After a long time, we saw a sensational public meeting that made all our activists happy. Because in the previous financial year, the number of people who participated in the assembly was almost 80, the Most votes went to the first person (Mehrdad Kaviani) was 66 (about 80% of the votes). But the assembly was held with 256 participants this time, and the first person (Mr. Farshad Khorshidian) won 138 votes (about 54%). The comparison of the statistics of the attendees shows a significant growth of sensitivity towards the issue of the Association in the community. Despite the ups and downs of such gatherings, the presence of co-religionists and their sensitivity to various topics showed the dynamism of society.
Of course, many other positive turnovers can be listed about this assembly, but I am writing this article not to record these advantages, because they are so clear that I don’t see the need to point out to them. But there were also shortcomings towards perfection, and from this point of view, there is no other choice but to shine as much light on them as possible.
The most critical issue that cast a shadow on this forum was the lack of reports from the respected inspectors, which led to setting another date, in the future, to review the balance sheet. As far as I remember, such an issue was not only unprecedented in Tehran Association, but in all other Associations of our community.
Of course, based on their wide knowledge, the auditors of the fiscal year 1401 (2022) have found unclear issues in the financial report of the board of directors which were hidden from the auditors of the previous periods. Of course, the question is whether these unknowns are old or accidental (they belong to before the beginning of the financial year 1401 or during this financial period). Suppose these unknowns only existed for a while (before fiscal year 401) and occurred in fiscal year 1401. In that case, one must compare this fiscal year with the previous fiscal year and find that if the treasurer is the same as last year, and the president is the same who decided about matters in the previous year; and the accounting staff registered the documents and prepared the reports using the same methods. If these problems and unknowns are old (before the fiscal year 401), then as a rule, the treasurers and chiefs, as well as the inspectors of the past periods, should be accountable for their performance; why instead of solving the problems, they have transferred them to the following financial periods.
What I found out through the follow-ups that I have done is that most of the disputed cases are not accidental but old, but what I could not find is the answer to this question: “If there was a problem during the tenure of one of the respected treasurers in the past and one of the problems remained without answer, how is it possible that despite his wide knowledge and commendable ability, instead of solving that problem during his leadership (when he was in the position of accountability), he changed his position to the role of the questioner and asked questions from the board of directors of the 45th cycle, which he knew the answers better than anyone else? Sometimes questions come to my mind that are difficult to find answers to.”
In any case, it was because of these problems that the subject of the balance sheet was removed from the meeting’s agenda, and the assembly started to discuss about the election of inspectors. Although the concept of inspection means that this 3-member team is separated from the 21 members group of board of directors, some of the candidates for inspector have placed themselves in opposition to the association. Even more surprising was the fact that the Association’s report also strengthened this attitude. A part of the association’s report was dedicated to criticizing the inspectors’ performance and explaining their correspondence, which, in my opinion, did not need to be reflected.
This mistake that the inspection candidate thinks himself as investigator, and also the mistake that part of the body of the board of directors sees the inspectors as confronting them, though it may be worrisome, but more that that is the strange view that some of the participants present in the meeting had. Did some of them forget that just a few months ago, they participated in the election of the Board of Directors of the Circulation 45 Association? They elected the Board of Directors as their representatives to defend their rights. If they still remember, why do they think the inspector must protect their rights, even to the last drop of blood? Who will defend society’s rights against whom or what until the last drop of blood? It looks like they are supporting the community against the representatives that this same community had already selected and voted for (940 voters).
Does the Association’s board of directors include 21 members, young and old, engineers, doctors, graduates, etc., short and tall, fat and thin, men and women, Kermani, Yazdi, etc? Despite all the similarities and differences, based on the votes of the community members, they have come together to violate the rights of the members of this same community, and it is the inspector who should fight for their rights? This is so strange!
Fortunately, the voting for inspectors was finalized, and to my opinion, the most qualified persons were chosen, even though I am sure they will also be criticized!
After that, the next topic in the agenda was taken up for discussion. Questions that were heard versus answers that were not heard. I had experienced this situation before, but what could I do? I expected more from a Zoroastrian because we all know that a Zoroastrian must “listen to the best words and…” Therefore, deciding in advance and insisting on opposing was a strange phenomenon, clearly seen in some. I emphasize that some were like this, and the majority were with those who finally voted in favor.
This phenomenon that some are against and did not list, and some agreed and still did not listen, though in conflict with the teachings of Ashu Zarathushtra, but as an institution in human nature, it is acceptable. It should not cause discouragement; a man should accept and recognize the problem and try to solve it.
In my opinion, in the middle of the agreement and objections, the assembly board acted poorly in guiding the meeting, and therefore time was lost; the assembly could not address other issues. The association had put forward a specific proposal about one of its properties, which had strengths and weaknesses like any other proposal, and the opponents and supporters and should discuss about these points, but here the against and agreeing groups were not separated and equal time was not given to the two groups. The loud opponents got more time to express their disagreement than the silent supporters. The supporters did not see a reason to shout and protest because, on the one hand, they saw the plan in the interests of society, and the world hasn’t turned over. But the opponents, who were worried about the community losing resources, (mainly because of lack of knowledge about the proposed plan), something that has been done for decades and the earth has not come to the sky. But the opponents, who were worried about the loss of society’s resources, mainly because of the lack of nobles in the proposed plan, started shouting and causing trouble. The board of directors inevitably gave them the podium. What was more interesting here was that some of the opponents thought that in the 30 minutes that they thought about it individually in the stressful situation, they had reached a solution that the board of directors could not find with their collective wisdom and by spending several hours of their time and could not ever think about a solution! That is why they were insisting on imposing their own solution. Of course, why didn’t these opponents who were shouting so compassionately, did not attend the meeting organized by the Association for this particular issue last week and did not present their solutions.
One encouraging thing was that some people had the opportunity to stand behind the podium and criticize who had not been seen in any social activity before (or at least I did not have the honor of meeting them). Therefore, while congratulating and welcoming, I want to inform all these dear ones that the year consists of 365 (up to a maximum of 366) days. For this reason, there is no need to direct the association’s board only on the day of the general assembly. Instead, they can be active in other days of the year (even holidays) and participate in social activities, not only to take the burden off the shoulders of the community activists but also to benefit the Zoroastrian Society as much as from their presence.
In the end, I wish that the people who participated in the election of the board of directors based on their social duty will not leave their elected officials alone in the upcoming general assembly. Let’s remember that every member of the Board of Directors of the Circulation 45 Association (even a part of the alternate members) has relied on the seat of the association based on the number of votes more than the total number of people present in the July meeting (256 people). Let’s not forget that in the election that led to the election of the board members of the 45th rotation, it seems that there was no candidate (either the main or alternate members or those who did not find a seat in this rotation) whose vote was less than the total number of the participants in the assembly for election of the inspectors of the fiscal year 1401 (about 80 participants) the same inspectors who use their power to remove one of the most critical issues from the assembly’s agenda (for the first time in history) and succeeded.
Of course, for many reasons, I will not leave their elected members alone in the upcoming general assembly. Let us remember that every member of the board of directors of the 45th cycle of the Association (even part of the alternate members) has occupied a seat among the board of directors based on the expediency either to them or to you, because I do not understand what practicality is. But if you are reasonable or not, if you know what I know or don’t know, or if you have any judgment, you must believe in one thing.
Gist of what I mean: Your presence in the assembly (to which the big decisions of the society are entrusted) can lead to not imposing the will of the minority on the majority.
