Katherine Valentine: Nominated for SSC Societies Officer

[kitty]

Feel free to post questions to be answered after the candidates meeting on friday.

[Duggeh]

You've got my vote.

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IMAGE:www.macintyre42.plus.com/images/tb2-100.jpg
Duggeh: Master Of Ceremonies

[kitty]

Thanks doug.

-Katherine Valentine Nominated for SSC Societies Officer

[Darth Fanboy]

Rather a long ranty bit here, by my standards, but I've been having to actualy get involved with the admin side of the Union for the first time this year and it's tinging. Bare with me.

There have been some problems this year with the overlap between DoSDA and Socs remits. What do you see as the deviding line between the two, and how will you work to ensure that the two work together, rather than shunting stuff back and forth between you?

For every society EGM/AGM GameSoc and Project Anime have run whilst I have been present, we've not had a representitive from the Union present to check that we're doing things right (and conveniently sitting there so we can pick their brains about the admin details). This resulted in Project Anime falling off the Union radar at one point. According to the handbook, this falls under the joint remit of Socs and the Elections member. Do you have any comment on this? Will you be making an effort to attend such meetings and/or lease with the Elections member and the society in question to ensure that everything goes smoothly?

The societies handbook is rather daunting and, in places, self-contradictory. For example:
Societies Handbook, p10, Newsletters: "You are no longer required to send out paper newsletters..."
Societies Handbook, p18, Secretary: "All societies are expected to produce at least 2 newsletters per semester. One of these must be on paper, but the other may be via email."
How do you intend to ensure that the societies' committees can go through the union's hoops with the minimum of fuss and get on with the job of runing the societies?

On a related note to the above, do you know which of the two presented in the book is correct?

And, as I asked of the DoSDA candidate previously, will you get me a copy of the GameSoc constitution? I'll vote for anyone who promises me one. Ben Nicholson has been singularly unhelpful in this, and nobody in the society's seen it since 2001.

[hr]

EVIL IS NOT A PHILOSOPHY. IT IS NEITHER A MEANS NOR AN END. IT IS AN ATTITUDE AND A LIFESTYLE. Make no excuses. Support no ideology. Never explain. You're EVIL. Just do it.

Hold on to your asses, ass holders.

[the Empress]

From a small struggling society (Sci-Fi soc)is there any way the following will be addressed: Room bookings (these have been made several times and are persistently messed up by the Union); Equipment (TVs don't appear to work, the projector never seems to work at the start of the semester -even when you've paid for it); AGMs - no rep has ever turned up to one of these. Admittedly ours are my dauntingly cheerful - 'so, you'll do this? Just for the form you understand . .' but it's the principle of the thing:P And any chance of societies who actually need to TV access getting preference over drama goups for the TV room - I know it's first come first serve, but it's pretty stressful! Plus, it seems strange to me that societies are supposed to pay for TV/projector hire (although hehe, no one seems to chase this up! And I dutifully paid it the last 3 semesters). It seems a bit pointless as the Association gives you a grant which you then pay back in equipment hire. I also think it should be made clear, with plenty of advance notice, that the TV must be booked seperately from the TV room. I didn't know this in my first year. By the time I found this out, and asked I was told 'Hmm, we don't know if it works . .'I know this doesn't all come under the remit of socs officer, but these are persistent problems which seem to plague smaller societies . .

[hr]

Better to win by admitting my sin, then to lose with a halo

[kitty]

I will respond to what I can for the moment. As far as the overlap between DoSDA and Socs remits, it is a fine line and I can't really say exactly where it is drawn, but Lee Kane, who is running uncontested for the DoSDA position next year is a friend of mine and we have worked together before, so I don't see that as being a problem.

As far as I know there should be a member of the societies committee or the elections officer at every EGM/AGM.

I will inspect the societies handbook for contradictions and correct them. I would say that the first one is correct. No paper-based newsletters are required, but at least 2 newsletters should be sent out in some form.

I will attempt to find a copy of the GameSoc constitution.

-Katherine Valentine Nominee for SSC Societies Officer

Quoting Darth Fanboy from 02:09, 13th Mar 2006
Rather a long ranty bit here, by my standards, but I've been having to actualy get involved with the admin side of the Union for the first time this year and it's tinging. Bare with me.

There have been some problems this year with the overlap between DoSDA and Socs remits. What do you see as the deviding line between the two, and how will you work to ensure that the two work together, rather than shunting stuff back and forth between you?

