Naming?

[Cain]

Shouldn't this be the Crichton Montrose board?

[hr]

I hold an element of surprise

[Duncan]

Quoting Cain from 22:44, 12th Sep 2008
Shouldn't this be the Crichton Montrose board?

[hr]

I hold an element of surprise

Nah; Townsend is amusing (though only slightly). And funny trumps precedent, ask any lawyer.

"But your honour, I demonstrated that there is ample precedent against throwing a case of this nature out."
"The crown prosecutor will witness, it is the judgment of this court that the defence council is chuffing hilarious; case dismissed."

[Damaroy]

I agree, why the sudden change to Townsend? What is wrong with Crichton Montrose, or was that not known by the founders of Townsend?

[starsandsparkles]

Supposedly Townsend is supposed to be more focused on first years than CM.

I would imagine it's mostly just a way for the University and/or Union to make first years who don't have accomodation feel better about the fact.

[Jono]

In three years the only reference I ever heard to Crichton Montrose was during that paragon of currency; a debating event. There might have been an organisation in the past to deal with those living out of halls, but nothing has been done with the concept in all my time here. The Idea has left derelict, and the name is defunct. Now that its been taken on again, I think the DoSDA is entitled to re-brand it as she sees fit!

Disclaimer: This society isn't a society in the typical sense of the word, and as such is nothing to do with me.

[Al]

What exactly has it do with the DoSDA? Surely the needs and concerns of those living in private accommodation are, well, an accommodation issue, and therefore form part of the remit of the Accommodation Officer and DoR. The fact is that Crichton-Montrose Society IS the collective name for those people who live in private accommodation. Inventing a new name, and potentially confusing the people who have heard of CM, for it serves no purpose.

[Thackary]

In the run up to Freshers' Week this year, Philippa had a bit more time than James (something to do with an accommodation crisis), and so she took it on.
The remits may have crossed over slightly, but surely it's better that the sabbaticals are working as a team, to ensure that stuff gets done, instead of just saying "that's not in my remit"?

[Lid]

This society isn't a society in the typical sense of the word

Just as the Debating Society you make reference to, not one paragraph before. It may alarm and baffle you, but usage of the word 'society' is not limited to those affiliated to the Students' Association Societies Committee.

[Al]

In the run up to Freshers' Week this year, Philippa had a bit more time than James (something to do with an accommodation crisis), and so she took it on.
The remits may have crossed over slightly, but surely it's better that the sabbaticals are working as a team, to ensure that stuff gets done, instead of just saying "that's not in my remit"?

There is an Accommodation Officer. There is an SRC Member for Private Accommodation. I am not entirely sure why responsibility for something that has very little to do with student development and activities but an awful lot to do with accommodation couldn't be handled by someone with responsibility for accommodation.

[Thackary]

Not all the student officers were around during the summer when all the work needed to be done.

Does it really matter who did the work? Doesn't mean that responsibility can't be passed on, as long as both parties are happy and comfortable with the arrangement.

[Kegrad]

So on a more important note, what work has been done and what is planned for townsend?

[Jono]

I'm perfectly aware that the usage of the word isn't consistent. Others might not be. Better to lay out the discrepancy rather than risk confusion.

This society isn't a society in the typical sense of the word

Just as the Debating Society you make reference to, not one paragraph before. It may alarm and baffle you, but usage of the word 'society' is not limited to those affiliated to the Students' Association Societies Committee.

[Tweedle-Dum]

I demand a poll, Townfield or whatever is a stupid and nontraditional name. One need only glance to see the strength of feeling on this thread, and to note that the only people straying on to this board are doing so to criticise its naming to understand why it should have always been called the Chrichton Montrose Society.

[Fawksie]

Poll

I could have made this thread a poll, but I don't want to hijack it.

[RandomMusings]

There is an Accommodation Officer. There is an SRC Member for Private Accommodation. I am not entirely sure why responsibility for something that has very little to do with student development and activities but an awful lot to do with accommodation couldn't be handled by someone with responsibility for accommodation.

