So we just had a Allotmenteers' Meeting in the local Civic Center. Everyone was invited of course, though it was mainly an opportunity to welcome the newer Lottie holders in Fields C and D and a chance for all of us to tell our Committee the issues and ideas we have.
Hardly anyone was there. I'll tell you I was very disappointed. I took the trusty wee camera to take a nice group picture of us from the balcony, but I ended up taking pictures of the roof of the building. Honestly, the AGM better be 5 times fuller or we won't even be able to pass a single issue ~ you need a quarter of the members to be there to get anything done.
Though we do have a major problem with that - to vote in our association you have to be a full £5-fee-paying-member, just owning a plot isn't enough. Though I don't think the majority of people there know that.
I know that people have other things they would rather do than go to a meeting (working on their plot for instance on a nice night like it was)~ red tape and arguments are certainly not my cup of tea ~ but Andrew and I were there with bells on. Even with my anxiety I spoke out many times but when things turned sour I really couldn't cope. We are supposed to be in this together; petty fighting has no role in progress.
Anyway, not a great deal was done. Ideas have been thrown out there, tensions were vented and the poor members of the committee had to try and stand up for themselves at every turn. Goodness, there is only so much they can do and with our project only being a year old, we have little creditably behind us, plus half of us started last year, half this year. We're seedlings ~ needing support and a period of stability and some nurturing.
Well I don't even want to talk anymore, I'm so tense after all my talking in front of people and desperate attempts to make the meeting about communication and working together. I've the worse headache - god knows how everyone else feels, including those who stormed off.
Lastly, Andrew has been co-opted into the committee! Eeek, I don't envy him, the bureaucracy would drive me mad!
I gather this is typical of all such meetings - that people just don't show. Some have a cast-iron reason why they can't, which is obviously fine. But most will just not realise that they must behave as they are assuming/hoping others will do. Even otherwise nice people can be stupid and selfish when it comes to how they act within an unseen group, I find.
ReplyDeleteWell done for speaking out and congratulations to Andrew in hius new found role! You'll have to get him on growveg as there are a few lotty committee peeps on there - Lottie springs to mind first :)
ReplyDeleteDifficult to not let apathy set in under these circumstances. :(
ReplyDeleteyip, seems this is just the way of things when you have a group of passionate people and a project not moving fast enough for everyone. Hopefully it will get better.
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