 FROM THE ARCHIVES AUGUST 1998 |
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| ALL THERE IS TO SAY AND KNOW ABOUT WYCOMBE WANDERERS ON THE INTERNET.... | |
| The future of Wycombe Wanderers |
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THE CHANGES IN BRIEF This is a brief description of the proposed changes that failed to be adopted on at the EGM held on Wednesday 17th June 1998 and also at a poll held on Wednesday 15th July 1998. |
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Article 2 This could be significant in as much as that it would not change under the proposals. The current wording is: The number of Members with which the Company proposes to be registered is Five Hundred but the Directors may from time to time register an increase of members. At the AGM held in October 1995 the current Board of Directors proposed to reduce the figure from 500 to 250. At the time the Club had less than 250 members and seemed to be concerned that an outside body could claim enough votes to gain control of the Club. The Club lost this vote and have since done a "u-turn" and actively encouraged new membership, so much so that there are now close to 500 members and no new members have been approved since last May - the Club indicating that they wish to wait until the out come of the EGM. 
Article 3 describes the qualification criteria for members. This has been expanded from four lines to seventeen paragraphs. The existing article allowed members to be ..any season ticket holder of the Company who has been a season ticket holder continuosly for three years and other such season ticket holders of the Company (less than three years) as the Directors shall unanimously agree to be invited as members The new article stretches to over a page and includes in the qualifying criteria All existing Members, any Director, Season Ticket holders (of three years), Employees of the Company (of the three years), Corprate Sponsors, Box Holders (of three years), Bodies Corporate. The above categories are covered by a clause that it shall be for the Directors in their absolute discretion without having to give reasons to approve or not to approve each and all applications for membership. This paragraph goes on to add that qualification to membership shall not confer an automatic right to membership The final sub-paragraph 3.8 is not commented on in the covering notice but reads as follows Every Member shall pay to the Company such entrance fee (if any) upon admission as a Member as the Directors shall from time to time prescribe.
Article 4 describes the explusion criteria. This has been expanded from three lines to five paragraphs. The existing article reads as follows The Directors may expel any member who shall cease to be a member of the Company save that such members for one year after such removal shall continue to have liabilty in accordance with Clause 5 of the Memorandum of Association. The new Article states more clearly the procedures for withdrawal, resignation, suspension and explusion. It also states that if a member no longer comes under the qualfication criteria in Article 3 then they will automatically cease to be a Member. In the covering letter, Chairman Ivor Beeks, adds the comment "So - make sure you renew your season tickets on time!"
Article 22 - describes the Votes of Members. This has been expanded from two lines to twelve paragraphs The existing article reads as follows Subject as herinafter provided, every member shall have one vote whether on a show of hands or on a poll and all votes must be given personally, and proxies shall not be allowed The new Article basically retains the one person - one vote ruling but now allows votes by proxy. The Article details the necessary mechanism for voting by proxy. In the covering letter Ivor Beeks states "Your Board feel that this is a significant omission from the existing Articles, and that it is wrong that Members who cannot for some reason attend an AGM or an EGM should be deprived of their right to register their vote"
Other changes are generally cosmetic, although, if adopted, would officially give the Company the right to issue a simplified set of Accounts - similar to those published to members at the 1997 AGM. The proposed changes were being forwarded as a Special Resolution and therefore needed a 75% majority to be passed. At the EGM only 140 voted in favour from an attendance of 207. A poll held on 15th July 1998 also failed to get the necessary majority and since then the Club seems to have dropped their proposals in favour of a more radical change - See news report from February 2000.
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