West Somerset Railway General Discussion

Quite correct. The CC's attitude will I believe, be the same now as it was then. i.e. It is an internal disagreement and has to be sorted out by the members themselves... That shouldn't be a problem, free and fair elections will sort this - exactly as it did (eventually) with the ex-6.
The only place there may be cause for the CC to have concern is if the processes are seen not to be free and fair, if members rights are being denied, if the members are deliberately being stopped from sorting it out themselves. Then the CC could well start looking long and hard at who was doing what...

 

This is no criticism of the various trustees, board members or candidates, but it can be dangerous to take a "current people are bad, any other people must be better and/or our saviours" approach. This smacks of general elections when people begin to dislike one government and vote them out, only to find the new one isn't really much better. "Popular" votes aren't necessarily the best.

 

I’ve had the same email telling me that my membership was pending and would be considered at the AGM, despite the fact that I received an email a few weeks ago confirming acceptance of my membership! There were two supposedly separate attachments to the latest email from Don Fraser, but they were both identical, asking me if I was prepared to become a volunteer. What the other attachment was supposed to be I have no idea. Presumably this means I am currently not a member of the WSSRT and therefore cannot vote at the forthcoming AGM.
The whole thing stinks. When I originally applied, my payment was confirmed in a very short email telling me that my membership had been accepted but I wouldn’t be receiving a membership card as the WSR wouldn’t be running trains this year. I then read on Nat Pres that new applications had been suspended because they were being overwhelmed. By 100 new requests??? Really??? No cards to be issued and just a short email to confirm acceptance of membership. How much admin time does that actually take?
Presumably it’s dawned on the current WSSRT management that the prospective new members are almost certain to be supporters of the new ‘band of 10’ trustees and this is an attempt to nullify their potential voting rights. If that is the case, then I will be asking for the return of my membership fee.
What a shambles!!!!
Dave.

 

Whatever may be going at Shillingstone, I wonder that the Trust would be looking for in terms of income and operating opportunities at any new base. Apart from the now-departed 2-8-0, what else does the Trust intend to do?

(this is a serious question, before someone takes offence and thinks it's a dig)

 

How bizarre have you written to the WSSRT to ask what is going on?

I don’t see how you can accept someone and then randomly change your mind.

 

Does the WSSRT articles permit this?

 

I've had exactly the same.
No membership number.
Email with the wrong attachment
No voting papers for the AGM.

I paid the subscription!

 

I was hoping that @Robin Moira White might be able to explain the legality of the latest manoeuvre in this pathetic saga

 

Both.

 

Whatever the facts are behind the emails and confusion you cannot help wonder why a small group of people, relatively speaking, find that more than their total number suddenly want to join. Maybe they feel there is cause for concern.

Nothing is ever straight forward it seems in West Somerset.

 

What annoys me Pete is how I can receive an email several weeks ago confirming acceptance of my membership (and the WSSRT banked my payment!) and then getting an email sometime later telling me that my membership application is pending. As I said in my earlier post, the whole thing stinks

 

Can you cancel your payment? Or report it as fraudulent activity?

 

It seems to me that if the WSSRT accepts payment and sends a confirmation, then you are now a member and there is a sort of contract between the WSSRT and yourself which they can not break without going through whatever process is laid down in their articles for ejecting members. At least now you have right to vote at the AGM!

 

Clearly this is a matter to contact the CC over, as I can not see how they can bank your payment, then refuse your membership without refunding your fee at the same time, something clearly is very wrong, it might even fall foul of the laws charities have to operate under .

 

I had similar. A brief, courteous, email exchange later and all was clarified, with the correct second attachment sent and my membership status confirmed.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

This is the email(with two identical attachments)
"Dear

Thank you for your recent Membership Application. This will be considered at our next Trustees meeting in accordance with Section 10 of our Articles.

Your membership will be confirmed either by e-mail or in writing, in accordance with your wishes on the Application Form. Should your application be rejected any monies paid will be refunded.

Can you please let me know if you would be willing to volunteer in any area of our activities listed below.

Carriage Restoration Yes / No
Blue Anchor Museum Yes / No
BL Gauge Museum Yes / No
Education Outreach Yes / No
Model Railway Group Yes / No
Fundraising Yes / No


You can let us know either in writing or by email to info@wssrt.co.uk

Yours faithfully

WSSRT Membership Secretary"

So, if we are undesirables, we get our money back. I joined as a way of supporting the WSR, who I seem to recall were needing financial support. I didn't want to give money to the PLC for them to pass it away on legal battles.

 

No, the payment was a bank transfer made weeks ago. Fraudulent activity? Dunno. Probably not. I’ll repeat what I’ve said before, the whole thing stinks.

 

I’ll try that.
Can you remember the name of the the individual who originally confirmed our initial application? Reply on our chat if you don’t want to publish his name on here.
Dave.