Branch Lines October 2002

Some personal notes of the October Council meeting

Good enough?
The location for this months meeting may be well known to former UCL students, but walking through a large cloister to a bright ground floor meeting room Goodenough College was a very pleasant experience. It was even worth a photo for one member before he made his way up north.
The meeting was not helped by way in which our rail services seem to fail at every possible excuse. ' poor adhesion on the line' was the lame excuse I got for GNER more than doubling my usual journey time. As a result the new cycle of meetings started inauspiciously with members dribbled in fuming and with the AGM yet again inquorate. Somehow or other our constitution stated 25 as the minimum and we now will have to go to the Privy Council to reduce it or just make sure that we hold AGMs with another event - surely what all Branches do any way!. Things got further delayed as microphones were set up- this was the first time that verbatim notes were being taken.

Annual report

Nigel Thorne,Treasurer who is usually fairly laconic in his approach was queried about his up beat financial report - simple he replied -this is the first year that he feels he has got a report that actually makes sense and one that shows real financial reserves - a lovely word to Nigel!
Rod Edwards expresssd concern at the continuing numbers of resignation from membership and suggested that we needed to review the matter.
Only 300 of 1500 students are members. Mike Wetherell is looking into this
This was a meeting for old chestnuts

The Official Journal

Despite being given yet another lease, the Executive Committee recorded that they were still not satisfied with the quality of the Journal. Although it has just had a facelift it still costs £48k pa when other publishers would have reduced costs to the LI to zero and by now would be paying for the privilege. It was agreed that with the contract coming up for renewal in March we needed to yet again seek offers from other parties and to look at any route that might exist to capitalise on existing skills.
A lot of disappointment was expressed 'we must now think with our heads not our heart' seemed to be the conclusion.

LI AWARDS 2003 START THINKING

Now something for everyone. Next year each region will be holding awards for

The landscape architect who had made the greatest contribution to the region
The most influential scheme 1929 -1969
The most influential scheme 1970 - present
The best community involvement in a scheme

Thoughts please!

Other Things of interest

Identity and Image is to be revisited. Well just a bit only colour, typeface layout - not the logo! At the next meeting we should have a consultants brief from Katherine Moore.
Professional Practice Exam- the Exam Handbook is now 8 years old and Exam sub group now looking at a radical review of the whole system perhaps replacing the exam with a project based
Senior Practitioners Having gone to a huge amount of trouble to agree a route whereby senior practitioners could join the Institute it now appears that the interpretation of the Charter that we received at the time, may not have been correct and that we probably ought to get Privy Council to agree a minor word change. A Special meeting was proposed in December to deal with the issue.
Policy Officer. It now seems that the Wales branch are having a few hiccups. In the meantime there is a need for a Policy officer in the Secretariat. Currently a huge amount is done voluntarily A panel of consultees have produced 6 policy documents in the last 6 months. Look at them- there are some doubts whether one full time person would be as representative.
Relocation. With National Trust going out of London the possibility of going to Queen Anne`s Gate is being investigated.
LI publications to be available free to all members either from web Site or as an Annual CD .

And finally… Why am I still here? Well no-one else came forward and technically I have only been elected three times. So two more reports March and July and then an end of my notes from Council. A new Branch Rep is needed. Come on. 3 paid for meetings a year in London and the opportunity to do get involved with the profession nationally. You need to be an MLI and be prepared to report back. Easy

Charles Clay
East Anglia Branch Representative

01832 273814 home
01733 742267 office
charles.clay@peterborough.gov.uk