YES I'M IN CHARGE

Les ponders on how many decisions by committees are reversed after proper consideration.

I read something the other day which went a long way to explaining why it was that I have never been and have no intention of ever being a Parish Councillor. There may well be many a person who will say that such as Parish Councils are at the very heart of our Democracy, well that may well be so and if that's the case then count me out.

Looking back over the years how many times have I come across a situation where something was proposed and carried and a year or so later it transpired that maybe that proposal wasn't quite the best ever, and when this was mentioned to one of our friends you heard those immortal words, "don't ask me I was against it from the start", well of course everyone was that's how it came to be passed in the first place.

There is of course always an escape route when there's a problem, it's not long before that old chestnut raises it's head, the formation of the Sub Committee, where would we be with-out such an august body of men, and here I'm in real trouble, why did I just mention men? don't women exist? well until a few years ago I don't think they did.

How well I remember, yes never mind the future let's wallow in the past, may-be I'm digressing but who's counting. How I remember a Club in our area that allowed Women to enter but only as guests, no way were they allowed to be Members and as for being on the Committee, well out of the question. And then it came to pass that us men came to our senses ,well some of us did, and we soon realised that women had more to offer that we did.

Back if we may to our Parish Councils and little has changed over the years, yes Women have infiltrated, if that's the right word, in to it's ranks as I have said but the system is still the same as ever, based on Democracy, you know everyone having a vote did you ever know of such a crazy carry on. Is your average household based on a voting system? Of course it isn't, the Lady of the House exercises supreme authority, she's in charge and woe betide any mere man who thinks otherwise.

Where then does this leave Parish Councils? The answer is obvious, reform is long over due, the person elected as Chairman should be so elected on the grounds that he, or she, is totally responsibly for every aspect of that Councils decisions. The authority should be in the hands of the Chairman, his Councillors may well be there to advise him, but their main job would be to carry out the orders of the Chairman.

We are talking here of Responsibility and you could ask how many people are out there who would accept a position as Chairman coupled with this Responsibility, I believe more than you think.

For me Parish Councils should be run as a Business and I have never known any Business which didn't have someone who made it quite clear that "Yes I'm In Charge" which I seem to recall is where I started from.

Methwold

Les Lawrence