Dear Member,
You will recall that you were notified on 3 October of a Special General Meeting on 24 October that has been called for in a letter we received supported by 29 recently joined members. It will be held as above.
We, the board of CCST would like to bring you up to date on what has happened so far and also the next steps.
On 8 September we received both by post and email a request for a meeting with the CCST Board to "discuss the prospect of holding a democratically contested election for the Trust's board".
The letter suggested a 45-60 minute meeting at a mutually convenient time. However, a few days later we received an email to remind us that a 28 day clock was ticking in respect of the deadlines relating to their request. Receipt of this communication made it clear that what was sought was a Special General Meeting which is what the 28 day deadline refers to and not the informal meeting that the letter suggested.
We informed the group that their communication did not comply with the rules for requesting a Special General Meeting (which was confirmed by the Football Supporters Association (FSA)) as it was not sent to our Registered Office (our accountants at an address in Penarth). Also, the tenor of the letter was very much aimed toward "discussion" and did not contain a specific resolution to be discussed and voted on.
We provided the details of our Registered Office to the group who then formally delivered a letter dated 18 September to our Registered Office. A copy of the letter was not forwarded to us until 24 September so, in arranging a meeting on 24 October we have not complied with the deadline of 28 days but the FSA, whom we have consulted throughout this process, are satisfied that we have made every reasonable endeavour to comply.
Just to remind you, the resolution to be discussed at the meeting is as follows:
"That an election of the Cardiff City Supporters Trust Board be held within 30 days of this Special General Meeting. As part of this election, all current members of the Board shall stand down and may seek re-election should they wish to do so, following the Trust's Election Policies and Procedures. Any Trust member who meets the eligibility requirements may also seek election in accordance with the same rules and procedures."
There is no specific Special General Meeting Policy to guide us other than what is stated in the Society rules. We have an Election Policy but this not an Election so we have consulted the FSA on process and conduct of the meeting.
At the meeting attendance will be restricted to members. No non-members will be allowed entry unless they hold a proxy.
The meeting will be a single issue meeting and no other business will be discussed other than the resolution.
Voting on the resolution at the meeting will be by show of hands by those present and by proxies granted by members who cannot attend.
Shortly, we will be emailing all members with proxy details and asking them to reply with their instructions.
A register will be taken on the night to ensure those who have granted proxies are not attending.
The resolution requires "as part of this election, all current members of the Board shall stand down" The Society rules require one third of the members to stand down annually (they can stand again if they so wish). Requiring all board members to stand down means a change to the Society rules.
In terms of who is eligible to vote in the meeting or by proxy, we have the agreement of the FSA that existing members up until the day before we send out the proxy notifications can participate.
An independent scrutineer will be appointed to oversee the voting at the meeting and by proxy.
We, the board at CCST, strongly oppose this resolution and urge you to vote against it either by proxy or attending the meeting. Elections to the board are held in the run up to the AGM in May and we strongly suggest that this process is adhered to. We believe this remains the best time.
An early election would give little time for candidates to be put forward. We welcome new members and look forward to expanding the number of members and supporting new and existing members to put themselves forward as candidates at the May election.
The Board Cardiff City Supporters Trust
