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Heart Of The Community?


Stuart Dickson

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If SMiSA is a Community Benefit Society - which it says it is - then when is it going to start meeting it's commitment to the local community? And regardless of whether it's a BenComm or something else when are SMiSA going to move towards fulfilling their pledge to put the club at the heart of the community? Will the SMISA board ever allow any suggestions for spending on the local community to be put on the quarterly ballot paper? And will the minutes and agenda of monthly meetings ever be published for all the members to review if not the general public? And is the website due to be sorted so that the constitution features more predominately on the website rather than hidden away in a link behind a single word on a long web article? 

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I wont lie. This is getting painful to watch. You cant spend months chucking abuse and shit at people and then miraculously expect them to talk to you. You do have to wonder what the end goal is here. You cant FORCE people to respond to you if they dont want to.

Edited by oaksoft
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Ok. I'm genuinely interested, have no grudge to bear either way and have not indulged in abuse.

Is SMISA a Community Benefit Society? And how does it fulfil this roll?

It is a CBSformerly an IPS but it has adopted new articles of association which include the "Asset Lock" rules from a CIC.....simple [emoji4]

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12 hours ago, Wilbur said:

Tender roast chicken, with roast potatoes, carrots and sprouts. Plus cranberry sauce.

It was really tasty.

Why chicken and not turkey? And where's the sausages wrapped in bacon? And sprouts?!? Utter joke of a Christmas dinner. This sort of abomination wouldn't happen if SMiSA were doing their bit in the community.

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34 minutes ago, chalky1 said:

Can't just blame SMiSA Stu, the St.Mirren board allowed it on the xmas menu :P

This could all have been avoided if we'd organised a dinner on Christmas Day. That's what a proper community club would have done.

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On 03/01/2017 at 8:05 AM, civilsaint said:

Ok. I'm genuinely interested, have no grudge to bear either way and have not indulged in abuse.

Is SMISA a Community Benefit Society? And how does it fulfil this roll?

 

On 03/01/2017 at 9:25 AM, rea said:

It is a CBSformerly an IPS but it has adopted new articles of association which include the "Asset Lock" rules from a CIC.....simple emoji4.png

 

Thanks REA. 

Could someone from SMISA possibly expand on the roll in the community? 

I'm firmly of the belief that the community aspect is fundamental to the success of fan ownership, hence why I'm interested. Some people will happily spend 12 a month solely to ensure the fans own the club, but I suspect there is another group of people who would happily spend that 12 quid if they saw some real tangible benefit to the wider community.

There's no right or wrong, but SMISA should be clever enough to appeal to all potential investors.

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Thanks REA. 
Could someone from SMISA possibly expand on the roll in the community? 
I'm firmly of the belief that the community aspect is fundamental to the success of fan ownership, hence why I'm interested. Some people will happily spend 12 a month solely to ensure the fans own the club, but I suspect there is another group of people who would happily spend that 12 quid if they saw some real tangible benefit to the wider community.
There's no right or wrong, but SMISA should be clever enough to appeal to all potential investors.

It is more or less a self defined thing in the articles of association.

An easier way to look at it is due to the fact of SMISA now using an asset lock.

This means that all assets...e.g cash and stock is "asset lock" and it is more precisely defined what "asset locked " asset can be spent on while remaining asset locked and what needs to be done in order to unlock Assets that are locked.

I will post a link
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I recall being in the Bull Inn about three or four years ago.  The Bull Inn is a public house situated in New Street, Paisley.  New Street in Paisley is fairly central with regard to the wider Paisley "community".  Smisa had a meeting in the Bull Inn when I happened to be in.  As such Smisa were central to the Paisley community at that time.  As such on that occasion when I chanced upon Smisa having a meeting in the Bull Inn in New Street, Paisley which as established is central to the wider Paisley community it could be easily argued that at that time "Smisa were at the heart of the community".  

 

If Smisa were to hold meeting in say the Beechwood centre I would say that they were "at the north of the community".  Likewise if the meeting was in Ralston community centre I would say that "Smisa were at the east of the community". 

 

I could go on.....I could go on and on and on indeed.

 

Also If Smisa were to meet in the Lighthouse bar in Cathcart Street, Greenock I would say that Smisa were "in the wrong community".

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Am I right in saying that SMiSA were in breach of their own asset lock when they gifted £9k to the commercial business? 

Much though i am sure a "black and white" answer would be appropriate that is not how the world works.

SMISA imho need to justify it within their mems and arts rules to their members and should anyone disagree with the boards interpretation and application of the rules there is a route that can be followed.

