WSRA Trustee Election Hustings

Hi Stephen-thanks for the 40 year inclusion! In answer to your questiongenerally the QB engine is at Lydeard. Ive done the Saturday warm ups many times.Of course there are exceptions, for example,where the engine is worked through doubleheading the first ex Minehead, and the engine is usually stabled at BL after the run.Not certain about diesel workings.

 

Re Frank C's post #382 - "We made a group decision a while back that some of the discussion here was counter-productive, in the sense that it was unconstructive and unhelpful to undecided voters. As we all know there is also the potential to rapidly degenerate into back-biting. So we agreed that I and Rodders, neither of whom are up for election this year would pick up this particular baton, which we have been doing."

49010 says - Would this decision be anything to do with the Moderators locking the WSR developments thread after I complained to them about the abuse of, not just a candidate for trustee, but also of NP? Rodders, by the way, was the author of the single most gratuitously offensive post that I have seen on NP. I answered it point by point. Both Rodders' original post and my response have now been removed from that thread. I also questioned the identity of a poster making a gratuitously offensive post against the same potential trustee, on that thread and, as yet, he has not re-appeared. Strange that. If that thread degenerated then I'm sorry but the gang of 4 and Rodders were firmly in the front rank.

Look Frank, you seem reasonably sensible;, but please. don't be so disingenuous. This thread has finally started to get constructive please don't insult the intelligence of its readers by suggesting that certain people occupy the moral high ground. They don't.

As I have said on previous posts, the WSR and NP deserve better than this.

 

I understand, and to some extent sympathise with, the explanation put forward by Frank. If you have a group of people standing on a common platform (excuse the railway pun!) with a common manifesto, then it does make sense IMHO to have a single person to speak on behalf of them all, rather than perhaps getting multiple replies to the same effect from each of them. However, I feel that where they fell down is (a) not making that point clear up front in this thread and (b) not choosing one of the 4 candidates as their spokesman, thereby avoiding the subsequent feeling that most of them were being 'strangely quiet'. At least now we know and understand....?

>>>Rather more dignified than yet another round of "I know but can't say", "I don't believe you - prove what you say" - I can see future WSRA Board Meeting could be a bundle of laughs if not achieving very much if both sides continue this in person....

Hmm...in my research activities I often find myself privileged with information which I am not at liberty to disseminate to third-parties. Similarly, if someone states a 'fact' to me, it seems quite reasonable to request sight of the source material where necessary for verification - surprising how often you find that they have mis-interpreted something. Within the context of a WSRA board meeting I would not expect either to be an issue, as surely information would be shared between all Trustees as a matter of course.

 

You might say it's a case of one bunch of conspirators against another.

For what it's worth I regard Robin White and West Somerset Wizard as the two candidates that have done most to be open (both) and constructive (Robin in particular). The gang of four seems to be hiding - whilst criticising the WSRA for the same thing. More of the same?

 

There should not be any need for "cant say, prove it" at trust meetings. Agreements etc with the PLC and others should be documented , and be sufficiently well organised to be available promptly and without delay when requested by the trustees.

 

>>>You might say it's a case of one bunch of conspirators against another...

You might, I would not.

 

I prefer to think of both parties as liberators rather than conspirators.

 

Of course, but ask some ex Trustees if that was the case. As for me I am off to sort out my collection WSR pig feathers.

 

Not quite sure why all this is so apparently contentious. We are working as a team, some of whom are standing and some aren't. If you have questions Robin (or anyone else) please ask them. There isn't - it seems to us - a lot of point in posting four or more very similar answers. However if you want to ask the candidates direct, their e-mail addresses and phone contact numbers are given on our website www.wsramag.com under "2014 AGM nominees". I know they would be happy to hear from you . I wouldn't have thought we could be much more open than that. "Lofty detachment" doesn't come into it. Folks perhaps also need to remember that whilst this site is very interesting it isn't the only method of communication, and not everyone involved reads it.

As for the moral high ground we certainly make no claim for this, but we do think the WSRAMAG candidates offer the best chance of changing the WSRA. Otherwise there wouldn't be much point in them standing!

Frank

 

I can sense the frustration in this statement. However ... there are potential advantages to the PLC giving access to the WSRA at a discount relative to what it might charge a third-party operator, if the net result is that the PLC makes a lower profit (which would be subject to tax) and thereby the Charity makes a bigger surplus to be re-invested in the railway. (All of which operating fully within applicable accounting standards, of course). Clearly, doing so requires a level of mutual trust between the various organisations that seems sadly lacking at the moment.

The issue is, point-scoring between organisations, with each sensing some injustice in the way charges are levied and collected, isn't helping the greater cause of the railway. Surely what is important is not so much how any one individual body can maximise its income; but rather, how the railway as a whole (PLC, member body, charity) can use the individual strengths and resources of each body to maximise the income of the railway as a whole.

