Dear Christopher,
Now you've got your pecker up be a bit careful. Don't go down the road of
trying to move headquarters to the English Provinces. Long experience shows
that while it is easy to get on a train and travel to London, every other
destination is a slog with changing trains and platforms.
I agree that we should discuss these matters on this List. Apart from
anything else it may encourage others to join the SoA. I can't see why
anyone else would want to do so now that the chance of becoming chartered
seems to have gone. I saw somebody give the letters behind their name
recently as MA,PhD, RMSA. I wonder how many people will know what the last
qualification means? It certainly wont appear on the Oxford dictionary.
I wont hear a word of criticism against Aideen - and certainl;y I didn't
read Richard's comment as a personal criticism.
Len McDonald
----- Original Message -----
From: Christopher Webb <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, March 25, 2002 10:16 AM
Subject: Re: ...and another thing
> I think Gareth and I must have read different postings from Richard. The
one I
> read started by reiterating a point contained in Richard's first posting,
> viz., 'this is not a personal attack on Aideen', contained an apology to
> Aideen, and a wholly convincing argument that he was making a general
point.
> (Incidentally, I'm not sure why Gareth thinks Aideen couldn't write to
defend
> herself, if she had been attacked.)
>
> I don't agree at all with Gareth that the 'whole issue' should be buried.
I
> think Richard (and previous posters) have raised important points. The
thread
> began with indignation about the exclusion of England from the papers to
be
> given at the agm. I share that indignation - it is, after all, where most
of
> the membership works.
>
> Richard then expanded the thread to include the gagging order on
discussing
> the SoA strategic review. It seems to me that this listserve is a very
> appropriate place to discuss the matter. In fact, for me, it's the only
place,
> since the only available Yorkshire Regional meeting coincided with a
meeting
> of the Yorkshire Archives Council. Where else am I to propound my
preliminary
> views, and have the corners knocked off them?
>
> So, as Richard wrote in his first posting, I hereby consider myself
absolved
> from the prohibition on discussing Society issues on this listserve. And
to
> make good my self-absolution, here's my first contribution to what should
be
> the most important and wide-ranging SoA debate in years.
>
> The Society should concentrate on being a professional body. As such, we
> should think hard about our geographical coverage - as a professional body
> there is an argument that we should include only archivists working in the
UK.
> The SoA should offer training, and an enforceable code of ethics. It
should
> abolish the Regions as constitutional parts of the Society (though they
could
> continue as social organisations if members wished it), and work as a one
> person one vote democracy. In practical terms, it should move out of
expensive
> London and establish a headquarters in an easily reachable (and cheaper)
major
> city.
>
> Plenty to discuss, it's important, and actually, if non-members listen in,
> where's the harm? May be some of them can offer constructive suggestions
from
> their experience of other professional bodies.
>
> Chris
>
> Williams Gareth Haulfryn ADH/ECL wrote:
>
> > The sooner this whole issue is buried the better. It is not a matter of
> > society business that is being discussed any longer, but an unwarranted
> > attack on someone who is working voluntarily very many hours every week
> > trying to represent the interests of at least five countries, all with
> > different archival concerns, having been democratically appointed so to
> > do.
> >
> > I think the listserv subscibers deserve better than having to read
> > self-justifications for unacceptable public attacks on people who cannot
> > easily answer back.
> >
> > Gareth Williams
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Richard Taylor [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> > Sent: 25 March 2002 08:41
> > To: [log in to unmask]
> > Subject: ...and another thing
> >
> > ...and wouldn't it be good if the SoA responded as quickly and as
> > forcefully to archive issues in the media and on the government agenda
> > as the SoA Irish Region did to my "personal attack" on Aideen?
> >
> > But of course, that might mean standing up for the PBI by publicly
> > disagreeing with someone powerful.
> >
> > Cassius
> > ====================================================
> > Richard Taylor
> > Curator, Archive Collections
> > National Railway Museum
> > Leeman Road
> > YORK YO26 4XJ
> > ENGLAND
> >
> > Tel +44 (0)1904 686 289
> > Fax +44 (0)1904 611 112
> > Email [log in to unmask]
> > Website http://www.nrm.org.uk
> >
> > The National Railway Museum is the European Museum of the Year 2001
> > =====================================================
> >
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> >
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> >
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