WSRA Trustee Election Hustings

My kind of peacemaker - Lieutenant Yevdokia Zavaly !

 

MUSEUM LOSES EXHIBITS - A set of village stocks and a ducking stool were last seen in the possession of persons wearing blue overalls or uniforms.

 

Last one for Robin and all her signalling colleagues.
Watchfulness and attention are prime requirements for the modern signaller

 

I'm no expert on printing but from a quick look on line, the cost per copy based on say 5000 and 6000 copies probably varies only a few percent, whereas the unit costs for say 100 compared to 500 could be several hundred percent different. However, that doesn't mean if you order 6000 the last 1000 are near free!

I dug out the last set of accounts I have (Dec 12) which give Journal publication costs as £37k, and "typesetting, design & print liaison" costs as £5600. So 4 Journals a year to the 5000 members claimed on the WSRA website would make a cost of £2.13 each.

However, I'm not sure if the £37k includes postage. The accounts give total postage and stationary costs at £14k so if say £10k of this were for the Journal, then each magazine was costing £2.63. (The good news is this suggests the statement I read somewhere that most of the subs went on the Journal was pessimistic - it's only about half)!

As goldfish says, I would have thought the costs of sending on line would be next to nil - there's at least one free mailshot system that allows sending of over 10000 emails to 2000 members. So if 20% of members could be persuaded to take the Journal electronically some £8-10k could be freed for other things. Of course if a volunteer(s) could be found to do the typesetting, design etc, that would release another £5.6k! Perhaps a bit of cutting and pasting from On Line would save time. Perhaps I should get my coat.....!!

I must accept that there probably a disproportionate number of members in the West Country and I hadn't realised that IT facilities down your way had developed so little since I lived in Lydeard St Lawrence a dozen or more years ago. Here in the suburbs of the big smoke we have of course achieved the paperless society some years back hence our need to be permanently attached to a smart phone or computer wherever we go. This of course is fortunate for those like me who never liked filing and find electronic search facilities indispensable.

Seriously though, I'm sure many would prefer to stick to paper but if the option were there and they knew how much it would save, maybe some would convert. Anyway, there are bigger issues to solve first and I wish both the candidates and members well with their efforts. I hope peace will break out and I can then resume my financial contribution, small though it may be.

Yachtie (still awaiting some signs of contrition from the plc)

 

I thought this was about the WSRA.
?How do you think the PLC will react if the 4 current people retain their seats due to proxies

 

With quiet dignity I expect, as usual.

 

I think the direct answer is that the plc WONT react. They have no need to. All that will happen if the Trustees stay the same is that the relationship won't get fixed and the WSRA will, increasingly, be marginalised. Given its asset base, built up over many years by the hard work of many, it's large membership, and therefore it's potential to do good for our Railway, that would be a considerable shame.

Kind regards

Robin White

 

I was going to attend but i have sent in my friends proxy due to the parking problems and the likelihood that the meeting may be abandoned if everyone cannot get into the hall Plymouth is a long way to come from to be turned away. I hope it will go well for those who go

 

Well, you got it right first time... *its *its

 

Who called the grammer police?

As you were everybody ... carry on!

 

My old headmaster would be after you with a large stick. Everyone who wrote to the school and spelled grammar with an er were read out in assembly. lol

 

I attended Sexey's Grammar School in Bruton. Fortunately after the era of the 'big stick. However, our English masters instilled an Inspector-Morse-like sensitivity to apostophe's in the wrong place (!), incorrect use of 'who/whom', split infinitives, starting sentences with 'And' or 'But' etc., etc. Once again, it is the effect of predictive text on a tiny i-phone screen, and the desire to fit in a response while travelling. On the WSR internal Forum we have a convention about NOT correcting or commenting on obvious spelling or grammatical mistakes (unless they are especially amusing!) which I would commend to NP.

I suspect, on this thread, we have rather bigger fish to fry........?

kind regards

Robin White

 

I hate apostrophes in the wrong plaice

 

But have no objection to them in the wrong haddock.................................

(Just leaving)

 

Shouldn't that be "Everyone WHAT wrote ..."

I went to a school where we learned to right proper. It were in Yorkshire - it's everyone else what don't talk right. Don't get me started on using "while/until" ...

Si thee!

Richard

 

... and I've just banned myself for taking the thread totally off-subject.

Back to the Hustings.

 

Picking up on the point from thequantocks, in the event that the attendance does exceed the capacity of the hall (and by more than just a few people), does anyone know please what then is supposed to happen? Will it simply continue regardless, or is it required to be adjourned and then re-convened on a later date at a larger venue? Given the current weather forecast of thunderstorms, I don't fancy standing around in the car-park trying to listen thru' open windows :-(

 

I guess the hall would only be licensed to hold so many people - elf and sneaky and all that.

 

I made the point about the size of venue -v- probable number of attendee's to the WSRA a week or two back.

 

Bet you got a polite quick reply..... or are you still waiting