Maybe we should start a poll on the bullentin one for members who would like to keep it and one for those who are happy with a year book, not sure what will be in this year book as most dexters owners will not be intrested in spending around £100 for professional photo's and ads which is what commenrcial cattle
breeders would probably think was peanuts when they are promoting their cattle.
I would like to see more pictures in the bullentin and I think there would be other people possible prepared to pay a reasonable amount to maybe promote their best show winning cattle, or beef producing bulls. some of the repetative items in the bullentin could be put into a members booklet and issued once a year with ones renewals
I'm sure Elaine would love to have more photo brags in to.
I'm in a lot of societies and also receive mountains of paperwork re my business and my job as a local councillor. Much of it is instantly filed, if you see what I mean!
The bulletin is better than most, as an interesting read. Considering the members very wide range of interests and experience I think it is very good. I occassionally look at an article and don't bother reading it. That's fine, someone else will take a different view.
I do feel immensly grateful to Elaine for doing this work and feel that she deserves an award. Perhaps the DDE (dedicated Dexter Editor)
I could cope with it being in newsletter form but do prefer the present format as I can store it on a bookshelf. I also like the good quality print. We all have to put up with a lot of secondclass paperwork in this life, here's something that's properly printed and I appreciate it. (All right, I am a photographer and minilab owner by trade so I guess I'm biased!)
One final thought: Can I suggest that we print an extra few hundred of each issue (at neglible cost) and send half a dozen different back copies to everyone who joins the society. This would give them an immediate positive vision of their fellow Dexter owners
Chris, I am a great believer in looking forward to the future, however good judgement comes from experience. Many of your criticisms demonstrate ignorance of the Society’s organisation. For example inserting the names of group secretaries in the Herd Book would simply be historic, the groups are semi-autonomous and elections are locally at different times of the year.
The amount of a page taken up by an item seems criticism for its own sake. I find the layout very pleasing.
Our secretaries all suffer from the fact that many Dexter breeders are novices in the agricultural world and need information that the run of the mill farmer takes for granted, hence some of the reminders. The nature of the beast means we attract, and need to keep, members who run their cattle mainly as a hobby, if you object to that you are undoubtedly in the wrong breed. The response to date suggests you are in the minority, but I do think we should have the future of the Bulletin decided by a vote and not simply by Council.
Meanwhile, I would say again that most appreciate the unstinting voluntary work put in by Eileen over the years, I receive three Dexter Bulletins from our sister organisations from abroad and her effort compares very favourably.
Why take exception to a reprint providing it is of interest, and as one of the contributors involved in this issue, I must say your criticism hardly acts as encouragement. I endorse Duncan, if you are to criticise you should be able to contribute.
I cant think of any publication that I would read or expect to read fully cover to cover. The important thing is that the bulletin should be able to appeal to the widest spectrum of readers and if that means articles about Garden centres etc then why not. I have gleaned a huge amount of useful tips and information from both the bulletin and this website and often the most useful information is contained within articles about an entirely different subject. I also very often refer back to something I remember reading.
I just feel very grateful that someone does provide this service which I certainly couldnt or wouldnt do and I am sure they dont deserve the kind of comments that have been levelled here, which I dont view as constructive at all.
I have kept quite so far but really feel that something has to be said, firstly re Chris Downland this gentleman is obviously a very new member if he does not know of Beryl Rutherford he must be in the 1% of dexter keepers in the world that do not know this lady, I cannot think that there are any or at least not more than 6 members of the DCS that have been members longer than she has, I assume that Chris has not got any dexters or if he has then he has not looked at the pedigrees as there are few animals that do not have some Woodmagic blood in them somewhere, I have only been associated with dexters for 40yrs but Berly was an established breeder when I first became involved with the breed, this lady as you will know Chris if you have looked at your herd book is a past president as well as a past council member, she has more experience than 99% of dexter breeders could ever wish to gain,
you ask Duncan for an apology might I suggest that if anyone should apologies it should be you Chris, Duncan is another long standing member of the DCS and has and still is making a very great contribution to the society.
as regards the bulletin I shall pay our membership this year but it will be the last if the bullitin is discontinued,
might I suggest that as we have now, finally, recieved our herd returns that when we send them back ALL those of us that wish the bullitin to continue to put a note in with it to say so.
Bill Osborne, Castlemears Dexters, Royal Forest of Dean.
WHO ARE YOU HOW LONG HAVE YOU KEPT DEXTERS SHOULD YOU ...WITH YOUR GREAT WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE NOT BE ON THE D. C S COUNCIL..., I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOUR NAME PUT FORWARD FOR COUNCIL THIS YEAR, I SHALL NOT VOTE FOR YOU BUT PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE YOUR MOUTH IS.
with the greatest of respect for Beryl and the Woodmagic herd founded the year I was born, and the name Woodmagic will still be in pedigrees when I'm kicking up the daisies.
Sue Osborne, (the Osborne that does'nt usually raise to the bait, but there are exceptions, you are it)
Steady on you lot!!
I have left the response for Bill and Sue on the board, but i feel it is getting a little heated now
Chris is entitled to his views, even if most people think he is wrong, thats what this site is about. I dont wish for the topic to get too personel so stick to the issues, i dont want to have to censor any of it.
Mark
To be honest I do not bother to read the personal abuse - I get enough of that already but I did glance at the analysis of the latest Bulletin and was a bit surprised by the conclusions.
