Comments on: Talks about talks in deadlock

By: Tom Hall

Tom Hall — Tue, 12 Oct 2021 16:59:10 +0000

In reply to David C. David C the 8 regions have all the votes the committee have none. the use of zoom meetings was proposed and seconded and voted against being used. the High Court made it LAW that the Councils in England Scotland And Wales after the 7th May can not use zoom ,we one the 17th May also adopted that rule. all rooms was booked for the FACE to FACE. as per requirement. and the committee broke the constitution, also there was not the required Quorum, a minimum of 17 delegates must be present. 8 regions 4 reps per region = 32 regional reps 40 % must be present to vote, or the chair must end the meeting.

By: Tom Hall

Tom Hall — Tue, 12 Oct 2021 16:39:31 +0000

In reply to Carol Gersington. Hi carol you seem to completely miss the point, the 5 delegates was picked on and dismissed for saying they was going to pay themselves. and now we know the committee had all along not told the truth??? can any other organizations believe what they are being told is true???

By: Tom Hall

Tom Hall — Tue, 12 Oct 2021 16:32:50 +0000

In reply to Carol Gersington. Hi carol, the committee needs the approval from the regions first before they can spend the money, also the 5 secretary's have been suspended for telling the members that the committee was going to start paying itself wages?? now they are advertising the Jobs with pay. so they have not been truthful?? how can you trust them from now on??

By: Nicholas Kaye

Nicholas Kaye — Mon, 16 Aug 2021 16:15:19 +0000

In reply to David E. Jones. Don't think that was the plan though.

By: David E. Jones

David E. Jones — Sun, 15 Aug 2021 17:48:23 +0000

In reply to Nicholas Kaye. Personally I would like to thank Dave Sadler for letting Keith Wescott have a slot in the show so that he could shoot him self and his plans in the foot by exposing how restrictive he was trying to make it for us to enjoy our hobby. Without that show the truth would not have been so readily known about Keith Wescott. Thank you Dave Sadler

By: Nicholas Kaye

Nicholas Kaye — Sun, 15 Aug 2021 15:17:52 +0000

In reply to David Rees. Is this the same David Sadler that provided a platform for Keith Westcott from the Institute of Detectorists in December 2020 on The Big Detectorist Show. The same David Sadler that promotes the Detector Network and LP Metal Detecting on the show. Is that representing ALL members of the NCMD as the constitution requests of its regional representatives?

