RSA Wales Region – Operational Structure Consultation

[Michael Ambjorn]

Message posted on behalf of David Phillips - Acting Chair - RSA Wales Region

 

Dear Welsh Fellow 

 

RSA Wales Region – Operational Structure

Following a well attended ‘All Fellows Forum’ in Cardiff, a working group was set up to develop an acceptable and appropriate structure for RSA WalesCymru (the name proposed for the ‘RSA Wales Region’).

The attached paper is the outcome of that work. There were many suggestions and variations put forward. This paper consists only of those upon which there was universal agreement (or absence of dissent). The sections in italics are explanatory and refer to the rationale for the principles and proposals adopted and some of the arguments considered. The paper was necessarily delayed until the RSA Governance Advisory Group had concluded its own consideration of constitutional changes for the RSA nationally.

This consultation paper is now put to Welsh Fellows for comment. It is intended that following receipt and consideration of any comments received, a final document is put to a Special General Meeting, to which all Welsh Fellows will be invited with the intention of formally adopting an operational structure for RSA WalesCymru.

It is the working group’s proposal that the date for this SGM/All Fellows meeting is the 22^nd October 2011 at 2.30pm, depending on the availability of a Cardiff venue. The possibility of video conferencing will be examined. The working group also proposes that the first elections for the Officers of RSA WalesCymru be held at that meeting.

This is your opportunity to have a say on the structure for the RSA Wales region - please use the Reply to This / Reply to Discussion options as relevant immediately below this post to give feedback by the 30th of September so that comments can be incorporated in time for the meeting.

 

David Phillips

Co-ordinator Constitution Working Group

Acting Chair – RSA Wales Region 

[Liz Walder]

Thanks David for an interesting paper.

 

I stood up at last year's AGM and suggested that the word 'region' should not be used with reference to Wales, yet here it is again ("RSA Wales region" etc) throughout this paper. There are other words that are more appropriate to use eg. area, locality etc.

 

Just a thought.

 

Kind regards

 

- Liz Walder MA FRSA

[Jonathan Bishop FRSA]

I agree to there being a 'co-ordinating committee' for Wales, whatever it is called - The National RSA Branch of Wales might be an grande name that does justice!

However, as a former Branch Secretary of three branches of the Labour Party I think the Branch structure is a very very bad idea. There will only ever be a few regular members who turn up and they'll start to go out of sense of service to the RSA and be worrying about the group's relevance as it will become a cause it its own right. Years into it people will form cliques, and everyone will be talking about involving 'newer members' and what they can do to encourage established members to attend.

I think a better, cheaper, and more up-to-date idea would be to subscribe to Meetup.com. That would mean members can organise ad-hoc based on their individual interests and their specific location. This works well with the French Meet-up group I'm a member of in Cardiff. When there is say a French film at the Chapter Arts Centre someone will suggest a 'meet-up'. If enough people want to go, or only a couple really want to go, it will happen.

So it may be that if there were an arts festival in some part of Wales then local members could agree to organise to attend this and socialise/network at it. Any other types of meet-up for any other type of event or any other occasion are possible with the RSVP structure.

[Rudi Plaut]

1.  I believe that a Treasurer is essential.  I have already alerted some others to this point.  Keeping the finances straight is vital and enough responsibility that it should not be put onto the Secretary.  Nor do we want it done by people not connected to us in London who, from previous experience, want to control things.  We are an independent Nation, which is why we were formed.

2.  The meeting should be told the number of Fellows in each of the proposed sub-regions, so as to be able to judge the ability of each to be active.  Is this information available now, please?

3.  No indication is given whether nominations for the various posts can be made before the meeting, or only at the meeting itself.

[Michael Ambjorn]

Dear Rudi - I'll leave (1) and (3) to David Phillips - but meanwhile, here's some geographic data that might help shed light on (2).

To right you'll find an overview map of Fellows in Cymru Wales.

One green dot = at least one Fellow, and some cases a handful that live very closely together (so the dots overlap directly).

It can be a bit tricky to see at this level so a more detailed breakdown can be found in the attached PDF. If any other demographic data would be helpful to you or any other interested Fellow in Cymru Wales, then please do not hesitate to ask.

Meanwhile, I hope that helps. Looking forward to seeing you and the rest of the Kumquat group in Cardiff on the 22nd - and hopefully many more enthusiastic Cymru Wales Fellows keen to help move things forward.

