|
COMMENT
DEMOCRACY EASTERN EUROPEAN STYLE
THE CAIRNGORMS PARTNERSHIP FIASCO
by Nick Kempe
The long-awaited Cairngorm Management Strategy was launched in the name of the Cairngorms Partnership Board in December. The only problem was that the Board had not sat since March 1997 and Board members received their copy of the strategy at the same time as the press. This totally contravened the decision of the last Board meeting, which had effectively been instructed to suspend itself as a Board, that the draft strategy they had prepared should be worked up by a small sub-group including Adam Watson and then shown to all Board members before it was published.
Ironically, the preface to the Strategy by ex-chair David Laird states "the Board has a policy of transparency in all its transactions and communings".
To add insult to injury, the original draft strategy had been significantly altered and watered down. Nowhere in the Strategy
will you find mention of, or anything to question the proposed Cairngorm Funicular railway despite the fact that the Board had voted that this should go to Public Inquiry. Instead you find support for the existing ski area combined with the suggestion that the Long Walk In should be encouraged from Glen More. This would allow a future Board to support the Cairngorm Chairlift Company's proposed Visitor Management Plan which aims to force mountaineers to walk up the road to Coire Cas while allowing skiers and funicular users to drive there.
We have since discovered that the Constitution of the Cairngorms Partnership, which is a company limited by guarantee, states that the Board shall elect the Chair. This should come as a considerable embarrassment to the government because they announced the appointment of media mogul, Gus MacDonald, as chair in the Autumn and indicated he would appoint a new board.
The government also deserves to be embarrassed for taking five months to appoint a new Chair. However, the effective suspension of the Partnership Board meant that Industry Minister Brian Wilson was able in November to clear European funding for the funicular without fear of criticism from a Board who had previously called for a public Inquiry. This nevertheless represented an about turn which should have been embarrassing to Mr. Wilson given that in 1994 he was quoted as describing Objective One funding as "a giant confidence trick in the making" and that "If there is no-one in the Highlands and Islands Hierarchy who can resist the dominance of prestige projects, then Brussels itself should intervene". One can only assume that he has been poorly advised.
Early last year there were various indications that the Board might be restructured into a two tiered structure with the voluntary sector being given a lesser role. The previous voluntary sector reps included Adam Watson, Helen Geddes (at the time a member of the MCofS Executive and Convenor of the Cairngorms Campaign), Roger Owen (Chair of North East Mountain Trust) and Bob Aitken of the Scottish Countryside Activities Council, all keen mountaineers and people with the best interests of the Cairngorms at heart. The very people of course who were responsible for getting the Board to vote on the funicular issue. It will be interesting to see if the new Board includes such people.
All of this raises serious questions which we believe need to be answered. Who drew up what purports to be the Cairngorm Management Strategy? Who gave authority for this strategy to be published in the name of the Board? Who is actually responsible for appointing new Board members and who was responsible for instructing the last Board to suspend itself? How can the Cairngorm Partnership, as a limited Company, be a real partnership?
The most important question of all however is how to halt the continued destruction, degradation and mismanagement of those parts of the Cairngorms which are not in conservation ownership? Democracy Eastern European style, mal-administration and the current ad hoc means for managing the Cairngorms are no substitute for a proper democratically accountable National Park Authority. It is time the government made an explicit commitment
to create a National Park for the Cairngorms and at the same time it should set up an inquiry into the sorry events of the last 10 months.
You can help by writing to your MP, sending the campaign slip about the funicular to Donald Dewar, Secretary of State for Scotland or better still writing to him expressing your concerns.
EXECUTIVE NEWS
COUNCIL'S FINANCES
by John Millar (Honorary Treasurer)
This is the time of the year when the National Officers and Committees are updating their operating plans for the next three years. The development of the Council's diverse activities is dependent on adequate funding being available.
The current level of income from grants, affiliation fees, donations, interest, sales etc. is barely enough to give a break-even position. Next year we are faced with a possible reduction in grants as well as coping with increased expenditure required to implement the operating plans.
The Finance and Administration Committee therefore appeal to you to assist in making ends meet.
It is vital that all individual members and clubs renew their memberships, with club members perhaps giving consideration to becoming individual members as well.
The Committee also asks you to consider using the newsletter as an advertising medium or perhaps considering sponsoring some of the Council's activities.
This newsletter also lists items which the Council has for sale and it is hoped that you will take advantage of these
offers.
At this year's Annual General Meeting there will be two or three vacancies on the Finance and Administration Committee and if you have a commercial background and are willing to assist please contact Kevin Howett at the Perth office.
POLICIES BOOK
by Mike Dales
The MCofS has produced a "Policies Book" which for the first time brings together all of our policies in one publication. Over the past few years a total of 11 policies have been passed at our AGM's, and these now provide a useful reference for staff and committee members to work to. In his foreword to the new book, Nick Kempe, said "It is important that our policies should be made widely available to the mountaineering community, and we are delighted to be able to publish them in one booklet for the first time."
