Topic: local news
Preface: We recently received a bunch of emails off the back of an ARC choo choo train. The folks mentioned below are all influential and/or long time figures at 'the biggest community centre' in Australia based in Marrickville. The string indicates at first a kerfuffle over a volunteer past retired age shown the door.
Then it morphs into an allegation of criminal assault by a bloke who just happens to be the spouse of the general manager on a former president Mamouney who apparently doesn't want to take it any further.
Late last year Mamouney was reported in the Sydney Morning Herald as having his longstanding theatre group Sidetrack cut off funding from the Arts Council of Australia. This was big news at ARC given his association and indeed protection of the 4 ha site from developers with a 50 year community lease from the State Govt.
We imagine one topic of tension at the ARC is whether Sidetrack buildings will be vacated or sub leased and kept under Don Mamouney's voting control at the centre.
Declaration: The writer, editor of SAM worked at ARC part time as gardener and website builder from 2003 to 2007.
#1
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#2
From:DON MAMOUNEY [mailto:dfmam@mac.com]
Sent: Tuesday, 20 January 2009 12:01 AM
To: Yvette Andrews
Cc: ............
Subject: Re: Elmo
Dear Yvette: Re the Bring back Elmo campaign. Thank-you for the response and I will take the opportunity to talk to you about this. I also wish to place on the record that we (the members and management of ARC) have greatly benefitted from the work of volunteers and semi-volunteers. The groundsmen (volunteers and semi-volunteers) have made an extraordinary contribution to ARC for many years doing necessary yet often quite menial tasks. I believe they like many of us have a great love of this place and even enjoy a certain pride in their contribution to it. Elmo may not be the most necessary of them but for a long time he has been part of the team. I started this campaign to have Elmo reinstated because I am hoping that we can get him his position back. I know he felt deeply hurt being suddenly forced to leave. I also know that he has very few other interests in his life. He is a vulnerable old man who for better or for worse has been a part of this place for a long time. We owe it to him and to ourselves to restore his dignity and our own by bringing him back to work. If indeed there is an "OH&S" issue then surely he can do tasks where there is no OH&S threat. One of us could offer him a volunteer position (that would be something) but I think there is a principal here about the way we treat volunteers. Come on give the old guy a break let him work with his mates again. It's not going to cost us anything. In-fact we can only gain from it.
Don
PS: Thanks to all of you who signed the petition
Here is a copy of the petition header for those of you who didn't see it
BRING BACK ELMO CAMPAIGN
This old soldier has been a volunteer at ARC for many years. Over the years Elmo has donated thousands of hours free of cost to the centre doing simple but important tasks as part of the ground crew.
On TUESDAY 13th he was sacked. He was told to go for reasons of "?occupational health & safety issues".?
Now exactly why anyone would want to sack one of ARC?s iconic characters is beyond logic. When you take into account that Elmo is a single old age pensioner who is as vulnerable as he is whimsical with few other interests or friends outside his Centre associates his sacking begins to look like a cruel and heartless act.
We the undersigned call on the Board of management to reinstate Elmo immediately and offer him a sincere apology.
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# 3
Dear Don, Yvette and ARC members,
I?m also of the opinion that Elmo should be reinstated to his position and should be given tasks of low OH&S risk.
As an old member of ARC, I know and appreciate the work done by Elmo and the volunteers generally.
My name was not on the petition, but I would like to be considered as supporting it.
Best regards
Stavros
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# 4
From: Vivi Koutsounadis
To: Yvette Andrews ; Don Mamouney
Cc: ....
Sent: Tuesday, January 20, 2009 12:16 PM
Subject: Fw: Elmo
Dear Yvette, Don, Stavros and other members of ARC
I agree that Elmo who has been with the centre for many years and is providing his services on a voluntary capacity because like all of us he feels part of the centre and loves this unique centre. The Centre has grown as it is today from the work, commitment, love, of so many hundreds of people who came here to give something of themselves and left their little mark on the centre. People like Elmo who because of various reasons, were not accepted in other places but here in Addisonr Road Community Centre, (it was unfortunate that the Community was dropped from the title of the centre some time ago - because it is a community centre, it does not belong to any individual or organisation here - it belongs to the community) everyone was accepted, given a chance and their contribution no matter how small was valued and honoured.
So many people like Elmo are looking for somewhere where they would be accepted and feel part of and identify with the place to fill a vacuum in their lives and there were many Elmo's who came to the centre and found something to do and be part of the community which is ARC.
The unique aspect of the centre is that it gave an opportunity and chance to all people who came here to belong, to create, to give of themselves and this offering was accepted without any strings attached. We need to be humane and treat people as human beings first and then look at other attributes.
