Subject: BHA: JCR 
Date: Sun, 24 Nov 2002 14:52:28 -0000


Doug and other listers.

1. Accurate judgements about people acting or not acting with good
intentions are of course difficult. They are rendered even more
difficult in situations of controversy where so much goes on behind the
scenes. I am reminded of my discovery that the Council of one of the
universities I worked in had, at its inaugural meeting, made two key
decisions. One was that all the official records of the University
should be retained for posterity in the university archives. The second
decision was that all the records of the appointment ( equally
controversial ) of the first Vice Chancellor should be destroyed! Could
we be reassured that  all the records relating to this dispute,
especially those of the GS  will at some time be placed and retained in
IACR Council's archives? It would make quite a neat little student
research
project.

2 In democratic forums ( fora? ) proper meeting procedures ensure that
what is
done is open, fair and  transparent. Meetings conducted by email across
the globe even more so require openness and tranparency especially for
those who are not in the academic gossip network of British academia
like a number of Councillors based overseas (6) and Mervyn. Could Doug
comment on whether all Councillors are now routinely copying all their
communications on what to do now to resolve the crisis  to all members
of Council or are all communications still being conducted in an
individualistic way to and from the General Secretary? I cant think that
in this era of IT there would not be some readily available email
meetings procedure rules which Council could and clearly should adopt.

3 Doug talks of a possible bye-election for the elected editorship. I
have always hated the phrase 'in due course' when used to announce when
something will happen. Since a bye election takes some time to take
effect, I would appreciate an insider's view about when such an election
might be announced. You will appreciate that my life has been thrown a
little off course in the last 6/7 weeks.

4 You know we disagree about the conditionality of love but I am happy
of your expression of unconditional love for the departed editor.

Cheers. Rachel

Rachel Sharp
13 Spenser Rd
Herne Hill, London

Phone:0044(0)207 7372892
fax:as above
email: rssharp-AT-btinternet.com





     --- from list bhaskar-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---