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Okay, this has been a long time coming and no-one wants to air it so I will in here only.
DASA is represented by Chris…Chris is being an arse and a total waste of space right now IMO, he’s answering fuck all, giving no information and doesn’t appear to be communicating with anyone. This is not a new problem but one that has been going on for years.
TBH I’m pissed off with it.
Then we have his assorted followers that are too frightened to issue a peep of discontent, we all know the guilty parties.
But here’s the thing that’s really winding me up…
Several months ago I asked Chris to write an article about the benefits of DASA and what they did but I suspect he already has that on a word proccessor so it was a simple matter of forwarding me the text and I’d have put up a DASA page. He hasn’t done it. In fact, he hasn’t even answered two emails I sent him FFS!!
The point was to promote DASA, it would appear that DASA is not in the least bit interested in promoting itself or appealing to new members. I know that’s not true, but that’s the impression that’s being given and has been for years and therein lies Mr Chairman’s problem.
Until DASA sets its stall out and tells people what it is and why it is we’re going to continually hit this brick wall.
Never mind the “what’s in it for me?” question, the questions should be, “what is it, what is it doing for us and why is it there?”. Answers are not forthcoming on ANY subject to anyone, even to members, so how the fuck do we expect anyone to part with the cash to join up something that they have no idea what it is or about? It is percieved to be a “boys” club and no more and this could seriously undermine and adversely affect the Network DASA project as well and I think that’s the reason for the voices of concern and discontent.
Chris is a serious problem, it needs addressed and quickly. Then DASA needs to consolidate and get itself better organised than it currently is.
Just my opinion of course, feel free to yell at me. 😉
K.
Re: DASA!
Absolutely spot on in my opinion. I have been banging away for about two years on this subject, only to be followed by months of silence from the DASA officer. Past Officers do not appear to have asked questions of Chris and he appears to have been able to do as he wished, just my opinion.
The current Officers and especially the Chairman are trying to alter things, but it takes time. The process is trying to be carried out in a politically correct manner but its like trying to move an artic with a Smart Car. ( No offence meant to any Smart Car owners).
Whilst Chris can be still an asset to DASA he is not being used to his full potential. We need the support of the membership to voice their opinions. These opinions also need to be vented to the DASA office and forwarded to the Secretaires so we can push our issues through, at present without the support we could be seen to be antaganists.
We need major changes within DASA and the way it operates, with this I agree, currently all the problems seem to originate on ones persons door step. This person can only be pushed so far and if he is not allowed to have some control he may resign! Then what would happen ❓ I am not at this point going to say whether this would be a good or bad thing. BUT I would welcome other peoples views on this senerio and how we would then as an organisation progress from this point. 😉
Re: DASA!
Thank God I’m not the only one!
Yes I would agree that Chris has had his own way for far too long and I think that’s an iron grip worthy of Stalin.
I knew something was afoot in September, the breakfast meeting gave the game up 😉 But I didn’t want the subject to be aired in public and I still don’t either, or ever really but the issue has to be resolved one way or another to allow progression IMO.
Here’s a problem though, well two actually…
Me and Kevin! You all know I can be a bit of a bastard on the net and I have a reputation for having a bit of a crack at anyone and, if you lot ask me, I will have a go at Chris at the next council meeting but be prepared for sparks to fly if I get started or rubbed up the wrong way. I will not be diplomatic and I will not be subtle, it’s not my style. I will be blunt and to the point and I won’t give a flying if I upset the target of my tongue.
Thus far I’ve remained pretty quiet at the meetings and I know that Kevin will not fuck about either or take any shit.
Chris could still be an asset to DASA but right now (IMO) he’s a hinderance and standing in the way of progress to teh detriment of the organisation. End of story.
So it comes down to this IMO, he’s an employee of DASA, he does as his boss says just like any other employee, in this case the boss is the council. He takes the orders and follows them or leaves, it’s that simple.
As for him leaving, well I was always told that no-one is irreplacable and that applies to Chris as well and the council has to have the balls to call his bluff as I suspect that’s all it is for now. If he does leave, well cross that bridge when it appears, the organisation will go through some turmoil, yes, but then if he’d (God forbid) died erlier this year we’d be facing the same scenario anyway.
There’s some really clever people on the council now and they are dedicated to DASA and the betterment of the trade I can’t think of a better time to push the issue due to that. You have to ask, would we ever have such a good, foccussed and realistic team to pick up the pieces ever again?
K.
Obviously the council needs to talk on mass.
It would appear most of us have similar feelings and it would be good for the critisisms to come from a different quarter yet supported by a unity voice.
I personally think we need to say what we expect at the next meeting not just pussy foot around as we have before. THings have been asked off Chris and they have not been done.
Its time to put up or shut up.
Looks like time for a meeting on the boat prior to council
JP wrote:It would appear most of us have similar feelings and it would be good for the critisisms to come from a different quarter yet supported by a unity voice.
Hence my post in the nd forum, you have my support and none of the critisism is aimed at any of the council members who are privy to twr 😀
Dave.
I don’t disagree at all .
I cant stand the man. He is the only person holding DASA back.
But I am worried that if his demise is not brought about in a controlled manor then DASA will fall apart.
DASA doesn’t have the strength in numbers or cash that associated organisations have.Chris has several things going for him.
1 -He is cheap to run!
Office and personnel for 30 K a year (guess!! but sure JP can advise)
2 -He has a lot of contacts.
Europe,manufacturers,Governmet etc.
3 – He is very intelligent and well researched.
