WSRA Trustee Election Hustings

Various terms come to mind such as ego tripping and delusions of grandeur along with complete denial of the reality, and unwillingness to admit it. All the same thing really. Essentially the Trustees led by the Chairman have backed themselves into a corner over the failed bid to buy the freehold and now cannot bear the inevitable loss of face by admitting it. It is technically known as CRS (Cornered rat syndrome) according to a clinical
psychologist acquaintance of mine. A very sad state of affairs.

 

I wonder if the current Trustees felt the PLC was going to pack the meeting with PLC supporters?

I reckon they've misread the situation entirely, but will they be able to recognize that?

Noel

 

I suspect that is the case with a lots of members unfortunately, due to the Chairman also being the Editor.

The latest Steam Railway Issue 430 July 18th - August 14th has a small piece headed " West Somerset Association heading for 'fiery' AGM , so what has happened is likely to become more widely known.

 

Please re-join. You, and everyone, are useful in the fight to ensure that our supporter's association returns to its roots and buys back into the Railway family.

The phones and e-mail have been buzzing today and the improper behaviour of the Trustees is now entirely in the open. There is a considerable sense of co-operation amongst the 'rebels' as there was at yesterday's meeting, and those of us who have seen the good that our Association can do will not rest.

There is, by the way, one (significant?) advantage of re-joining before a resumed AGM. Given that item 8 - increase of subs - was not reached, it still only costs £19 to join, which will shortly go up to £20!

kind regards

Robin White

 

All

herewith Version 3 of the Account of the meeting, with the accurate voting figures added in, for which I thank Dr David Randles who tape recorded the meeting (with permission).

kind regards

Robin White

 

Re-join.

Use your votes when the time comes to get rid of the current trustees.

Meanwhile use your WSRA travel voucher (even if you have a pass or don't even travel) because under the new system the plc charges WSRA for each ticket (if I can believe the Journal any more), so at least a proportion of your subs will go into running the railway.

Don't donate any money or buy any draw tickets or join the 50-50 club. We need to hit the Association in the revenue stream without impacting the railway.

Barry

 

In the first years of the 1980's the WSR plc was virtually bankrupt and 'WSR' was said to stand for 'Will Something Run'. That could never now be said. A clearing of the stables of the Trustees who are holding things back, a root-and-branch re-examination of the structure and purpose of the Association and its 'fit' within the WSR family and we could soon have it singing again.

kind regards

Robin White

 

Firstly, may I commend you all for managing to work together after the sometimes acrmonious exchanges of a few weeks ago. Please do not return to the old ways.

Secondly, it seems the incumbent trustees have a stranglehold on the proxy voting system, by fair means or foul, because they can address the bulk of the membership, not just the active volunteers. Either the bulk of the membership actually agree with the attitude of the existing trustees, which is possible, or they have not been "fully informed" for whatever reason. (quite how you would determine which I'm not sure, though if the bulk of the existing membership really does back the existing trustees in the full knowlege of their actions, then in truth you really have no case)

Thirdly, unless those wishing for change are able to get the message to the whole membership by some means and persuade that membership to insist on change, it appears the existing trustees are going to hang in there by hook or by crook. In which case what is your fallback position?

Various people have said that leaving the WSRA is a bad idea, and others have been advised to join or rejoin to add their votes - but the existing numbers for change are clearly not enough, and a few more are not going to make a significant difference. Given that there is no need to be a member of the WRSA to be an active volunteer, it may be your only fall back is for the active volunteers of the WSRA to resign en mass from the WSRA - obviously with the exception of those who do agree with the attitude of the existing trustees. Why pay to be insulted?

As volunteers you do have a "network" of contacts which would enable you to discover just how the all the existing active volunteers feel.

A "Supporters Association" which has minimal active participation in running the railway is likely to become a laughing stock and increasingly irrelevant. You can after all rejoin if change does come by another means.

 

Duplicate

 

Thank you for your remarks.

The great positive from events of yesterday is that the views of the working members and the lack of support the present Trustees have cannot now be hidden from them. If an EGM has to be called, there are mechanisms for communication with the membership generally which come into play, and there are some steps which can also be taken to ensure that, which are being actively discussed amongst the 'reform' promoters.

kind regards

Robin

 

Exactly. When I completed my duties aboard today's Quantock Belle I reluctantly left behind my uniform and my volunteer resignation.

Today my fellow colleagues on board included the WSRA Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary and another Trustee. Peter Chidzey was not present today but I normally work alongside him. We had a total of 92 delighted passengers on the QB, many of whom are repeat passengers who recognise me from serving them over many years. Unfortunately it is now impossible (for me) to continue to enjoy the work when in the close company of these WSRA officials, given what they now represent.

The WSR/CAMRA Real Ale Festival was my invention and I will, for the time being, take my pleasure and pride from this little contribution to the WSR's success, without volunteering elsewhere about the Railway. I put a lot of volunteer hours into my various CAMRA duties and that organisation will gain from WSRA's loss. For now at least.

