Trust AGM

[Avening Posse]

With respect AV, I think you've countered your own argument there.

No, shareholders don't run businesses but "We own our football club" and, unless you're called Sir Phillip Green, you don't stand by and watch your businesses progressively failing without attempting to do something about it. That's simply irresponsible.

Have you not noticed that, generally, owners of football clubs with the traditional ownership model tend to take drastic action when results become consistently poor, attendances reduce and income drops significantly? Sometimes they do so far too frequently admittedly, but five years of disappointing results and performances would simply never be tolerated in the real world.

And I still completely agree with you Pete !. My only point real point was not about the "power", it was about the ability for the Club to have funds pumped into it like other clubs do. I suppose what I mean is if the Trust membership were all active, and all singing from the same hymn sheet, and all in some parallel universe agreed on the same things all the time, even if that happened, and they for example decided to remove a Director, what happens next ?, the club are still skint and the next scapegoat has to try and operate under the same very tight constraints untii the populace gets bored of his / her failure to deliver as well, which is inevitable under the current model....hardly attractive to many executives or managers....give them access to some cash and we might just attract better people and push on. If you give them a tight and low budget and tell them they are never allowed to exceed it, they will immediately (rightly) try and achieve the best they can within it, but will not (if they are intelligent professionals) expect to seriously push boundaries against much better resourced teams in more accessible parts of the country. What's wrong with trying to get the Trust to provide more cash ?

 

[Pete Martin (CTID)]

What's wrong with trying to get the Trust to provide more cash ?

Nothing. That is why the Trust has, for example, recently started pushing corporate trust membership at a substantially higher rate than individual but, frankly, the current failings are going to make that and any other potential money raising initiatives harder and harder. Not an ideal time to propose raising membership subs either, eh? Money does not come rushing towards a poor product.

Vicious circle? Yep.

 

[Pete Martin (CTID)]

Without resorting to starting a new thread, I thought it perhaps worthwhile to post the following, which is extracted from the very recent version of the Trust rules. which You can find the full document on the Trust website, HERE

You will note that I have highlighted paragraph 4.3. I have done this to emphasise to those who believe that the Trust is powerless and/or should not intervene in the running of the club. The fact is that it most certainly is within the powers and it is enshrined in the very rules that govern us.


POWERS

4. The Trust may achieve these objects in whole or in part through an interest or interests in companies or societies, provided that the objects of the companies or societies are consistent with the Trust’s objects. In particular, in pursuit of these objects (but not otherwise) the Trust may:

4.1. acquire an interest (including a full, controlling or majority interest) in or ownership of the Club or any limited company owning or controlling the Club either through itself or through a subsidiary;

4.2. secure democratic and accountable representation on the Club’s Board and/or Sub Boards;

4.3. take any other steps in relation to the Club which enable it to exercise the greatest possible influence in the ownership, governance and management of the Club;

4.4. In order to achieve its objects the Trust may either itself or through a subsidiary company or society acting under its control;

4.4.1. employ staff;
4.4.2. create an Executive Board and delegate powers and responsibilities to it;
4.4.3. buy, sell and lease property or land;
4.4.4. borrow;
4.4.5. grant security over its property and assets;
4.4.6. write off loans made;
4.4.7. shall have the power to borrow money from its Members and others in order to further its objects providing that the amount outstanding at any time shall not exceed £50,000;​

 

[shoot on sight]

Without resorting to starting a new thread, I thought it perhaps worthwhile to post the following, which is extracted from the very recent version of the Trust rules. which You can find the full document on the Trust website, HERE

You will note that I have highlighted paragraph 4.3. I have done this to emphasise to those who believe that the Trust is powerless and/or should not intervene in the running of the club. The fact is that it most certainly is within the powers and it is enshrined in the very rules that govern us.


POWERS

4. The Trust may achieve these objects in whole or in part through an interest or interests in companies or societies, provided that the objects of the companies or societies are consistent with the Trust’s objects. In particular, in pursuit of these objects (but not otherwise) the Trust may:

4.1. acquire an interest (including a full, controlling or majority interest) in or ownership of the Club or any limited company owning or controlling the Club either through itself or through a subsidiary;

4.2. secure democratic and accountable representation on the Club’s Board and/or Sub Boards;

4.3. take any other steps in relation to the Club which enable it to exercise the greatest possible influence in the ownership, governance and management of the Club;

4.4. In order to achieve its objects the Trust may either itself or through a subsidiary company or society acting under its control;

4.4.1. employ staff;
4.4.2. create an Executive Board and delegate powers and responsibilities to it;
4.4.3. buy, sell and lease property or land;
4.4.4. borrow;
4.4.5. grant security over its property and assets;
4.4.6. write off loans made;
4.4.7. shall have the power to borrow money from its Members and others in order to further its objects providing that the amount outstanding at any time shall not exceed £50,000;​

It's been mentioned that the Club Board will not allow discussion of team management performance-given your "find" I would have thought that the Trust members on the Club Board can now formally request that this is put on the agenda for the next CB meeting.
If that is refused then Trust reps are quite within their right to withdraw from future CB meetings-which of course renders it powerless as it will not be quorate?.

 

[PeteUSA]

Frankly if trust members cannot be bothered to do so then whilst I would be very disappointed they will only have themselves to blame and will be getting the BOS they deserve. Furthermore they will have no grounds to question or moan about the performance of the BOS when they have failed to take the one real and possibly one off opportunity that has been presented to them to force a change.

There is so much useful information to be gleaned from Sexton's paragraph above: Firstly: regarding trust members only having themselves to blame etc. Probably EVERY trust member has had a total gutsfull of the sight of Tisdale and Tagg, but many are totally unaware of the process to be undertaken to get rid of the pair of them, or of the scurge they have become to the club.

Sextons last bit is very much the same in as much as: this is a 'one off opportunity' to force change. If neccesary we need to pay to get our intentions published in graphic headlines in the local paper. I'll willingly chip in to a fund for banner headlines that would be neccesary in the Express & Echo since it'll be seen to by the club that our cause wont be publicised. Also go door to door if necessary, they just HAVE TO VOTE. Its looking increasingly like I wont be well enough to make our planned trip over but I'll pay my dues and rejoin the trust anyway.

Please dont let our club be destroyed boys!