WSRA Trustee Election Hustings

That would be the latter of course.

 

Well I hope some of us don't have to stand outside, have you seen the latest weather forecast? Intense Thunderstorms...

I'll be bringing my brolly!

 

From the hall's website:

 

Was that the forecast for inside or outside the hall?

Kind regards

Robin White

 

Like many things, it is up to the Chairman to conduct the meeting and make decisions like this. Of course, we all have complete confidence that this will be done fairly and appropriately, don't we........

It comes back to the need for all to act with dignity, good manners and physical restraint notwithstanding the strong emotions that are likely to be in play. The one thing that is certain to ensure that progress is NOT made will be chaos.

Bringing a brolly may be a wise precaution.

IIRC, isn't there a 'side hall' which could be connected with the main hall to increas capacity?

Kind regards

Robin White

 

The main hall sadly does not connect other than by ordinary doors with the other halls.

 

"Lets keep everyone fully and accurately informed on a regular basis" Quote from S Kaufmann Company Secretary WSRA 16th Sept 2013.

 

Lol, good joke

 

Roflmao

 

I have just checked the BL web cam and spotted another volans porcus heading North.

 

Are the WSR web cams going to be trained on the AGM?

 

IMHO there would seem to be a number of possibilities:-

1. The WSRA has made adequate preparations to cover this eventuality, or.....
2. The numbers attending will not exceed the capacity of the main hall (assumed that this is civilised and we are seated), or....
3. The numbers are too great for the main hall, so the Chairman decides - in the interests of fairness - to adjourn the meeting and re-convene at another, larger venue at another date, or.....
4 The Chairman decides to continue the meeting, with the overflow being accommodated in the other locations and trying to follow the proceedings as best they can

For each option:-
1 -Hmmmm
2. I can't judge the likelihood.
3. This will inconvenience everybody and cause much annoyance (but of course, the cynic might say that it could work to the advantage of the current Trustees, as perhaps less 'protestors' will make the second trip)
4. This will inconvenience less people, but probably cause even greater anger to those effectively 'excluded'. But, much more importantly, what would happen about voting? Would those not physically in the main hall be considered to be 'at' the meeting - and therefore eligible to vote - or not? And if they were allowed to vote, how could they do so in an informed manner if they have not been able to hear and/or participate in the meeting?

As for the weather, the latest forecast which I hear today (6:00PM) is for violent thunderstorms with the risk of travel disruption. Not a great scenario, especially with the uncertainty as to whether or not one will be able even to get in the meeting :-(

It would be nice to think that, by now, the WSRA had discussed all this, made a contingency plan, and was about to make an announcement.........

 

Possibly "Give up Hope all ye that enter Here !" ?

 

I dreamt it was on Match of the Day, or Peter Snow and the swingometer would appear.Decided I was awake after all and shut my eyes.Seriously, the likelihood of exceeding hall capacity and voting problems etc should have been anticipated weeks ago,and contingency measures put in place. Their continuing procrastination on this and other matters indicates an almost total failure of ability to manage,and only increases the inevitability of what now seems be a total change in the trusteeship.Behave with dignity, and vote for those who initiated the call for change.

 

Surely for the WSR it would be more appropriate to have "Welcome Ye Friends of Progress" ???

(with apologies for using the 'F.....' word )

 

To momentarily refer back to the magazine cost,another trust with about 10,000 members show a similar quarterly magazine cost approx £46,000 for the last year.Am not certain if this includes postage, probably not as it works out at £1.15 per member copy. I might be corrected on this by a well known poster. The set up costs would be similar, so it can be seen double the amount halves the cost per unit. Reduce the number, unit price rises,.

 

So would the conclusion be, given that we seem to want a high quality Railway quarterly magazine, with lower costs per member, and a revitalised WSRA, that we should engage in a membership drive?

Kind regards

Robin White

 

I'm not sure how comparable different magazines are - costs might vary quite a bit with no of pages, amount of colour, paper weight of the pages and cover etc. I was certainly a bit surprised by the Journal costs; I worked for a niche travel company and our good quality brochure, in full colour, twice the size (A4) but half as many pages as the Journal, produced in very similar quantity, used to come out at around £1 each.

They might be quite happy! There have been plenty of press statements that indicate a breakdown twixt PLC & Association, but if there has been any waving of olive branches by the PLC it's been done very quietly. Some PLC statements seemed more designed to inflame the problem that resolve it. So I conclude the PLC wants a subordinate Association or is otherwise happy for it to implode - why else the sudden need to create the FoWSR at such a sensitive time. And maybe the Association was desperate for the freehold because it was the only way to guarantee its future.

So the current incumbents remain, WSRA implodes (or is ex-communicated) and the baton passes to FoWSR. Or some of the new candidates succeed and, (depending which), the PLC gets it's poodle Association. Personally I feel both parties have made a hash of it (albeit one maybe more than the other) but I'd rather a partnership of equals, and a reasoned debate about the best structure, which can't happen whilst the knives are out.

Of course many of you are closer to the action and the players than me, and it's arguably none of my business anyway (except I'd like to support the railway again). I might be a million miles off the mark (I hope so). But some candidates/spokesmen/supporters have seemed more interested in restating their views than trying to question or understand the other side, so I'm left with my perceptions. I wonder how many members away from the "front line" (as many are) still feel as bewildered as I do! I guess we'll find out very soon!

 

Yachtie - here is a question for you. What do you think the purpose of the WSRA should be? I'm interested because, as you mention, you represent the view of those who are, perhaps, not at the railway on a daily or weekly basis. So if you are (were) paying your subs to the WRSA what do you hope or imagine they would be using then for?
I will say that I don't think you can have a meeting of equals in the way you describe it. How can any single organisation operate with two boards of directors pulling in opposite directions? There can only be a single leadership team (with a single head) and, as has been said in so many of the preceding posts, that team needs to share a common vision, and a common set of objectives. Hence the need for a common strategic plan. I do understand that co-operative can work but the railway is not structured or organised as a co-operative.