In message <[log in to unmask]>,
Per Rekdal <[log in to unmask]> writes
>
>ICOM and personal economies.
>
>There were a lot of complaints on the List last year about how much of
>one's private funds that has to be used in order to take up office in
>ICOM. This is regrettably true, but in my opinion there is no way ICOM
>can subsidise office holders in general.
ICOM can, however, acknowledge this.  Every institution and personal
contribution 'in kind' as we say here (e.g. paying for an airline
ticket, providing room and lunch for a committee board meeting) should
be submitted to ICOM, and acknowledged in ICOM's accounts as a
receipt/expenditure.
This will have a twofold effect.  First, it will show the true cost of
running ICOM.  As a potential funder (if I were one) I would feel a lot
happier giving X dollars to an organization with a total budget of Y
dollars, which already attracts Z dollars as in-kind donations, than I
would giving to an organization which has so far, it appears, got little
in the way of member support.
Second, it will make the donors of support in kind feel a bit better!
It is much easier to get continued funding if previous contributions
(even though they are 'only' the cost of an air ticket and hotel room)
are properly acknowledged.

>A point to consider would be to create a foundation for office holders
>from poor countries (or use and strengthen the existing ICOM foundation
>for this purpose). Such a foundation would probably inevitably depend
>on the increased payment of ICOM members from wealthier countries.

I think this is a good idea.  I also feel that the existing foundation
should be a registered charity (or equivalent) in each country.  This
would enable members to make tax-free donations.  Membership, is
sometimes taxed, sometimes not (some governments feel it is a
professional body, others do not).

>Meetings of the Advisory and Executive
I agree 100%.

>And the cost of moving
>the ICOM administration ...

How much admin. needs to go to each meeting?  Surely an institution in
Mexico City, Nairobi, etc. could be found which could provide the
hospitality (either as an acknowledge gift in kind, or for payment).
Then what is needed - a trilingual secretary?  (Or how are the meetings
conducted - if translators are provided, then translators could be
locally provided, and just one secretary, with one language, could
minute the meeting.
>
>
>National committees
>
Agreed 100%, with this proviso: in some countries, 'the national museum
organization' deals with only one sector of museums.  It is common for
such organizations to ignore the voluntary-run museums, and sometimes
they only look at the national museums, or they exclude the national
museums.
>
>
>Membership
>
>A point to consider is to allow for collective membership in ICOM for
>all members of a national committee.
I am not sure what you mean.

>
>Membership benefits
>
To me, the ICOM free entrance to museums is a very small benefit.  What
is far more important is the meetings, and the journals.  I am concerned
that more and more committees are making their journals for 'voting
members only'.  I would much rather see a trend whereby, at cost,
members could receive the journals of any committee which interests
them.

This brings out another question: given that non-voting membership just
used to bring the benefit of the journal, and we no longer get that in
some, what is the point in limiting membership to two non-voting?

I think we should be members of one, voting, and then able to subscribe
to as many journals as we wish. If ICOM centrally thinks it a good
thing, then two journals should remain free.


>
>Membership and benefits for institutions
>
>Personally, I fear that giving out more cards may make it less relevant
>for museum professionals to become personal members.
I believe that the card is a minor benefit: it's the journals and
meetings which are important.  Giving a few more people free entrance to
museums while on their holidays - that is a cost which will be borne by
the institutions visited, not by ICOM.

Or are you suggesting that the number of journals received by
institutions should be increased?  I think 3 copies is sufficient.

You might also wish to consider a 'small institution' membership, at the
same rate as the individuals, with just one journal (my institution, for
example, has one full-time and two part-time members, of which two are
individual ICOM members, and one is not.  Since I am married to an
individual member, who works for an institutional member, we are awash
with ICOM journals at home, and I donate my copies to my institution.

>Membership in international committees
>
>Some years ago a representative in the Advisory suggested that all
>members of ICOM could choose two international committees and be voting
>member in both. I think this proposal is sensible because it is much,
>much simpler than the present system with voting and non-voting
>members. It is simpler for the secretariat, simpler for many members
>who no longer can remember which of the three committees they are
>voting member in and maybe it forms a more just basis for the
>distribution of money from ICOM.

Being a member of two voting committees is fine.  But I still argue for
getting low-cost journals (and attending meetings) of others.  This is
particularly important for institutional members.
>
>Additionally, the forms on which one applies for membership should
>contain selection of international committees in one and the same form,
>and not on two separate forms, like now. Thus the applicant sees the
>selection of international committees as a matter of course.

Good idea!

I would add that I served on the board of ICMAH, and feel that the whole
management of International Committees needs to be reviewed.  It took me
nearly three years to find out that ICMAH did not have a written
constitution lodged with the secretariat, and I gave up trying to work
out how the constitution could be changed when we didn't even have one.
>
>
>ICOM Economy: can money be saved through more use of electronic media?
>
I agree.
>
>ICOM Economy: can money be earned through advertisements in ICOM News?
>
>Even with the current number of members, one would think ICOM News was
>attractive for advertisements. With a strongly increased number of
>members, advertisements could make ICOM News an income earner, even in
>a paper version. I do not think advertisements in any case will make
>ICOM rich, but it may pay part or all of the expenses connected to ICOM
>News.

Good idea.  Lots of exhibitions, sponsored by multi-nationals would, I
feel, be willing to advertise in ICOM news.


Thank you for all your hard work in bringing ICOM into the next century.
--
Pat Reynolds
(Museums Development Officer, ICOM-UK, voting member ICMAH, non-voting member
Costume and Regional Museums)
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   "It might look a bit messy now, but just you come back in 500 years time"
   (T. Pratchett)


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