AGM

I wish CILIP had streamed the AGM years ago.

Tonight I had the delight of watching the CILIP AGM live streamed from CILIP Command Centre, Londinium.  I’ve been keeping a low profile CILIP wise in recent weeks since I took my bat and ball home and left Council; frankly I concluded if I wasn’t going to take my chance to have a say there there wasn’t any point tilting at windmills in cyberspace.  But I was persuaded to come out of retirement to take part in the twitter stream for the AGM since, well, now the corporate gagging order no longer applies I could at least have my say as John Q Ordinary (chartered) member.

And tilt at the odd passing windmill.

It was…bloody good fun. And I’m sorry to say I felt like I was able to have a freer dialogue with the oridnary members than I ever was on Council; more’s the pity.  And I learned a few things along the way.

1. Isabel as Chair of Council is a gem at keeping a room and a meeting under control.
2. I’d never ever ever ever want to be treasurer of the organisation.
3. All that reading of names of the dead and the silence…weird.  Unwatchable and uncomfortable. And very old fashioned.
4. There are STILL far too many retired members coming in whom seem to have the time (and bus passes) to get to the meeting and influence policy and decisions on what is a livign breathing organisation. Take their votes away I (still) say.
5. Even when something is voted down, people just won’t let it die (I’m talking about you Mrs “let’s look into what overseas members are paid”
6. The tweeps in the twitter stream were all brilliant.  Shame Council/Trustees aren’t allowed free reign to share their thoughts – given they are the “acme of library advocacy” you’d think they’d* trust them. (*they = CILIP Exec)
7. Phil Bradley entertained me no end by looking a bit bored towards the end.
8. Where. Was. The. President?  [Edit] Scrub that, I as I’ve now been informed why
9. Online voting is a MUST for next year.  Should have it for this year, but the London centricity continues.
10. And if we can’t vote, why not questions from the twitter stream (thought @CILIPInfo did a splendid job of chipping in where he could all the same)?
11. WordShore broke me many many times with his quips.
12. Shouting/laughing/raging at the screen is so much more fun than sitting in a room in a posh frock trying to look serious and senatorial.  I don’t do those.  I do professional and manic instead.
13. Lots about what we’re doing for the sector.  Not much about what we’re doing for the ordinary member in the street.  Which these days is moi.
14. Can we not bring in a Vengeance of Varos style audience voting system?  Not for the Council and CEO, more for the daft headed questioners frankly – sorry your 15 seconds is up…
15. £5 more quid a year is bringing it awfully close to 200 quid for membership – beyond that I think it’s gonna shed members like dandelion seeds in a hurricane.
16. And finally – especial kudos to those tweeters in the room for keeping it real, interesting and not snoring too much in the disciplinary regulations bit.

Without a doubt, the most enjoyable CILIP meeting I wasn’t at and yet attended.  Still should have asked the Chair whom her favourite Doctor Who was under AOB thought