Yvette you say that you dismissed Elmo because of OH&S risks. I agree the centre needs to look at OH&S risks and it is its job to minimise the risks and not dismiss the person whom you feel is a risk. You cannot dismiss a volunteer. A volunteer is a volunteer and it is the role of the organisation to minise and deal with the problems presented in a sympathetic, respectful manner taking action including consulting with the membership of the centre, (one time all the members made decisions about issues such as this, however, unfortunately, this has stopped for many years because of changes to our constitution and management structure, which I am afaid to say has not worked and it has not improved relationships between members rather, it has alienated us all and we hardly know who we are any more, because there are no avenues in the management structure to bring us together to hear about what is happening in the centre, talk to each other, make our suggestions and contributions and bring solidarity and working together spirit for the advancement of the centre) to exhaust all avenues to deal with the problem presented before making a decision to terminate a volunteer's involvement.
I can go on and write more but I do not want to bore you. I strongly agree that we need to re-instate Elmo and give him some jobs which have minimal risk and allow him to be part of this community where its members no matter who they are should be accepted and allowed to make their contribution and the centre will be riches and gain more from this contribution.
Regards to All,
Vivi Germanos-Koutsounadis
Executive Director - ECCFCSC
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#5
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# 6
> 2009/1/22 DON MAMOUNEY>>
>> Dear Members: In struggling to get Elmo back it appears we have run into an even bigger OH&S problem and perhaps even a public liability minefield. If at least until the manager gets back members should call upon the board to put in place an immediate emergency moratorium on any workers, volunteers and general public over the age of 69 entering ARC. In the mean time if members can get written confirmation from their insurance companies that indemnifies ARC from any potential liability it may be possible to ask the board to issue a special entry permit for your aged associates to enter the premises one day per week.
>>
>> Regards
>>
>> Don
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# 7
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Thursday, January 22, 2009 1:53 PM Subject: Re: Elmo returns
> To my mind there is a bigger OH&S problem to be confronted and that is
> the very real one of the ARC policy on violence. In my view there has
> to be a zero tolerance policy in relation to violence and assault.
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# 8
On 22/01/2009, wayne and philip
>> Dear Terry,
>>
>> Like everybody else, I've been following this saga with interest and
>> concern. However, your most recent email has pushed the matter into a whole
>> new and disturbing area. You obviously have access to information
>> unavailable to me. Presumably I'm not alone in this. How do 'violence and
>> assault' relate to the situation with Elmo? Please explain in detail in
>> order that I may, if invited to do so, give an opinion on a fully informed
>> basis and feel assured that everyone else at the Centre also has the
>> complete information about this matter at their disposal. Any information I
>> receive from anybody will be forwarded on to everybody.
>>
>> Yours in anticipation, Wayne Hutchins
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# 9
Subject: Re: Elmo returns
Date: Mon, 26 Jan 2009 12:17:12 +1100
Dear All
I am with Wayne on this one .
How can a brief little note about the Elmo situation
explode into not allowing certain people into the centre
and an assault and violence policy. of zero tolerzance ?
I know nothing about the situation with Elmo the original
email gave almost no information but the response seems
massively over the top. Apart from the logistics of having
someone at the entrance checking to see if people are
eligible to enter at the entrance I am opposed to going down
this road of exclusivity.
What next ?? Who else will be excluded? And on whose say
so ?
Remember it is a community centre - and that includes
everybody. Any course of action taken to prevent certain
people from entering would surely run foul of Anti
Discrimination laws as well.
As for the alleged assault and violence I do not believe it
is an OH&S question. The centre does come under normal
Australian Criminal law. And any alleged assault should be
dealt with by the appropriate law. If Don Mamouney decides
not to press charges or bring it to the notice of the
appropriate authorities I think this sends a very strong
message that this behaviour is permissable and acceptable
in the centre. This is the opposite to a policy of a zero
tolerance and can onbly have the opposite effect.
It would help everyone in the centre if there was more
information and transparency on these matters.
Barry Gazzard
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# 10
Sent: Thursday, January 22, 2009 5:41 PM
> I was replying to Don's email without realising I was also
> corresponding with what now appears to be the whole of the Addison
> Road email list. I was witness to a vicious assault on Don Mamouney on
> Tuesday of this week in so much that I was in the gallery and heard
> the assault of Don take place including the sound of him hitting the
> floor when he was knocked to the ground by John Blair. Don told me
> that he does not wish to press charges and indeed intended to say
> nothing by way of compaint but of course the whole issue is now one
> for all members at Addison Road as it is a key OH&S issue. I no longer
> feel safe at Addison Road Centre. Don's decision to not take any
> further action is extremely magnanimous but overall I believe that
> there should be a zero tolerance policy relating to violence. As far
> as I know Don did not suffer any serious injuries other than bruising
> to his cocyx and some abrasion and bruising to his arm.
> Terry Cutcliffe
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#11
>
> Errata: John Blair is Yvette Andrews partner.
>
> Its interesting to note that in all my time here at ARC this
> is the first time ....
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