strathspey@strathspey.org:53287

Chris1Ronald

Re: The RSCDS dance publication process (was: Tunes for "Hornpipes Suitable f...

July 31, 2008, 6:23 p.m. (Message 53287, in reply to message 53259)

Anselm wrote:

Rather  than bore the list subscribers with yet another ten-page diatribe on  
Society governance and project sketches I decided to put it up on the Web  
where those people who are *really* interested in this sort of thing can  
find 
it. Look at

_http://my.strathspey.org/anselm/stories/reply-to-pia_ 
(http://my.strathspey.org/anselm/stories/reply-to-pia) 
 
Well, I did. And I commend anyone who cares about the vitality of the RSCDS  
to do so too.
 
Taken along with other recent messages, including those from a former  
Chairman, it makes sobering reading.  These concerns about the  performance of the 
Management Board come on top of other concerns,  especially about fiscal 
matters.      
 
I've just seen the latest mailing to Branches from HQ.  The  preliminary 
2007-08 accounts show income of 212,000 pounds and  expenditure of 349,000 pounds. 
 In other words, the Society spent 137,000  pounds more than it took in.  
That's a mind-boggling 65 per cent  deficit.  
 
I seem to remember that the Society ran up a significant deficit one  year in 
the late 90s, and - for this and other reasons - the Executive  Council was 
abolished and the Management Board created.   It seems,  however, that this has 
not solved the problem.  
 
I'm sure William Whyte (Convenor of General Purposes and Finance)  means it 
when he writes in the Spring issue of the Magazine that: "it is  vital that we 
are serious about making and adhering to budgets."
 
Some of his predecessors no doubt said the same kind of things, so how  much 
confidence can we have that the Management Board will really get serious  and 
stay serious this time?    
 
I believe everyone reading this list WANTS the Society to be  healthy.  Here 
in New York, we met recently and decided  to swallow the 50 per cent increase 
in membership dues, by absorbing  half of the increase from our reserves, and 
passing on just half of it to our  members.  But such measures can only be 
temporary.  We expect to  see the Society take fiscal discipline far more 
seriously.  Our patience is  not inexhaustible.
 
Thank you for listening,
 
Chris, New York.



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