Highway Games previously reported that there was
ongoing conflict among the National Amusement Machine Operators Association (NAMOA) Board of Australia, which lead to a meeting in early February requiring legal representation and was rumoured to have culminated in the termination a member in a high position.
In an official statement to NAMOA members, Terry Williams – CEO of NAMOA – has confirmed this meeting took place on February 4th. He has also confirmed there was legal representation involved and that the meeting culminated in the termination of his CEO position.
This is what Mr Williams wrote to members concerning his termination and the resulting legal dispute:
“Legal dispute within NAMOA:’
‘I had wished that NAMOA’s membership could be spared the airing of the dirty washing that had embroiled some personal attitudes of some Board Members over recent months. Reluctantly I am now obliged to contact you. ‘
‘You should be aware that on February 4th there was a supposed telephone NAMOA Board Meeting organised by some Board Members – ‘the 4/2 meeting’. The organisers have been asked for a copy of the voice recording of the meeting that was to be available upon request. As yet it has not been provided.’
‘The 4/2 meeting was unconstitutional in many respects. The organisers were told of many unconstitutional issues prior to that meeting but then they engaged a Solicitor @ $350 per hour to attend and give professional advice on the constitutional conduct of the meeting, to be paid for by NAMOA. That Solicitor advised on many legal matters that were constitutionally incorrect. ‘
‘I was not present at the 4/2 meeting where my position as NAMOA CEO was terminated. The capacity of that CEO position had been ‘Honorary’, so I have since joined NAMOA as an ordinary member, and I continue as the Secretary of AMOA Inc, the NSW Branch of NAMOA.’
‘AMOA has engaged a representative to present a Legal Challenge to the Solicitor acting for the group of NAMOA Board Members who organised the 4/2 meeting. As yet no response has been received.’
‘I believe that legally the entity of NAMOA is now in a state where the conditions applying up until February 4th remain and any supposed rules, conditions, decisions, or actions changed or made at or since the 4/2 meeting cannot be enforced till this legal mess can be sorted, hopefully through a negotiated meeting between the main protagonists, a legally constituted NAMOA Board Meeting, or even a NAMOA General Meeting of the membership at large. The worst scenario would be Court action where nobody wins. NAMOA’s resources would be wasted on the costs of internal legal wrangling rather than the Objects of the Association.”
Mr Williams also added that he had been offered another position by the Board following his termination as CEO, the new position offered was that of NAMOA’s Public Relations Officer, which Mr Williams has declined, describing the position as “not my cup of tea” and that the position would be held “under terms I could not accept”. Mr Williams hints at what has been an ongoing conflict inside the board for some time now, writing:
“For me to be effective I need to have a free hand and I was always prepared to criticise the Board or, more particularly, some on the Board, if I felt they were heading in the wrong direction.’
‘Members knew they could talk to me directly, about anything, and if required I would act accordingly. I also took the stance that I would look over Board proceedings to ensure that the membership was represented fairly and if I thought any on the Board were acting improperly I would make it known, sometimes to the intense displeasure of those offending.’
‘My role over the years has been to act as a conduit between the Board and the membership, which I think as CEO I did effectively.’
'However, over the last year or so there has been growing friction between myself and the ‘some’, culminating in an impasse between us.”
Mr Williams will continue to work with the NSW Association as Secretary as the dispute with NAMOA unfolds, and has thanked those supporting him during his career and at this time, “I take this opportunity to thank all those who have supported me in NSW since 1995, through the period ending up in 2000 with the amalgamation of the Branches into NAMOA, and from then on within NAMOA itself.”
Mr Williams has asked that members or individuals interested in contacting him use his personal email – terrywill@froggy.com.au – as the CEO NAMOA email address is no longer used by him.
Apparently he is already receiving lots of support from Australia's NAMOA’s membership. More news to come as the legal dispute unfolds.