By: John Wells

John Wells — Sat, 14 Aug 2021 14:45:47 +0000

Dear Midlands members and friends,
The National Council for Metal Detecting is an organisation which has a large and loyal membership. The NCMD is made up of eight regional bodies including the Scottish region, the North Western region, the North Eastern region, the Midlands region, the Southern region, the Western region, the Anglian region and the Yorkshire region. Allied to these is the Central Register comprising of Individual clubs and associate individual members.
Each region is autonomous with their own delegates representing them at National Council executive meetings, that are held three times a year.
The NCMD is also represented at various decision-making committees such as the Portable Antiquities advisory group and other various government departments dealing with matters likely to have an impact on the hobby.
It has always acted as a crusading lobbying group when it believes that the hobby and its membership’s existence is at stake, such as when the Ancient laws of Treasure Trove were to be replaced with the introduction of the Treasure Act.
In 1996 I led that team of volunteers from the NCMD which negotiated with the government to put our case forward for our members. All done over many months, without payment, on a strictly voluntary basis.
Current members should be aware that without the unstinting work of these volunteers over the past 40+ years, detectorists would not be enjoying our hobby today, that is unparalleled and admired everywhere in the world.
The hobby of metal detecting and the organisation that has protected it for the past 40+ years is now under dire threat.
The people running the NCMD presently under the guise of “improving” it and making it more commercial, are presenting more of threat to it than any archaeological or governmental body could ever have dreamed up. They have effectively ripped up the legal Constitution of the NCMD that has been our guiding light for nearly half a century, because it doesn’t suit their agendas
Their aim of paying a public relations “expert” £21,000 per annum for a three-day week would be funny if it wasn’t so serious. That, and paying £16,000 per annum to the General Secretary and a membership secretary flies in the face as to why the NCMD was set up all those years ago by unstinting, dedicated volunteers who loved our pastime.
In order to stifle opposition from the four regions, the Midlands, Western, Southern and Yorkshire, they will no longer recognise the democratically Chairmen from these regions, including myself. Their excuse is that we refused to take part in zoom meetings called at their behest during a world-wide pandemic. Our reasons? The hobby was not in peril, and the NCMD was safe and could wait until it was OK to resume the face-to-face meetings as we had done for over forty years.
These people have taken it upon themselves to expel a long-standing officer without consulting the regions as laid down in the constitution, and to pay officers for work that they had agreed they would do for no recompense.
The lure of £330,000 in the NCMD accounts is proving to be a temptation too far. This is your fighting fund not theirs. Only recently we learn that a legacy of £15000 was left to the NCMD. Almost immediately the Chair of the NCMD, Wendy Howard said it should be shared by the officers for all the hard work undertaken by the officers during the pandemic.
What hard work? The world was in shutdown. It’s a joke
I have been the chairman of the Midlands region since its formation in 1982. In that 39 years, I have also served as Chairman of the NCMD for 18 years and a further 6 years as its President before being made Honorary President 2 years ago. Now they wish to remove me without first consulting you the Midlands membership and put in place someone who suits their greedy aims. This appalling insult to our democratic principles must not go unchallenged!
Please support me in defying their aims by voicing your support for the democratic principles that have made the Midlands region the biggest and most successful region in the country. Please let your objections and opinions be heard.
My Midlands members will soon be receiving a letter from the NCMD stating that they no longer recognise me as your democratically elected representative and they will ask you to put forward a person that suits their “commercial” agenda. Please ignore this.
If you believe that the Midlands has been badly treated by these people please let the world know. You won’t be allowed to publish any thing on the NCMD Facebook website as they monitor this daily and take off anything that displeases them.
The four regions are in a fight to protect an NCMD that has always stood for honesty, integrity and the constitution. These people have decided to drive a coach and horses through the constitution for pecuniary advantage that benefits only a small minority of officers.
In recent days we, the four regions, have accepted mediation in order to resolve outstanding issues but these usurpers have refused to allow the four regions’ chairmen to take part. What are they frightened of?
We have since learned that the offer of mediation has now been withdrawn as they want to choose who will oppose them and are afraid to meet us face-to-face.
I have served and supported you for the past 40+ years. Please support me now in stopping these people from destroying an organisation that has become the envy of the rest of the metal detecting world.
Sincerely
John Wells, Chairman, Midlands Region NCMD,
Honorary President NCMD

By: Sydney Hallam

Sydney Hallam — Fri, 13 Aug 2021 08:08:52 +0000

the NCMD has turned down the offer to mediate. this now makes them Guilty by Default. Kevin Gorman has not been officially elected as General Secretary. Now is the time to prove he has, the offer of mediation is still on the table. The regions have autonomy and elect a committee to do the Day to day running of the NCMD. the committee dose not get any votes. the regions propose second and vote, not the committee. the chair person gets a casting vote only. the regions tell the committee what to do not the other way round. Kevin Gorman is only the General Secretary. a secretary that everyone has to share. the Chair is in charge not the secretary. Kevin Gorman has Broken the Constitution many times and he has spread malicious rumours about a fellow officer.
Syc

By: Carol Gersington

Carol Gersington — Thu, 12 Aug 2021 13:57:50 +0000

In reply to B. Lovett. But they aren’t paid salaries except for the membership bloke. I keep reading that they are paid but the NCMD have said they aren’t. No idea why anyone does it for free though cause I wouldn’t. A few hours a month might be okay but if we want proper stuff done it isn’t really fair to expect folk to do loads of work for nothing.

By: B. Lovett

B. Lovett — Thu, 12 Aug 2021 11:04:32 +0000

In reply to Carol Gersington. Hi carol you may be misunderstanding what I was saying I agree if it’s spent on member’s issues that’s what it’s there for ,the point I was trying to make was I was agreeing with comments made by John wells of the midlands region who stated that ncmd personnel were being paid salaries when in the past he and others did the work volunterilly to the benefit of the NCMD and it’s membership