Dear All, There are concerns within LAM, shared by members of the Committee and Observer Team, that

the current Chair has lost the confidence of the group membership. It has been suggested that in the best interests of the group the Chair should resign, immediately. We have not received a satisfactory response from the Chair or the LAM committee, to recent written requests for information regarding the suspension of Andrew Longshaw and the procedures followed to arrive at that decision. The Chair has informed Simon Matthews that she suspended Andrew without consultation with the committee. This is in breach of LAM rules and is clearly personally driven. It is the view of the undersigned that Andrew Longshaw should be fully reinstated to continue with Observing activities should he so wish, and an apology issued by the Chair and Committee without further ado. This suspension is just one example in a string of errors of judgement that have brought the group into difficulties. As a consequence of her actions we intend to formally ask Ruth McConville to resign as Chair and from the committee with immediate effect. Her resignation has already been requested privately. This message is firstly to invite you to contribute your vote of no confidence in the Chair. Initially, we would like to determine the total number of people who have no confidence so that we can then add your name to a list to indicate the number of people in agreement. Thereafter we may wish to use those names as signatories on a letter to be sent to the Chair, or in a vote, (for example, a vote of No Confidence) during a meeting. Secondly, we are also asking for your permission to use your proxy vote, should there be an EGM in the near future, or at the AGM, should you be unable to attend in person.

It is only with great sadness that we are forced to take this course, for the long term good of LAM. We would value your support. Thank you Nigel Green Chris Dyson Simon Matthews Richard Strommer Paul Harle Instructions a) body b) Please cut and paste the text below into a blank email Email it to Norton Hawes, Secretary of the LAM Committee

Email: norton.hawes@btinternet.com <mailto:norton.hawes@btinternet.com> Please use the email header: No Confidence Vote and Proxy form c) Please complete and return this form by Sunday evening, 12 August latest Please paste the text below into the email, insert and delete as appropriate ---------------To whom it may concern. I member name have no confidence in Ruth McConville as Chair of LAM to exercise that role fairly and in the best interests of LAM. I demand she resign both from the Chair and from the LAM Committee with immediate effect. * I am content that my proxy vote should be available to Nigel Green or another named individual in the event of any No Confidence vote or other vote at an AGM or EGM in 2012. I understand that in this confidence process my name could used in a

letter for this purpose, and/or be recorded as having Voted by proxy in any motion of No Confidence in the Chair of LAM, and/or my proxy vote may otherwise be used at an EGM or AGM. Before you respond to this poisonous attack I would strongly urge you to think about what you are being told and what you are being asked. There is absolutely nothing in this attack that tells you why you should vote for the removal of the Chair beyond the fact that 5 people feel that another person has been unfairly treated. Some of you are not party to why Andrew Longshaw has been suspended and it is not my place to change that situation. What I do know is that Ruth would not have done anything without very careful knowledge of the rule and without the full knowledge of the IAM. There is a claim that the suspension was "clearly personally driven". I have asked Ruth whether this is the case and she has told me that this is absolutely not the case, I have no reason to doubt that knowing what I know. My resignation is to be taken as a show of support for Ruth and the committee, and a refusal to serve a small proportion of the membership that refuses to accept the decisions of the committee or Chair. Regardless of whether this, frankly pathetic, vote goes ahead and who wins, there is only one loser, LAM. Those serving on the committee in future will do so in fear of taking decisions that do not sit well with the senior members, meaning that they may be unable to act in the best interests of the group. Personally I wish them the very best of luck, they will clearly need it. If you want a committee that is unable to act in the interests of the group then by all means, give this vote full credence. If, like me, you believe that your elected commitee should be free to act in the way they see fit in taking LAM forward and making it the best it can be then I would strongly urge you to treat this request with the contempt it deserves. Even though my experience of LAM is limited to a mere 3 years membership something that has become clear in that time is the small number of votes needed to swing a decision so in order to ensure a completely fair vote I would ask that you add your name, (where it says Your Name), copy and paste the highlighted paragraphs below into a blank email and send it to the Group Secretary, Jason Goodworth, membership@L-A-M.org To whom it may concern. I Your Name have complete confidence in Ruth McConville as Chair of LAM to exercise that role fairly and in the best interests of LAM. Delete as applicable * I am content that my proxy vote should be available to Jerry Winder or another named individual in the event of any No Confidence vote or other

vote at an AGM or EGM in 2012. * I am not content that my proxy vote should be available to Jerry Winder or another named individual in the event of any No Confidence vote or other vote at an AGM or EGM in 2012.