I am unsure if a non member or former member has any rights post membership experience would say they e.g you do not.
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Much though i am sure a "black and white" answer would be appropriate that is not how the world works.

SMISA imho need to justify it within their mems and arts rules to their members and should anyone disagree with the boards interpretation and application of the rules there is a route that can be followed.

I am unsure if a non member or former member has any rights post membership experience would say they e.g you do not.


According to the constitution I'd have 6 months to raise grievance.
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5 minutes ago, Stuart Dickson said:

Thanks for responding though Richard. It doesn't seem like any of the SMISA board are keen on engaging - either when I was a member, or now I'm not. 

Because the second they respond on one topic the faster you will ask another pointless attention seeking question.

Before you know it SMISA members will be doing f**k all else but running around like headless chickens trying to deal with you and your pish.

Which I strongly suspect is your end game.

Which is why I suspect they are not engaging with you.

Life is too short.

Edited by oaksoft
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And my last post is why I will never attempt to become an MP, MSP, MEP, join a board, committee or other organising body which allows input from the likes of Dickson. It risks handing over power to unelected people like him which results in them being able, at a whim, to grind the board to a standstill rather than allowing members to get on with the job they were elected for,

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And my last post is why I will never attempt to become an MP, MSP, MEP, join a board, committee or other organising body which allows input from the likes of Dickson. It risks handing over power to unelected people like him which results in them being able, at a whim, to grind the board to a standstill rather than allowing members to get on with the job they were elected for,


Yes we get it. You prefer dictatorships where leaders have complete autonomy to run organisations into the ground. :rolleyes:

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Much though i am sure a "black and white" answer would be appropriate that is not how the world works.

SMISA imho need to justify it within their mems and arts rules to their members and should anyone disagree with the boards interpretation and application of the rules there is a route that can be followed.

I am unsure if a non member or former member has any rights post membership experience would say they e.g you do not.


From my reading, which fair enough may lack understanding, it would appear the CIC asset lock differs from a Registered Society asset lock.

Registered Society definition is "An asset lock is a constitutional device that prevents the distribution of residual assets to members. The purpose of an asset lock is to ensure that the public benefit or community benefit of any retained surplus or residual value is cannot be appropriated for private benefit of members." and appears to be regarding what happens should SMISA be coming to an end.

CIC definition is "The Asset Lock is designed to ensure that the assets of the CIC (including any profits or other surpluses generated by its activities) are used for the benefit of the community." and appears to be ongoing.

Registered Societies being run as a CBS can specify a defined community, such as a locality. In serving the needs of any defined community the society should not inhibit the benefit to the community at large. I certainly don't feel we're inhibiting the community at large. Of course, the £2 a month is a side fund and not strictly part of the SMISA monthly membership fee although it is collected at the same time. That was clear at the start, is easy to find detail on and is to me no different to AFC Wimbledon providing money towards the playing budget via their fund.
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1 hour ago, TsuMirren said:

 


From my reading, which fair enough may lack understanding, it would appear the CIC asset lock differs from a Registered Society asset lock.

Registered Society definition is "An asset lock is a constitutional device that prevents the distribution of residual assets to members. The purpose of an asset lock is to ensure that the public benefit or community benefit of any retained surplus or residual value is cannot be appropriated for private benefit of members." and appears to be regarding what happens should SMISA be coming to an end.

CIC definition is "The Asset Lock is designed to ensure that the assets of the CIC (including any profits or other surpluses generated by its activities) are used for the benefit of the community." and appears to be ongoing.

Registered Societies being run as a CBS can specify a defined community, such as a locality. In serving the needs of any defined community the society should not inhibit the benefit to the community at large. I certainly don't feel we're inhibiting the community at large. Of course, the £2 a month is a side fund and not strictly part of the SMISA monthly membership fee although it is collected at the same time. That was clear at the start, is easy to find detail on and is to me no different to AFC Wimbledon providing money towards the playing budget via their fund.

 

The Dons Trust is not a Community Benefit Society and they haven't got an asset lock in place. Oh and the "We are Wimbledon Fund" operates separately from the IPS Dons Trust. 

Edited by Stuart Dickson
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The Dons Trust is not a Community Benefit Society and they haven't got an asset lock in place. 

I must admit that the Dons Trust, going by their site, doesn't seem to know what it is. They were an IPS, but those are now Registered Societies operating as Community or Co-operative societies in the same way SMISA moved across under the new Act. Their constitution mentions Community, just as SMISA's does.

Maybe you could go on their forum and enquire as to why their constitution is pre-2014 and why they still refer to themselves as an IPS.

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