The SAINTS TRUST AGM will be held on THURSDAY AUGUST 29TH 2010 7PM PROMPT AT THE SOUTHAMPTON UNIVERSITY CENTRE.  ABOVE BAR SOUTHAMPTON (OPPOSITE THE Old Fat CAT PUB) DOORS OPEN AT 6.30 PM 

THE MEETING IS OPEN TO SHAREHOLDER TRUST MEMBERS AND INVITED GUESTS ONLY, however any Saints supporters who wish to attend and are not Trust Members are asked to contact the Trust Secretary by e mail at the following address.

acurtis542@btinternet.com 

This AGM will focus on the valuable role the trust has played in the past year and put in place the administrative mechanisms necessary to implement its vision of the future - in what has been a long learning process the trust has been exposed to since its formation five years ago.

The last year has been a low key one in respect of the Trust, with many supporters questioning what it has been doing, the answer is that it has been very active, but as the new owners of the club find their feet, it has been one of discussion and consultation behind the scenes, rather than one of public campaigning  

The learning process has been a long journey of hard won experience - with the trust as a “company limited by guarantee” having to operate under a constitution, a constitution strictly adhered too. 

Because of this - while the front of house functions driven by the trusts executive committee team has been in full swing - the constitution has led to the surfacing of a number of back office technical administrative difficulties which it is anticipated can now be finally resolved 

 Last years AGM took place just after Southampton Leisure Holdings was placed into administration - and the club kept afloat as an independent business in the hope that this tactic would avoid it incurring penalty points from the Football League - a tactic which led to serious cash flow problems - a situation the trust immediately responded to.

Since coming out of administration the new owners have recently decided to scrap the informal consultation system introduced by Rupert Lowe through which the Chairman as the trusts club liaison officer had informal discussions with members of the clubs management team - and has rejected the plan suggested by the trust in regard to the adoption of a continental supporters association model.  The trust will be taking measures to try and establish a new formal liaison structure with the club and will establish its own independent policies and strategies necessary to achieve its constitutional objectives.

This independent decision making role provides new opportunities for the trust to represent the interests of all supporters world wide in its new role as a consumer cooperative and to undertake new local football in the community initiatives.

The trusts new web site currently under construction  is the key to this future - providing the logistics for the trusts management team to interact with its members and supporters world wide - including independent supporters groups - and supporters not wishing to become members of the trust - to participate in its decision making processes by through its subcommittee action group programme.

In particular supporters who are willing to lend their professional and personal expertise and experience as unpaid volunteers in regard to specific trust issues and administrative functions -  without the need to attend meetings - communications undertaken using the trusts sub committee email loop system - face to face informal meetings of sub committee members - if required - can take place on pre home match Saturday mornings at the trusts meeting room at King Alfred’s Pub Northam adjacent to St. Mary’s stadium.

The meeting room will be open at 6.30 pm with the formal AGM meeting starting prompt at 7pm - only fully paid up members of the trust can participate in its proceedings - it is planned to complete the formal proceedings by 7.30 pm to allow a question and answer session to take place  - and DVD facilities are on hand for the showing of archive saints film footage should it be required.  The meeting will finish prompt at 8.30 as this is when the room hire period ends - after which everyone will be invited to visit the Old Fat Cat Pub opposite the centre for drinks and informal discussion - with the management team.

Photo: Action Images

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