FYI…This is one many copies I received .
Unedited . Roy sr
-----Original Message-----
From: George Webb [mailto:webbhomeinsp@yahoo.ca]
Sent: April 5, 2006 4:29 PM
To: george@homeprohelps.com
Subject: re message from andrew Dixon
Greetings to the members of OAHI
Andrew Dixon has written 2 letters to the members one on March 28th and one on March 31st.
The march 28th letter outlines the results of a meeting he called in Calgary earlier in the month. The March 31 letter outlines the minutes of the AGM held in Kingston at the end of Feb.
Andrew’s letters point out that the OAHI board has been working on your behalf to form agreements with CAHPI and two of the other provincial organizations
While agreements can be a good thing I think some pertinent history is useful in assessing people’s actions.
In November of 2005 the OAHI board had some concerns about the direction and process of the national certification program.
On November 25 2005 the OAHI board held a meeting in the training office.
CAHPI/National Certification authority were have a meeting in Toronto on the same day. This was to set up the National Certification Authority.
OAHI had asked for a joint meeting with CAHPI/NCA. CAHPI set aside time on their agenda to accommodate us. At the last minute OAHI decided not to meet with CAHPI.
The OAHI board drew up 5 things that were a concern or that they would like answers to. We emailed them to our Ontario Rep at the meeting.
Our concerns in November were basically the same things we got agreement on in Kingston.
CAHPI discussed these concerns. Some of them they could answer and some they could not because they were not far enough along the process.
Throughout December January and Feb OAHI rung it’s hands because they were not getting answers from CAHPI. By the Middle of January it was no longer CAHPI to answer. It was in the hands of the National Certification Authority. Graham Clarke our representative was now the chair of the NCA.
None of our CAHPI representative reported on our concerns. Neither the OAHI President or the OAHI Secretary bothered to get in touch with CAHPI or our reps to get the answers.
This could have been done with our own letter or a phone call.
We are less than 1000 inspectors across Canada. We all know most of the people in the other organizations… If we wanted the information we could get it.
We didn’t
At Kingston we spent a lot of time in meetings. The end result of those meeting were we had a list of concerns and the answers to them from the CAHPI President. They formed the basis of the board response to the motion to not pay our CAHPI dues. While I am in agreement with the points raised I believe we could have done that much easier with a little proactive communication on OAHI’s part and that the meeting did not need to be as long as it was.
At the AGM Alrek Meipoom was elected President. 2 days later on Feb 28th Andrew Dixon called Graham Clark one of our CAHPI representative and fired him.
CAHPI reps are board appointments and the board had not been consulted.
Two days later I was informed by Alrek that he was stepping down as President.
At the OAHI BOD meeting on March 10th we were told by Alrek that Graham Clarke had stepped down as our representative. No mention was made to his being asked to do that.
A week later Andrew Dixon chaired a meeting in Calgary with representatives of CAHPI Alberta and BC
The OAHI Board was not informed of this meeting. The CAHPI board was not informed or this meeting and the people invited were asked to keep it confidential.
Andrew Dixon, Ralph Banks, Tom Lloyd, and Trevor Welby-Solomon attended the meeting from Ontario.
These are not the actions of integrity.
These are not the actions of openness.
These are the actions of somebody who has something to hide.
I would ask you to look at the following points. The ones in green are from Andrews report on the secret Calgary meeting to which only a few people were invited. The points in Blue from the Kingston meeting.
Ask your self are the changes in the two versions worth the $4-5000 it cost OAHI to send 4 people to Calgary.
:
- We recognize that a National Certificate Holder, affiliated (member of a CAHPI regional body) or
unaffiliated, will be governed and shall abide by one set of Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics as
required by the Provincial/Regional Body in which they practice with disciplinary measures being
implemented for those who do not follow this mandate.
All national certificate holders in Ontario, unaffiliated or not, will sign a binding contract with CAHPI. In Ontario, part of
that contract would outline the obligations of the holders and their following the OAHI Standards of Practice and Code of
Ethics, with disciplinary measures being implemented for those who do not follow policy.
