I am just confused about which of the following three titles best suits the underlying story. “Knowing the Rules of Your Club Makes You Powerful” or “Unaware of the Rules of Your Club Makes You Look Stupid” or “Knowledge Is Power, But the Lack of it brings Disgrace”

Having chosen one with difficulty, I leave it to you as readers to choose a title among the three that you feel very much agreeable to. Before becoming a member of any club, association or group, first ask to know their governing rules. Get a copy of the rules if they do exist in written form. Be conversant with the rules as you would with reciting A, B, C, D… or counting 1, 2, 3, 4 etc. Without that, you will one day end up looking a big fool when it comes to the crunch.

I have practically become aware of a supposedly powerful association in Ghana, where almost all her entire membership is clueless about any existing written regulations. Without any shred of knowledge of the laws, one could see the members making big fools of themselves during an important deliberation. They thought they were on top of their best experiences when each stood up in turns to contribute their views. Little did they know that they were infringing not only their internal written regulations, but also, statutory laws?

When watching them behaving that much ignorantly and irresponsibly, I had my finger in my mouth, biting it hard, and said to myself, Oh my God, forgive them their sins, for they don’t know what they are doing. These are the most fearful people we prostrate to for belonging to the most prestigious association of prominent persons.

For them to become powerful as alleged, they have first to become more knowledgeable. For without knowledge, one can never become powerful. Any pretence to having in-depth knowledge of the governing written and unwritten rules without actually knowing them, makes one a complete object of laughter.

One will be acting in a way they wouldn’t, if they knew the rules. In order not to see our supposed learned and clever people rendered hopeless before the law which is an ass, when they are caught to have knowingly or unknowingly breached them, they have to do as advised above. They should ask for copies of all written laws/regulations/rules and unwritten customary laws and usages on which the association was formed and operates.

“He who does not know, and knows not that he does not know, is a fool”, so a saying goes. Negligence is not an excuse. Once you have been caught to have flouted the laws of your association, you will have to suffer the consequences, regardless of not knowing much about the pivotal rules on which the association revolves.

More will follow later. He who the cap fits, wear it!

Rockson Adofo