Pathfinder Societies

I have spent many years in education and attended numerous training courses designed to make me a better teacher, a better manager and to be better informed about the latest thinking on one initiative or another, but I have never been on as comprehensive a course as Pathfinders. This is a series of three weekend courses to develop one member of selected Civic Societies such that they can return to their towns and cities and help the organisation become a Pathfinder Society.

What is a Pathfinder Society? One that uses the resources of its membership to the full. (You will recall the audit of your skills in the questionnaire with the last Newsletter.) It is a Society that takes on tasks that it believes it can complete - and completes them. Such tasks could be practical projects, political lobbying for changes to the town or services to members. I gather from fellow delegates that members of The Ipswich Society are, by comparison, well provided for with newsletters, social events, winter lectures and summer outings. This does not mean we cannot do more and Pathfinders has given me a host of ideas to discuss with the Society's Executive Committee.

The first weekend in September was on leadership. The latest in November was on Civic Design. (We suggested improvements to Coventry Civic Centre, not a difficult task!) The final weekend will be in February . That's not the end of proceedings however as I have to take the results of our chosen projects back to Civic Trust headquarters later in the year.

JOHN NORMAN, Vice-Chairman