CTC Membership Services - and the run-up to the 2010 AGM

[peanut]

I'm far from sure that this is the proper time and place to discuss CTC issues .

I would be interested to participate in a discussion about CTC membership and policy etc but in the proper place on the CTC forum


I don't know how many CC members are also CTC members but I would imagine it is less than 10%

In view of the fact that CC members are not allowed to view the contents of the CTC report (rightly so) I think this discussion should be moved to CTC forum.

The CC membership can hardly be expected to debate this issue when they are not permitted to view the contents of the subject of the post .

If this thread and discussion must exclude the majority of CC members from the full facts then this forum is clearly not the appropriate place to discuss the issue and I propose that it should be removed .

 

[John the Monkey]

Peanut, I think the problem maybe that the discussion can't take place on the CTC forum.

Lots of things interest some members of CC and not others - I can't participate knowledgably in the Fixie/singlespeed section because I own neither. (Don't have a recumbent, or know anything about them, which is probably even more exclusive).

As a CC member and CTC member, I'm interested in this though, fwiw.

 

[Cab]

Better than the alternatives I can think of.

I dunno. A campaign organisation that doesn't get things right may well be worse than no organisation at all.

 

[Cab]

If this thread and discussion must exclude the majority of CC members from the full facts then this forum is clearly not the appropriate place to discuss the issue and I propose that it should be removed .

Peanut, we discuss an amazing range of things on this forum. We don't delete threads on the Tory party proposing cutting speed cameras because most Tories can't post here. We don't delete threads on whether or not the BBC should invite a BNP spokesperson onto question time because most employees of the BBC haven't heard of this site

Its fair to discuss how the CTC act and whether or not their conduct is good or bad for the furtherance of cycling in the UK. That isn't a direct challenge to the CTC, it isn't an implicit criticism of the CTC, its an exchange of views and exploration of an issue that is (I think) important.

 

[BigSteev]

I think this is a suitable place for the discussion seeing as there are many ex-CTC members who would be unable to contribute on the CTC forum with information regarding why they are now ex-members.
As someone who joined for the first time this year I've found it useful if only to discover that I should have a membership card. No sign of one of those though.

 

[Cab]

Its a shame that so many of us have been put off the CTC by relatively little things; membership cards not turning up, difficulty renewing membership, that kind of thing.

 

[peanut]

Peanut, I think the problem maybe that the discussion can't take place on the CTC forum.

Lots of things interest some members of CC and not others - I can't participate knowledgably in the Fixie/singlespeed section because I own neither. (Don't have a recumbent, or know anything about them, which is probably even more exclusive).

As a CC member and CTC member, I'm interested in this though, fwiw.

yes I agree there are lots of subjects that I also am also interested in on CC but perhaps lack the knowledge to discuss and contribute usefully.

The point here is that no CC member, that isn't also a CTC member, is permitted to join this discussion on an equal footing, with the full facts available because the subject of the discussion, ( the report) isn't available to read.

More importantly in my opinion this subject is explicitly related to CTC Policy and Proceedure and membership issues and as such the CC forums is in my view not an appropriate place to discuss these type of CTC issues.I'm sure that CTC membership small print probably prohibits puplic discussion of these sort of issues outside of CTC

I ask myself if this is a legitimate discussion why is it not taking place on the CTC forums?

 

[Origamist]

yes I agree there are lots of subjects that I also am also interested in on CC but perhaps lack the knowledge to discuss and contribute usefully.

The point here is that no CC member, that isn't also a CTC member, is permitted to join this discussion on an equal footing, with the full facts available because the subject of the discussion, ( the report) isn't available to read.

Peanut, you do not need to be a CTC member to join the CTC forum.

 

[Cab]

Peanut, you do not need to be a CTC member to join the CTC forum.

Nor is this a site that charges for membership or which is hard to join. You just... join. Practically there is no exclusion of CTC members from here.

