Another British Horse Society c**k-up

JanetGeorge

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Well we know what the problem is but she's sticking like poo to a blanket!

And will be even more unstickable after the AGM on 5th January, 2019. Changes to the constitution are planned. If passed, they will keep her 'controllable' Chairman in place a bit longer, and give more power to the Board to add Trustees who are NOT voting members, and may be chosen for the wrong reasons. Less say for the Members, of course. They can be ignored even easier.
 

GHamlet75

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Please, please, please pass on to all members about the new proposed changes to the constitution that the CE wants to implement. It will enable the CE to do anything by any means. She will control the trustees and prevent the members from having a voice. This is the final nail in the coffin of the British Horse Society if this goes through. If you care about the welfare of horses or human beings, then please stand up against this proposal.
 

JanetGeorge

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It certainly could be the final nail, GHamlet75. The most frightening change is the big increase in the number of voting members it will take to DEMAND an EGM from "12 to 0.25% of the membership on the preceding 1 January
rounded to the nearest 100," I would guess that would only be 0.25% of Gold Members (and the BHS doesn't seem too quick to disclose how many of each group there is.) But if it's 70,000, then that means the number of voting members needed to get an EGM will increase from 12 - to TWO HUNDRED!!! And the whole 200 will have to sign the same document!!!
 

Charliew00

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Before asking people to sign a petition you would need to let them know exactly what has been going on. Maybe somehow or other encourage people to read this thread.
 

anguscat

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My Gold membership comes up in Jan. ‘Should I Stay or Should I Go’ (to eg World Horse Welfare)?
Maybe there are others like me reading this thread with concern and sympathy but who are less knowledgeable of the politics and what the opportunities for action are.
What do you want the interested and concerned members to actually DO (all I actually do is read this thread) to keep the power base of the BHS broad and to put a brake on the hire and fire culture?
 

Cowpony

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Is anyone going to the meeting that we can appoint as proxy on the form that has just come with British Horse magazine?

Yes I'd be keen to give my proxy to somebody. We can give it to the chairman and stipulate that he votes no on our behalf, but in the basis of this thread in not sure I trust them!
 

JanetGeorge

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Yes I'd be keen to give my proxy to somebody. We can give it to the chairman and stipulate that he votes no on our behalf, but in the basis of this thread in not sure I trust them!

Very definitely NOT the Chairman - apart from his honesty or otherwise, he personally will benefit from at least one of the proposed changes. If I were still a member and couldn't get there, I think I'd go for Andrea Jackman. Yes, she is a Regional employee - but totally honest and brave.
 

Art Nouveau

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Presumably Andrea would need to give her permission to act as proxy? She might get rather inundated with requests from people like me who want to do something but don't know what.
 

Cowpony

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Quite a few, I suspect, because a lot of people would just give proxies to the Chairman - but really, it's ANYONE'S guess.

I've just checked. In order to change the Articles of Association you need a special resolution. To pass a special resolution you need at least 75% of the votes to be in favour. I think that's 75% of the votes cast - so either people in the room or proxy votes - not 75% of all possible votes (but legal people please check me on this). Per the current articles each voting member has one vote.

So without knowing how many votes they have on their side, either in the room or as proxies, we don't know how many we need to block it. So I would suggest we quietly lobby all the people we know who are voting members either to go along or to send their proxy to somebody to vote on their behalf. As AN above says, it would have to be somebody who is prepared to do it.
 

catkin

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Where do I find the Articles of Association please.
Usually a Chairman HAS to use any proxies they receive according to the wishes of the member(s) who gave them the proxy(ies) - there is a box on the form for that. I'd be very surprised if it is any different for the BHS but could be wrong.
 

Cowpony

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You can find the articles on the Companies House website. Look at recent filings. They changed the Articles in 2016 and they are attached to the resolution. They don't cover how the chairman has to deal with proxy votes. You are right, the chairman must vote as instructed on the proxy form. I'm just a bit suspicious that there may be a miscount, whereas if another person has the proxies they know how many votes they have.
 

Orangehorse

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I read the paper and really didn't understand, so I guess not many other people will. I didn't like the sound of the change in numbers needed to call a vote.

What is the intended outcome, hardly world domination?
 

JanetGeorge

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I read the paper and really didn't understand, so I guess not many other people will. I didn't like the sound of the change in numbers needed to call a vote.

What is the intended outcome, hardly world domination?

The change in numbers - from 12 to 200 by my math, is bad, obviously. It would just make it a bit harder to demand an EGM.

The most worrying thing is the ability of the Board to increase the number of 'friendly' board members - who don't even have to be members and who aren't voted in by members. That gives the Board far more power. Then of course there is the extention of the time that the well-trained little Chairman can keep his position. All of this is engineered by the tame little Chairman and the Trumpette! She wants to safeguard her power.
 

JanetGeorge

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The teensy envelope it was sent out in - along with the usual advertsiing stuff in British Horse - means a lot ofpeople didn't ind it and many of those teensy envelopes probably went in the bin. Not sure if HHO will like pdf files attached - but will try.
 

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rabatsa

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Mine nearly hit the bin with the rubbish. Normally the voting stuff is on large sheets and not easy to miss. This has small print and takes some working out. Almost as if they had something to hide. We are joint gold members in this house but only one set of voting papers.
 

JanetGeorge

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Mine nearly hit the bin with the rubbish. Normally the voting stuff is on large sheets and not easy to miss. This has small print and takes some working out. Almost as if they had something to hide. We are joint gold members in this house but only one set of voting papers.

Papers designed to give members even LESS voice are definitely something to TRY and hide. Either photocopy a new set, or print from the .pdf. Or even better, ring up the BHS and DEMAND another set of papers (might as well let them know their subterfuge has failed.)
 

Charliew00

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Mine nearly hit the bin with the rubbish. Normally the voting stuff is on large sheets and not easy to miss. This has small print and takes some working out. Almost as if they had something to hide. We are joint gold members in this house but only one set of voting papers.
We're joint members (at the moment!) and are going to copy the form and hope it will be accepted.
 

honetpot

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