Funny that. We are having almost the same argument in a another company of which I am a member. Unfortunately, for us, the quorum is 2 - so not turning up at the AGM is not an option that would bring any change! However, a group of us have been working steadily for 8 or 9 months now to replace the old secretive board with a new open one. This is coming to a head for us at the next AGM - to be held just a week before the SOG AGM. We have been methodically working to contact and bring as many members as we can into the group seeking change. Admittedly, it is not easy; we are many fewer in numbers than the SOG membership - even though some of our members live in different parts of the world. In the past, apathy has been what the established board counted on - not enough people would show up or submit proxies - and no one would have the "nerve" to front a challenge. This year, we are trying hard to make a difference. I must say that after this traumatic AGM, I may not have the energy to attend the SOG AGM a week later! Best of luck to all - better to take a stand on situations that are "wrong" than to just roll over & accept them. Mary in London -----Original Message----- From: Alec Tritton <alec.tritton@tiscali.co.uk> To: sog-uk <sog-uk@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wed, 11 Jun 2014 11:41 Subject: Re: [SOG-UK] Special Resolution at AGM Hi Julian I shall be at the AGM this year after voting with my feet last year. Once again we will have a change to the constitution forced upon us by the Trustees (many of which are hardly ever there apart from meetings of the Trustees) without adequate debate by the membership. We can talk about the change at the AGM as much as we like but in reality there will be more than enough proxy votes to "out vote" the meeting, so it won't matter a stuff what those who have bothered to attend think. This clause will allow the Trustees to go to such organisations as http://www.do-it.org.uk/ and advertise for Volunteer trustees that they want. May be sensible, but surely they should first advertise for set skills amongst the membership first? We should have considerable safeguards built in. After all it is only a small step from there for the Trustees to recommend certain individuals above genuine volunteers for committee. Proxy voting originally prevented our current chairman from being re-elected and only by intervention at the relevant AGM forced the then committee to co-opt him. Actually the only way to object to constitutional changes without discussion would be to NOT attend the AGM so that it would not be quorate At 10:51 11/06/2014, jjgduffus@gmail.com wrote: > âDear all I have now had a chance to > read the special resolution and find that > the proposed new wording doesn't make sense, > as it should be presumed that you'd be a > member of an organisation that you aspire to > direct. The present arrangements where by > you have to be a member for a year prior to > taking responsibility for the society. A > familiarity with the society must rank as a > useful skill when being a trustee. Looking > forward to catching up with folk at the > AGM Julian > Duffus Jjgduffus@gmail.com Member Sog > 1978 to Present Sent from my BlackBerry 10 > smartphone. ------------------------------- To > unsubscribe from the list, please send an email > to SOG-UK-request@rootsweb.com with the word > 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > >----- >No virus found in this message. >Checked by AVG - www.avg.com >Version: 2014.0.4592 / Virus Database: 3955/7660 - Release Date: 06/11/14 ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to SOG-UK-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message