Pride In Protest Member Expelled From Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Board
Image: Skip Blofield Facebook
Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras (SGLMG) Board member Skip Blofield has been expelled from the Board after missing more than three consecutive board meetings.
Section 8.15(c) of the SGLMG Constitution, “A director ceases to be a director if the director is absent without permission of the Board from more than 3 consecutive meetings of directors.”
According to the SGLMG 2023 Annual Report, Blofield attended 4 of the 11 Board meetings in 2023.
‘Due To His Job As A Surgical Nurse’
In a statement posted to social media in response to the expulsion, Queer activist group Pride in Protest, of which Blofield is a member, defended Blofield.
They explained, “While it is true that Skip had missed 2 monthly board meetings, this was due to his job as a surgical nurse, a life-saving role in which he has risked his personal wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“When Skip was elected, he was open about the restrictions that his profession would put on his availability, and was active in trying to find work-arounds and alternative measures to enable his participation, sending in notice and apologies when he knew he would be unavailable.
“Despite this, he has found the Board uncooperative, as they even demanded that he be present for a meeting when he had explicitly flagged that he would be facilitating a life-saving surgery at that time.”
They have called for Blofield’s immediate reinstatement and the resignation of SGLMG Chairperson Gio Campolo-Arcidiaco.
“We demand the immediate reinstatement of Skip to the SGLMG board, and an apology to be issued by SGLMG for this shocking behaviour. We further call for the resignation of Gio Campolo-Arcidiaco as Chairperson.”
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SGLMG: Not A Board Decision ‘But A Procedural Requirement’
In a response to Star Observer, a spokesperson for the SGLMG wanted to clarify that this was not “a specific decision by the Board, but a procedural requirement.”
The spokesperson explained, “At Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, the active participation of our board members is essential for effective governance and fulfilling our commitment to the community. Our Constitution clearly outlines the responsibilities and expectations of our directors, including regular attendance at board meetings.
“Recently, following the guidelines of our Constitution, a board member transitioned out of their role due to a pattern of non-attendance at multiple consecutive meetings. This outcome is in line with Section 8.15(c) of our Constitution, which addresses that board members cannot miss more than three board meetings in a row without seeking a leave of absence.
“We wish to clarify that this is not an outcome of a specific decision by the Board, but a procedural requirement. Despite efforts to engage and communicate with the member, including attempts to discuss their attendance and opportunities to provide apologies or request leave of absence, the required participation was not maintained.”
They added, “Our organisation values the contributions of all its board members and understands the challenges of balancing various commitments. However, the effective operation of our organisation depends on the commitment of our board members to fulfil their roles as outlined in our Constitution.”
Moved To Censure Blofield In May
In May, the SGLMG Board moved to censure Blofield for comments he made in a video while speaking at a Green Left Forum on February 28.
In a conversation with Star Observer at the time, Blofield spoke about the SGLMG Board’s accusations against him and the subsequent censure meeting.
He stated that the Board gave him an opportunity to come to the meeting. However, he was unable to attend the two possible dates they provided him, due to work.
“I’m a theatre nurse. I scrub up for surgery. I can’t just ditch that on a whim. So I said, ‘I’m not able to attend’,” he said.
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Blofield was elected by SGLMG members at the Annual General Meeting in November 2022.
It’s obvious that his work commitments are not compatible with being a MG board member. Can’t have it both ways!!!
He only attended four out of eleven meetings?! Our most important community organisation needs commitment and hard work. That starts with showing up.