WSRA Trustee Election Hustings

Personally, I'd be careful how far down the above line of thought you go. When all is said and done, the Secretary is a paid employee, not an elected official. If it becomes percieved that potential future trustees, or their supporters, had effectively made up their minds about her continued employment before they were even in positions of authority, in my eyes she may well have a future case for constructive dismissal if those potential trustees were elected and she subsequently felt impelled to leave, even if they subsequently went through due process - which is no doubt yet another legal conundrum you don't want.

Hard as it may be to stomach, and whatever her percieved failings in carrying out her duties as company secretary, the only people who can launch a disciplinary / competency procedure are the current trustees, not future ones! So I feel it would be wiser to concentrate efforts on the trustees, over which you have some future electoral influence.

(Disclaimer: I'd defer to Robin's superior knowledge of employment law. But that is how I would read the situation).

Tom

 

Quite! I hoped I made it clear that I was not advocating PLC action but just responding to a query about how they could. I certainly hope it will not come to that. Perhaps we need more advanced technology such as something akin to a torpedo?

 

Yes, quite correct, which is one reason why you will not find me commenting on the secretary's actions, beyond the fact that the Trustees are responsible for them.

kind regards

Robin White

 

Peter

I'm quite happy with a steam powered road roller.........effective, powerful and heritage.

Perhaps we could have a 'squishing the Trustee of your choice' event at the WSR Rally at Norton Fitzwarren on 2nd / 3rd August? We usually have a good selection of traction engines and at least one road roller there.

kind regards

Robin

 

Now I like the splat bit, begs I drive the steam roller. ​

 

And we know which WSR loco drivers got one !

 

For the avoidance of doubt I made, and indeed, make no comment other than on the Secretary's performance at the AGM. I have no knowledge of her performance, nor make any comment about, her other duties.

 

With such big teeth, i would have thought ripping their throats out would be more your stile

 

I like Robin's analogy to treating cancer with chemotherapy. But if I can add to this, surgery by cutting out and removing the cancer is perhaps a more effective option, but only if you remove ALL of the cancer. If you leave part of it in place, it is likely to come back and bite you.

 

Question to Robin and the other candidates.

Who is the official spokesman/woman for the group?

 

Larry

There is not an official spokesman (don't worry, I don't get hung up on the man / woman bit: manhole, maneuver, etc etc - yawn) in the sense that there is not a 'group', just a likeminded collection of folks who have put aside their differences and are working in the common good - just as it should be. It allows us to pull together those who have supported me and not others on previous matters and vice versa, just as we did at the AGM.

kind regards

Robin

 

Surely part of the issue here for those opposed to the current Trustees, and how they've managed the WSRA, is in articulating to the armchair members quite what the problem is.

Before people explode in disbelief, consider this. There have obviously been tensions within the WSR 'family' over the years, to which it appears both WSRA and WSR plc have contributed - witness the mistrust verging on paranoia when one or other organisation is thought to be trying to take over the other. Most recently, the trustees of the WSRA have pursued the freehold while obviously working to ensure that their power is unchallenged. I stand appalled at HOW they have pursued these objectives and, were I a member, would have done my damndest to be at Bishops Lydeard last Saturday to support the cause of change, if only because I expect the leadership of any organisation I am part of to behave better.

When I last visited the WSR a year ago, the publicity left me with the impression that the WSRA was in some way the "soul" of the railway - in the same way that as an armchair member of the NYMR, BRPS & FoGCML, I have a similar (and possibly naive) view that they represent the "soul" of their respective railways. I strongly suspect many of the armchair members feel the same - and please note that though the Proxy votes were higher than in previous years, the total vote was less than 20% of the membership.

Having seen that the current trustees are active volunteers on the ground, I strongly suspect that the current Trustees consider themselves in some way to be guardians of that "soul". Especially with the suspicions that exist about the plc's motives - and I make no comment on how reasonable they are, were, or may once have been - that will need those opposing the current trustees to articulate in a way that I haven't really seen yet why the average armchair member needs to engage to support change.