He knows more about law and legislation than most of us put together.
IMO we need to clip his wings and keep him on board.
Where,who or how can this be achieved? Meeting on the boat sounds good to me.
I have heard it said we can run without him,but that means people sacrificing there own time. I can see that ending up a diasaster as people will get fed up when others don’t pull there weight,and as such it will fall apart.
My post on ND may seem to support CH to some , but this mud slinging has to be kept quiet / private or we will not get the membership subscriptions that ND and DASA need to survive.
If DASA doesn’t survive do you want JT and the rest laughing at us, because we can’t work together!
I certainly don’t.
Re: DASA!
I don’t usually agree with Bonzaco, but he is right, we must look unified. Mind you I’m rattling cages. So I will keep my head down on this one for now.
We need to keep Chris as a Consultant, make it look like a promotion or as an accolade. We just need to sell him the idea.
Re: DASA!
Flipper I don’t disagree with what your saying at all and Chris does need put in his place a bit IMO. I also agree that much of this should not be aired in public but there is a cunning plan m’laud. 😉
What is needed is to get opinion and comment to take to the council meetings, to get people talking about DASA and to fire up some interest and passion. That thread has done exactly that! The more comment, either positive or negative is great as far as I’m concerned and people’s curiosity will be piqued, that’s the point. Your post only serves to further that debate from the “positive” camp and that’s magic! 😀
Do you see what I’m trying to do? I want to promote DASA as much as you do, but I’m a sneaky bastard. 😉
The point is that to get people interested you have to make it interesting and currently DASA is about as interesting as a wet weekend in Southend-On-Sea if you take ND out of the equation. In fact a weekend there sounds like more fun than a DASA meeting normally!
I’m taking the same line with the plug thing as well, whilst I don’t actually think it’s a commercially sound idea the thread is serving a purpose.
You’ll learn that most things I do, I do for a reason not just for fun or to stir it up with no reason and as Ted noticed as well, the views on all the ND stuff has gone up over the past few days. More people reading it, more people interested in it and more people paying attention to it, is that not what we wanted?
K.
At last we all seem to be going in the right direction. Flipper is right the office cost @ 30.000 to run. Not bad valuve really . We just need the control back.
CH is an asset to DASA but he needs to be manged and that is the problem we seem to be having.
We are not managing correctly and also when we do request things he does not carry out the requests.A unified plan and if we all work together this could have a good outcome for the industry, DASA and CH.
JP wrote:CH is an asset to DASA but he needs to be manged and that is the problem we seem to be having.
We are not managing correctly and also when we do request things he does not carry out the requests.He is an asset, to an extent but not irreplacable if it comes down to it. But he’s also a hinderance standing in the way of progress and therin lies the rub. Which takes presidence? In the end that’s what the officers have to figure out but I can tell you that unless changes are seen to be made and quickly DASA is on a shaky hook at best, you all know that just as well as I do. People have lost confidence in it and can see no reason to be a part of it since it has accomplished little that will aid the guys on the ground on a day-to-day basis. Yes, I admit it has got NVQ’s, so what? The QM, so what, that is only going to cost businesses more money that they can ill afford? Standards, again, more expense! The perception is that DASA is all take and no give and, to be frank, they’re not far wrong I don’t think!
If you think I’m wrong just look at the decline in membership.
Now, Chris has had 20 years or so doing it his way, it’s failed.
Time to get a grip and move on.
K.
Re: DASA!
A trade association is defined as being:
“Individuals and companies in a specific business or industry organized to promote common interests.”
US obviously. But I would go a bit further and say that it is also an associations remit to protect and inform it’s members.
So, with that in mind, how does DASA reach that criteria being steered in the direction that it has been for the past 20 years or more? It has protected us from some legislation, well, one item of it. Other than that it may have gained the odd concession but it hasn’t stopped anything from becoming law.
How has DASA promoted any of us? How has DASA promoted DASA? How has DASA promoted the industry?
Has DASA protected any of it’s members? No. And here’s a case in point, Kev and NESN, DASA should be able to do something about it whether that be calling for a stoppage of NESN work by members or whatever. What will DASA do? Nothing, as usual, it’ll just stand by and watch another member possibly being made bankrupt dwindling it’s membership still further.
Inform its members, well it could but then it doesn’t even inform its own ruling body, the council, so what hope is there of members being informed.
So, I ask myself, why is that DASA operates this way? Well that, IMO, all falls back to one person’s doorstep…Chris. Yes consecutive council members and various chairmen have done bugger all to address it even if they were aware of the problem but it seems to have fallen on us to stop the rot.
But this has had another effect as well, years of seeing ((basically) fuck all happening has jaded people’s view of DASA and now it finds itself in a position where it has little respect in the industry. It is regarded as being toothless and useless in many people’s eyes and with good cause if you ask me.
The question we have to ask ourselves is, what do we want DASA to do and be? Then we must shape it towards those ends.
IMO, Chis will not relinquish control easily, in fact, I doubt he’ll relinquish it at all and that it will end in tears there. But while he’s in the driving seat and, he is firmly in that seat and has been for years, DASA will not change one bit irrespective of what we do.
Can it be changed and can the rot be stopped? Don’t know, but I do know that whilst Chris controls all that he does presently the answer to that question is a firm “no”. 🙁
K.
Re: DASA!
I’M up for alot more control of Dasa business and if we kick chris out , so be it.
Its simple…..WE NEED CONTROL AND WE NEED TO DO IT VERY SOON.
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