CTC forum thread on 'Charity' status

[GrumpyGregry]

The proposal was accepted, subject to confirmation of costs, and the final decision will be made at the Council meeting in February. Perhaps people might want to suggest to their councillor that they support the move....

But if you do so by email don't expect to get an acknowledgement or any sort of reply.

 

[Bollo]

It sounds like a complete dog's breakfast- the CTC should get itself sorted out properly, not just throw more major change into an already somewhat shambolic situation.

That sums it up for me nicely.

 

[Aperitif]

Not a CTC member, though I've thought about joining, one major reason I haven't is the problems I've heard regarding renewals, and another is this little issue. It sounds like a complete dog's breakfast- the CTC should get itself sorted out properly, not just throw more major change into an already somewhat shambolic situation....having perused Cycle in the library today, Simon made his case somewhat better than the other guy.

You really should join Stu...
For my part, I have only just realised that I have not informed anyone of a change of address and I miss my magazine.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Your couldn't make it up folks...

There would be no need too though, all very predictable of clubby, self-serving, highly partial, be-blazered, bolloxologists of the second half of the 20th C.

 

[psmiffy]

His response was that we could but:

So we can send e-mails to our constituents via the National Office facility but only if we toe the party line and our e-mails are approved by National Office...

You couldn't make it up folks...

I do not see a problem with that - as long as why anything is inaccurate is explained properly

I find it very difficult to see beyond the smoke and mirrors without facts - The statement that providing the facts is time consuming and is detracting from the core eforts of the organisation does not wash -the motion is probably the most important event in the recent (and possibly in the long) history of the club and therefore every effort should be made to get it right!

 

[srw]

So we can send e-mails to our constituents via the National Office facility but only if we toe the party line and our e-mails are approved by National Office...

I assume that whilst you may now have some reservations yourself you will ensure that your members understand the position taken by national council in the charity debate.

Not quite. You can tell your members what you like, but you have to say that the national council has come down on one side. Like you are.

 

[Auntie Helen]

Well I had an email from Martin Cockersole and just replied to it to say that the only CTC council members I've ever cycled with are Greg and Simon. I have no idea who the rest of 'em are but have no reason to trust their judgment over Greg/Simon's, so I will be voting no.

 

[sunnyjim]

The Mountain Bothies Association is a different type of organisation from the CTC, but the same old story of
Complacency -> Executive with grandiose ideas -> Peasants revolt
is as timeless as Boy-meets-Girl.

http://www.walkscotland.com/newsarchive23.htm (first part) and ​

http://bubl.ac.uk/org/tacit/tac/tac56/thebothy.htm​

​

may ring some bells, and perhaps give a ray of hope.

 

[Auntie Helen]

Sunnyjim, that made for a really interesting read - thanks for providing the links.

 

[sunnyjim]

I hope you don't mind but I have shamelessly nicked this for use elsewhere...

Not at all- I didn't write it. I was just a simple bothy-ist and long standing maintenance volunteer, mostly for Saurdalan bothy in Glenelg. Some local bothy organisers who had worked hard for many years were treated very badly when they rebelled. We all forgot that carying in cement, slating roofs etc wasn't the only thing to be concerned about.

 

[dellzeqq]

I had the great good fortune to listen not quite open-mouthed, but with an air of a student that had at last found his guru, to Robert Griffiths who runs the fundraising effort at Martlets, today. He regards volunteers as essential to the business - replacing them would cost about half a million quid a year, and they are the best means of spreading the message about the Hospice. Volunteers who are engaged, contributing and building the knowledge base of the organisation in co-operation with paid staff can make an organisation a better thing.

As you can imagine e-mails have been tumbling in to my in-box. Some of them are dispiriting - particularly those from people who have given up RtR because they didn't feel valued, and, in once case, because the person simply couldn't afford to be an RtR rep.

 

[BentMikey]

Simon, I would like you to have my proxy and will sort it when the time comes. I feel distinctly distrusting of postal voting or other unknowns having control of it.

 

[Bollo]

I had a rootle around the web site and there's plenty in there. Thanks for putting it up.

Stepping back a minute, this is proving to be a very divisive issue. The central powers are clearly so committed to the 'Yes' vote that its unlikely that they've planned an alternative future for the CTC if the vote doesn't go their way. Cue several years of a rudderless CTC.

If the vote goes through, the same powers might assume that the issues highlighted by the 'No' campaign have magically disappeared and carry on as before, while a significant number of dissident or disaffected members simply walk away. I'm already picking a dress for my flounce.

In the short term at least, it's difficult to see how anyone wins. It's not good, is it?

FWIW I particularly enjoyed Arthur Spurr's email in SpinWATCH - I would have loved to have read it before its fateful passage through Google Translator.

 

[theclaud]

I particularly enjoyed Arthur Spurr's email in SpinWATCH - I would have loved to have read it before its fateful passage through Google Translator.

Hilarious! Can anyone help me out with the meaning of this?

"Our seeking only to be part of the transport lobby would clearly be myopic, cyclists aren’t physically engineered they’re educated so!"

 

[BigSteev]

I wonder when/if I'll get an e-mail from anyone at CTC.