Election of an ASCC Area Representative for the City of Edinburgh, February 2010
Nomination Statement by Norman Bonney, Member, Edinburgh West End Community Council.
The opportunity to return to ASCC national business as the elected representative for City of Edinburgh community councils provides an occasion to promote major changes to the way in which ASCC operates.
In my previous period of service with ASCC I assisted in shaping the constitution under which ASCC now operates. ASCC is now a much stronger and more effective organisation than it was prior to these changes but it is clear from personal observations and feedback from members that more could be done to improve the transparency and accountability of its operations.
Two annual rounds of elections for national officers under the new arrangements have demonstrated a reluctance among Board members to nominate more than one candidate for each position of national officer. This means that member community councils only have the option of approving or rejecting one candidate for each of the positions of National President, National Vice-President, National Secretary and National Treasurer when they are nominated by the Executive members.
Further it is difficult for members to discover how ASCC operates. On 21 January and 10 February 2010, for instance, it was not possible to find the constitution of ASCC on the website. There have to be improvements for member community councils in the accessibility of basic information such as this.
If elected as your representative I would seek, in consultation with other community council representatives across Scotland, to amend the constitution and working practises of ASCC so that;
· Candidates for the offices of National President, National Vice-President, National Secretary, and National Treasurer can be nominated and elected directly by member community councils.
· Executive and Board members are elected by member community councils in each region.
· That key documents such as the constitution of ASCC should be readily available on the ASCC website.
· That regional meetings of the ASCC shall be held annually in all regions to improve communication between members and the national officers, Board members and area representatives.
· Finally, if elected I will meet at least twice a year with the Edinburgh Association of Community Councils, and with individual community councils if they so wish, to keep in touch with local concerns and to report on the work of the ASCC.
Norman Bonney
Member, West End Edinburgh Community Council.
Email; norman.bonney@blueyonder.co.uk http://www.normanbonneyoncommunitycouncils.blogspot.com/
