NCMD Dispute: “Four Regions” launch website
By now every detectorist should be aware that the NCMD has broken apart. The new regime that gained control not very long since first sacked representatives from the Yorkshire, Midlands, Southern and Western regions and soon afterwards expelled them from the NCMD. Mediation was offered and accepted twice by the four regions and then withdrawn by the NCMD.
The first and foremost task of the NCMD is to promote, protect and act in the best interests of the hobby. Over recent months these aims have been largely ignored; instead we have had claims and counterclaims from the NCMD and the four regions in regard to the financial accounts, payment of officers, attendance or non-attendance at meetings, the NCMD constitution, the cost of certain proposals, etc., etc. Are you confused by all this? You probably are, for I have been.
Some might not be confused, for they might have heard only one side of the present dispute. If, for example, they have read only what is on the NCMD website or its Facebook pages. Read those accounts and it seems that a significant majority give their support to those presently in charge of the NCMD. However, to hear only one side of the story can be misleading.
I’m a detectorist and you are a detectorist. The NCMD is our organisation and is financed by our money. I’ve already said that most of us are confused by the present situation.
“Four Regions” new website
Well, you now have an opportunity to read in detail an account of what has been happening. The “Four” have launched a new website, which you can access by clicking the image. It has been written with great care and everything in it is based not simply on opinions but on facts.
The website contains information on the Four Regions and the people at the heart of the dispute. There’s also the detail of the constitution and the accounts of the NCMD.
There’s a lot to take in but do take the time to read through it.
I fully support the 4 regions. I know how much these people and their associates support our hobby and members.
It’s a shame we can’t disband the NCMD, get the regions percentage of funding back using section 18 of the Constitution (Although this would be seriously depleted due to the “Centrally registered clubs” membership), and form a new council, managed by the nominations made by the 4 regions.
I don’t trust the current executive to be able to manage properly. They don’t appear to have the skills, experience, or essential decorum.
And as for the disgusting way, that they have treated John Wells. That is unforgiveable. I am sure there isn’t a detectorist in the country who isn’t embarrassed by this unconstitutional decision made in their name, but without their consent. At least John can hold his head high in public.
Dave Rees, John Wells, Clive Sinclair, Brian Vaughan, Syd Hallam and our other regional un-sung supporters….. I salute you, and thank you for continuing your efforts to get rid of this scourge on our hobby.
Very interesting how a lot of the supporters of ‘The Facts’ are the same people who have been planning a rival insurance offering for quite some time. It’s launching fully ‘very soon’ if Mr Sadler is to be believed. Even more interesting when you look at the timeline of when Brian Vaughn and John Wells went looking for dirt on the insurance. Yes it was after the NCMD had already published the letter from the insurers clarifying that it covers rallies.
Smell a rat? I smell a big, fat, smelly one.
P.S. Who is Jed Walker? A journalist he claims, but has no published articles, no online presence and with a Facebook profile set up a few weeks ago. Maybe as fictitious as the one from the ‘Reacher’ series…
David C, please engage your brain before your mouth, I did not “go looking” for dirt on the Insurance. as you can see from the comments above and the timeline I was not involved at all in seeking clarification of its terms..
PS. Who is David C?
Well, I read through all that Four Regions information and it certainly is a lot to try and take in for those of us who obviously were not privy to all the arguments that have been going on between the two factions involved. I wasn’t happy with the so called ‘negotiations’ that officers of the NCMD took part in during the forming of the 1996 Treasure Act but back then we had a strong voice in Colin Hanson’s FID (Federation of Independent Detectorists) who better represented the views of many detectorists. After Colin’s untimely death, FID ceased to be an organisation that publicly held both the Government and the NCMD to account. The result is that we now have the unhappy situation we find ourselves in today, with opposing parties more intent on fighting each other than those who would see the hobby regulated out of existence. Enemies of the hobby must be rubbing their hands in glee.
Well Max. I have held off replying to your misinformed comments but the more I read it I feel I can’t let you get away with your fabrications based on hearsay and innuendos.
FID, under the leadership of Colin Hanson played no part in the negotiations that prefaced the Treasure Act. The team that conducted these talks were Dennis Jordan, John Fargher, Trevor Austin, Bob Whalley, Gerald Costello and myself who was the Chairman of the NCMD at this time and who led the group. At no time was Mr Hanson involved. Sometimes a representative from FID would turn up on his bicycle, tag along with us, contribute nothing, sell the bike and go home on the bus. His insignificance was such that I can’t even remember his name.
These discussions started in 1993/1994 involving the NCMD team facing off to the likes of Lord Perth, the Home Office, the British Museum and the Archaeological fraternity.
At this time David Wood and Colin Hanson, believed that these discussions would get nowhere and that we should march upon Downing Street demanding that the status quo was in our best interest and that the ancient law of Treasure Trove should be retained.
Fortunately, that view gained no traction with the rest of the committee of the NCMD and so negotiations began, culminating in the Treasure Act gaining royal assent on 4th July 1996 that we have today.
When Colin and David broke away from the NCMD to set up FID, they did so with the NCMD’s independent members details, refusing to return them.
They then had to be warned that issuing our NCMD cards and retaining the revenues whilst no longer belonging to the NCMD, would not be tolerated and action would be taken to stop this. Colin agreed to this forthwith.
Unlike Max, my memory, my records and my files go back to the very beginning of the NCMD as one of its founders, and revisiting them in order to avail myself of the facts back then, reminded me of the hard work and dedication that went into preserving our great hobby which is so woefully being besmirched today. Yes, it was hard work, and we willingly gave up our time and energies but we were dedicated to preserving this hobby for years to come. To have done otherwise would have been a betrayal of the positions we held dearly.
Sadly, that philosophy is no longer evident.
If Max requires further clarification on those early years my files are available
I’m glad to see that the four regions are fighting back. Their well constructed information is all the more relevant because they have cleverly used the minutes of meetings, which they say they didn’t attend, to counter the lies put forward by the usurpers who have no track record of conflict that the five seasoned combatants have behind them.
The demands placed on these regions amount to dictatorship, Each region is autonomous and responsible to its immediate membership, not to people who have no allegiance to anyone or anything except the chance to help themselves to salaries that they have yet to earn.
Keep up the good work guys, the word is getting around.