Re: Re: International (???) CPS

Phil (cp@pwilson.demon.co.uk)
Wed, 27 Nov 1996 22:04:46 GMT

In your message dated Wednesday 27, November 1996 you wrote :
> Nigel Hurneyman writes:
>
> >When I mulled over joining the ICPS, the cynics told me that it was just an
> American
> >society with a pretentious name, and that if I belonged to my national
> society it
> >would have little to offer. I am pleased to say that the latter is
> definitely wrong - the
> >newsletter alone is worth the subscription. However while the society has
> an
> >overwhelming balance of American members and officers, a favourable
> subscription
> >rate for Americans and an overwhelming concern for US-related CP issues, I
> think
> >it has some way to go to rid itself of the former jibe.
>
> >Any flame-mails to me privately please.
>
> Nigel,
>
> This doesn't deserve flames at all, but a serious discussion I think. You
> raise some interesting and very important points:
>
> <An overwhelming balance of American members and officers>
> Rick, did any international members offer their candidacies for ICPS office?
> If not, does anybody know why not? Lack of interest, belief that distance
> would
> mean that their involvement wouldn't be taken seriously? I would hope that
> with the advent of e-mail communication at least, that last issue
> wouldn't apply. Can any international listserve participants help out with
> this one?

As far as I know only US members are eligable for election, otherwise
I'd have certainly offered myself - if only to face the certain
humiliation of becoming the Bob Dole of the ICPS. :-) Same goes for
voting rights which I am told are only held by US members. This of
course raises the point that if it is _the_ international society why
can't international members vote.

> <A favorable subscription rate for Americans> Isn't this simply a fact
> of postal rates and publishing locations? As a publisher, I have to charge
> international subscribers a higher rate to recoup increased shipping costs.
> My assumption (please correct me if I'm wrong) is that if I were to
> subscribe
> to the UK, Australian or German societies, that any subscription materials
> would cost me more than they would for subscribers in the home countries.
> Are there any suggestions for ways to avoid this? Subscription fees paid in
> international reply coupons? Some other way?

Quite right. International subscriptions have to reflect the higher mailing
costs.

> <An overwhelming concern for US-related CP issues> This may indeed be true
> ...
> and could simply be a factor of the above issues. I do believe, however
> that the ICPS (pretentious or not) can certainly work to improve this,
> by broadening its efforts internationally. Rick seems to have a grand
> vision for improving the organizational activities of ICPS, and it would
> certainly
> be important to maintain an international perspective in those efforts.
> Any specific suggestions on how to improve the "internationality" of the
> organization?
> I promise that, if elected ICPS vice president, (and if I can find someone to
> fund a
> research grant for what will be a now non-profit entity) I promise to make as

If I find I'm enfranchised you can count on my vote
> many "research" <grin> trips to the UK, Continental Europe, Australia,
> Asia, South Africa
> and Central and South America as I can!!!!!!!! Nigel, can you put me
> up for
> a couple nights?

Come and stay with me. The air is cleaner in Somerset. ;-)

> Seriously, however, this issue deserves discussion, so I invite anyone and
> everyone to
> flame me publicly on this one.
>
> Jay Lechtman (L235@aol.com)
> Reston, Virginia, USA
>
>
>
>
>
> 

-- 
Phil Wilson
(cp@pwilson.demon.co.uk)