18th November 2009, 10:07 AM
BAJR Wrote:"At the end of the day, I am contending that something went on ... and this affects us all. Also... and with due respect... being a CBM specialist is with a job very different from being a digger in the field in the 21st century. Being on a committee is great, but not exactly at the coalface."(BAJR note: select the text in the post and then press quote - just above the post on the right)
Oh dear. Are we back to the 'only a digger can be a proper archaeologist?' Or 'only the experience that 'diggers' have of the industry counts'? Sorry, but I think that statement undermines your other arguements by at a stroke devaluing the experience and work of people who aren't seen as 'proper diggers'. (Incidentally a discussion I had with the diggers forum. When it was set up, I was out on site digging or writing up reports in the office for 90% of the time - the rest was things like tendering, client meetings and organising machinery and welfare. But becasue I was a 'field director' in a small organisation, I wasn't considered a digger. Really? In whose book?.... That's my first rant for the day.... sorry)
Back to the subject - Phil is talking about his experience WITHIN IfA and how he sees it working. Many people who talk about what IfA is and isn't and what it should and shouldn't be doing have not had this experience and are clearly not aware of teh (sometimes hard) lessons that those of us that have been involved have to learn.
The original suggestion is that people who were within ROs should not be allowed to vote in Council on matters that affected ROs. The updated one was that such matters should be discussed and voted on the EGMs/AGMs. My personal problem with these meetings is that, unless I can attend in person, I cannot listen to the debate before deciding which way to vote.
In the end, this is a question of the sort of democracy that operates. Is IfA a representative democracy (in which case we elect people to Council and trust them to decide after careful consideration) or are we a Repubilc (in which case we have referendii on every matter). At the moment, the former operates.