Another British Horse Society c**k-up

Cowpony

Well-Known Member
Joined
17 May 2013
Messages
2,953
Visit site
Do people think there is a conflict of interest if the Chair is the main proxy for people who don't know anyone going to meeting as that person will be affected by the vote? It would be so much easier if I could just tick the box that says no and get the Chair to be proxy but from what people are saying he might not honest? If this is really the case they should be reported to the Charity Commission.

It's standard procedure for the chairman to be appointed proxy. It's gets over the problem of voters not knowing somebody else to appoint as their proxy. And the chairman isn't going to be opening the post and logging all the proxies himself. An employee will be doing that 😉
 

Tiddlypom

Carries on creakily
Joined
17 July 2013
Messages
22,230
Location
In between the Midlands and the North
Visit site
It's standard procedure for the chairman to be appointed proxy. It's gets over the problem of voters not knowing somebody else to appoint as their proxy. And the chairman isn't going to be opening the post and logging all the proxies himself. An employee will be doing that 😉
An employee 'opening the post and logging the proxies' is exactly what I'm worried about.. Who knows what will be logged.
 

Tiddlypom

Carries on creakily
Joined
17 July 2013
Messages
22,230
Location
In between the Midlands and the North
Visit site
Also, even if the proxies are logged correctly, Head Office will know in advance how many proxy votes there are and which way they voted. It's simple maths for them to deduce how many more proxies voting for the proposal would be required for it to pass if the numbers fell short of their desired outcome.
 

catkin

Well-Known Member
Joined
14 July 2010
Messages
2,557
Location
South West
Visit site
Surely, this should have had an independent scrutineer for all voting forms to be sent to?
As has been the case when breed societies needed to have EGM docs, or amendments done by vote?

I thought this was the law of the land so it will need to be done like this.

Reading the notes on the form - you must mark the box to indicate your voting intentions though or the proxy can vote as they think you want.
 

Reacher

Well-Known Member
Joined
24 February 2010
Messages
6,339
Visit site
VERY IMPORTANT re PROXIES!

I’ve just read the proxy vote info, it says that the form needs to be received no later than three business days before the meeting so if people are sending them to another person and they are taking them on the day they won’t be valid! People need to be made aware and send to the office via recorded delivery or emailed with a read receipt Then send copy to selected proxy holder so she has proof and can check on the day.

ETA: The office is closed from Fri 21st until 2 Jan so they’d need to be in BEFORE Friday 21st - or they have the perfect excuse to exclude. And of course mail is slow before Christmas - so be quick.
I read this as being if you were sending proxy vote to the chairman, not if sending to another person attending. Not got form with me to check. Confusing.
 

sywell

Well-Known Member
Joined
31 March 2009
Messages
952
Visit site
The Horse and Pony Breeds committee was disbanded by the BHS on the grounds that we represented Registered horses and ID only horses and the BHS only issued passports for ID only. Having been on this committee through various Chairs from Col.York,Loriston-Clark and Pat Campbell and having read this thread I suspect the reason had more to do with the policy of the committee that we had presentations on subjects like EU REGULATION 2016/1012 (ANIMAL BREEDING REGULATION) then the members went away and discussed with their boards what their organisations policy should be. Clearly in many cases this would not align itself to BHS Policy. The 826 Equine Studbooks Association has replaced the Horse and Pony Breeds Committee and all studbooks and breed societies are eligible for membership and we have 2 representatives on the Equine Sector Council which is the main industry link with DEFRA. At the weekend I attended a meeting of the WBFSH where Roly Ewers gave an excellent presentation on Social Licence and the Tyron WEG organiser gave their policy to include all horse users so that the equine industry has greater awareness of the size of this industry in global terms for sponsors to get more support as we have more followers than football and see there is more to the equine sector than elite competition horses.
 

Reacher

Well-Known Member
Joined
24 February 2010
Messages
6,339
Visit site
I’ve re-read the form and Janet George is correct that it does say all proxy forms have to be sent to head office 3 business days before the meeting and does not differentiate as to whether you have appointed someone other than the chairman as your proxy.
So to be on the safe side I am going to both email my form to both the chairman and my proxy (Linda if she doesn’t mind) and send my paper copy to head office by recorded delivery.
I read this as being if you were sending proxy vote to the chairman, not if sending to another person attending. Not got form with me to check. Confusing.
 

JanetGeorge

Well-Known Member
Joined
25 June 2001
Messages
7,006
Location
Shropshire/Worcs. borders
www.horseandhound.co.uk
Loriane Young is a past Chairman of BHS Scotland.

