NOTES FROM PIPEY'S CORNER

Volume XI Number 1 - January 2003

HAPPY WHA?

Sooo - the column's a little late and the old bronchitis is back with a vengeance - hell, it must be New Year's. I trust you all survived the holidays without too much damage to either waistline or bank account; it's time to make New Year's Revolutions, er, Resolutions:

1. Stay away from semi-political legal wrangles between factions in pipe bands.

2. Finally get the tutor reprinted

3. Get the tune book in shape

4. Finish the CD and get it made

5. '...avoid foreign entanglements....' HA!

A propos of #1 above, I will NOT get in the middle of Black Part's disagreement with WUSPBA. As I am no longer a member of that organisation, I have nothing to say but, 'So long, and thanks for all the laughs...Have fun storming the castle .....schmucks!'

In a slightly different vein I will be playing two Burns Night shows with Golden Bough this month, on the 17th at the Camel Barn Museum in Benicia (8 pm), and the following night at All Saints Episcopal Church here in San Leandro (7.30 pm); hope to see some of you there.

BLACK PART SPEAKS:

Ahoy! I've just recieved Words & Music with the proposed bylaw and contest rule changes.  The WUSPBA, it seems, even under Mr. Blandford's command, is not above some Skullduggary. Last year I submitted 28 bylaw and contest rule changes to the WUSPBA.  Mr. Hossack, then the WUSPBA President made the arbitrary decision to lump the 28 proposals into 2 for reasons unsatisfactorily explained.

However, a bylaws committee was also appointed, and the 28 proposals, now only 2, were tabled for this committee to consider.  Did any meetings take place of this bylaws committee? Where are the minutes of these meetings? Will they be produced under 'Old Business' at the AGM? Only Mary Bloody Hartman knows....

This year's Skullduggary involves the placement of no less than 18 other bylaw and contest rule proposals BEFORE the 2 sent to the bylaws committee last year. Under Robert's Rules of Order, Old Business is considered BEFORE New Business. Again, the Exec. Committee has failed to act in good faith. 

Who is the real PIRATE here? Moi? I DON'T THINK SO.

The proper conduct would be the following: 1) The 28 proposals from last year should be presented BEFORE any of the other 18 from this year;  2) IF the bylaws committee did not seriously consider any of the 28 (or 2) of the proposals from last year, the author of those proposals should have the opportunity to justify those proposals at the next meeting of the Bylaws Committee BEFORE or at the AGM; 3) After the justifications for the proposals have been BRIEFLY presented, those in attendance at the AGM should have the opportunity to ask questions of the author on the proposals, and then there should be an open discussion on the merits, and demerits of the proposals BEFORE the voting on them.  Reasonable time limits, agreed upon in advance by the Executive Committee and myself, may be set the evening before the AGM starts.

This might be a good idea so that discussion on the other proposals can also take place. As to the other proposals, I'll have some recommendations for everyone to consider very shortly.

BLACK PART