Resignation from role as UFS Academy Superintendent

[3249Rowena]

On Friday 4th August, I tendered my resignation from the role of Academy Superintendent with immediate effect to the CinC, which has been accepted.

In my country, there is a long and noble tradition where Ministers who resign from the Government front bench give a resignation speech to Parliament, where they then proceed to give the current administration both barrels and air any grievances they have.

Anyone expecting or hoping to see such a thing here is going to be disappointed.

There are several reasons why I have resigned.

One of which is my involvement with the private discord group. It would not be appropriate to continue in my role, especially given the fevered discussion which surrounds this. I am not going to debate the accuracies and inaccuracies of what has been said about it. Whether it is something said in frustration, carefully considered or in the heat of the moment, I take responsibility for what I say, wherever I say it. Anyone who wants to vilify me, go ahead. Honestly, nothing you can say can be worse than what I have to hear day in, day out. If the JC’s decide I have a case to answer, I will do so at the appropriate time.


Secondly, events in my private life of which I am not going to go into any details.


No one denies there are issues with the current system of how UFS is run. I dare anyone to show me somewhere that has a perfect system. I hope the many imaginative and creative ideas that have been put forward recently are not filed away and forgotten and that more consultation and work is done on them, when the time is right. Change is evolution, and something that sits still is something that runs the risk of withering and dying. However, it should occur at the right moment and not be rushed, or the effect could be just as calamitous. We all care too much to let that happen. End of the day, we are all flawed individuals doing our best and going by what we believe. The recent posting by the CinC states quite correctly that change is a process that, among other things, takes time. It doesn’t happen overnight and when it does, must be by mutual consent.

To whoever is appointed to replace me as Superintendent of the Academy. This is not the way I would have envisioned a transition and I am sorry you will be dropped in the deep end. But you will have the finest group of people I have had the privilege to work with there to support you. They are bursting with such enthusiasm, passion, ideas and dedication that if it could be captured, there’d be enough energy to propel us to the stars and beyond. They truly demonstrate the best of UFS. For my part, I promise I will not be a backseat driver. You will have enough people telling you how things should be done or offering advice, without me butting in.


Before I sign off and fade into the shadows, I will add this final thought. When my mother passed away last year, I was on the brink of walking away from everything. UFS, SL, the whole lot. But something kept me from doing that. Something pulled me from the edge. I’ve come to see that the people that make up UFS are like a second family to me. And like all families, it’s dysfunctional, it’s silly, it’s wacky, it can be exasperating at times, even mind boggling, and things get heated, things are said in anger that cut deep. But it always pulls itself together. Like a family. I hope it will do so again.

As the great Capaldi said “Hate is always foolish and Love is always wise”