For every society EGM/AGM GameSoc and Project Anime have run whilst I have been present, we've not had a representitive from the Union present to check that we're doing things right (and conveniently sitting there so we can pick their brains about the admin details). This resulted in Project Anime falling off the Union radar at one point. According to the handbook, this falls under the joint remit of Socs and the Elections member. Do you have any comment on this? Will you be making an effort to attend such meetings and/or lease with the Elections member and the society in question to ensure that everything goes smoothly?

The societies handbook is rather daunting and, in places, self-contradictory. For example:
Societies Handbook, p10, Newsletters: "You are no longer required to send out paper newsletters..."
Societies Handbook, p18, Secretary: "All societies are expected to produce at least 2 newsletters per semester. One of these must be on paper, but the other may be via email."
How do you intend to ensure that the societies' committees can go through the union's hoops with the minimum of fuss and get on with the job of runing the societies?

On a related note to the above, do you know which of the two presented in the book is correct?

And, as I asked of the DoSDA candidate previously, will you get me a copy of the GameSoc constitution? I'll vote for anyone who promises me one. Ben Nicholson has been singularly unhelpful in this, and nobody in the society's seen it since 2001.

[hr]

EVIL IS NOT A PHILOSOPHY. IT IS NEITHER A MEANS NOR AN END. IT IS AN ATTITUDE AND A LIFESTYLE. Make no excuses. Support no ideology. Never explain. You're EVIL. Just do it.

Hold on to your asses, ass holders.

[Oli]

(Are societies aware that they are meant to INVITE the relevant officers to their AGM. The officers won't necessarily know that events are happening...)

[Darth Fanboy]

In response to Oli's comment, I will merley say that we have, as far as I know, given notice for all of them (although I will admit that the last GameSoc one did hand notice later than the handbook advised, blame the last president). The implication given by the handbook is that either the societies officer or the societieselections member would be present where possible. This has not been the case.

[hr]

EVIL IS NOT A PHILOSOPHY. IT IS NEITHER A MEANS NOR AN END. IT IS AN ATTITUDE AND A LIFESTYLE. Make no excuses. Support no ideology. Never explain. You're EVIL. Just do it.

Hold on to your asses, ass holders.

[Bonnie]

[sorry to be stealing Kat's thread]
(The Socs Elections or another member of the Socs Committee is happy to attend IF they are invited and needed. A society doesn't NEED one there. It's for those societies who don't feel comfortable running their own AGM or especially if the president is running for office again. I'm only trying to clear this up on this thread because this is the type of thing Kat would be trained in-- she can't know all about every little detail in the history of St Andrews societies before she's trained.)

[hr]

I love cheese.

[the Empress]

I think I posed legitimate concerns, especially about roombookings, equipment and the provision of contradictory info. It's not about 'little details in the history of St Andrews societies' - it's about raising concerns in the hope that they'll be redressed. It's dismissive comments and attitudes like these which make the Union so infuriating . . you may be suprised but these 'little details' actually irritate/disillusion alot of people. By raising concerns it's not an attempt to get at anyone - it's an attempt to get things fixed that people may not be aware of. 'Little details' are examples of how inefficient and unapproachable the Union actually is . .

[Edit] Also concerning AGMs - the guide tells you that you must inform socs officer with two weeks notice. This is always done. So I find it really annoying that the response over this issue is 'well it must be your fault for not telling us!'
[hr]

Better to win by admitting my sin, then to lose with a halo

[LK Today]

Hi Empress

Sorry to again steal Kat's thread (like Bonnie) but as these issues fall into the remit of the DoSDA can I ask you to post the question on my thread (Lee Kane - Nominated for Association Director of Student Development and Activities) as I cannot answer the question (election rules) unless it is addressed to me!

Thanks

Lee Kane
Nominated for Association Director of Student Development and Activities

Quoting the Empress from 14:38, 14th Mar 2006
I think I posed legitimate concerns, especially about roombookings, equipment and the provision of contradictory info. It's not about 'little details in the history of St Andrews societies' - it's about raising concerns in the hope that they'll be redressed. It's dismissive comments and attitudes like these which make the Union so infuriating . . you may be suprised but these 'little details' actually irritate/disillusion alot of people. By raising concerns it's not an attempt to get at anyone - it's an attempt to get things fixed that people may not be aware of. 'Little details' are examples of how inefficient and unapproachable the Union actually is . .

[Edit] Also concerning AGMs - the guide tells you that you must inform socs officer with two weeks notice. This is always done. So I find it really annoying that the response over this issue is 'well it must be your fault for not telling us!'
[hr]

Better to win by admitting my sin, then to lose with a halo

[LK Today]

Well done Kat. I look forward to working with you next year!

Lee Kane
DoSDA Elect

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