IFA Diggers Forum 1st Newsletter

[Troll]

My boss issued all of us on site with a copy of the first issue of Forum Dispatch today. Now that`s a coup in it`s own right! We luurve our boss:face-stir:
I don`t intend to dissect the newsletter here, just raise a few points that I hope will be received in the spirit in which they are offered. As an opener, I congratulate Chris, Jez and Paul and admire their endeavours on our behalf. I also re-assert their emphasis on universal involvement and urge all to contribute. Now then peeps, I have ranted about the selective hearing and transparent lack of action of the IFA for years and I hope in this case, that the Diggers Forum will be listened to and their recommendations acted upon. The Diggers Forum asks that we offer our opinions. Having tried repeatedly in the past to do just that, I`m faced with a bit of a dilemma (crap spellin) in that, I turned to BAJR simply because the IFA are clearly uncomfortable with critiscism from the rank and file. To respond to the Forums request, I would have to copy every word that I have ever written on BAJR and simply send them all to Chris et al. I suspect many other BAJR subscribers would do likewise.It occurs to me that it would be far simpler if the IFA were to listen to what is offered on this (BAJR) forum and further, interact with our threads on here. It is the deafening wall of IFA silence that perpetuates the "them and us" mentality responible for the pitiful levels of IFA membership in the first place. I am not saying that we should disreguard the efforts of the Diggers Forum-quite the opposite. For Chris, Jez and Paul, I would, with the hugest amount of respect and admiration offer this: please ask the IFA to communicate with us on the BAJR forum. I for one will (when back from doing sexy archaeology in the near east!) write something for Chris et al and I urge you all to do likewise but, in the spirit of reciprocity, I would love the opportunity to discuss issues with the IFA grown-ups on here too. Another point that occurred to me whilst reading the Newsletter is this: the guys were outlining some papers given at the recent IFA conference when they said, and I quote

"...there were not many papers (sic) given of specific interest or relevance to those less senior members of the profession". In my view, this class issue of "senior/junior" thing is irrelevant and counter-productive and, lays at the heart of many of the problems with IFA membership in the 21st Century. I am of the opinion that a field archaeologist is a specialist in that field.Not senior or junior within the profession but, a specialism within it. A digger is a large yellow noisy beast that belches smoke, a safety hazard and over-used by lazy archaeologists- Das Uber-trowel if you like! If I felt a bit bitchy, I would argue that on site, many "senior" members of the profession would be "junior" field archaeologists as it is clearly not their 9 to 5 specialism. But hey, I`m not feeling bitchy (today). In fact, I`m gettin soft in me old age and desperate to nurture an open and transparent dialogue between all of the specialisms in today`s evolving profession. So, (don`t belive I`m saying this) I call a truce/ceasefire and I promise not to hammer the IFA in any way. I genuinely have high hopes for the efforts of the Diggers Forum and hold out an olive branch to the IFA. So, Mr Hinton et al, if you`re listening (Chris-please ask him to read this) I publicly apologise for my offensive mouth in the past and invite you to take part in our dialogue. I would love to see an almost universal membership of the IFA, a professional Institute that we can all take part in. Day one guys, lets embrace the opportunity that Chris et al have opened up for us.We all deserve it.

[deepdigger]

Troll, if you say they are ok, then thats good enough for me mate!
Ok IFA, if we are going to talk lets talk, but on the level please, no more upper and lower or senior and junior.
We all love archaeology at heart, so if we have the same interests we should be able to act and talk as one, Should'nt we??

deep

[Mtgorry147]

I can only say well said to troll and deep.

The sooner we all start talking as one profession and not as diffrent levels within that said profession, the better for all concerned within the business and also for those who wish to pursue the career.

[Pete M]

I've had enough of the Sweet FA - I say give it back to field archaeologists and go and form a new IPA for the whole profession.

[Mtgorry147]

And would you be prepared PeteM to take all your spare time to run this new IPA given that plenty of field archaeologists are members of the IFA but do not actually partake in anything.

I think many of those that are members have joined because the letters after their name are either seen as being beneficial to their career or their potential employers are asking for it.

