For the record on February 27 2021 I made a formal request under rule 15i for a referendum of members to be conducted in regard to the proposed changes to the then forum and its web site.
Contrary to the rule, the exec decided for reasons unclear NOT to proceed with my request.
Here is the text of my request.
"February 27, 2021
The Secretary,
Vincent H.R.D. Owners Club
P.O. box 680,
Orpington, Kent BR6 8WS, UK
Dear Secretary,
There is some disquiet amongst the general membership, and in particular those VOC members who are users of the existing VOC forum. The matter of concern is that the existing VOC forum is under imminent threat from the current review of the club’s IT systems.
In the minutes of the last GCM it was clearly stated that there was no threat to the existing forum but since then there has been considerable amounts of information ‘leaking’ from the administration of the VOC that this is NOT so and that serious consideration is being given by the club’s exec to shutting down the existing forum.
As this involves up to 1,269 current users, of the existing forum, being 66% of total club membership (MPH #865, page 4), it must be seen as major issue and as provided for in section 15 (i) of the clubs rules I request that a referendum of all members be conducted to determine if members wish for the existing forum to be retained.
May I suggest possible options for referendum responders?
- Keep the existing forum as it is, with all content remaining intact.
- Shutdown the existing forum, replacing it with something else.
- Abstain – I have no interest in this matter
I am happy to volunteer to assist the VOC in the preparation and management of the referendum if required.
Thank you
Martyn Goodwin, Member No. 18925AC"
And here is the formal reply I received on March 1, 2021 in which my request was denied.
"Dear Martyn,
Following a full meeting of the Executive Committee I am responding to your request for a referendum.
The disquiet among certain forum users has been caused by misinformation about the Club’s proposed move to a new platform.
The Forum is not under threat and we have committed to move the threads to the Forum on the CE website. The Forum will continue on Club Express.
Like your suggested questions, your numbers are somewhat skewed. Of the 1,269 members who are registered users, only 160 have visited in the last 30 days. Of them most of the 15 who have commented on the VOC IT thread are mainly concerned with preserving the threads, which we have already committed to maintain.
You are out of time to request a referendum before this GCM but for the above reasons I would not recommend that we hold one.
I think the feelings of the majority will be clear by the end of the GCM.
Gill Lowinger
Hon. Secretary
Vincent HRD Owners Club
PO Box 680
Orpington
Kent BR6 8WS"
In the last day or so I was given access to the 'new' VOC site where I found the so called 'Archive' of the 'old' forum. There are NO THREADS from the old forum there. What is there is a massive collection of pdf files that you cannot access on line. All you can do is download them to your device, one at a time, then read them there. There is no way that you can interact, respond to or join into ANY of the information (its false to call them threads). Despite the claim in the hon,. secretary message - what is currently on the 'new' VOC site IS NOT preserved threads.
Contrary to the assurance of the Secretary, made I assume on the behalf of the VOC Exec, the 'threads from the 'old' forum have not moved, as forum threads, to the 'new' forum. Clearly the threads have NOT been continued within the 'new' CE based forum.
And of course, this entire sad situation has been EXCLUDED from the agenda of the AGM.
Martyn Goodwin.