Encouraging other WSRA Promotions volunteers to walk away is largely a non starter. Besides myself and the WSRA officials present today there were 11 other QB volunteers. As far as I could ascertain ONLY ONE of these 11 had the slightest idea, knowledge or concern about recent events, including yesterday's AGM. Several, if not the majority of them, are not even WSRA members and have little, if any, understanding of the train's ownership or status within the WSR family.

I had a short chat with Ian Aldridge and he confirmed the AGM would be reconvened in due course. I don't think there's a date yet. I enquired about the 100 spoiled proxy forms. Ian's understanding is that the majority of them were spoiled because those members voted for ALL the candidates!

I am of the firm and considered opinion we are up a dead end. We could go on repeating this disappointment for years because there will always be more lemming proxy voters than those in the know. Sorry Rodders but for me mass resignation and getting an adult to escort WSRA off the premises is the only way to go. The plc should immediately cease to subsidise WSRA operations and charge them commercial rents for all their activities. That way at least WSRA would support the Railway while they still exist. Better still, cancel the informal agreements and take away their domain. So what if they own engines. The Manor is a basket case and the Prairie is only useful for hauling the QB. I have yet to be convinced the plc want either of them on the line. In any case, other Prairies are available (shameless PFP plug). I doubt the plc would be overly concerned at loss of the NFW triangle if it meant seeing off the Association.

I have come round to agreeing with some of the plc's recent statements, although I resented them at time of publication, now that I have first hand knowledge of how our Trustees operate. As Mark Smith said, WSRA was important in the past but no longer. How about we all join WSSRT and make that organisation the Wizzer's primary support group? Surely with their new membership structure that would be possible?

WSRA has conked out. For good. Don't encourage them by engaging.

Yours thoughtfully,

Barrie (DunQBin)

 

I'd have accidentally spilt the soup over them... Sorry, back to serious stuff...

 

What happened as regards members who simply binned the election papers without sending anything back - were they treated as proxies by default? That could explain why there were so many proxies this time for the existing trustees to use. Just a thought; shoot me down in flames if it's wrong!

John

 

I appreciate the early problems of the WSR as I was one of those involved in bringing D7017 to the line in 1978 and helped support the D&EG (as chairman) when the decision was taken within the group to support the WSR rather than look to operate the diesel fleet on the main line. Since I was elected chairman of the D&EG at a time when similar Committee problems arose in terms of who does what - and by what authority - I fully empathise with the current situation on the WSR.

Since I am distant from the current situation I respect your opinion as a person on the scene but I still feel that a Plan B may be required and that plan be based on the option of creating an alternative support organisation and allowing the WSRA to wither away. I realise that this action may have costs - but will they be any greater than the current costs being incurred by the present not-to-be-trusted Trustees who appear to be operating the WSRA as a personal fiefdom ?

It could be that a short term loss could lead to a greater long-term gain.

 

Would Friends of the WSR be that organisation - it already exists doesn't it? Maybe it lacks independence from the plc. Just a thought.

John

 

Rat! - tat!-tat!

No, seriously, though, there are 5000 members, so the proxies received were almost certainly garnered by the second, improper election address. They might think it got them in, but in my view it sealed the fate of those involved. Watch this space....

I agree that might have to be an option but I believe that we are a very long way from that and there is much to do before that would become the better option.

Besides, given that I am a life member of the present WSRA, I would be silly to move to an alternative!

kind regards

Robin

 

I always respect people who declare a personal interest!

John

 

It is Monday 21st July 2014. It is a cloudless clear blue sky and temperatures will again be in the 80s. It is good to be alive. What could be better you ask? Perhaps nothing or then again we may hear that a trustee has got a conscience and resigned. Come on Mr Chidzey perhaps you are still a man of integrity and could lead the way, Resign Today.

 

Can I just say that I have been working on the strategy for the next few steps overnight in co-operation with the other 'reform' candidates in a most refreshing atmosphere. There are in fact some faint glimmers of green shoots.

The AGM is to be recalled to complete its business and there may have to be an EGM if the glimmers do not prove rapidly fruitful.

A strategy for both is now emerging. All I would want to say at the moment, is that members would not want to miss the resumed AGM........

These seem like troubled times at the moment, but I think in time we will come to view them as the start of a positive change. Those who attended the 2014 AGM are unlikely ever to forget it, rather as I will never forget the day of the first through train from the National Network onto the WSR in 1991 when I looked after arrangements at Norton Fitzwarren.

Co-incidentally , Dick Wood (hereafter to be known as King Canute's press officer !) was a significant player on that day as well as he was one of the engine men of the two WSRA loco's who took over the incoming through train.

kind regards

Robin White

 

I am still troubled by the failure to elect Jeff Price. There were people in the room holding multiple proxies who were entitled to use those in a vote. So when the Secretary declared the count void had she taken account of those proxies voting in the room?