 

[Twenty Inch]

yes I agree there are lots of subjects that I also am also interested in on CC but perhaps lack the knowledge to discuss and contribute usefully.

The point here is that no CC member, that isn't also a CTC member, is permitted to join this discussion on an equal footing, with the full facts available because the subject of the discussion, ( the report) isn't available to read.

More importantly in my opinion this subject is explicitly related to CTC Policy and Proceedure and membership issues and as such the CC forums is in my view not an appropriate place to discuss these type of CTC issues.I'm sure that CTC membership small print probably prohibits puplic discussion of these sort of issues outside of CTC

I ask myself if this is a legitimate discussion why is it not taking place on the CTC forums?

Not having the full facts about a subject doesn't stop the vast majority of members posting on this forum, on all sorts of subjects from immigration to fixing brakes.

Look, it's in the part of the Forum called "Campaigning and Public Policy" and it's about a campaign to make the public membership of a campaigning organisation more effective so that they can influence public policy better. If you're not happy with it, don't read the thread.

 

[dellzeqq]

Peanut, you're missing the following. I run the FNRttC in part to persuade people to join the CTC - and I've been reasonably successful, although when they tell me that their membership card has the wrong date on it I do get a little disheartened. So I can start this thread wherever I choose, and, since I'm well aware that a good number of CTC members use this forum and don't use the CTC forum, I chose to start it here.

And I did start it on the CTC forum as well, where, as you will see, it remains. And is unlikely to get closed down in a hurry because..........I'm a mod there.

Now I've had to refrain from sending the report to a CC member because he/she wasn't a CTC member. That doesn't mean that they're unable to contribute on the basis of my first post.

No doubt, anybody who receives the report and reckons that I've misunderstood it will be quick to say so.

 

[johnsie]

Worries me too, as my £58 renewal is due in the next three weeks. I, like earlier posts, joined for insurance, mag, and discount at the CTC shop, which was with Evans.

Now the shop's with Wiggle and with a redesigned CTC web site, anyone, regardless of whether or not they are logged in as a CTC member can follow the links to the discounted Wiggle range. When I queried this with CTC, I was fobbed off with a less than satisfactory answer which I didn't have the energy or inclination to follow up.

Good job the 15% at Cotswold still works!

Having re-read this it looks like all I'm in CTC for is the financal gain - not really so, I'd be very upset if I'm not contributing some funding to cycle training and increasing the number of cyclists on the road.

 

[dellzeqq]

in fairness, Johnsie, I reckon I get most if not all of my £58 back in the form of bike shop discounts. And none of the above means that I don't think the £140,000 the CTC spends on campaigning every year is not money well spent. It's an excellent investment.

But when the Club has given the Charity its principal asset, then lent the Charity £370,000 on top of that, I'm concerned that a charity that is bigger in turnover terms than the Club could, with a few misconceived contracts, wipe out a considerable prorportion of the members's subs. If, for example, the CTC did £120,000 worth of work for the DfT and didn't get paid for it, the members could find themselves picking up the bill.

At the moment there is a distinction between the two, and those of you who read the annual accounts will have seen that the Charity and the Club are accounted for seperately. It's therefore possible to see that the one has lent the other £370,000. When two become one (youtube linky req'd) there will be no telling - especially since transparency is at a premium

 

[Bollo]

I've had a look at the document in question and I'll be emailling Simon with my detailed opinions when I get the chance (possibly not today soz).

But to summarise, I think it demonstrates a certain naivety on the part of the CTC when entering into commercial contracts with third parties. Extend this naivety and lack of accountability across a range of CTC projects and I think there could be potential to bugger the finances quick-sharp.

 

[peanut]

And I did start it on the CTC forum as well, where, as you will see, it remains. And is unlikely to get closed down in a hurry because..........I'm a mod there.

I'm sure it is there and doubtless I would view the post were it not for a lifetime ban,for which I believe you were in part responsible for