Dear Members, This is an important email which I would like you to act on as the recognition is being eroded to the extent they will have no say in the way the BHS is run. Our paid staff cannot be involved in this. Please pass this information on to as many BHS members as you can, Thank you, Loraine Young
General Meeting 5th January.
You will have received an envelope in your copy of British Horse. Do not throw it away!!
You may have noticed that over the past two years members have not been consulted or involved in any of the many decisions which have appeared as pronouncements.
This was very clearly highlighted when two very good candidates were nominated by members to fill the two vacancies on the Board of Trustees. They were rejected as “not being suitable” even though nominated by members who clearly know they were capable and suitable. The Chairman and the board then co-opted two trustees of their choice who had not been nominated or filled the criteria. This is a clear breach of the democratic right of members to nominate trustees and amounts to dictatorship and a manipulation of the election.
Members are being ignored and the resolutions being voted on at the above meeting further erode the rights of paying members and give them less say in how the BHS is administered.
Please use your proxy vote against these proposed resolutions and restore democracy if you are unable to attend the meeting.
To use your proxy vote nominate your proxy who will attend the meeting, sign the form including your membership number and then send your completed form to Duncan Snooks at The BHS, Abbey Park, Stareton, Kenilworth, Warwickshire, CV8 2XZ by the 20th December.
Loraine Young is prepared to act as a proxy and will attend the meeting.

If you require to see how many members are unhappy with the way the BHS is run go to the website Horse and Hound Forum: Then click into “The Tack Room” and scroll down to the second page and go into “ Another BHS C**ck Up” There are eleven pages of comments and where things have gone wrong for members.


(Of course, we are now up to 12 pages and back on the front page, lol.)
 

honetpot

Well-Known Member
Joined
27 July 2010
Messages
9,058
Location
Cambridgeshire
Visit site
The thing that really surprises me about all this is the seems to have been no response to this thread and posts on FB, from the BHS 'management'.
All right we could all be keyboard warriors, but some past very senior members are concerned by what is happening. People like them and the people they attract to help with the charitable aims of the society are the foundation of what the society has always been. If they want to change the 'business model' tell us why and should make their case, and to do not make changes without fully informing members.
I would just like a reasonable explanation of why they are trying to do what they are doing, are you allowed to ask these questions at the EGM?
 

JanetGeorge

Well-Known Member
Joined
25 June 2001
Messages
7,006
Location
Shropshire/Worcs. borders
www.horseandhound.co.uk
I would just like a reasonable explanation of why they are trying to do what they are doing, are you allowed to ask these questions at the EGM?

lol, I can tell you the answer. They think members should be treated like mushrooms (as in - keep them in the dark and feed them manure.) Then Ms Trump can continue with her grandiose ideas and her trips - at the members' cost.
 

Reacher

Well-Known Member
Joined
24 February 2010
Messages
6,339
Visit site
I emailed my form today to Duncan Snook stating my named proxy and stating that I had sent my proxy a copy. I received a polite reply confirming my vote had been assigned to my named proxy.
 

Orangehorse

Well-Known Member
Joined
25 November 2005
Messages
13,200
Visit site
I have just had an email from West Midlands and it included the notice and voting and proxy form. Thank you for alerting me and making me vote.
 

JanetGeorge

Well-Known Member
Joined
25 June 2001
Messages
7,006
Location
Shropshire/Worcs. borders
www.horseandhound.co.uk
I have just had an email from West Midlands and it included the notice and voting and proxy form. Thank you for alerting me and making me vote.

Just keep spreading the word. Far too many members WILL have thrown out that envelope with the advertising garbage - and others won't read through and THINK about the proposed changes. And then Madam Trump will have won - and the BHS and the horses it is MEANT to care about will lose.
 

Pen

Well-Known Member
Joined
28 June 2010
Messages
288
Visit site
So can someone in the know please tell me if sending in a proxy, is it best to tick the Against box myself or leave it blank and let my proxy(Loraine Young, as she has kindly offered) do the deed? Just want to get it right! Tia.
 

Cowpony

Well-Known Member
Joined
17 May 2013
Messages
2,953
Visit site
So can someone in the know please tell me if sending in a proxy, is it best to tick the Against box myself or leave it blank and let my proxy(Loraine Young, as she has kindly offered) do the deed? Just want to get it right! Tia.

Personally I'd tick the box myself just to be sure there were no errors. But of course that alerts the BHS to which way you are voting....
 

Pen

Well-Known Member
Joined
28 June 2010
Messages
288
Visit site
Oh a bit of a quandary then. Its a pretty poor show when you cant be 100 per cent sure that the proper procedures will be followed. But all the more reason to vote in that case.
 

honetpot

Well-Known Member
Joined
27 July 2010
Messages
9,058
Location
Cambridgeshire
Visit site

JanetGeorge

Well-Known Member
Joined
25 June 2001
Messages
7,006
Location
Shropshire/Worcs. borders
www.horseandhound.co.uk
I posted publicly on Facebook just 4 hours ago and already have had 5 requests for the info from BHS Members who threw that teensy envelope away (as planned by the BHS.) Keep sharing, folks. And for the latest viewers who have thrown theirs away, here it is.
 

Attachments

  • EGM notice.pdf
    696.7 KB · Views: 9

GHamlet75

Well-Known Member
Joined
26 September 2018
Messages
76
Visit site
Thanks JanetGeorge. That's really helpful as there are a number of my friends who don't have this.

By the way everyone - we've flown passed 50,000 views so quickly that I missed the milestone. Thank you to everyone for continuing to support this thread.

Please make sure you get your vote in to ensure that some form of democracy still remains in the British Horse Society.
 

ester

Not slacking multitasking
Joined
31 December 2008
Messages
60,197
Location
Cambridge
Visit site
Well maybe one person, unless you have other examples? Though I see neither rudeness or being personal just highlighting that you have linked people to your personal C drive.
 
Top