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AU REVOIR! from Diana Piercy |
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This is the last copy of TAG’s newsletter where I shall be wearing my various hats of reporter, editor and dispatch manager not forgetting tea lady! Time then for a nostalgic review. I suppose the first ‘newsletter’ was the letter I wrote to the members, all 18 of them, in December 1984. In April 1985 (24 members) a slightly more formal newsletter was produced. My brother had given me an old duplicator that came with an electric cable. John and I turned that machine every which way trying to find where to plug it in. Realisation finally dawned - the machine was manual and the turning of the handle began. I cannot begin to calculate how many times we ‘kler-chunked’ the handle from then until February 1989 (125 members) when the newsletter was printed by St. Andrews Press in Wells, Somerset. Until then the family lost the use of the dining room table while John and I, collated, stapled and dispatched the newsletter. The newsletter is still dispatched from home but at least there are address labels and a franking machine and I don’t have to write addresses and lick stamps! The newsletter was published every six months at first, increased to three times a year by 1987 and finally became a quarterly production in 1989. From a page in the newsletter, to a separate sheet called Kid’s Page, the young people in TAG got their own newsletter called TAG Mag in Summer 1993(290 members) thanks to associate member Barry North. TAG Mag is now produced by TAG member Liam Green who, incidentally, was born around the time of newsletter number 4 in October 1986! In January 1999 (512 members) TAG Talk was launched and this current issue, the 56th newsletter (538 members), will be the first newsletter on TAG’s website. The newsletter has certainly progressed from that first communication with all the members of TAG. The Future What of the future of TAG? That is very much in the hands of the members. This year on the committee there are two vacancies to fill, Lawrence has come to the end of his second three-year term and Phill will not be standing for re-election. Next year Micky, Peter and Jon come to the end of their second three-year terms and are not eligible for re-election. There has been criticism in the past that it is the same ‘old guard’ on the committee, but where would TAG be today without this old guard working as hard as they have been? Often it has been a case of no-one else coming forward to serve on the committee and therefore an ex-committee member has stepped forward. However, now is the time for some fresh blood. Although we say it every year, more than ever we need people to come forward for the committee. We’ve frequently approached people to stand for election and so often they have said they do not think they could give it the time they would like to or think it deserves. We are all busy people nowadays but thankfully in the past there have been members who have made time for TAG. The group has some difficult months ahead until a replacement for me - and the office - can be put in place. With a full committee and everyone doing their bit, the load need not be too heavy on any one person. Perhaps you think you have nothing to offer. But every member has something to offer simply because your lives have been affected by arthrogryposis. So please give it some thought, talk to me or any member of the committee to find out what is involved your group really does need you right now. Thanks There are so many people I want to thank for their support, encouragement, friendship, care and good humour over the past 16 years, too many to mention individually. There are past committee members, with especial thanks to the first committee who helped lay the strong foundations for the group. Regional contacts, conference organisers and helpers, TAG Camp volunteers, members who have raised funds for TAG, contributed to the newsletter and supported TAG in many, many ways. Other groups who’ve shared their expertise and ideas, particularly Contact a Family who gave me the initial encouragement to get started. But there are some people I do wish to give a special thank you to. One of the first should be my mother, Peggy Walker, who supported and encouraged me so much right from the start. When I was organising TAG’s first conference in 1986 and with only a few weeks to go, I knew that not enough money had been raised to pay for it and wondered whether I should cancel. It was Mum who said go ahead, don’t worry about it, I’ll help if the worst comes. The worst didn’t happen because members came along to the conference with enough fundraising money to settle all bills! My thanks to Jill Anderson and Micky Macartney who succeeded me as the next two chairmen and continued to oversee the group’s development and success. I would especially like to mention Lawrence Robinson who has been a mainstay of the group, on and off the committee, since the early days. His input and support has been invaluable to me and the group. Thank you Lawrence. And finally there’s my family who have put up with quite a bit over the years! John has helped in a myriad of small ways. He’s been proof-reader, stuffer of envelopes, gopher at the conference, computer expert and my shoulder to lean on. At the first conference Ellen was nine years old and Jane and Sarah were just six. Now look at them!
Ellen through University
and living in London, Jane at the present travelling in Canada,
America and Mexico prior to University and Sarah, winner of the
London Marathon and due to start an Outdoor Leisure and Tourism
course. And of course it is Sarah who I finally have to thank for
getting me in to this in the first place! |
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