4th November 2011, 08:33 AM
(This post was last modified: 4th November 2011, 09:09 AM by Madweasels.)
But in the area where I am that is exactly what is being proposed - that in the absence of a County Arch the local society should do the work on a voluntary basis. Resistance by the local groups has meant that a formal, professional solution is going to be found.
And as for lobbying. Come on Marcus. Exactly what do you think the local groups have been doing for the last 50 years (at least). Professionals often demean the role of local societies and their members without truly acknowledging the weight they have had in maintaining, in many areas, a status quo or even making improvements - until, that is, the last 18 months when all bets have been off. Decision making at every level has not been made in the interests of a balance sheet (no sensible person denies that this is important) that includes public well-being but simply for this great deity, The Economy! Now every sacrifice must be made in the name of the saintly coalition, sent to earth to repair the sins of the previous lot. We are being told we are all in this together, that we should be optimistic and stop whingeing and that we should all step up and volunteer at community level to do the things we care about for free (the subtext being that if we care so much about them then bloody well get on and do it yourself, then, because the elected members and MPs are not going to use tax payers money to help).
The local societies ARE and have been actively lobbying and campaigning for the retention of professional posts, be it Council Archaeologists, local museums or local archives and history libraries. I will only quote for my own area where the more vocal members of the societies spend many hours attending area meetings, lobbying councilors, run petitions, raise money (for the VCH in one instance here - budget slashed by the council) and encourage the local press to take notice of these impact of these current draconian cuts.
And consider their frustration! For years they have supported the profession, have been largely disenfranchised from front line activities as commercialism came to the fore, are actively lobbying for the retention of professional posts - and yet are now being expected to pick up for free and willingly the tab. As I said in my previous post, they resent this. They resent their discretionary voluntary effort being politicised in this manner. But they are torn! They too have a passion for all this stuff like many of us who get paid )or try to get paid) to do it. For many of us one reality of life is, for how long can we afford to stay in the profession. But if we left, would our passion for the subject go away too? No! We would be just a passionate and likely maintain our interests in the voluntary sector also - and then we would be trapped in the same paradox, perhaps ending up doing the job of other former professionals for free. But we wouldn't, would we. The end of my tether is being reached and I am afraid that I know that, if ever my voluntary input (which amounts to a few weeks a year) was politicised in my area I fear I would have to walk, however much I might regret turning my back on matters Heritage and its dissemination in education and activities among the general public.
And as for lobbying. Come on Marcus. Exactly what do you think the local groups have been doing for the last 50 years (at least). Professionals often demean the role of local societies and their members without truly acknowledging the weight they have had in maintaining, in many areas, a status quo or even making improvements - until, that is, the last 18 months when all bets have been off. Decision making at every level has not been made in the interests of a balance sheet (no sensible person denies that this is important) that includes public well-being but simply for this great deity, The Economy! Now every sacrifice must be made in the name of the saintly coalition, sent to earth to repair the sins of the previous lot. We are being told we are all in this together, that we should be optimistic and stop whingeing and that we should all step up and volunteer at community level to do the things we care about for free (the subtext being that if we care so much about them then bloody well get on and do it yourself, then, because the elected members and MPs are not going to use tax payers money to help).
The local societies ARE and have been actively lobbying and campaigning for the retention of professional posts, be it Council Archaeologists, local museums or local archives and history libraries. I will only quote for my own area where the more vocal members of the societies spend many hours attending area meetings, lobbying councilors, run petitions, raise money (for the VCH in one instance here - budget slashed by the council) and encourage the local press to take notice of these impact of these current draconian cuts.
And consider their frustration! For years they have supported the profession, have been largely disenfranchised from front line activities as commercialism came to the fore, are actively lobbying for the retention of professional posts - and yet are now being expected to pick up for free and willingly the tab. As I said in my previous post, they resent this. They resent their discretionary voluntary effort being politicised in this manner. But they are torn! They too have a passion for all this stuff like many of us who get paid )or try to get paid) to do it. For many of us one reality of life is, for how long can we afford to stay in the profession. But if we left, would our passion for the subject go away too? No! We would be just a passionate and likely maintain our interests in the voluntary sector also - and then we would be trapped in the same paradox, perhaps ending up doing the job of other former professionals for free. But we wouldn't, would we. The end of my tether is being reached and I am afraid that I know that, if ever my voluntary input (which amounts to a few weeks a year) was politicised in my area I fear I would have to walk, however much I might regret turning my back on matters Heritage and its dissemination in education and activities among the general public.