Guilds President Tristan Sherliker is facing a vote of no-confidence, after a paper supported by 15 members of Guilds was submitted to the executive committee. An emergency meeting of Guilds Exec will meet next Wednesday lunchtime (19th March) to hear the case.
The paper claims Sherliker has been neglecting his duties, highlighting a number of occasions where he has failed to turn up to ICU meetings. Frequently absent from RWB and Council last term, he also failed to attend the budgeting round of CSB to help argue the case for Guilds, despite assuring the Vice President (Finance & Societies) that he would be there. Although CGCU achieved an increase in funding over last year, it may have received more money with an extra voice to argue for it. Senior officers, including the DPFS, have also criticised the CGCU President's refusal to complete budgets or follow event-booking rules while organising the Freshers' Ball in October.
Those bringing the paper have noted that the CGCU President raised a "considerable amount" of sponsorship over the summer, but has frequently been absent from the office and avoids answering emails or his phone. Despite this, the paper says he finds time to attend social functions organised by Imperial College and City of London Livery Companies. Sherliker maintains that - despite not communicating with the rest of the Guilds team - he is doing a lot of work for Guilds, such as two meetings he attended last week and a variety of papers he reads, as well as helping Guilds clubs in the Student Activities Centre.
The Guilds Management Committee, which the President chairs, has met only once per term rather than twice a week. It is this committee which handles the day-to-day running of the organisation, making it actually do things.
The President has also attracted the ire of Union Council, having failed to submit his report for the Autumn term on two separate occasions, with Monday being his last opportunity this term. Despite ten weeks to prepare this report, it had still not been submitted by today's deadline for papers.
The situation in Guilds has not been helped by an ineffective chair, who has failed to fulfil her role in ensuring the constitution is followed, or indeed by chairing meetings.
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