I edit a Newsletter for our local community so I know how difficult it is to generate enough material to fill your standard pages, You have to remember always that the pages come in fours so that if you do get another 250 words, about half a A5 page, you are very often obliged to insert material from the archives or spread something out a bit. It gets even worse if you get just under a page full, say 350 - 400 words, because then you have to find a piece of filler that fits in to the small space left. Why do you think the Readers Digest looks like it does. I would kill for their snippets file.
And a moan about adverts? Has any thought been given to the fact that it is the advertising that pays (mostly) for the magasine? They are necessary and NOT evil. I even read them sometimes.
But the costs of printing are awful - colour trebles or quadruples the price and glossy paper, essntial for decent pictures, does not come cheap either.
I have read some of the penultimate bulletin (maybe the ante penultimate...) and for some reason I found it most enjoyable and more of interest than usual - possibly because it is an endagered species!
I shall miss it but I shall have to continue my membership of the Society - I can't advertise a pedigree herd wthout the necessary bits of paper but I shall not be as happy (and well informed) as I was.
Thankyou very much Eileen
Alastair
PS In critical mode can I ask if anyone actually reads ALL of any magasine or paper that they buy or receive? I know that I don't.
Well said Mark, I could not agree more. I certainly did not want this thread to get into a personal battle or to say anything that implied that others should not have their opinion too. Perhaps I was a bit sensitive to the feelings of current contributors to the bulletin many of whom I know and respect.
It can be difficult on an email discussion site such as this to get over the finer points and expression which would be part of a conversation round a table or over a pint of beer - I am sure had we all been together for the debate it would have been a lot more fruitful.
Duncan
Duncan MacIntyre
Burnside Dexters 00316
Burnside
Ascog
Isle of Bute
Many thanks for all your comments. Yes I am a new member, yes I do keep Dexters, Yes I am a farmer. No I have not spent much time looking into the historical part of the society or it's members. I love the breed for it's own sake not because of it's particular history or it's society.
My comments seem to have invoked a host of harsh replies of a very defensive nature--if this is how this website wishes to run then I want no part of it. I was rather hoping that it was a far "wider church".
Just as a sop for you all the Winter bulletin is a much better production--compare the Summer and Winter and see which you prefer!!
Chris
this bullentin board is one of the most polite boards I have been on, however as a newcomer to the board and dexters I don't suppose you realized just how precious Berl is to us Dexter people and although some of your criticism
of the repetitive parts of the bulletin has some justification, I for one always look forward to receiving my bulletin and Eileen is always asking for copy to keep us interested. and I think she does a wonderful job with what she gets
I think you would be loosing out on a very valuable asset to us dexter people by deserting the board. ONE very good rule when posting to discussion boards is type you answer on a word doc,
re read it before you post and this way you asses if you answer may be offensive to other contributors, I am glad as the starter of this discussion that it has been such a lively discussion, just sad that it has resulted in few people being offended.
I too, am very glad you started this topic; it has proved that many folks will be very sorry, if the plan to stop the Bulletin goes ahead.
I love my Dexters dearly, but have always said their ONE fault was the aggressive nature of many of the sweetest of them, to their fellow members. I have also often remarked, how often folks seemed to show the characteristics of the animals they keep!
Maybe, I have now roused the wrath of my readers!!
Chris may I wish you a very warm welcome to Dexters and thankyou for your detailed analysis of a bulletin.
I have not kept Dexters for as long as Bill and Sue, or indeed Beryl, who was one of the major saviours of the breed.
I think that Mark's calming voice is to be adhered too.
Please just think about what we are proposing. We on Council have gone on to be criticised if you are not happy with what we are doing write to us. With over 1,200 members we cannot go back to the membership every time when we want to "improve" and give added value to members. If you are so convinced that the wrong decisions are being implemented then come on to Council.
My shoulders are broad enough to have a go at, if it makes you feel better, not a new member.
As Ann pointed out a few messages ago, there does seem to be a "silent" majority in support of a change. To be honest I don't feel that a change to the bulletin format plus an annual publication is a resigning matter and trust that peace and tranquility will return.
Chris, it would seem as you say that some harsh comments have come your way, maybe the anger aimed at you should have been tempered a little and should not have been so forcefull. I am sure you will be a benifit to the society and this site. In all walks of life we need people who are unafraid to say what they think and mean what they say. I for one welcome you onto this site and hope that you keep posting your thoughts and idea's. Whenever we post on such a public forum we stand to be shot at from a variety of angles, its happened to me and a few others, though not with the same strength of feeling.
You have chosen the Dexter for the same reasons as myself, because I like the cows and they suit the way I like to keep them.
The future is one thing, and without wishing to deny anyone their place in it, or the importance of anyones contribution, the past is just history. Beryl's contribution to the Dexter breed is undeniable and without her and a few others the breed may not have survived, we all thank her for that. I am sure she holds no grudge against anyone who does not know about her or her work.
Stay with us Chris, we're not a bad bunch really, the response to your post just proves that there are people out there that are passionate about the society and the things that it does. I just hope that when push comes to shove that articles of interest are forwarded to Eileen to allow her to produce a bulletin that is interesting and informative to all. Which with such a diverse membership will always present a challenge.
Martin. (Medway Valley Dexters)
PS. I did not dissagree with all that you wrote Chris, maybe it is time for change.
