Posted by Dave Thewlis on September 20, 2003 at 04:46:24 from 12.65.96.199 user dthewlis.
In Reply to: a FOREIGN AGM! posted by Dan Lind on September 20, 2003 at 01:56:18:
The TARS Board did discuss at some length possibilities for incorporating representatives from overseas groups. There were considerable problems with direct representation from overseas groups as you can imagine, ranging from expenses (TARS certainly isn't in a position to fly people from Australia, the U.S., Canada, New Zealand, Japan, and so forth quarterly to Board meetings) to selection (the overseas groups aren't organized into formal regions and don't conduct elections, nor are very many of them in a position to have events, get to know each other, know who they would want). So would it be the overseas coordinators? What about TARS in overseas areas which don't support groups because there are too few people there (eg Thailand)?)
If indirect representation, what model and how would the representative be chosen? Who would be qualified, and how could he or she effectively represent overseas interests? And who says all the overseas groups have the same interests or points of view, anyhow?
We (the overseas coordinators) did get involved in dicsussions trying to understand what the issues were and what the choices, at least for an initial try, might be.
The way forward at least for the immediate future is for a member of the Board to be tasked with representing the overseas community. This person is intended to communicate with the overseas community, determine overseas groups/individuals positions or perspectives on issues, represent us to the Board, and generally be an ombudsman. Geraint Lewis was the first person to have this role and as mentioned above he feels that he now should pass it on.
This is all just being tried out in the last several months so figuring out how the communication will work and all the rest of it is going to take some time. But it is happening.
As for an Overseas AGM, the idea has come up before. I suspect we may see one happen some day, but probably not for a while - after all the AGM is supposed to be a General Meeting, and right now holding it anywhere but the U.K. would probably eliminate attendance by over 90% of the membership. Granted we find it hard to get to the AGMs in the U.K. but I think the reverse is simply too disproportionate as yet.
And doing an AGM is a whole hell of a lot of work on the part of the hosting region. What overseas group has the resources and reasonably local membership to host one as yet?