WSRA Trustee Election Hustings

As Browdy said in jaws,

You are going to need a bigger hall!

 

Robin

To my non-legal eye, what you suggest seems very sensible.
One question if I may, if your suggestions at the meeting work, what then becomes the position of the existing Company Secretary, who many believe is complicit in the actions of the current trustees ?

 

Robin,
I am more than happy to support the proposal that you have made for conduct at the AGM. We don't want the meeting to descend into chaos as this give the maximum chance to the existing incumbents to close the meeting and accept their re-election by their hoped for bumper crop of proxy votes.
As you have said it's essential that we have discipline in the ranks if we are to carry the day.

Regarding the Hall and the number of attendee's I've already pointed out to the Chairman that WSRA probably need to do something about parking and access on the day. The hall has a maximum capacity and I hope that those in charge of the hall will be monitoring this on the day.

 

With the Secretary / WSRA Manager Susan Kaufman, one should, perhaps, be rather careful with words such as 'complicit' in that she is an employee, subject to the direction / within the responsibility of the Trustees.

I have no special knowledge of the working relationship between her and the present Trustees. I can say that when she worked under me as WSRA Chairman she worked hard and followed the directions of the then Trustees. I know that David Holmes, my successor, had a similar view.

The responsibility, for actions by the Secretary, in my view, rests with the elected Trustees.

As far as car parking goes, It is a good point. I will be coming by train from Stogumber. Perhaps other attendees might wish to make similar arrangements. A ride on the Railway on the day might help remind us all why we are here..

Kind regards

Robin White

 

Hello Robin,
Perhaps now I should add my support publicly for your proposal. I am Ken Davidge and was a founder of the WSRA. I started work with Harry Lee and Douglas Fear in 1971. When the WSRA was formed in 1972 I was elected Membership Secretary. I was elected to the Trustees, through an AGM vote in 2012 but resigned 3 months later after the existing trustees broke many rules by ejecting a trustee from a meeting. I am a shareholder in the WSRplc.
I have voiced my opinions in many forums and have crossed swords with you (Robin) and others on many occasions. I am a founder and past Chairman of FoWSR who's sole aim was to support the Railway with small projects. I am also the guy who had his application refused that fortunately has now been accepted with great thanks to Robin.
I now offer 100% support for Robin's proposals in full and will assist her in any way possible to clear the WSRA of this canker that is ruining itself and our Railway. This is time for old grievances and disagreements (that bits for you Mr E) to be put firmly aside Like Robin says without long drawn out processes this may be our one an only opportunity to remove certain Trustees and set the Association back on course as the major force for support of Our Railway the WSR. Ken D

 

With the Secretary / WSRA Manager Susan Kaufman, one should, perhaps, be rather careful with words such as 'complicit' in that she is an employee, subject to the direction / within the responsibility of the Trustees.

I have no special knowledge of the working relationship between her and the present Trustees. I can say that when she worked under me as WSRA Chairman she worked hard and followed the directions of the then Trustees. I know that David Holmes, my successor, had a similar view.

The responsibility, in my view, rests with the elected Trustees.

As far as car parking goes, It is a good point. I will be coming by train from Stogumber. Perhaps other attendees might wish to make similar arrangements. A ride on our railway might remind us all why we are here

Kind regards

Robin White

 

I welcome the common ground developing amongst the candidates on the need for change,and this is the time to show agreement and good will on a common aim, without the previous tendencies to verge on insult.Quite clearly we must prevent the meeting becoming chaos, and I concur with Robins suggestions. I have emailed the Secretary/chair suggesting a poll vote as, amongst other reasons, avoiding more preventable chaos. Depending on their reply , I may need four others to support a more formal request, and will make a request for the four others (non candidates) via this thread if neccessary
Robins simile of WSRAs current regime as resembling those in 1950s Eastern Europe is shared by many working members,e g expulsions/resignations of dissenting trustees, opaque/ hidden decision making,limited input by members other than AGM, limited information to members via the quarterly magazine, and not least its conduct in the freehold bid,and statements on not managing the railway.Many of us know of another totalitarian state that had no further territorial ambitions in Munich, 1938, only to create chaos throughout Europe over the next six years. We need now a spirit of "glasnost" in WSRA and its relationship with the PLC.It is opportune. for both organisations to let bygone be bygones, start afresh without mutual bitterness. I very much doubt such possibilities with WSRAS current trusteeship.Trust in them is now lacking.

