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) [log in to unmask] "It might look a bit messy now, but just you come back in 500 years time" (T. Pratchett) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Change ICOM-L subscription options and search the archives at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/icom-l.html