strathspey@strathspey.org:28072

alan mair

Re: RSCDS AGM

Nov. 7, 2001, 10:04 p.m. (Message 28072, in reply to message 27996)

Norah,

I am sorry that I did not have time to find out more about your viewpoint
before the AGM but, as I was aware that you were being represented, I had to
leave that in their hands.

You will have heard the outcome no doubt and, like most of us, you will be
happy about some things and less happy about others.

I did have a rather difficult discussion with the Fyfes over the amount of
time available for discussion by the Branch. I did not gather from your
e-mails that this was quite such a big issue and I was not ready to discuss
it the moment I came down from the platform after a 4 hour 20 minute
meeting - and was supposed to be escorting Lord Mansfield to his car.

I know that you have not had a rep. recently so that may explain your
situation. However the issue of management has been on the agenda for ten
years and Linda and I have been trying to encourage discussion on the
membership issue (with overseas Branches very much in mind ) since Summer
School 1999. The Newsbrief early this year detailed the options and all the
papers were sent out at the correct time.

Having said all that, I am the first to admit that the present system is
difficult to operate and had to be changed. The difficulty has been that we
have had to approve changes through the out-dated existing system. I believe
we had broken the log-jam although I would like to see us become a
member-based rather than Branch-based Society. I hasten to add that that
would not detract one iota from the importance of the Branches as the
operational centres of our Society.

Still busy - so must close

Regards

Alan