 

Quite often you see reports of proposals for 'Heritage Railways' to operate "commuter services" but these never become reality and probably never will. Demand for travel into / from Taunton at specific times is never going to be great enough to fill a train. In addition viable commuter services need a range of arrival and departure times, not just one journey each way at a set time to have any chance of enticing those with alternatives.

Taunton like similar 'central place' type expanding towns now has employment spread out rather than concentrated with those employed working a variety of hours. Although a few are employed at locations easily accessed from the station I would wager that their are insufficient starting / finishing at specific times to fill a bus, let alone a train, travelling from the areas served by the WSR.

In recent years Taunton has invested significantly in 'park n ride' and this one presumes is where any future efforts and developments will be concentrated.

That having been said. I am sure their is potential for some through summer running to/from BL of fGW services from/to east of Taunton, not focused on commuting but with WSR connections / through ticketing.

 

Any idea of the capacity of the hall? You don't want to be kept out because it's full.....

 

As Company Secretary she is responsible for ensuring the election is handled correctly. At last year's AGM she clearly demonstrated that she was not up to the job because of the mess she made with voting. Now we have the fiasco of the proxy forms being wrong and now the very dubious enclosure with the replacements. SHe should go since she is clearly not up to the job.

 

I would suggest that members do not take the train because the hall is booked for another 2 hours after the meeting by myself on behalf of the WSRAMAG and has been offered to the WSRA so they don't run out of time. It could be that the meeting goes past the last train going which it has before and you will not be able to have any active part in any after business discussions if you are not there.

I would suggest that there may well be forms asking for signatures for a EGM (depends what happens at the meeting) and it is far easier if they are signed by people at the meeting rather than having to find them through friends of friends because up to date the Trustees have refused to give us any information so we can contact members. I do however notice that they have allowed the 3 incumbents to use the member list to post to members I feel this is also very unfair. I am sure also there will be discussions between members about what has happened at the AGM

Rodders

 

That may be true but, as an employee, I'd suggest that that represents a disciplinary / capability issue for her employer, not one for members to have a direct say in. So it is a question for her line management, which I assume is the Chairman and Trustees. Of course, perhaps that line management doesn't perceive a problem, in contravention to the widely held opinion of members, in which case it is down to members to change the trustees. So whatever her perceived failings, I'd suggest the best course of action is to leave her out of the discussion, and concentrate on what can be done about the trustees.

Tom

 

I very much doubt the trust secretary originated the enclosure and at worst had to arrange printing and distribution at the behest of the chairman, who, in effect, is her line manager.The new proxy forms/enclosure were posted with a single return address near the chairmans home area. I would think he alone had the addresses and supplied them to the jobbing printer. The question of who/what the role of secretary is, we hope, for a new trusteeship to decide.For now, lets deal with the trustee situation and the AGM .Who knows if some existing trustees may be more sympathetic to a change than thought, but cannot yet make their support public, though private contact may have been made.

 

I think it the makings of a good idea Robin.
BUT
What if the chairman rejects your call for an adjournment.
The trustees don't resign
The chairman states that the item is closed

There is no sanction that can be levied What now?

Where to then? What is plan B?

 

Thequantocks has a good point so perhaps we should have a letter prepared for the Charity Commissioners that we can all sign insisting that the Commissioners deal with the lack of governance and failure to listen and act on the members majority wishes. Faol

 

May I ask who the trustee was? was it a member of the WSRAMAG?

 

Plan B would have to be an EGM.

 

How many signatures are needed for an EGM ?

 

You may ask but it is for that person to comment, not for me, but I can tell you they were not a member of the WSRAMAG.