I cant see that a new Institute would change anything. Who would run it? Who could join? Just field archaeologists? Does that mean consultants and curators who have a role within the wider archaeological community could not be involved and therefore, would not be able to suggest changesor improvements?

Just my thoughts

[Pete M]

Ah - I meant that the IFA can FO and change the name. I have no interest in an IPA myself (by this I mean Institute of Professional Archaeologists, armchairs and all).

It just seems to me that it was field archaeologists who had the gumption to set up the IFA, but got hijacked by administrative types. - hence the emphasis on improving pay and employment conditions, which won't kill anyone, whilst the real problems are apparently unknown.

Your probably right that field archaeologists join for the letters - especially as jobs used to ask for membership. Wonder why they don't partake?

I wouldn't do it free - the IFA cannot be run on membership fees alone - their are plenty of grants out there to help employ people. Their is nothing to stop the people on this forum could set up a limited liability charity and apply to the EU or whoever for a grant to examine H&S. Of course we could send questionaires to the employers (as the IFA would) but we could also gather evidence from employees, who the IFA would probably ignor as they might sully the image of the profession.

If the shocking state of archaeology is anything to go by - the IFA are a bunch of toothless wonders without the passion to make the changes needed.

[troll]

Which, I feel are the catalysts for the setting up of the Diggers Forum....
Rather than go round in circles here, I think that we should support their efforts and give the IFA at least one more chance.....thanks peeps, keep it coming![:p]

[kevin wooldridge]

quote:Originally posted by Pete M

It just seems to me that it was field archaeologists who had the gumption to set up the IFA, but got hijacked by administrative types.

I remember when the IFA was set up. In those early days most field archaeologists echoed the thoughts of Groucho Marx (I'd rather not join any club that would have me a s member). Believe it or not most of us actually thought that the IFA was a bosses club who had hijacked our professional 'good name'. (Well my boss was in it!!). It was the right thinking Tony Gregory that convinced me otherwise, but sadly he didn't live to see his particular vision of the IFA enacted.

ACT in the mid 80s tried for a brief summer to direct IFA policy towards the lower end of the profession, but I think came at a bad point in most peoples careers. Many of the ACT 'activists' I remember from 1985-86 now seem to have absorbed the full lesson of 'Animal Farm' and have their feet well and truly seated in the trough. But that doesn't necessarilly mean that they shouldn't be reminded that they too once shared many of the aspirations of today's Digger generation

Which brings us to the Diggers Forum. The people, and I suspect the impetus, behind the DF is that of a new generation. I know this because none of them are old enough to have been in the profession when the IFA was set up. This is a good time to think again about the IFA, shuck off some of the baggage that it may have carried for the last 25 years and think again. It may be possible that the current active digging section of the profession have some ideas that us fogies of 25 years plus don't have. They of course have my full support and I would urge Pete and anyone else to at least give the Diggers Forum a chance.

For IFA members who have a vote in the September IFA council elections, I understand that there will be candidates standing as supporters of the Diggers Forum. Maybe this year is the year to vote in the election....

[Tom21]

Has anything in IFA changed? Have they booted out the problems? If not these problems will stay and IFA will continue covering it up.

[troll]

Many thanks Kevin.Tom, I really can`t answer your question as I left the IFA some years ago. I suspect that the Diggers Forum will be seen as a wake-up call and may just prompt the IFA leadership to seek dialogue with the profession at large. After all, if the IFA is to be the Institute for archaeologists, then a membership level way above the current one is required. For those of you who have seen the first newsletter, there is an invitation to present something at an IFA conference. I hope to do just that and encourage everyone to take a deep breath, see this as a new start and be positive in supporting the DF. After all, they would appear to be the lobby group closest to the turf so to speak. I have high hopes however, make no mistake, a return to the old IFA way of things will see me explaining their past shortcomings to the public at large in no uncertain terms. Ultimately, the IFA (AND ALL OF US) have obligations to the taxpaying voter and for the last 25 years, 60 million or so people have been excluded from the meat and veg of our lobbying. Thats a loud audience. I vote that we lobby for change in the spirit of reconcilliation with the aim of providing the nation with a professional institute that we can all be proud of and, has the nations heritage at the heart of its agenda.