- The National Certification Authority’s responsibility is to promote the National Certification Program to
educators and industry stakeholders. CAHPI National’s responsibility is to promote the interests of the
Provincial/Regional Bodies. The duty of the Provincial/Regional Bodies is to promote its members.
- The National Certification Authority’s (NCA) responsibility would be to promote the NCP to educators and industry
stakeholders. CAHPI National’s responsibility would be to promote the provincial body (CAHPI-Ontario/OAHI).
CAHPI-Ontario’s duty is to promote its members.
- The National Certification Authority will maintain a database of all National Certificate Holders, but will not
promote the individuals. The certification authority database will only respond to a search for an individual
certificate holder, it will not provide a list of all certificate holders.
- The NCA will maintain a list of all national certificate holders, but not promote it. The NCA and CAHPI National’s
website will be set up to direct/link all Ontario inquiries to the CAHPI-Ontario (OAHI) website.
- CAHPI is currently conducting a pilot project of the National Certification Program with 100 practising
inspectors selected from across Canada, The project is expected to be completed in early April and a
report is to be prepared by the National Certification Authority defining the implementation of the
certification program process. The report will include any revisions and any proposed changes to the
CAHPI By-laws. This report and all supporting documents will then be sent to all Provincial/Regional
Bodies who have up to 60 days for review and reporting back to the certification authority and CAHPI
National.
4. Another concerning issue to the Board was time lines and deadline dates. There is a July 1, 2007 date to implement the
program. A report to be prepared (sometime in April/May) by CAHPI defining the NCP’s full process, will be sent to the
OAHI and the Association will have up to 60 days to review and respond back to CAHPI. If there is still further review
needed at that time (to make things right), it should be made available, even if deadline dates are deferred.
- While it is understood that CAPHI National and the National Certification Authority will share a common
office and administrator, it is clearly understood that no CAHPI funds will be used to directly fund the
activities of the certification authority.
- CAHPI dues will not be directed to fund the NCP in any way. The NCP was designed to be a self-sustaining program.
Furthermore, administration of the NCP in Ontario will be the duty the OAHI and it will be fee-based.
- CAHPI National will devote their future efforts and funds to promoting the best interests of the
Province/Regional Bodies.
- The OAHI is anticipating that CAHPI will devote future efforts and funds in promoting the provinces.
- CAHPI National will make a commitment to the Provincial/Regional Bodies to communicate in a timely
manner about the ongoing process.
- CAHPI has made a commitment to improve communications with the provinces about the ongoing process.
The reason there is so little difference is because Alberta and BC essentially had that as their understanding before the meeting. One person told me it was a non event.
$4-5000 for a non event.
Regardless of the outcome did we need to spend the money and did we need to base it on deceptions.
I believe Andrew Dixon and the OAHI board need to answer the following questions.
Why did Andrew Dixon over step his authority and fire a board appointed representative without board approval?
Why did Alrek and Andrew lie to the board by not informing the board of the circumstances of the representatives “stepping down”?
Why did Andrew Dixon organize a meeting of some other CAHPI organizations without the knowledge of the of the CAHPI board and without the knowledge of OAHI board. A meeting that does not appear to have been necessary and which cost OAHI $4-5000 for travel.
Again I would point out that these are not the actions of people acting with integrity.
These are the actions of people with something to hide.
Any one wishing to inquire about this should take the time to ask Andrew
Why did you act without authority and fire a board appointed representative to another organization.
Why did you and Alrek lie to the Board of directors and subsequently to the members about the representative stepping down?
Why was the meeting in Calgary held in secret without the prior knowledge of the CAHPI board or the OAHI board?
I believe that Andrew and others on the board believe they are working in the best interest of the members.
They have deviated from a path of integrity and even they are well intentioned if they are not called to account for their actions we will all suffer.
Too often we think that things are beyond our control and that people will just do what they will do.
Any organization should be accountable to its members and the actions of an organization must stand up to scrutiny but the members must care enough to ask and get involved.
“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” Edmund Burke
Andrew Dixon can be reached at
yourinspector@sympatico.ca
George Webb