We have been asked to put the following letter and Survey on the blog. Ysella Wood is a Nottingham University student and her letter is self-explanatory. It can be found here and in the useful links under "Alpaca Questionnaire"
She had asked the B.A.S. if they would kindly email her survey to all its members. She also told B.A S. that she would give them the results of the survey. B.A.S. declined to send it out stating:
Dear Ysella Wood
Further to your request of 21st July for the BAS to circulate your 'research questionnaire'. My apologies for the prolonged delay. Your request was discussed at the board meeting held this week. The board were of the opinion that they had sent out rather a lot of 'research questionnaires'recently and did not wish to over burden the membership with another at this time.
I regret therefore that we are not able to circulate this for you.
One would think the B.A.S. would welcome this study which is being carried out independently at no cost to the B.A.S and surely the B.A.S would benefit to find out how the members feel. This would have taken no time at all to send out by email to the members - same time as it takes to send out emails about shows.
Ysella had to resort to posting her survey just to members in the South West but we can appreciate this is very costly and her student budget couldn't stretch to posting her survey to the entire country.
We are glad to help and we urge everyone to download the survey and either email or post it back to Ysella. The summary of her findings will be posted on this blog in the future.
We wish you luck Ysella and sorry the B.A.S. Board didn't help.
The RBCT - a gift that keeps on giving.
3 months ago
Posts
The B.A.S. Board helps none of it's members, unless of course they are the Board members. If one of the Board members had bTB it would be different.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the last post. Boot out the current Board and replace with members who have been either struck by TB. or care about Tb.
ReplyDeleteBetter still form a new society which puts welfare first - pound notes second.
As for them refusing to send out the survey to the members. I am a member and it would not have been a burden - I am sick and tired of being burdened by emails on shows. I have completed the survey and sent mine back and I hope everyone else will do the same.
If you get a box which says error when you try to open the survey just close the error box and
ReplyDeletethe letter and survey will be able to be downloaded.
Can the owners of the blog sort that problem out to make it easier for people.
thanks for bringing this survey to our attention. I am also a BAS member and I would not have found it to be a burden had BAS sent it to me. Good luck with your survey
Students deserve support from all branches of 'industry' - I am pleased that you have been able to give some assistance, which will hopefully give Ysella some encouragement.
ReplyDeleteI am a member of the B.A.S. and I am tired of getting emails about shows. I would have loved to have got the survey. I would have been more than happy to fill it in. Why did they refuse to send it out. The BAS are being represented by the Board and NOT by the people like me who pay £80 a year to be a member. I am disgusted.
ReplyDeleteWhat surveys have they sent us anyway. i have never had a survey sent to me from BAS so how can they say they didn't want to burden us.
B.A.S. once again do their utmost to keep the TB situation swept under the carpet.
ReplyDeleteI noticed a new group has formed under the guise of a Swedish pop group ABBA. Calling themselves Alapca BloodStock Society Assoc. Look at their websites and read what they say. The purpose is to promote themselves to europe - and yet not a mention of any disease -let alone TB. No warning about TB. No mention the skin test used for export is crap. Europe watch out - import from the u.k. at your peril. you don't want to end up like us.
More shocking a BAS board member is part of this Swedish Pop Group- quelle suprise and you wonder why we have a problem. TB has been confirmed in France and Holland - who is next.
Linda
Alpaca Owner member of the bas but not anymore
How dare the BAS - which is supposed to exist to support its members - choose to decide that the survey would 'overburden the members'!
ReplyDeleteSurely it is up to the members themselves, who pay a premium price to belong to the BAS, to decide whether or not to complete the survey. We, as members, should be given the option to decide, not the BAS board.
Quote from an earlier posting: "surely the B.A.S would benefit to find out how the members feel". I don't believe that the BAS board wants to know how its members feel about TB, hence their refusal to send out the survey. Come on BAS, do something on behalf of your vast membership, not just on behalf of the board members! I WILL BE filling in this survey.
I can see it won't be long before small breeders unite to form their own group /society / alliance in some form and breakaway from the money makers who seem hell bent on cashing in for the short term and destroying our fledgling industry for the longer term.
ReplyDeleteIt is a pity our herd book is not independant of the BAS.
Can we not have a British Alpaca Herd Book instead of a British Alpaca Society herd book?
