RSCDS AGM

Alan Harrison

Oct. 29, 2001, 1:55 p.m. (Message 27991)

Hi All,
For the first time in many years Julie and I will not be attending the
AGM due to us moving house on the 17th.  Would appreciate a report on
the meeting and weekend from someone.

Regards,
Alan.
Leeds Branch.

Norah Link

Oct. 30, 2001, 10:33 p.m. (Message 27996, in reply to message 27991)

To all, especially to those who will be attending or sending delegates to
the RSCDS AGM this weekend -

Last week I said I had been asked to post to strathspey the Montreal Branch
position, and reasons for it, on the various motions.  The purpose was to
permit a bit of discussion since we won't be at the AGM personally.
However, I think the time is a bit short to permit such discussion, so ...

If you would like some exchange prior to the meeting, please email me
privately at mailto:xxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx OR email our Branch chairperson at
mailto:xxxxxxxxxx@xxx.xxx.

And please take the opportunity to seek out and speak with John and Lynn
Fyfe, who have graciously offered to represent us at the AGM.  If nothing
else, seek them out to thank them for their generosity, but I hope also to
learn of our viewpoint and to express your own.  As many of you, we have
some very real concerns about the changes that are being proposed.  We are
doing our best to communicate with the Fyfes, in the short time left, what
our stance is and the reasons for it so that they can not only record our
vote but also participate on our behalf in discussions.  

I hope that we (i.e. anyone reading this and myself!) may have opportunities
to work together personally, or to enjoy the dance personally, at some time
in the future.

regards,
Norah Link (Montreal, QC, Canada)

alan mair

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