As Accommodation Officer, can I respond to this? As Thackary says above, the Sabbs were here when something immediate needed doing. I, on the other hand, was at home, working my summer job and dealing with as much accommodation stuff as I could from home. However, when you are not in town and unable to regularly meet with the people in charge - it can be very difficult to co-ordinate things. As such, James, Eleanor and Accommodation Services took control of housing the students who were struggling with a lack.
Phillippa's position of DoSDA can be taken to include the area of the 'student experience' - which I feel aims like the Townsend's would fit into - and, again, as Thackary says, at the time she had a little more spare time to devote to setting something up like this. She is also has lots of experience of setting up 'societies' from scratch and so with her access to the list of people who were in this situation, she was by far and away the best person for the job. I think the fact that it was done is enough - not necessarily who did it.

Finally, the Accommodation Sub-Committee is by no means sitting around doing nothing at the moment. We are working very hard on all manner of things designed to make the accommodation processes simpler and easier for both private rents and university accommodation. We are also working through the re-design of this year's How to Rent Survey and compiling some 'Senior Student Guides' designed to set out exactly what hall committee's are expected and can do, and then providing the options on how to go about their tasks. We are also still keeping abreast of all the new regulations coming into the housing sector including HMO, EPC & Accreditation & finally are still fighting the Fife Park battle.

Phil Pass
SRC Accommodation Officer

[Al]

She didn't set it up from scratch though, did she? There already was a society for students who live in private accommodation. The most she can honestly claim to have done is change the name of an existing society.

[munchingfoo]

and from having excluded all those not in first year from it, if the advertising is anything to go by.

"A society for first years who are not in halls".

Even if there is no intention of stopping non-first years from attending events, advertising in this manner will pretty much do the job for you.

[Jono]

She didn't set it up from scratch though, did she? There already was a society for students who live in private accommodation. The most she can honestly claim to have done is change the name of an existing society.

Er, not really. The Crichton Montrose society, assuming it every had any sort of formal framework, has not existed in any meaningful way since I started three years ago. I've never heard of a CM event being put on, or a CM coordinating committee doing anything. Even when actual effort was put into helping private tenants in town (How to Rent; How to Leave; Landlord-Tenant Charter), no attempt was made to use the brand-name.

I only know about the 'society' through word of mouth, and because UDS' inter-hall debate allowed allowed people outside of halls to enter under CM. Thats it!

Had this merely been a pointless re-branding, I'd be in agreement. 'Cept there is no Crichton Montrose society to re-brand. Just a vacuous concept that has been left to gather dust by successive administrations for god-knows how many years! Then again, we are all about dusty old things in this university.

Also, if this board is going to be used solely to argue about the name, is there any point in having it?

[Al]

I'm sorry, but you're talking rubbish. The fact that previous officers let the Crichton Montrose Society go for a few years without anything being done for it doesn't mean that it stopped existing, and, in fact, given that its membership is made up of students who live in private accommodation, there is no way that it could stop existing. You then contradict your own 'argument' by stating that the UDS uses the name Crichton Montrose for those students in private accommodation. So,you admit the Union does still use it for people in private accommodation. And even if the Crichton Montrose Society had fallen into desuetude, there is absolutely no reason why it couldn't have simply been recreated. There was absolutely no reason for a name change. That just looks like an attempt to convince people that something much more has been done than actually has.

[RandomMusings]

She didn't set it up from scratch though, did she? There already was a society for students who live in private accommodation. The most she can honestly claim to have done is change the name of an existing society.

Al, I never said she did set it up from scratch. If you read what I actually said, I was merely stating that she would be the ideal person to set up a society from scratch due to her previous experience - not necessarily the Townsend. And I kind of agree with Jono - if all that is going to be argued on this message board is the name, then what's the point? The Townsend & CM both were set up originally to bring together those students living in private accommodation. Why not just let the 'new' re-branded society try to establish a foothold and hope that people get involved. Just because the UDS uses CM as a name, does not mean that it still exists - many old traditions continue to be unheld by the UDS.

I can see the case for using CM for the society name as it is something that many have heard of. However - I do feel that the 'many' have probably passed through the university by now. With the accommodation problems of the early part of this year, something had to be done quickly to try and group together those students who should be in halls, but who missed out for various reasons. I have no idea how successful this attempt has been, but the name 'Townsend' has been spread around, so it has a chance.