ReplyDeleteNot owned by BAS - not owned by anyone. Why is it owned by the BAS anyway. The cost of registering would cover the running of the herd book wouldn't it.?
By insiting only BAS members can register - means hundreds of non BAS members are unable to register. We therefore have no idea how many alpacas are in the country. At least by having a herd book not dependent on an exhorbitant membership fee we would have a more accurate list. Is this not the way forward or am I being naive.
It used to be prestigous declaring all my herd are BAS registered and now it is becoming embarrassing to admit you are a member.
Small breeders need to come together to form a new society or group to help save our industry. A group who put Welfare first before the big buck.
The derogatory comments for this blog post should be considered for deletion by the publishers.
ReplyDeleteI am not necessarily impressed with the actions of the BAS in recent times, and I do not wish to make comment about ABBA, we are not members of that group.
However, this blog and it's contents have been a valuable resource for alpaca breeders in relation to bTB. This blog has sadly been jeopardised by the comments above, which are less to do with Bovine Tuberculosis in alpacas and more to do with something sinister.
This is the second time this has occurred, and it's disappointing that the result will end up with less alpaca breeders using this blog to gain valuable information. Like me they will be put off from reading it.
Would the publishers kindly consider the adverse affect this is having on the profile of the blog itself, and consider removing the offending comments. It will do the blog's cause no good at all.
Regards
Rob @ Wellground.
Well done Rob, Could not agree more.
ReplyDeleteAlso stand up and be counted ninnymouses.
If you have something to say please say who you are.
Sue Wilson
Valley Alpacas
(Sorry not very good with computer so am posting as a ninnymouse)
Don't moderate please. If you did the posts from Mr wellground and Mrs Wilson would also have been removed had they got their wish.
ReplyDeleteI tried to post a reply but it didn't go on as a comment. I hope you have not been pressured by the few who wish opinons to be one sided.
This is not a private blog it is a public blog. All sides should be heard. Well done to the blog for not just allowing opinons that support them but also allow opinions that insult them. Thanks to the publishers for all your hard work. My dear friend has just got tb in his alpacas and this blog has been a godsend to him.
Ali Stephens - Devon
Ali again - I need to add that this blog has not been jeopordised as Mr Wellground puts it by comments on the blog. You cannot hold the owners of the blog responsible for the comments. It is called Freedom of Speech. This blog and righly so has chosen not to moderate.
ReplyDeleteTo say the blog has lost its way because the publshers havent removed comments that you don't agree with is Big Brother Attitude..
Just look on the bovine blog which is not moderated and heated debates makes you whince
but all sides are free to comment. I agree that offensive comments attacking a named person should be removed.
Keep up your great work.
I disagree Ali, I have that prerogative. I no longer watch at the Bovine TB blog because it is hijacked for peoples own uses and become far too political.
ReplyDeleteIf this blog alows groups to be maligned publicly, I am going to leave this blog too. I have found the blog to be a valuable tool in learning about TB in alpacas. I am not interested in reading peoples abuse of others (especially when they haven't got the guts to name themselves), I just want to learn about TB and how it affects alpacas.
So, I personally believe your view is flawed.
I wish the blog good luck, but it is harmed if it allows itself to become the mouthpiece of people with an axe to grind.
You probably think that makes me a bad person Ali. You have the right to believe that if you so wish.
Rob @ Wellground
Hi Ali,
ReplyDeleteI absolutely agree about freedom of speech, but there is a time and a place.
I do not to the butchers to buy fish or a hardware shop to buy clothes.
I do go the AGMs to make my voice heard.
I come to the TB blog to learn about any updates on TB.
Sue Wilson
Ignore the post from Wellground - We need to be kept informed about Tb in our industry. Anyone with a modicum of intellect can ignore the non helpfull comments and be grateful for the info this blog provides. Ask yourself have
ReplyDeleteall the articles on this blog been sent to you by the BAS. Need I say anymore.
Bob you have used this blog to self promote - they have used your badger fencing article and promoted your fleece show and yet you choose to kick it in the teeth,
Ali
ReplyDeleteSue - bloody well done - where is he going to get current TB information from - the BAS !!!!!! I DON'T THINK SO. None of the helpful stuff on this on this blog is on the BAs website.
Good luck,if you are waiting for the facts about tB to be in the BAs magazine
Ali
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