The day after being elected, next year’s executive for Queen’s Musical Theatre (QMT) resigned.
Elections were held at the QMT Annual General Meeting on Sunday Feb. 12. Radissen Ramoutar, Kevin Tanner and Dylan On ran unopposed.
The three members wrote a resignation letter that was emailed to all members of QMT. In the letter, the three members said they chose to resign because they accepted the positions too quickly.
“We feel the nature of the elections was such that we made decisions without taking the proper time to consider the gravity of the positions of President, Vice President Treasurer and Vice President Secretary,” the letter read.
Ramoutar, Tanner and On also cited QMT’s new management structure as a reason for their resignation. A new structure had been voted in at the AGM.
“Factors of pressure having to do with the length of the meeting and the institution of a brand new organizational structure for QMT led us to accept our nominations without fully considering the outcome,” the letter read.
“We believe that such changes merit further time for many members of QMT to reflect on this new direction for the organization and consider how this shift will affect future endeavours.”
The team declined to interview with the Journal.
QMT became a club in 1969, taking over the role of the Queen’s Glee Club that was started in 1885. The organization runs two student-run productions each year, one in the fall and one in the winter.
The executive of QMT consists of a president, vice-president/secretary and vice-president/treasurer.
The president is responsible for overseeing all operations of the club, representing QMT to the AMS and having the co-signing authority of the QMT bank account along with the vice-president/treasurer.
The vice-president/secretary is responsible for advertisements and promotions as well as taking minutes and publicizing all QMT member and Board of Directors meetings.
The vice-president/treasurer is responsible for the club’s budget, taking over the club’s archives and acts in the president’s position in their absence.
The current QMT executive will remain in their capacities until a new executive can be found.
Current QMT president Kyle Beres said this year’s executive had no foreknowledge of Ramoutar, Tanner and On’s decision to resign.
“The only thing we have to go off of is their letter. We were sent the letter, then I sent it out to the community,” Beres, ArtSci ’12, said. “There wasn’t any discussion beforehand regarding it.”
“Radissen, Kevin and Dylan are still part of QMT.”
Beres said no one else has chosen to resign from the club
“It is what it is … it’s their decision,” she said.
On currently sits on the Board of Directors as the member responsible for alumni relations.
The organizational changes cited in the resignation letter refer to a general member’s motion at the QMT Annual General Meeting to make changes to QMT’s Board of Directors, Beres said.
“Right now, Board consists of seven members — the three executive and four general members,” she said. “What was suggested is that we go from seven members to four members and create a fourth position of vice-president operations.”
Beres said making organizational changes to the Board of Directors isn’t something out of the ordinary for the club.
“Every year there’s Board structure changes. The last couple of years have been the same with no changes. I want to say 2008 or 2009 was the last time a constitutional board structure change happened,” she said.
Beres added that this new position will take over the responsibilities that the four general members had this year.
“They will be reaching out to alumni, planning social events and gatherings and advertising and fundraising,” she said.
The new position of vice-president operations will help the club to be better organized, Beres said.
“It will help to try to streamline and prioritize the responsibilities of the Board of the club.”
Another executive election will be held on Saturday, March 4.
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