Update on the split between the NCMD and the newly formed AMDS
NCMD torn apart
By now, all detectorists should be aware that the NCMD has been torn apart by a small group. They seem to care nothing for any opinion other than their own. I’m sorry to keep raising this issue but someone has to. The NCMD isn’t a small organisation but a very large one with assets of hundreds of thousands of pounds. What I consider to be absolutely amazing is that a small group of people can grasp control of this long-established organisation and its considerable assets with such ease. This was achieved by accusing critics of being abusive and then having them removed from their long-standing positions. This ‘abuse’ was in fact none other than raising legitimate and valid concerns regarding some of the actions and proposals of the controlling group.
Need for checks and balances
In any organisation, in is vital for good governance that proposals can be challenged and people are free to speak up when they believe something isn’t right. This provides the necessary checks and balances and is particularly important where there are considerable amounts of cash involved.
To illustrate this point: fairly recently the NCMD benefitted from a legacy of £15,000, which could be used in many different ways to further the interests of our hobby. Outreach to schools, for example, or educational courses for detectorists. However, the suggestion from the present Chair was that the legacy should be shared out amongst those who have grasped control of the NCMD. Had I any sympathy whatsoever for these people then it would have disappeared at that suggestion.
Digging Deep article and the facts
NCMD claims offer of mediation rejected
On page 12 of the latest issue of Digging Deep is a piece entitled “NCMD FACT CHECKER”. A paragraph reads: “The new General Secretary, Alan Tamblyn, wrote to the regional delegates and offered to meet then at a time, place and venue of their choosing to discuss and agree a solution. The offer was rejected.”
These FACTS are at odds with my understanding of events. As I reported on 3 September 2021 in NCMD’s offer of mediation is withdrawn (twice) , mediation was offered twice by the NCMD but they then withdrew both offers. I’m told that no further offer of mediation has been made since that second offer was withdrawn by the NCMD.
Publish the evidence
Therefore, would Mr Tamblyn provide an explanation of what has appeared in print in Digging Deep? Why does he not publish both his message offering mediation, that he refers to in Digging Deep, and the response that he received. That would give his claim some credibility.
Regions
Support for dismissed representatives remains solid
The representatives of four regions (Western, Southern, Midlands and Yorkshire) have been removed from their positions. The regions were set up so that their representatives could give voice to members’ opinions at NCMD meetings. This made for openness and a degree of democracy. The NCMD had to listen to points put forward by the regions but this seems no longer to be happening. By dismissing the representatives from four regions, will this lead to all the other regions being broken up? Is this just the start of a centralisation of power into just a few hands?
When these representatives were dismissed, the affected regions declined to put forward new names to take their place. This demonstrates that the grass roots membership supports not only the four regions but also the representatives dismissed by those who now control the NCMD. That is, the membership is solidly behind their representatives for the Western, Southern, Midlands and Yorkshire regions.
Growth of Central register weakens democracy
The regions have already been weakened over recent years through new members of the NCMD being put on what is now known as the Central Register, instead of being placed in the appropriate region. This has been allowed to continue, even though it meant that regional membership declined whilst the Central Register grew and grew in size.
Alternative to the NCMD
All this may not be an issue for you if you only sign up with the NCMD to benefit from the insurance cover. Well, now you have another option. You can have the same amount of cover for less money: £5 per year. Look on the AMDS website (www.amds.org.uk) for further details. That’s what I will be doing and I hope to take my club with me.
This, though, doesn’t mean that those presently in control of the NCMD can sit contentedly in their seats, for the struggle for true democracy will continue.
ok let’s get this straight in my head, ncmd, has been taken over, by people who are in the business of being interested in the financial gain rather than the interest of the members, well that’s nothing new, when the pas was being formed, and most changes since, I for one do not think the metal detectorist had a proper representative but no matter what, they did there best against the old enemy, the old guard that wanted to ban all detecting, I have detected through this and I might be slightly cynical but I am looking at this with older eyes, and not with the new eyes of people just joining the hobby, as for insurance, I have always been with FID, but looking around for a change as the take over a few years ago, creates it’s own problems, mostly no contacts, but look closer at the ncmd, and thier new handlers and who they know in the academic world, and now is the ncmd being run as a money making machine, so you support the new, off shoot why ? the contact I have had with them, I have not had a response so what’s the best one to use, or do we arrange an insurance our selves, the other possibility is several other companies offering more of an expensive alternative
detecting was simple before money got involved, I’m interested on the way people look at this as now the money vultures have got involved with rally’s insurance and financial gain in the artifacts, but I am not so affected, to quit it’s just insurance is a safe bet
Thank you so much Peter, for your hard work and support you have given the Western Region and others, just wanted to say thank you
Hi Peter, Thank you for your continued support and during the times when the NCMD had a web site to tell all the —- about us and we had you to give us a way to answer back. you have been a very good friend. I have put a link to your site detecting finds on our face book group. Syd
I am disappointed at times, in people. The very last time I met an individual named in Peter’s update regarding the NCMD, was shortly after resigning from a club I worked for as Chairman over four years. We met, had a drink together, and that person told me that he wished to thank me for all my efforts over the years on behalf of the club members, and that it was long overdue. We shook hands (pre-covid days) parted company with that understanding. It is a pity that this same person decides to wade into something he is obviously not clear about. He has ignored and now is party to the many unconstitutional misdemeanours of the others he is now working with.
You have to ask why now, when he never, ever during the past five years did anything for the NCMD region he resided in. It is the salary proposed in the minutes of the last AGM?
That is why in the past, the NCMD was managed by well meaning volunteers and anyone being proposed to the position of an officer in the NCMD had to undergo what is set out in the constitution to even be considered.
It is clear that the constitution is being totally disregarded and now members do not even get to view an agenda prior to a meeting, copies of minutes, and the accounts – well they have not been transparent for some past years, have they?
Well, the blackmail of insurance is no more as there is now a good alternative. There are also some good plans to better look after those who were previously just placed on the central register that will be revealed.
As a metal detectorists don’t just give your money to people with no track record for at least a couple of years at region level with a proven ability to protect the hobby. The AMDS and the Affiliated Region for Metal Detecting (ARMD) has people in it with more experience in defending the hobby for over 40 years and that is provable. .