It surfaced last Friday with an email about a special general meeting (SGM) being called to oust the elected president of the RJMHA.
Said president is refusing to step down and has “lost the confidence” of the board of directors, which has called on its hundreds of members to vote on a resolution to fire the president.
The president then released on Saturday a 2,100-word statement on social media, essentially defending her position, hitting back at the board and accusing them of ostracizing her to the point she has little or no function.
Also thrown in are threats of lawsuits, allegations (from both sides) of improper financial practices and the mysterious appearance of a bank account holding a mere $147,000.
Yes, it’s hard to believe this is all connected to the running of a kids sport. One sport. One hockey club. In one town.
But when it comes to hockey in Canada, the normal rules of engagement — be they on the ice or off it — don’t always apply, given the inherent passion for the game.
Case in point, the fledgling youth hockey organization Richmond Jets, which formed officially last year after the merger of former rival clubs, Richmond Minor and Seafair.
I don’t have the space or all the details yet — hopefully more will become available this week — to drill to the very core of this apparent power struggle taking place.
However, a master’s degree in rocket science I do not need to determine that trouble has likely been brewing behind the scenes for many months, if not longer.
Our story on page 9 explains a little bit more of the context and background, but many large pieces of the jigsaw are still conspicuous by their absence.
Not being immersed in the local hockey scene and not living in Richmond, I’d like to think I’m in as good a position as any to offer an objective view of the situation at the Jets.
Having worked at the Richmond News for 11 years, I know enough of the past rivalries between the merging clubs to recognize it couldn’t have been easy to join forces.
And, as I have said to several parents of Jets players who’ve called me after the story broke, I believe, unfortunately, the current scenario playing out probably had to happen.
With so many volunteers having invested large chunks of their time and emotions into their respective organizations over the years, each with their own “way” of doing things, it’d be naïve to assume that brick walls — be they in the shape of egos or business practices — wouldn’t appear.
Having been a volunteer in youth sports for the best part of 12 years myself, I have total respect for people who give of their free time and ask for nothing back — they are the lifeblood of the community.
Even the “paid” staff deserve kudos, as most of them in many kids sports work double the hours they get recompensed for.
What one has to hope — and I’m not suggesting for a second it’s not on the minds of the Jets’ board or its president — is that everyone involved in this increasingly messy matter remembers why they are in it in the first place. The kids.
