atw: Re: was: Another "rates" query

Ladies and mental gents of this list,

Don't forget that the ASTCs (Vic.) & (N.S.W.) to name but two of our local 
heroes, are independent entities, registered as incorporated bodies in 
their own respective states.

The likelihood of amalgamation (provided the majority of their members and 
committee members actually want to lose their sovereignty / independence 
and see some tangible rather than simply ideological benefits from this) 
could cause an administrative nightmare, a legal rats' nest and a massive 
costs blowout (or at least an evening-out fees "adjustment") for everyone 
concerned.

It also raises the ugly spectre of the centralization issue.

What happens to the independent "club" magazines with their distinctive 
identities?

Would the independent, interesting and useful Web sites have to go?

Perhaps we could have our first "parliament" at Melbourne's Exhibition 
Buildings, choof up to Sydney, then build an isolated city somewhere in 
between, designed as an architectural joke on the ever decreasing circles 
of centralized government?

Come on folks.  Amalgamation and centralization won't just happen by waving 
some kind of magic wand.

Most likely, a separate (national) body would have to be formed and what 
were our independent local societies would turn into branch offices of 
that, with the need for massive (and not necessarily permissible under the 
various state / territory incorporation acts) structural, constitutional 
changes to the makeup of those societies.

Remembering that this list almost certainly proclaims the views of some 
very vocal and very tiny minorities (and even some who, for their own 
reasons, personal, ideological and financial) sit in the wings in judgment 
of societies that they refuse to even join, rather than the silent (and 
therefore, by nature unrepresented in this discussion except by their 
respective committee members) majorities, you all might want to take one 
step back, take a slow, deep breath and count to ten.

Perhaps what would be the most pragmatic objective to aim for is ever 
improving COOPERATION between our clans, rather than simply tumbling down 
the amalgamation and centralization path, which usually only leads to a 
deep, dark and scary forest of conflicting personal priorities.

A bit of food for thought?

Cheers,

Michael Granat
Write Ideas

At 22:39 26/11/2003 -0500, you wrote:
>A national body is a great idea

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