tree forks Scotland - Arb' Association talks..or lack there of..

[ArbMish]

9 minutes ago, htb said:

Arbmish,

 

Prob a couple more I could ask. What is the attendance costs as they are all tight aberdonians 

 

Cheers David

 

Ah you're a David too?

 

It's not cheap but I'd say it's not bad for a day course and it's cheaper if you're an AA member.

 

I've attached the prices for the course running in Preston in December. I'd imagine it would be the same cost.

 

I would remind them that it can be claimed back in their tax

 

 

 

Edited November 26, 2017 by ArbMish

[swinny]

On 23/11/2017 at 21:11, EdwardC said:

You can complain to the AA all you like but don't expect them to take any notice. All they're interested in is the south east where they can generate money. To some degree that's fine, but we all pay the same fees so can expect the same benefits. It just doesn't happen though. All the money generation is for the benefit of all the members, not just those down south.

 

If they don't run things up north then of course no one will go. To say no one will go to events up north eventually becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy arising from the lack of interest the AA shows in actually doing anything. I've recently started to question if my AA subs would not be better off staying in my pocket, but I have convinced myself to renew this year, I just can't remember how I convinced myself or why.

Must admit.... ive thought about not re newing membership next year also

[AA Teccie (Paul)]

Hi all, thanks for your contributions throughout this thread and I sincerely hope enough interest can be committed to make delivering the course viable  (a figure of 20 delegates comes to mind but I stand to be corrected by my colleagues at Head Office.)

Respectfully, the last time I delivered an ARB Approved Contractor 'Preparation Workshop', albeit at the RHS next to Edinburgh airport, I had only 1 delegate, perhaps it was the me factor, perhaps it was the course, perhaps it was the location...perhaps a combination of all those things. To be fair, the previous day I delivered a BS3998 seminar and we had circa 15 people attended that. The upshot is we're just never sure what events will or will not prove successful and I applaud the initiative here in getting this off the ground...hopefully.

 

Best,

Paul

 

PS I will feedback to Head Office your comments and concerns and I would urge you all to get behind your respective AA Branches and initiatives such as this. Thank you.

 

[daltontrees]

Paul, as you probably know the AA has just published its "Arboricultural Association Training courses and events for 2018" calendar.

 

There are NO events proposed in  Scotland this year.

 

This sort of thing doesn't go unnoticed by people up here. I'm afraid it does add to the sense of wondering if it is worth joining or remaining in the AA. The AA is generally anglocentric anyway. As an aside, I am reminded of the time that I pointed out to the AA that one of its website pages (TPOs and Conservation Areas) needed to be changed to point out that it was only correct for England and that there were differences in law in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The pages got changed, for sure. By adding something like 'this page does not apply to Scotland'. Hmmm...

 

If the AA wants to carry Scotland with it, perhaps it should consider subsidising a couple of events that it feels will not be self-supporting?

[daltontrees]

I meant to add, 'or collaborate with other organisations to run joint events' 

[Andymacp]

That would be nearly two years in a row without a single course in Scotland, absolute joke.

[Andymacp]

Hi all, thanks for your contributions throughout this thread and I sincerely hope enough interest can be committed to make delivering the course viable  (a figure of 20 delegates comes to mind but I stand to be corrected by my colleagues at Head Office.)
Respectfully, the last time I delivered an ARB Approved Contractor 'Preparation Workshop', albeit at the RHS next to Edinburgh airport, I had only 1 delegate, perhaps it was the me factor, perhaps it was the course, perhaps it was the location...perhaps a combination of all those things. To be fair, the previous day I delivered a BS3998 seminar and we had circa 15 people attended that. The upshot is we're just never sure what events will or will not prove successful and I applaud the initiative here in getting this off the ground...hopefully.
 
Best,
Paul
 
PS I will feedback to Head Office your comments and concerns and I would urge you all to get behind your respective AA Branches and initiatives such as this. Thank you.
 

I feel this to be a serious cop out statement. A course to encourage people to join the assosiation that clearly doesn’t care for its Scottish members isn’t going to be well attended.
I think there needs to be proper response and a commitment to run some proper courses.

[Gary Prentice]

5 minutes ago, Andymacp said:

That would be nearly two years in a row without a single course in Scotland, absolute joke.

There was a good one in StIrling run by the Scottish Branch, I believe, in September. 

[Andymacp]

There was a good one in StIrling run by the Scottish Branch, I believe, in September. 

Ah cock, I’ll get back in my box

[jfc]

The course in stirling was fully booked up. I wanted to go but was too late. So there is demand up here! Duncan slaters talk in the botanics last year was very well attended too.