Group-Analytic Contexts, Issue 81, September 2018

Newsletter – Autumn 2018 5
President's Foreword
Dear Fellow Members
As I write this, the poll to elect new members of the GASI
Management Committee is fourteen days old. We sent the email,
inviting 437 members to vote. Currently, the society’s constitution
limits voting to Full and Honorary members. We have 285 Associate
and Training members and these are not eligible to vote. I wonder
whether this is an enlightened rule?
So far, 90 of us have voted – about 20% of the electorate.
Before the poll closes, on 22 nd October, we will send a reminder to
non-voters, so the final turnout may be higher. However, I don’t
suppose it will be very much higher because what is reflected, here, is
the enduring disconnection between members and committee. This is
hardly a new situation and it’s common to very many organisations.
I’m not even sure that it is a problem, although I’ve always assumed
that it is.
In a small move to address the sense of disjunction, we’ve
looked for a way to make this year’s AGM a more integral element in
the Autumn/Winter Workshop, on “Large Groups: Contemporary
Challenges”, on 9/10 th November. We’ve brought the AGM into the
middle of the Saturday and it will take place in the same setting as the
workshop LG’s. The AGM will then be followed by a final LG
session.
I’d like to encourage new members to attend the Quarterly
Members Group, in London on 20 th October. It’s an established and
well-attended group, which benefits from the participation of, and
greatly welcomes, those who travel long distances. If you ever think
of coming from outside London, please feel free to ask whether we
can find accommodation for you.
I repeat my invitation to write to me, at:
gasipresident@gmail.com about any matter that you’d like to discuss
with me.
All the best,
David
David Glyn
dearjee@gmail.com