Diggers Forum Newsletter

[vulpes]

Perhaps something along the lines of a Diggers Forum keyring, tankard, or cuddly toy would be more appropriate? :face-approve:

[gwyl]

Perhaps something along the lines of a Diggers Forum keyring, tankard, or cuddly toy would be more appropriate? :face-approve:

i'm not sure the budget will run to such profligate generosity hence the need for inexpensive incentives

[BAJR]

incentives to membership

Ah yes... you would not want to lose that...

But then non-IfA member can access the JIS if they pay.

Personally I would think that showing one of the incentives and showing the IfA was actually doing stuff would be worth it. After all, you are not allowed to know what they are doing and why its worth joining until you join. When I was on council I did suggest that perhaps a bit more PR (here for example) would help. Hide not your light under a bushel, and people might start coming. The DF are showing what they do... publicly, which will hopefully have the result that more fieldstaff will join...


Just for those that don't know what you can get with membership:

1. An invaluable free weekly Jobs Information Service bulletin
   
2. The Archaeologist magazine (four times a year)
   
3. Yearbook and directory of members
   
4. papers on specialist professional topics
   
5. standards and guidance leaflets (though I thought they were freely available anyway)
   
6. Discounted entry in the IfA Conference (non- IfA must pay more)
   
7. opportunities to participate on Council and committees
   
8. free membership of regional and special interest groups
   
9. discounts on insurance, legal advice and health care
   
10. an arbitration service
    
11. discounts with some publishers
    
12. use of the Society of Antiquarians of London library
    
13. a membership card and certificate (my fave)
    
    
14. discount at Cotswold Outdoor
    

No Keyrings and T-Shirts though.

[vulpes]

1. An invaluable free weekly Jobs Information Service bulletin
   

Erm... it's not free... is it? You pays yer money.... If you want free jobs info, you're in the right place!

[BAJR]

Shucks, yer right!

That was the IfA description. - my mistake.

Thanks for the BAJR plug. (cheques in post)

[vulpes]

ah good, my endorsement does come at a cost

[kevin wooldridge]

It seems to me that the DF wants to disseminate as much as possible, hence Sophies suggestion that the DF are happy for copies of the newsletter to be distributed (I am guessing free of charge!!) to site huts, colleagues etc. I agree with that. As an IfA member of long standing I would also be happy for the Institute to use part of my subcsription (no dammit they can use all of my subscription) to help disseminate the DF message.

I think Vulpes you would agree that those old lags in archaeology who have stuck to their principles of not joining the IfA at any level are probably past redemption and certainly beyond persuasion. A newer generation however who perceive from the outset that the DF is a good idea might be attracted to the idea that the IfA could be responsive to change if enough fresh members join (and stay joined) long enough to make some difference. So I think that the JIS is one perk the IfA could exploit to attract younger and 'lower ranking' members. As you say, BAJR offers a free alternative as a source of 'consultation', but I would guess the IfA earns peanuts (if anything at all) from its postal service version of the JIS. Surely no-one pays the full yearly 'non-member' subscription to JIS when it would be cheaper to join the IfA and get it for free!!

And surely we also all know that not every job advertised in JIS is a paid advert, as many seem to be 'gleaned' from newspaper, journal and academic web-sources.....we do know that don't we?

[BAJR]

Advert harvesting requires that the originator (ie the advertising group) be the source. So you can't find an advert in jobs.ac.uk (for example) for a customer services manager at Little Diddington Museum and then put up a link straight to the HR department their, as this would bypass the advertiser. It is good to see the JIS don't do this. Its sad though that 'real' archaeology jobs are few and far between.

Offering perks have to be good ones. The DF has a core membership - what it needs is more and for my part, that more must embrace unionisation as well. There are things happening out there that need protection. the DF and a union can help... the real benefit is not the sparkly toy or gift or even perk... the real benefit is better pay better conditions and support when needed.

[vulpes]

yep, can't disagree, join the DF, join the IfA and join a union. :face-approve:

[kevin wooldridge]

Surely any specialist group within the IfA (be it DF or the 'Southport Group') is implicitly part of an ongoing 'recruitment drive' to attact interest in the Institute? I have always thought that the DF was at least in part, the IfA answering criticism that it only sought to represent, by default or intent, the interests of the middle and upper managment 'classes' in UK archaeology.

And as for 'IfA Lite'.......surely on that account the DF is no 'lighter' than the RAO scheme binding non-members to the IfA code of conduct, through employer association rather than direct recruitment? (Neither which I disagree with, I should add before anyone gets on my back......)

I agree with David (I think!!) that wider and more deep-seated trade union participation is necessary before a significant improvement will be achieved in the working lives of most archaeologists. But the DF is a special interest group of the IfA, and not a recruting agency for the trade unions, (although it might help in persuading archaeologists that trade union membership is a good idea) and to that end can only operate within the bounds of the IfA charter and the IfA 'sphere of activity'. The numerous trade unions that represent archaeologists must, I feel, come up with their own initiatives if they wish to 'collectivise' the potential of a mass membership.....and so far it has to be said they seem singularly lacking towards that end.