Overview The Problem The Petitions Escalation
 

Toronto YMCA Mismanagement

© 2000 by Uriel Wittenberg

There are two versions of the current petition:

Both versions request that the two wasted squash courts be restored to squash. Petition #1, in addition, protests the unacceptably dishonest explanations that have been offered by Athletic Director Greg Miller, in violation of explicit YMCA values, to justify the use of squash facilities for non-squash uses.

Signature Counts:

Signed petitions from 62 people were hand-delivered to Lesley Davidson on March 22. Some additional petitions were submitted to her in April. Here are the latest signature counts:

  • 22 have signed both petitions #1 and #2;

  • 16 have signed #1 and not #2;

  • 27 have signed #2 and not #1;

  • 4 have written and signed their own letter registering a similar protest (including 2 who are included in above figures).

  • In Total, 67 YMCA Participants have signed and submitted at least one petition.

Who Has Signed?

That’s confidential; but an updated, detailed list of names was made available to YMCA managers. (In addition, the actual signed paper petitions were turned over to Lesley Davidson.)

Past Appeals
(Ignored by Management)

 

  • 1997: Former YMCA member Ed Dewar submits a petition signed by fifty YMCA members opposing the conversion of one of the five squash courts of that time to “Cycle Fit.” The conversion goes ahead.

  • April, 1999: Vezi Tayyeb writes out a detailed suggestion filling three of the green comment cards. His input is never acknowledged.

  • May, 1999: Uriel Wittenberg submits a petition signed by a dozen members. No acknowledgement is forthcoming. When Uriel seeks him out, Athletic Director Greg Miller says the petition was unwelcome because, with its list of signatures, it looked like a “demand.”

  • Who knows how many others? (Tell me about them: email uw@urielw.com.)

 

 

Incidentally

Each day for weeks during our petition drive, the tiny notices advertising this webpage would disappear from the squash board by the courts. Uriel would put a fresh copy up when he arrived for his game, and the next day it’d be gone. This happened about 30 times. No one knew the identity of the mysterious perpetrator who was so diligent in keeping the squash board clean.

But on Monday, April 17, the eagle-eyed Michael Hector, in mid-racquet swing, spotted the furtive culprit doing the deed.

 

 

Please address comments or questions to Uriel Wittenberg (uw@urielw.com).

Home