Jo Kemp wrote:There is no doubt in my mind at all.
Council members had to give 2 months notice of resignation ... this was obviously included in the articles to avoid the debacle we find ourselves in now.
The meeting of 1st Nov was not an open meeting (officially) therefore the vast majority of the membership could not either be present nor send a letter putting their opinions.
Ref council giving two month notice.
I'm sure all our council members took advice regarding this point as if you read the minutes on the DCS it says that some points where discussed with the society's lawyers, one would assume that is was on of the items discussed.
And as the majority of them seemed to be in agreement I would assume that if you offered to reinstate them they would probably refuse otherwise why would they have resigned in the 1st place!! Or is it a case of act in haste Repent at leisure?
Ref the point about members not being able to send a letter in time, I did and I sent a copy to every council members to make sure that at least some of them received a copy as the post is so unreliable.
I'm sure that by now the steering group is heartly sick of this situation and wish they had just left the DCS to hang out to dry.
As for regional representation I'm all for that but you still have to get people prepared to stand and unless meetings are more consumer friendly I.E a percentage of them poss held on a weekend when traveling and overnight stays are more reasonable you are still only going to get people who have the time to possible devote 2 days to any council meeting if they live more than 200 miles away.
Maybe what all the groups should be doing is canvassing their members to see who would be intrested in standing for council and then maybe we can have a proper election ASAP and let the steering group get on with their lives.
(unless meetings are more consumer friendly I.E a percentage of them poss held on a weekend when traveling and overnight stays are more reasonable you are still only going to get people who have the time to possible devote 2 days to any council meeting if they live more than 200 miles away.)
Or you persuade the Steering Committee to move out of the 19th century into the 21st. Allow you stay at home, instead of burning up miles of fuel ignoring global warming. Using the time to work on Dexter affairs instead of watching the scenery for hours, using the telephone and e-mail constructively and far more cheaply. It is the only common sense way to ensure full participation of members, both in terms of being tied with family and business, and eradicating the geographical difficulties, and it would save the Society several thousand a year.
I am not in agreement with censorship but I do think enough has been said on this subject and wonder if it is possible to put a block on the few strings concerning the DCS/steering group until such time as the steering group have had time to decide what is to be done. People who have ideas have already been asked to send them to the steering group, I hope their shoulders are broad enough to cope with criticism too. Once their plans are published surely that is the time to comment further. Until such time maybe we can all stop acting like a terrier with a slipper worrying it to a long and lingering death
I am sure most would prefer less of the arguments about old history. In the last two contributions by Ann and myself, where we state our perspective on one of the main problems the steering committee are wrestling with, it may well be that a reader will be encouraged to come forward with a brilliant alternative. It would be a pity if a gag imposed on these columns precluded good ideas. Members of the steering committee keep an eye on this site, and would undoubtedly take up any useful suggestion, whether or no it had also been submitted to them. Let’s keep constructive ideas coming.
In widespread countries like Canada, the only way to hold meetings is to have them via telephone conference. Before that was possible, the "governing" group was always a small clique in the more populated areas (usually Ontario!). :p
