Having received a letter from the departing Chairman of the DPS, and bringing myself to this site to have a look at what was going on, I feel I really ought to tell a very interesting story, not to change anyones opinions, you all have brains to work it out yourself but just to tell everyone of our experiences with this same organisation a couple of years ago......
My husband, John is disabled as a result of a road accident, and is a keen photographer and in early 2007 joined the DPS as a result of an advert in a national magazine. I retired from my job as a magazine editor to look after John and we moved to an adapted bungalow in North Yorkshire where we settled happily but found ourselves short of an interest. John took great delight in the DPS site, talking to friends and discussing photography.
We saw the magazine In Focus, which was little more than a very badly produced newsletter and they were asking for volunteers to take over the editing of the magazine as the previous editor was ill. John telephoned and advised them that I was a professional editor and to cut a long story short I agreed to take on In Focus. That was fine, I expectantly waited for the copy for the magazine to arrive, not having a clue what should go into it. I was sent a few photographs and that was it.. I contacted the chairman, and the then secretary and it culminated with a situation where a magazine. totally redesigned,emerged and contained mostly content written by myself and the secretary as we had nothing else to put in it. I used Johns photographs as I only had very few from the members. It took me ages to find out who printed the magazine as I needed to know what format to send it in, and eventually got in touch with the printers, who told me what size and specifications were required.
I e-mailed the finished copy to the Secretary who checked it all. I asked the Chairman if she wanted to look but she said she was dyslexic and would prefer someone else to do it.
After I sent it off to the printers, we went off on holiday to Scotland. Whilst there I visited my son and checked e mail on his computer. I was amazed to find one from the Chairman who accused me of having overspent on the magazine, and more or less accusing me of misappropriating funds. The fact of the matter was that no-one had given me a budget, so how could I have overspent? And I had no access at all to the accounts or finances of the DPS. We telephoned her from our caravan, and she said that sometimes she got things wrong, as she was dyslexic and not to worry! I was most upset! We got home however to loads of correspondence, emails and correspondence from the DPS members (even from some of the Trustees) all congratulating us on the new look magazine and saying how much they had enjoyed it.
I prepared the next copy of the magazine and in view of what had happened previously, I felt someone in authority should okay it. At the time the DPS were having their annual holiday in North Wales, and we decided, to spend a few days down there in our caravan and try and get to know them. We could not afford to stay in the hotel, so we put our caravan on a local site from where we could go to the hotel to meet everyone. That first night was dreadful we were treated by the Chairman and her cronies as outsiders from the start and no-one even introduced us. We felt most uncomfortable.
On the Saturday there was a studio day and John was interested in attending. Whilst there the subject of the new look magazine was bought up, and the Chairman looking at my hours of hard work sat there and told me that whoever had put the photographs in it, they werent worth the paper they were printed on! Of course they were Johns photos and he heard every word she said --and he was most distressed by this. She also infuriated me when she had been showing some guy how to use his camera, she came back to her seat and announced loudly that she had been overpowered by the dreadful smell of the chap!!!!!
Later in the week we took the proofs of the magazine, by prior arrangement on disk, to show to the Chairman. She looked at one page and then said she didnt have the correct software on her laptop to look at it. Other people put software on her computer for her as she didnt know how!
We then decided to do our own thing for the rest of our time in Wales as no-one would miss us!
When we arrived home John went on to the DPS Forum and during some correspondence with another member the subject of the Chairman saying his pictures were rubbish came up. All hell broke loose!! John was barred from the website, and is still barred. I was never a member in the first place!
I finished the magazine and sent it to the Printers and a few days later I received a letter from the DPS Chairman sacking me from the job, accusing me have having put derogatory comments on the website and a whole heap of other speil accusing me of god knows what.
I had spent hours and hours redesigning that publication. I hold personal copyright on my writing and on the design, but when I pointed it out no-one took the slightest bit of notice. It was printed anyway without my permission. I had spent pounds on software to produce the magazine on, and spent many hours of my time designing it. A short time later, a friend of the Chairmans from her Bristol area was appointed as magazine editor . A short time later the Secretary, who had been my only helper was similarly sacked without explanation despite the fact that he had been elected by the membership but that s for him to tell, not me
Imagine how surprised I was when I saw Shirley Brittons contribution to this current argument. I was amazed to see that she had personally been responsible for the changes in the magazine . To read that the woman who didnt know how to put software on her computer is trained in IT??? Amazing!! How dare she write to me telling me she had been badly treated?? What a damned cheek.
I dont know about this photographic studio , but its typical that it should be in Bristol, where no other members have access to it. For us to go there it would take a six hours drive.
I hope that this present scenario makes the DPS see that they have a National membership not a local one. Personally Id sooner believe Tom Molloys account of what happened. Ive met Tom, hes a nice guy!
In the light of this I think you can assume the Committee feel that you are being deliberately difficult. They will take the same opportunity to give it 'consideration', just as you have done.
