Crusty gnas dress code - bottoms

[Thunk]

I have now dug out my copy of AUK and read the letter that started this thread.
I have to agree with the original poster; the response to the letter really sums up the smug, self-satisfied attitude that seems to permeate GNAS. the only remedy is to acknowledge members as members, with full individual voting rights, and then act according to the will of the majority. If there is apathy amongst the membership, iit's probably because they are aware that whatever view they express will not affect the course of events one way or the other.

Of course, GNAS will point out that members DO have a vote - through their club secretary. Does that mean that trade unions were wrong to get rid of the block vote?

[MrT]

I like the fact that archers at tournaments have a dress code, I'm not so bothered about the colour scheme.

I would like to see the code altered to allow registered club colours (complete outfits) OR whites.

It works for cricket, why not for archery?

[ade53]

Over here in France the three competitions I have been to you can ware a club top and white trousers or all white

[Thunk]

Originally Posted by greydog

I think the most effective way to get a good feeling for how the majority of archers feel about the dress code, without any one group or individual sticking their neck on the chopping block, is for GNAS to get in touch with club secretaries.

They can do so easily enough as they have contact details for all the clubs paying fees, yes? Then they get the secretary over the space of maybe a month to contact the members of that club and have them tick a box much like the poll at the start of this thread. Then they return the results on a set date.

This avoids a number of problems, people putting multiple votes in, voter apathy, GNAS having to send forms out to thousands of members etc, they would also get results within a set time period, instead of in dribs and drabs.

This would be pretty easy to implement if people put their minds to it, and would get the issue resolved long before 2008 without people having to travel miles to attend an AGM.

That's the way it's supposed to happen now, except that club secretaries are meant to return one vote on behalf of their club - theoretically an expression of the democratic will of that club. It happens if the club sec can be bothered - seeing that he/she is an unpaid volunteer with enough to do besides running his/her own life, it probably doesn't happen too often.

And then there's the problem of democracy; this situation is an exact analogy of our parliamentary system. How many times have we seen a government elected even though they polled fewer votes than the opposition because of the way constituencies are allocated, with some containing many times more voters than others? It means that any returns to GNAS are going to be skewed in one way or another, and that the direction of bias is unknown.

A better solution would be for GNAS to take the membership's views directly. It wouldn't require sending out forms etc; they would just have to use the same procedures as we do on this forum when we poll. An archer would go to the GNAS website, enter their GNAS membership number - and vote. And the results would be seen by all instantaneously. But of course, that would require GNAS to acknowledge that the membership are entitled to influence it's procedures in the first place...

And that means GNAS recognising that it exists to serve archers - all of us. Not the other way round.

[greydog]

I agree that using the GNAS website would be the fastest and most democratic way of reaching the membership, but to my mind there are a few drawbacks, one it assumes that all or most of the members have internet access, I think about 30% - 40% of our club don't have internet access. The second is that it would be easy for people to make multiple votes under madeup GNAS numbers, just take your GNAS no. and change a few digits.

If the current system requires a block vote from clubs rather than individuals, then I would think even a flawed internet based system would be far better, I don't understand why something so easy to solve would be done in such a way

[Barry C]

All they need to do is print voting slips in AUK, every member gets AUK, so if they only accepted forms cut from the magazine with your gnas registered name and address it would work, the might also put it online to cut down a majotity of paperwork.

GNAS doesnt use its web site effectively, it would be such a great tool to gauge public opinions, they should have their very own polling area and they should have thought of aiuk 10 years ago.

One problem with club secrateries, and committees: on a trivial issue such as dress can you be sure they would represent the club and not their own interests. Most club secrateries i have met have been self empowered old men who only listen to their other chums on the comittee. - Once such issue recently happened to my club where Guildford Archery Club refused them free associate membership status despite a written contract hence the university lawers are now at work.

Forgive me if you are an honest hard working comittee member with your members at heart.

I would like to see the gnas hire a chief exec from the private sector who knows how to get things done instead of another cronie from within the club hut.

[whisky]

I agree Greydog, but we still need the initial ooomf? to get GNAS to act and I guess that's either direct action to GNAS or via AUK, so they know we all think the status quo is FUBAR (as you say)

[Judge]

Hi Folks,

The reason I stated 2008 in the post is because the rules are revised every 2 years. It would be unlikely that a major alteration to dress code would be issued as a rule change through AUK, and it would have to wait for the revision in 2008. Unfortunately the rule book has just been revised and the rule changes become active this month.

[whisky]

Originally Posted by greydog

one it assumes that all or most of the members have internet access, I think about 30% - 40% of our club don't have internet access. (

You've not factored in the high % that can't write their own names - I kid you not, there were moans and groans about score sheets at the weekend

Well I'm cluster ****** then given who our club Secretary is !!

[greydog]

Sorry Judge, I didn't mean to attack your statement directly, rather I understand that these changes would take an unecessarily long time and that there must be ways and means to speed things up.

Whiskey, the number of people still without internet access was something that suprised me when I tried to get the club news letter out as an e-letter, if our club is a reasonable representation of the broader membership, then an internet poll would be limited in it's scope, reaching maybe half the membership at most unfortunately.

Putting slips in AUK is a good idea, but I think it would again fall prey to voter apathy, especially as I know quite a few archers who just don't read it as it's so boring........the slips would end up in the bin