On Fri, 5 Apr 2002, David Grattan wrote: +++++ [CLIP] ++++ > I am left feeling a little confused, however - more likely the result of my > own stupidity rather than Patrick's adroitly conceived notes: > > Patrick was very emphatic that ICs and AOs should not have the same status. > One reason advanced was that: > > "the Affiliated Organizations are all able to charge their > own membership fees and therefore manage their own finances, > while the majority of them, perhaps all, are independently > incorporated as legal bodies in their own right" > > But at the same time states elswhere that: > > "I can personally see no real alternative to at least the larger > International Committees - and perhaps all of them - becoming > registered legal entities in their own right and therefore > responsible for their own legal and financial affairs," > > > Is Patrick suggesting that some ICs should be like AOs or??? ==================================== David: I was responding to the argument in the International Committees Task Force's consultation paper point (1) - which seemed to argue that the Affiliated Organisation category should - in effect - be merged with that of International Committee. In my first point I was arguing that there are clear distinctions between the two at the present time which should be preserved - if of course the International Committees continue in anything like their present form. However, as you know I have been arguing for years that the International Committees should become incorporated in some way so that they have their own proper legal status. I agree that probably the most logical way forward would be for all the ICs to become Affiliated Organisations - but there are other implications in this, not least the fact that currently automatic and free membership of an international committee of choice is one of the most important benefits of ICOM membership.) My later point therefore addressed the ICTOP situation specifically i.e. that becoming an independent, but ICOM-affiliated, organisation may be the only way forward, not on financial grounds in our case (though I know that this is a major issue for the Conservation Committee), but because our credibility is in question since such a tiny percentage of museum training course staff are willing to join ICOM - despite decades of efforts to bring them in. Patrick - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Change ICOM-L subscription options, unsubscribe, and search the archives at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/icom-l.html