Another rant!!

[Meg]

Like all community's we have our ups and downs. I think it is great when someone wants to arrange things to do and you can only do things "wrong" if you do them in the first place. That man obviously was very threatened he should have taken it on board and opened it to  everyone. Good luck and I hope everyone enjoys what you do. do you want to come and sort our social calander out too!!

[Meg]

[Melbourne12]

... this man in particular is the most rigid and authoritarian person I have ever met, who also wants every query from our members referred to him or the committee (in other words him!! because he dominates everything) which sounds like a "power" thing to me too.  He is a bitter and mean spirited man who, if your working on your plot doesn't even acknowledge you when he passes you by.  

... To say something positive about him, since he came into "power", our Site is much tidier and  better organised, because people wouldn't dare not be.  ....

“A lean man, a mean man, a man without a smile”, eh?

I’m going to offer a slightly different view of your Lottie Chairman.  He reminds me of a friend who organises bicycle and motorcycle tours on behalf of various clubs.  These rides are always very well organised and safely run, and he’s indefatigable in organising event after event.  He's an RAF Corporal, which comes across strongly whenever anyone challenges his arrangements.  They get barked at as if they were squaddies with insufficiently shiny shoes.  If anyone goes so far as to disobey his orders, he throws a massive sulk (since he can’t go so far as to throw civilians in the slammer).

Two points:

First, actually I quite admire this chap.  His perseverance and determination more than outweigh his unfortunate manner.  Admittedly I wouldn’t seek him out as a boon companion if we didn’t have shared interests, but we do.

So that may help to may explain the silent response of the men on your committee when your Chairman so abruptly blocked your proposal.  He’s a good organiser, and does a job that everyone benefits from, but no-one else wants to do.

Second, I never get barked at.  I don’t respond like a squaddie, so I don’t get treated like one.

My suggestion is that above all you shouldn’t make sarcastic remarks about freedom of speech or suchlike.  That will certainly invite a bullying response, because you’re engaging at his level.  Instead, imagine yourself at a more senior level of command, so that you’re just as assertive but in a different way.  There should of course be mutual respect, but YOU expect a little deference from him, NOT vice versa.  Just by establishing that expectation, you’ll transform the situation.

HTH

John