In my working life, I have to try to convince people that not taking a decision is not a "do nothing" option, but actually a positive decision. It's hard, and relies on being able to demonstrate the consequences of making no change. While I'm personally convinced that the WSRA cannot "do nothing", and if in West Somerset*, will make a point of avoiding any WSRA commercial facilities while the current leadership remain, there are many others who need convincing.

They won't - unlike me - be convinced by arguments about governance. Show them that they're on the road to ruin, however, and things may be a little different.

* - trips to the WSR are a rare treat, so to call my approach a "boycott" is more than a little OTT.

 

I am minded of an election years ago in a marginal seat, when supporters of the two parties did their best to upset the other.Come the count,elements of both parties coincidentally met in a pub,and discovered they actually agreed on many many things, differences were small and lasting friendships made, to later unite against a third party.

 

What Canis Lupus in killing mode, I don't think so. We've been domesticated for 32,000 years (we like humans to think) and would never dream of grabbing throats. legs, arms yes but not throats, but it is a rarely know fact that we can drive steam rollers Faol

 

>>>Perhaps we could have a 'squishing the Trustee of your choice' event at the WSR Rally at Norton Fitzwarren...

Given past experiences of the Rally, they may well just sink unharmed into the mud and rise again after the 'roller has passed

As regards the 'latest news' item on Steve's website, I too was a little surprised by it very limited and somewhat 'limp' content. However I do appreciate that he is probably trying to walk a fine tightrope at the moment and it might well prove to be a dis-service to all those interested in the WSR if anything more outspoken were to lead to his 'inputs' being curtailed. I would suggest that his position as webmaster for all things WSR should be separated from his 'alter ego' as a Trustee candidate.

 

That news item was deliberately brief and factual, and which also hopefully left the reader with some questions about what went on. I do try to keep the website as neutral as possible. It is after all a website about the Railway, not the WSRA. I have Robin's account (all three versions) which Robin kindly emailed to me. I also have other accounts which differ slightly. And no, those are not from trustees but from ordinary working members (not aligned with the trustees, the Plc, the MAG or me or anyone but just supporters of the Railway, who were present at the AGM and quite appalled at the goings-on). I haven't heard from a trustee or anyone else from the WSRA since the AGM. To produce a full and fair account needs a bit of time to produce something of consensus which would be of great value, I would hope, to the WSRA membership and others. If Yorkshireman thinks he/she knows my "true colours" then he/she does not know me at all. Like Robin and others, I too am working hard on change, big change, within days or weeks. And I'd rather have your support for that work, please. I hope you will see the results of those efforts in due course.

Steve

 

I doubt we will get much from WSRA at the moment- they will be still emptying their bulging e mail box.

 

For those who haven't seen the news item:

"We understand the Annual General Meeting of the West Somerset Railway Association on 19 July 2014 was adjourned after four hours without completing all items and resolutions on the agenda. It seems the process to fill the four Trustee vacancies took a very long time and after the conclusion of that item, the meeting was adjourned due [to] no longer having a quorum. We await confirmation of this and also confirmation of the revised date for the re-convened AGM. This news item has been published to advise WSRA members who might otherwise be unaware of events and who might wish to attend the re-convened meeting. (Details provided by local correspondents)"

What is "deliberately misleading" or showing "anything but neutrality"?

And I thought I was providing, at least, something for WSRA members who might otherwise not know the AGM was not completed or needs re-convening.

Steve

 

I agree, 800 posts in and I am yet to see a clear statement that will persuade the overwhelming majority of the membership that they should welcome and vote for change.

The existing Trustees haven't covered themselves in glory in the handling of the freehold or by accounts on here of their handling of the AGM, but do the majority of the members feel strongly enough on these issues to want change?

 

I think it is totaly unfair to criticise Steve's attempts to take a neutral stance for which he should be praised for. Whilst I don't always agree with his views we live in a democratic land of free speech and he is perfectly entitled to his opinion as I am to disagree with them. However his website is probably one of the best railway sites out there and he should be commended and recognised for the enormous effort he puts into that site. It does the WSR a great service and probably attracts a lot of custom to the railway.

It would be nice to have a webcam at Minehead though steve