes should he not?

egor didnt you tell Shaun Press the NSWCA was not going to seek further action against Matty?

Anonymous said...

Here is an example of Bill's charm...

"Alert,mop and bucket required".

This was a phrase that was continually used against a victorian state official:Trevor Stanning,when he was posting on chesschat. Is this kind of antagonistic behaviour appropiate for someone in Gletsos position?

I'm not going to pretend that Matthew is all sweet and rosy,but his opinions about NSWCA and its perceived lack of promotion of chess in NSW is a legitimate question.

If we only allow people who express themselves like shakespearean actors,anal academics, or stiff upper lip toffs,then there will be very little genuine debate within the chess community.

When people are members of an associtaion there fee acts like a form of taxation. If you think you can have taxation without represenative opinion then you will end up with one of two things...a dwindling supporter base who feels alienated from the system or a group of people who "defect" from the association and form their own "chess collective".

Which is better? Reform through slings and arrows...or revolution through alienated anger.

Anonymous said...

Jason Hu was at the meeting, I don't understand how he could claim that there was no vote, if that is what he claimed.
I don't recall ever telling Shaun Press anything in conncetion to Matt's suspension. If I did it was only a personal opinion and not an official statement on behalf of the NSWCA.
I don't want a Blogger idenity.

442 said...
"If we only allow people who express themselves like shakespearean actors,anal academics, or stiff upper lip toffs,then there will be very little genuine debate within the chess community.

When people are members of an associtaion there fee acts like a form of taxation. If you think you can have taxation without represenative opinion then you will end up with one of two things...a dwindling supporter base who feels alienated from the system or a group of people who "defect" from the association and form their own "chess collective".

Which is better? Reform through slings and arrows...or revolution through alienated anger."

If it was just a matter of Matt being really harsh in his critical comments there would be no problem. The problem is the vulgar abuse that Matt hurls which has no connection with any actual criticism of the NSWCA or any other organisation.
EGOR

DeNovoMeme said...

EGOR: The problem is the vulgar abuse that Matt hurls which has no connection with any actual criticism of the NSWCA or any other organisation.

MS: Fully totaly 100% absolutely wrong.

Over ther years, I have persued dozens of NSWCA issues, large and small. There are individuals in it who are standing in the way of good management because they are either brainless or bullied or bad. They go t the house of a non-elected official, and spend 3-4 hours nodding in agreement with the the biggest and loudest.

It's about tmie the
1. NSWCA council had votes by secret ballot
2. Meetings held at a public place, not some toffs house in nob hill an hour's drive from the demographic centre of Sydney.

Anonymous said...

The NSWCA is well aware of Sweeney's crude and foul language on TCG towards posters who disagree with him. This is why the NSWCA have sent him that letter demanding he apologise before he can be a member again. Knowing Sweeney he will refuse to accept, which will mean in effect that his ban will continue, an outcome that some in the NSWCA including myself find highly desirable.

DeNovoMeme said...

Another Gutless Anon: ... Sweeney's crude and foul language on TCG ...

MS: What is the position of the NSWCA council on the complicity of Amiel Rosario? Is he aslo to be banned for publishing my comments?

When a naughty book hits the shelves, both the author and their publisher cop the flack in equil measure. Not so for the NSWCA council who are looking more laughable every day. LOL LOL LOL

Anonymous said...

any nEws thus far from the "high court" ? ;)

Anonymous said...

im surprise this matt guy has not taken legal action with this matter thats why i think matt has reason too be baned or he be taken further action ?

Anonymous said...

On what grounds could Matt take legal action, anonymous 9:12PM? What law do you (or anyone else) believe the NSWCA to have breached?

Anonymous said...

The letter to Matthew Sweeney from the NSWCA council was not voted on at any meeting or even discussed with all council members. There were several council members who werent present at the AGM who arent aware of what is going on.

Anonymous said...

Maybe Matt should just write accompany his membership form with an apology and the membership fee. This way you can get a true indication of the NSWCA council views on the matter. It looks as though they rejected the application as there was no apology with the membership form. So give them what they want (even if you don't totally agree with it) See what happens....