 

Michael Ambjorn

Head of Fellowship Networks

 

 



[Jonathan Bishop FRSA]

A quick search on Eventful.com shows the following arts events in the next month:
1. Swansea Festival of Music and the Arts - 6-22 October
2. Dylan Thomas Festival - 27 October to 9 November

 

I would be much more interested in meeting members at events like these in the *real world* and not (now illegal) 'smoke filled' meeting rooms.

 

The rest of Wales may now be in denial. Instead of killing off the committee they give them fancy names, like 'focus groups'. I'm not however; I'll not be attending or volunteering to be an officer at any Branch meeting. All they do is waste hours and produce only minutes.

 

The reason I'm a member of the RSA is because I'm a do-er. I'm not willing to sit around in a evening 'putting the world to rights' through producing hot air - I did that for 14 years in the Labour Party, where I achieved more outside of it than within it. 

 

They all spoke about 'engaging with the public' which was political speak for 'get the public to support them'. I'd rather just pay the £125 a year and get FRSA after my name, then go to any pseudo-socialist-party meeting for a bit of naval-gazing when there is a lot going on in Wales that we could be part of.

[Dr Kathy Seddon]

I agree Rudi about the need for a Treasurer. It is an essential and time consuming role that I have never seen successfully 'rolled up' with that of Secretary.

Rudi Plaut said:

1.  I believe that a Treasurer is essential.  I have already alerted some others to this point.  Keeping the finances straight is vital and enough responsibility that it should not be put onto the Secretary.  Nor do we want it done by people not connected to us in London who, from previous experience, want to control things.  We are an independent Nation, which is why we were formed.

2.  The meeting should be told the number of Fellows in each of the proposed sub-regions, so as to be able to judge the ability of each to be active.  Is this information available now, please?

3.  No indication is given whether nominations for the various posts can be made before the meeting, or only at the meeting itself.

[Jonathan Bishop FRSA]

"I agree Rudi about the need for a Treasurer. It is an essential and time consuming role that I have never seen successfully 'rolled up' with that of Secretary."

 

I seem to do fine as the Company Secretary of my limited company, where I hold the portfolios of chief administrative officer and chief financial officer. My brother does fine doing both roles in his partnership as well.

 

In SMEs that handle PAYE and VAT like ours which make regular returns to HRMC, Companies House, etc. it is difficult to separate the administrative/financial tasks as they overlap each other.

[Dr Kathy Seddon]

Hello Jonathan. I am sure you are absolutely right - it would be the most efficient arrangement in the work situations you describe.
I guess I was only thinking about committees, in which members are volunteers. Usually treasurer and secretary are separate individuals on such committees .. maybe the division of labour is because of time pressures on volunteers?

[Jonathan Bishop FRSA]

The local branch of the Co-op Party I'm on I hold the title, 'Treasurer', because its a constitutional requirement, but the Secretary does all the work - it is their name on the bank account statements.

 

I suppose you've got to ask what this person or persons will be doing. Would this committee be running just its own budget for managing overheads, or a much bigger budget for the whole of Wales?

[margaret morgan]

Michael Ambjorn said:

Dear Rudi - I'll leave (1) and (3) to David Phillips - but meanwhile, here's some geographic data that might help shed light on (2).

To right you'll find an overview map of Fellows in Cymru Wales.

One green dot = at least one Fellow, and some cases a handful that live very closely together (so the dots overlap directly).

It can be a bit tricky to see at this level so a more detailed breakdown can be found in the attached PDF. If any other demographic data would be helpful to you or any other interested Fellow in Cymru Wales, then please do not hesitate to ask.

Meanwhile, I hope that helps. Looking forward to seeing you and the rest of the Kumquat group in Cardiff on the 22nd - and hopefully many more enthusiastic Cymru Wales Fellows keen to help move things forward.

 

Michael Ambjorn

Head of Fellowship Networks

 

 



[margaret morgan]

margaret morgan said:

Michael Ambjorn said:

Dear Rudi - I'll leave (1) and (3) to David Phillips - but meanwhile, here's some geographic data that might help shed light on (2).

To right you'll find an overview map of Fellows in Cymru Wales.

One green dot = at least one Fellow, and some cases a handful that live very closely together (so the dots overlap directly).

It can be a bit tricky to see at this level so a more detailed breakdown can be found in the attached PDF. If any other demographic data would be helpful to you or any other interested Fellow in Cymru Wales, then please do not hesitate to ask.

Meanwhile, I hope that helps. Looking forward to seeing you and the rest of the Kumquat group in Cardiff on the 22nd - and hopefully many more enthusiastic Cymru Wales Fellows keen to help move things forward.

 

Michael Ambjorn

Head of Fellowship Networks