This book will serve many purposes. It will act as a guide for our members, communicate our ideas to people in other organisations, and provide an answer to many of the queries that come into our office. We have been able to provide one free copy to each of our clubs. Any individual members, or club members, who would like a copy can obtain one from the office for the member's rate of £1.50. If any of the clubs would like an extra copy we will need to make the same charge. The non-members rate will be £2.00.
MCofS ANNUAL GATHERING & GENERAL MEETING
Glenmore Lodge, Aviemore
Friday June 5th - 8pm
Slide presentation : 'The Throne' by Scott Muir
Saturday June 6th - 5pm
AGM
The business of the meeting will be conducted first, including motions, acceptance of reports and audited accounts and election of new committee members, followed by the announcement of the winners of this years Mountain Article Competition (prose and poetry).
6.30pm
OPEN DISCUSSION - THE CAIRNGORM FUNICULAR
Guest speakers (to be arranged) will look at the proposals for the funicular Railway development in Coire Cas, the current situation regarding the visitor management which unfairly disciminates against walkers and climbers (see Comment page 1), the alternative proposals put forward by members of Scottish Wildlife and Countryside Link and the proposals for a National Park for the Cairngorm area.
8.30pm
BUFFET
A full buffet is available with vegetarian options. Please use
the booking form provided at the end of this Newsletter.
9.30pm
EVENING LECTURE (Guest speaker to be arranged).
Accommodation : (please book direct to the appropriate place)
B&B is available at Glenmore Lodge at £16 per person (huge breakfasts !)
Loch Morlich Campsite, Glenmore Forest Park.
Loch Morlich Youth Hostel, Glenmore, Aviemore PH22 1QY
Mill Cottage has been booked for the weekend for members, please contact the MCofS office for further details.
VACANCIES ON THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE 1998
Do you have a passion for Scottish mountains and mountaineering ?
Do you have a good general knowledge of current access and safety issues ?
Do you feel you want to 'make a difference' ?
Have you ever considered becoming an MCofS Office Bearer ?
At this years AGM on 6th June, there will be 5 vacancies for Ordinary Members on the Executive Committee and the vacant posts of Vice President and President (Nick Kempe, MCofS President for the past 4 years, will be ending his term of office and the MCofS created a second Vice Presidents position at the last AGM).
We would ask Clubs and Individual Members to consider making nominations for these posts. The Honorary Secretary has also indicated that due to increasing commitments at work he would be willing to stand down if another member was willing to take on this position.
The roles of the Office Bearers (apart from getting involved in issues and campaigns) include chairing a relevant Sub-Committee (organising agendas, chair the proceedings of the meeting, co-ordinating the work actioned) and acting in the role of Line-manager to one of the MCofS Officers (drawing up work programmes, monitoring progress, undertaking annual work appraisals). The Honorary Secretary deals with the Executive Committee meetings and AGM's as well as acting as secretary to the Administration and Finance Committee. The amount of work has, in the past, been substantial but with a cohesive sub-committee and now 2 vice presidents sharing the responsibilities it is much less onerous.
If anyone is interested could they please get in touch with the office and ensure they are nominated correctly for the AGM (the deadline is 14 days prior to the AGM).
EXPEDITION GRANT AWARDS 1998
Only one application to date so we are still looking for applications! If you can get them in to us by the end of March they will be considered. A total of £2,000 per annum is available and applications for grants are considered both direct to the MCofS as well as in association with applications to the Mount Everest Foundation.
The scope of the award includes "excellence and adventure whether they be first ascents or first free ascents of routes in the greater ranges and little or unexplored mountain areas of the world, or similar pure rock or pure ice climbs in less remote settings but which are nonetheless worthy of international recognition". Since the inclusion of this latter category we have had no applications so if you have an area in mind say in Canada or on the fringes of Europe where an adventurous route/routes can be scaled, then feel free to apply. The minimum number of expedition members is two.
If you are planning a trip and you would like more information an Expedition Grant Information Pack is available by sending an A4 SAE(31p) to the National Officer.
MOUNTAIN ARTICLE COMPETITION 1998
Members are invited to submit articles for the 1998 competition.The MCofS reserves the right to publish the prize-winning entries. Past winners have been published in the MCofS S newsletter, Annual Report, Climber magazine or Journals (e.g. SMC Journal)
There are two categories:
PROSE - The subject matter can be about any aspect of mountaineering, rock climbing, walking or skiing; fiction or
non-fiction, weird or wonderful. It should be a maximum of 2,000 words long, preferably typed, but otherwise written on
double-spaced lines and single-sided. Be bold and wax lyrical. Most people have a book inside them - We just want an article!
1st Prize : £100; 2nd Prize : £50.
POETRY - On the same subject as long or as short as you like. Prize : £50
Members should quote their club name or individual membership number. The closing date is April Fool's day 1.4.98 but don't be put off by this!
Send your entries to the MCofS office, enclosing an SAE if you wish the article to be returned.Winners will be announced at the 1998 AGM.
Back to Newsletter index
next article
|
