The holidays are over !!!
Hands up all those who thought the surest sign the holidays are over is the scholastic material pushed to the fore in every supermarket in France. Or perhaps last Sunday evening’s bottlenecks at the tollgates leading into Paris.
WRONG !!!
The surest sign is that the GLNF is in court again !
Yes, Brethren, it’s going to be a busy week. After a couple of weeks lying in the sun (you weren’t in Brittany !) the neurones are probably a bit slack so I’ll bring you up to speed gradually.
This coming Friday, August 31st, Ephesse, the ex – ex – ex GM (3 times denied legitimacy) has summonsed his hand-picked praetorian guard, aka the SGC, for a meeting to ostensibly discuss the selection process for the designation of the next candidate for Grand Master. Further on you’ll learn there has been a significant modification to the agenda. Let’s not forget Ephesse is merely a member of the GLNF, Miss Monique having the keys to the executive washroom and the 3rd floor drinks cupboard.
Meanwhile, the aforementioned Miss Monique has summonsed the very same SGC for a meeting on September 6th to designate the next candidate for Grand Master, by a two round ballot. At this point in time we have 8 who have thrown their hat into the ring. Miss Monique will announce those who have survived her vetting by the end of the day. Bets are being taken on how many will step aside in favour of Jacquet the Riviera Pirate (strings pulled by a lawyer from Antibes !)
So we have 2 scheduled meeting only 6 days apart to cover the same subject.
And just to ensure that nobody gets the slightest advantage, that the GLNF remains as complicated as ever (and, no doubt, to ensure a maximum of fees for Rumpole and Co), Balloo the Legal Bear has shot off a writ in Ephesse’s name demanding that the Paris Supreme Court rule (at 3 p.m. today as I type this) that the Grand Master shall be designated on August 31st in the sole presence of the SGC (therefore without Miss Monique) and to forbid her to summons the SGC on September 6th under a 10 000 € personal constraint.
Balloo the Legal Bear has shot his bolt by declaring that the Grand Master will be designated on August 31st, which is in complete contradiction with all GLNF texts (and the published agenda), the SGC merely designating the candidate for Grand Master, who is then ratified by the AGM and duly installed in a meeting of Grand Lodge.
As well, his writ denies the Supreme Court ruling that Miss Monique is empowered to oversee the designation of the candidate for Grand Master, his ratification and his installation.
No matter what happens in court this afternoon the decision will be contested, appeals will be lodged, the GLNF will continue to run around in circles and the legal eagles will continue to laugh all the way to the bank.
Ain’t life peaceful in the Alliance !!! For those who persist in thinking there is an internal solution to the GLNF debacle, we warned you often enough !!!