3rd January 2012, 08:30 PM
kevin wooldridge Wrote:My personal joy would be to see 10 Diggers Forum candidates on the ballot sheet at the next IfA AGM (Sept/Oct).....
Well, you know you can attend council by conference call from anywhere in the world Kevin! I'd also like to see some more Diggers standing for council, whether DF or not. Sounds like we only need 9 more volunteers!
And as Martin says, getting involved will help shape the profession. There are big things going on right now, the threat to HERs and Curators is huge as Wax says, then there's Museum funding cuts, representative assemblies, chartership, all of this can be activley shaped by getting involved. Its not just IfA stuff, join Rescue, join your local society. If you don't feel represented, represent yourself; if you haven't got a voice, speak up.
If every archaeologist wrote to their local council every time it tried to cut services would it make a difference? Well it did in Sheffield. We are in this profession, so for the sake of at little as ten minutes a week, just give something back and help shape it the way you think it should be. Write a letter, sign a petition, make a difference, get involved. Otherwise there won't be any archaeology left in 5 years time.
So I don't know whether its a single issue for 2012, or just that I'd like to see more archaeologists get engaged, via whatever means you like. The DF could always do with some more helpers, but if you think we're no good, then give someone else an hour of your time.
The DF will soon publish its report on away work and travel, based on the surveys held last year. We'll be pushing to try and get improvements in this area, and on the related area of transparent adverts. Trying to make sure you know what those terms and conditions actually will mean to your wage. We've a couple of smart ideas on this, but it will need help to make them a reality.
Here's to a good year, all year!
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