Tom

 

Well I've been down in Paignton listening to locos whistling as they leave Churston and helping clear a house. You have been very busy and there has been many pages to read.
I would like to ask all the potential trustees the following question to see what they would say (I accept Rodders and/or Frank will answer for the WSRAMAG):

The accounts shows clearly that the cost of producing the Journal and the salary of the Association Manager very nearly account for all membership fees received. Do the candidates think this is good value for money (members subs don't forget). If the candidates do not support this spend can they please outline their strategy for dealing with any perceived problem in this spend. If they do support this spend can they please justify it. Faol in thinking mode (Dangerous)

 

You read about it here first.... (Well, in fact second, as I have just posted this on the WSR internal Forum)

Special Train for WSRA AGM – Saturday 19 July 2014
A special train will be run in the late afternoon / early evening of Saturday 19 July 2014 to allow those attending the WSRA AGM to:

1.Travel to the AGM from any other WSR station by normal trains during the day and return after the AGM on the special train, and/or
2.Have a trip on our wonderful Railway after the AGM, particularly for those who may have come some distance and would like some fresh air after the ‘hot air’ of the meeting.

The AGM is to be held at 2pm in Bishops Lydeard Village Hall, and is expected to last beyond 5pm. The AGM is likely to be very well attended this year. Parking is limited at the Village Hall. This is a busy time of year for the Railway and Bishops Lydeard station car park is well used by the end of the morning
Those attending the AGM might wish to park at other stations and catch the train to Bishops Lydeard. The 10.15 train from Minehead arrives at Bishop’s Lydeard at 11.33 which gives plenty of time for a coffee in the Whistleblower’s café, a look around the Gauge Museum and a peek at the start of the Station Farm development followed by a gentle stroll to the Hall. For those with less time, the 11.45 train from Minehead arrives at Bishops Lydeard at 13.43, and the Hall is 7 minutes walk from the station.

The Special train will depart from Bishops Lydeard at 1815 and take a return trip to Minehead in the following times,

(EDIT - see attached file for times as posting a paste from a word doc here produced gobbledegook.)

There will be time at Minehead for a quick turn along the promenade or to purchase Fish and Chips. Alternatively, those taking the trip might want to stop off at the Washford Inn for a pint, or frequent one of the establishments in Watchet.

The train will be available to members of the public as well as members of the Railway. Normal WSR fare arrangements will apply on the special train. Ordinary tickets, WSRA free travel vouchers, WSRA half price travel, and Gold and Silver passes will be valid.

The train will be formed of the Railway’s Diesel Railcar.

Thanks are due to Colin Howard, WSR Commercial Manager and Ben Grellier, Deputy Operating Superintendent for working hard to make this train happen, and to Robin F, Ben, Martin, Grahame, Robert, Jason, Pam and Ian for giving up their evening to staff the train, signal boxes and terminal stations. Please thank them if you see them.

RMW 10.7.14

 

Just for once, I would love to hear the other candidates' answers to this one first? I DO have a view, and will give it on Monday when I am home.

Robin

 

Balance sheets baffle me,sometimes I think they are meant to! I would like to see greater information on Promotions income/ expenditure by activity unit-particularly how the ballast project supports what seems to be an increasingly quasi autonomous concern with apparently only one trustee on its board.

 

The two most pressing issues facing the WSRA are ( as seen in my "150 words"):

· the repair of the relationship between the WSRA and the Plc.


· a fundamental review of the WSRA’s purpose, structure, performance and outputs leading to a new strategy which embraces and shares the plans and visions of all WSR parties.

So to answer the above questions, part of the review mentioned in the second bullet point would be to consider whether the Journal is VFM for members and asking members what they think would be a key part of that. I don't know the salary of the Association Manager but, if elected, I will. From that point, the question of VFM for that spend would be part of the fundamental review mentioned above.

I don't think any candidate can justify/dismiss that spend at this stage as they do not have all the facts.

Steve

 

"Whistleblower's café"? Nice slip of the keyboard, Robin!

For those who don't know, it is the "Whistle Stop Café" - or maybe the new name will now stick ;-)

Steve

 

Dooh! Employment lawyer's (rather than Freudian) slip.

Robin

 

It is contentious because inter-personal skills are going to be key in a positive move forward hereafter. Anyone elected will have to work as a team with at least some of the existing Trustees and members who will not have understood the implacable position adopted by folks in respect of the freehold and associated issues.

It is the interpersonal skills of those elected that will be of crucial importance not of their supporters or helpers.

The 'other' thread confirmed my concerns about those interpersonal skills of some offering themselves for election and then we have a policy decision that they will stay silent..

Do 2 and 2 make 4?

Kind regards

Robin White

 

Thank you Robin, we all await your Monday answer.
Steve, thank you for yours, you are currently top of the pile for the "most convoluted answer that avoids actually answering the question".
So now we await any WSRA nominated trustee, Magda Davies and the WSRAMAG. Feel free to answer through any other member if you are not on this forum. Faol

 

The WSRAMAG group have proposed that all the member benefit including the journal should be reviewed at an early stage. This review would be conducted with the members and we have some ideas about how benefits might be improved. Obviously the Journal is very high quality and is the only means of contact for many members, and that would have to be taken into account. But we envisage (as we have set out) that all the work of the WSRA should be reviewed and after that we would need to see what administrative staff structure was required, and what could be afforded. There would then need to be full consultation with all, including existing staff members. Value for money is an integral part of all the reviews but, for us, nothing is off the table.

Frank