West Somerset Railway - Removal of the PLC Chairman and related matters

In other words - reflecting my post at 1006 which some questioned the veracity of. IMHO the current game of "musical chairs" within the Plc Board with little sign of action to resolve the financial problems of the WSR is a clear sign of the Board protecting itself - even at the expense of the WSR which desperately needs strong leadership to resolve the finances.

 

At the end of the day only the members can decide whether they feel the board has acted in the interests of the members. If they don't then, as a body, they have the power to remove the directors.

 

If the members (I presume you mean shareholders) were consulted prior to the board appointments then you would be correct. I was greatly encouraged by the statement that there would be no more "under the counter" appointments but some individuals have decided that this is incompatible with their objectives.

 

Thanks, Robin. Enjoy the rest of your holiday.

DaveB

 

In my view in that the association trustees were left with no option but to expel their fellow board members and I fully support their actions.

However the PLC board has failed to explain the removal of their chairman in a timely manner so I can only assume their action is a related matter and most likely the result of misguided vengeance. Since the board has not explained their action in a timely manner it is my intention as a shareholder to vote against any of the other board members of the day should they offer themselves for election in the future. I consider that allowing these rumours to continue for so long without explanation is bad for the railway and totally unacceptable.

 

Members and shareholders are not always the same thing, but this is a railway forum not a legal one. However it remains the case that at the end of the day it is for the members as a body to judge and should they feel that the co-option or removal of a director is a bad thing it is in their hands to remedy this or not depending how strongly they feel.

 

And then there were 6 !

https://www.west-somerset-railway.co.uk/corporate-information

 

Had Rodney and Frank accepted that WSRA resolution, there would only have been four plc directors at this point, and two of those are paid managers.

 

With the lack of information given, it's impossible to say whether or not that is the case.

 

Agreed. But management is also a function of leadership. At some point, these musical chairs must affect the quality of leadership provided to the staff and volunteers as relationships become confused.


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Agreed but that is a different point to the one I was addressing.

 

Where or by whom has it been suggested that Bill Knell was 'removed' as being a Director of plc?

It is my understanding that he 'Resigned' for reasons yet to be disclosed by him - very much to his personal credit

As I have said previously we need to give the Board Time to consider their Position and then Act - No doubt we Shareholders will then be Officially Informed and Then and Only Then do we have the Option to take whatever action is Appropriate should be Disagree with their Policy

Any interim Speculation will only make their task more difficult and as we value the future of the Railway we should resist the temptation to do so!

 

You miss the point of my previous post. The reasons for individual changes in board membership may be good, bad or indifferent. The effect of this silence in the aftermath of boardroom politicking cannot be healthy, and suggests to me a failure of leadership by the board, judged as a group.

The WSR relies, heavily, on the support of stakeholders. Some are corporate, such as local authorities. But another group are the volunteers.

Answers grounded in the mechanics of company law are irrelevant to that engagement, and miss a critical dimension to the railway.

A change was made by the board recently at the instigation of some members, who have yet to speak meaningfully about why, or what difference they expect their action to make. Other changes are then following. In the vacuum, rumours spread, fed on the silence. Let some air and light in, and they will fade.


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Looks like it had a problem this morning on another thread.

 

Sorry, incomplete information, should have read "It has been suggested that the Finance Director has..."

No idea of the accuracy of this, just another turn of the rumour mill with nothing to confirm or deny it. (Which, I suppose, is therefore about as accurate as anything else said at the moment) I can't keep up with all these changes, who is still there, who has gone, going or whatever

 

I am - as below.

Trustees’ e-mail addresses now on website. Will it catch on?

Robin

 

Fine as long as you are not claiming expenses from the WSR!

 

Apparently not.

 

Robin, get your own tread

 

A common feature of most WSR threads is the insertion of a 'distractor' type post which focusses on trivialities or lovely beer and skittles days rather than the realities of how things are or appear to to be on the line.
Maybe that is the core matter here; eyes not always on the ball!