By Ruth Edgett
At least no one can say Sunday night’s Student Union meeting was dull.
One councillor was im- peached, another relieved of his duties and a third resigned m protest over the impeach— ment process.
To add to the confusion, there were actually two meetings. Speaker Michael Trainor dissolved the first because he said Council violated its constitution, and SU President Jack Keefe
later to pick up where the first one left off. -
The Sunday gathering was an emergency meeting to :tudy a draft of a new SU Constitution, but it rapidly
called another for 15 minutes ,
ment over the existing rules by which the Student Union operates.
The trouble began when Trainor announced that, in accordance with the con- stitution, Councillor Michael Connolly had been auto- matically impeached for missing four meetings.
Following a plea from Connolly that he was un- aware of the four-meeting rule, that the constitution is widely considered poorly written and that his first loyalty is to his seat on the Board of Governors, council passed a motion to overrule its constitution and allow Connolly to stay.
The motion, from Guy Boswell and Jim Mutter,
to be’
Connolly impeaehed, two others resign
tions. The remainder of the 19 councillors in attendance didn’t indicate their feelings.
The motion was passed despite warnings from the speaker that by voting to supercede its own constitu- tion, members were taking a dangerous step and leaving the entire council open to impeachment.
It was after the vote that the first meeting was dis- solved.
Trainor told councillors to go home and think about what they had done: “It’s dangerous business to start violating your own con— stitution,” he told the group,
But Keefe, who had earlier spoken in favor of allowing Connolly to remain
called another meeting to finish the business. of the
evening. 7 As the second meeting convened, the mood of
council had calmed. T rainor overruled the earlier motion on the basis that it had violated the constitution and, therefore, didn’t exist.
Again, he announced that Connolly had been auto- matically impeached. This time the impeachment was accepted, and March 22 was picked as the date for a by- election.
Connolly was told he is free to re-offer for the position.
But the argument Over the constitution had notfinished. During‘debate on the motion
turned into a heated argu- passed 6-5 with four absten— on council, immediately to overrule the impeachment, several councillors pointed out that council members have been violating the con- stitution all along because of its vague wording.
The existing document states that student senators are to present to council monthly reports on their
Senate meetings, although
he student newspaper of the University of Prince Edward Island
The N etted Gem
March 9, 1984
Volume 1, Number 14
The Senate of the Univer— sity of Prince Edward Island
has announced that three outstanding citizens will receive Doctor of Law
Degrees at Convocation on Sunday, May 6. >
They are Dr. George P. Grant, J.T. ‘MickeV’ Place, and Joseph G. Gaudin.
Dr. Grant, a professor in the Department of Political Science at Dalhousie Univer-
sity, will deliver the Convocation Address. Dr. Grant received a
Bachelor of Arts degree from Queen’s University in l939, before proceeding to Oxford University where he worked towards a BA. degree in jurisprudence at Balliol College.
He was granted a Doctor of Philosophy Degree in philosophy of religion from Oxford University in 1950.
Grant taught at Dal- housie University as head of the philosophy department
University both as chairman of the Department of Religion (1964—67) and as professor of Religion (1967-80).
Since 1980 he has been teaching at Dalhousie University.
Dr. Grant is the recipient of several honours, including the Order of Canada, and honorary degrees from the _ following universities: Trent, . 3.} ' Mount Allison, Dalhousie, i . st , _ _ I Queen’s andToronto.
The Netted Gem
Haywire plays to a sold-out Barn 0
n March 1,” the last Main Event before the elction. (Photo: Grimmer) ‘ -
j , Unemploment picture: _ 7 ' 7- Joan ofArc didn‘tquit.She was fired.
(1947-60) and at McMaster .
. i 94
“I:
as”
none have done so.
As well, the council presi- dent is to present the minutes of executive minutes of council, and is to take no more than four courses at one time during his term as president. 1
Neither of those rules have been adhered to, Keefe admitted.
Councillor Kent MacKay said he wished to move votes of non-confidence in the six student senators, including himself, for not giving monthly senate reports.
But after two unsuccessful attempts to get his motions
on the floor, MacKay resigned.
He said he was quitting because council had im-
peached one councillor for not following the rules set out in the constitution while several others remained who also had not followed the rules.
It was around this time that councillors realized Kenny Baker is not a full-time student and, therefore, can—
Grant, Gaudin, and Place Mickey given , honorary degree
His literary output is con— siderable, among his several books being Lament for a Nation, McLelland and Stewart, 1965.
Mr. Gaudin, a native of St. Louis, P.E.I., was educated in the St. Edward School District and studied at the Atlantic _Business School, in Halifax, NS.
His long career in co- operatives and credit unions began as manager of the People’s Co—operative As- sociation in North Rustico (1947-57). Also he was manager of the Fishermen‘s Co-operative there (1949-64).
In 1964 he became
, manger of the P.E.I. Credit
Union League from which he retired in 1981.
During this time he took the credit union systems of P.E.I. from a membership figure of 9008 in 1967 to 29,200 in 1983. During the same time assets grew from $2.7 million to $47.6 million.
Mr. Gaudin was a member of the Board of Governors of St. Dunstan’s University and became a member of the first Board of Governors at U.P.E.l.
He was a director of Credit Unions National Association (International from 1965-72).
He is still involved in many provincial and international organizations. For the past 10 years he has been chair- man of the P.E.I. Marketing Council.
H IVES
at“: a
Council violates constitution, backtracks
not be a member of the council.
As a result, the speaker asked Baker to give up his council seat. However, he said, Baker will be allowed to remain on the committee to study the impact of the vet college.
With the furor over the existing constitution aside, councillors were finally able to get down to the real business of Sunday night’s meeting the draft of the new constitution.
Keefe, who had been working on the new con— stitution with Ronalda
Murphy, told councillors the new draft will Clear up many of the ambiguities in the existing document. However. the section on impeachment will remain unchanged. That part, which states a coun—
cillor will be impeached if he misses three consecutive meetings or any four, is one part of the old constitution that is clearly worded, he said.
(more page 5)
Mr. Gaudin and his wife Hermine have five children: three are graduates of S.D.U., and one of U.P.E.I.
His son Urbain is Liaison Officer at the University.
An ardent golfer, Mr. Gaudin is President of the Belvedere Golf and Winter Club.
J.T. ‘Mickey’ Place was born in Lynn, Mass, and came to the Island as a child.
He attended Queen Square School. Prince of Wales College before studying at the American Institute of Banking in New York City.
He worked for some years at the Royal Bank of Canada before joining the Chase National Bank in New York City in 1928. After 13 3.29.. with the firm he returned to P.E.I. to join the Canadian Army in Charlottetou n.
Following hostilities \Ir. Place joined radio station CFCY as Office Manager. a position he held for 15 years.
He came to UP El. in I972 as business mare ' r the Student Union, rcri 1982.
The honorary degree . didate has been academic courses at Island University, an} ,., viously at St. Dunn ’ ~ University, for over 20 y-.. most in his area of inte"r”» . history and political SCiCllfc,
‘Mickey’ and his artist i 'c Beverley have five cliildrszv