Subject: Convergence of UK conservation organizations
Letter from A/. Jean E. Brown. Accredited member of the Institute of Paper Conservation: The DistList has provided a valuable forum for the exchange of opinions regarding the proposed Convergence plans currently being developed for the UK Conservation Groups and I would like to pass on my thanks for this much needed forum for debate. I was one of the signatories to the letter that has been circulated recently regarding the proposed Convergence plans between the various UK conservation groups. My co-signatories are all established, respected members of the profession whose only interest in the matter has been to establish through debate the best way forward for IPC and consequently its membership. In a democratic society one might have expected such debate to be readily available to those who choose to use it. However the efforts of the executive committee of IPC to stifle any such debate have been to say the least quite shocking. We are not a group of anarchists intent on wrecking the IPC on the contrary we have the greatest regard for the Institute and our only motivation has been to try and ensure that what is valued by the membership is preserved and that any improvements are clearly identified and provided at a cost that is considered acceptable to the membership. We felt that the questionnaire that IPC circulated with regard to Convergence did not provide an opportunity to express these concerns. There has been no satisfactory response to the main issues that were raised: * Why can IPC not continue in its current form? * What are the specific benefits of Convergence to IPC members? * Will the journal and newsletter continue in its current form after Convergence? * What will happen to the personal indemnity cover provided through IPC subscriptions to its members? * What will be the cost of subscriptions post Convergence? * IPC split from UKIC because Convergence did not work at the time. What has changed to make it work now? It would also appear that the entire Convergence consultation costs of over UKP14,000.00 were met entirely from IPC funds. If this should be the case this also raises a number of possibly even more serious issues: * Why were the other conservation groups not asked to contribute if they are expected to participate in, and benefit from the Convergence scheme? * Would it not have been more appropriate to encourage the current debate to take place prior to spending such a large sum of the member's money? * Having spent this money does IPC still have sufficient financial reserves to continue if Convergence does not take place? Miss A. Jean E. Brown Senior Lecturer Conservation of Fine Art Northumbria University NE1 8ST +44 191 227 3331 *** Conservation DistList Instance 18:6 Distributed: Friday, July 9, 2004 Message Id: cdl-18-6-005 ***Received on Monday, 5 July, 2004