| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
spoons
Joined: 09 Jan 2007
Posts: 4991
Location: St John's Town of Dalry
|
 Posted: Sat Nov 26, 2011 10:46 am Post subject: Sticking your head above the parapet |
 |
|
I thought that I knew most of what was going on concerning memorials but in the last couple of days I had a quick trawl round and found loads of new stuff. I found our council now has a councillor nominated as 'Armed Forces Champion' and he has a keen interest in war memorials. I found that Alex Fergusson is convenor of the cross-party group on veterans affairs in the Scottish Parliament. I found a whole new section of the D&G council website dedicated to war memorials and I found a flickr group on war memorials and the Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust.
All of this seems to be new since I last did a bit of a trawl around the net.
It's a bit early for a new year's resolution but I must stick my head above the parapet more often to see what is going on! It's too easy to focus on or little corner of the internet.
\Paul |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
Jim
Joined: 30 May 2008
Posts: 195
|
| Posted: Sat Nov 26, 2011 12:07 pm Post subject: |
|
|
A wee aside.
Does anyone share my unease at the increased use of 'veterans' instead of ex-servicemen and women?
I appreciate it's a convenient shorthand but it rather conveys an impression of agedness whereas many veterans are anything but old. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Adam Brown
Curator
Joined: 14 Dec 2006
Posts: 7312
Location: Edinburgh (From Sutherland)
|
| Posted: Sat Nov 26, 2011 12:36 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Jim
Is that an Ameracanism perhaps? If the are reported in one of the redtop tabloids they are heroes.
Paul
Things really seem to have crancked up a gear in the last couple of months. The theft and damage of memorials and a launching of centenary projects for 2014 all seemed to generate a rash of new websites and involvement of local and national politicians in war memorial matters
Perhaps we need to be recording what the councils are up to and keeping in touch with them?
Adam |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Jim
Joined: 30 May 2008
Posts: 195
|
| Posted: Sat Nov 26, 2011 2:12 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Adam Brown wrote: | Jim
Is that an Ameracanism perhaps? If the are reported in one of the redtop tabloids they are heroes.
................
Adam |
I'm sure we have our US cousins to 'thank' for this. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Kenneth Morrison
Joined: 29 Sep 2008
Posts: 7755
Location: Rockcliffe Dalbeattie
|
| Posted: Sat Nov 26, 2011 2:57 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Don't blame the Americans they have been using the term "Veterans" - meaning ex-service personnel - since the 1900's.
see: http://www.vfw.org/Common/About-Us/
_________________
Ken |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
dhubthaigh
Our first ever 1000-poster
Joined: 19 Dec 2006
Posts: 5071
Location: Blairgowrie, Perthshire
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
spoons
Joined: 09 Jan 2007
Posts: 4991
Location: St John's Town of Dalry
|
| Posted: Sat Nov 26, 2011 5:54 pm Post subject: |
|
|
It's bang up to date, the link on the D&G site was one I only sent to them yesterday and it is up already. WMT had a campaign last year to get every council in UK to nominate a War Memorials Officer - the idea behind this was that there should be a single point of contact for each council and you wouldn't get sent from pillar to post, it might also help the council to understand their own responsibilities. There was no suggestion that they should employ someone or have extra costs.
The response from councils in England and Wales has been generally better than in Scotland, I hope this is just because the councils in Scotland see no need to respond to an organisation which has its headquarters south of the border and it is not that they have less interest in war memorials.
I should also point out that WMT administer 2 grant schemes for war memorials in Scotland and they don't seem to get many applications for the money! Why the Scottish Councils should be so reluctant to apply for money which is sitting there absolutely amazes me.
\Paul |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
spoons
Joined: 09 Jan 2007
Posts: 4991
Location: St John's Town of Dalry
|
| Posted: Sat Nov 26, 2011 5:56 pm Post subject: |
|
|
The British Forces Veterans badge is issued to anyone who has served in our forces for any length of time so could even be issued to teenagers in theory 
\Paul |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Adam Brown
Curator
Joined: 14 Dec 2006
Posts: 7312
Location: Edinburgh (From Sutherland)
|
| Posted: Sun Nov 27, 2011 12:00 am Post subject: |
|
|
Paul
What are the two differemt grants the WMT administer?
Adam |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Jim
Joined: 30 May 2008
Posts: 195
|
| Posted: Sun Nov 27, 2011 12:20 am Post subject: |
|
|
It looks as if there are 'small grants in Scotland' and 'special grants' (which doesn't seem to exclude Scotland).
The info is on pages on http://www.warmemorials.org/grants/
There are hoops and exclusions but it's still worth checking out. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
spoons
Joined: 09 Jan 2007
Posts: 4991
Location: St John's Town of Dalry
|
| Posted: Sun Nov 27, 2011 10:39 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Jim wrote: | It looks as if there are 'small grants in Scotland' and 'special grants' (which doesn't seem to exclude Scotland).
The info is on pages on http://www.warmemorials.org/grants/
There are hoops and exclusions but it's still worth checking out. |
No, the two schemes I was talking about are the Small Grants Scheme and teh Small Grants Scheme in Scotland. The first can cover any war memorial whereas the second covers only freestanding war memorials with no other purpose. The trust has always done its very best to make sure an application qualifies and avoid turning down wherever possible. It is absolutely essential that applications are made before work starts and nothing can be approved retrospectively. Apart from having lots of briefing material, I have also attended training in Edinburgh where half a day was devoted to the grant schemes.
I had not thought to include Special Grants because these are the exceptions and not continuously available.
If anyone has a project in mind, send me a PM, I will send you my phone number and we can have a chat.
\Paul |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
DelBoy
Joined: 12 Jul 2007
Posts: 4858
Location: The County of Angus
|
| Posted: Sun Nov 27, 2011 12:07 pm Post subject: |
|
|
I'm familiar with the American usage of veteran to mean anyone who has served in the armed forces. However I was under the impression the term over here meant those who had seen actual combat in their career?
Just a thought. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
David McNay
Administrator
Joined: 14 Dec 2006
Posts: 11425
Location: Lanarkshire, Scotland
|
| Posted: Sun Nov 27, 2011 2:06 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Could we perhaps keep the discussion on the term "veterans" to another topic? It's distracting to the subject at hand, thanks. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
kinnethmont
Joined: 19 Dec 2006
Posts: 1649
Location: Aberdeenshire
|
| Posted: Sun Nov 27, 2011 2:59 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Quote: | | ......I hope this is just because the councils in Scotland see no need to respond to an organisation which has its headquarters south of the border ...... |
That may well be the case since Scottish Councils / Communities ( in their various guises ) have done a reasonable job since 1914. I appreciate that is not always the case, but the initial contact should be the memorial's owner. Very often this is the local Authority but it may a private individual. WMT could do nothing without their consent, in any event.
The War Memorials Act did not originally apply here and other means to deal with memorials locally were put in place. The WMT ( previously Friends of War Memorials ) have only recently begun to interest themselves with Scotland.
I notice WMT list a number of Councils as having responded but no details appear. I assume this indicates they wish to retain their own existing arrangements.
_________________
Jim
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
www.kinnethmont.co.uk |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Jim
Joined: 30 May 2008
Posts: 195
|
| Posted: Sun Nov 27, 2011 5:47 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| David McNay wrote: | | Could we perhaps keep the discussion on the term "veterans" to another topic? It's distracting to the subject at hand, thanks. |
Absolutely. My apologies. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
