DGM HQ On this day
09.02
DGM HQ.
On this day, seventy years ago, our Uncle Bill heard an announcement at his RAF camp that changed the direction of his, and many other, lives.
A grey, damp day.
10.35 Reflecting upon a response to a Crafty enquiry.
10.54 Off to Wimborne.
17.15 Leaving DGM HQ c. 11.10 & parking by the Allendale Centre. Over the bridge…
… across the River Allen…
… to a Georgian building that used to house an antique shop & a restaurant…
… and a more recent example of architecture adjacent…
… is the Allendale Centre. This construction was guided by building regs & standards determined by government. Well, maybe that’s why it looks as good as it does.
The Wimborne Rotary Club meets here every Thursday. Our Father was a founding member & President for 1967-68. The last occasion Uncle Bill was here was in 1967 as Arthur’s guest & the talk given was on the artificial insemination of cows. This lunchtime, particularly appropriate given the anniversary, Uncle Bill is addressing Rotary.
Patricia, with extensive experience planning speaking events, takes charge of the space…
Patricia addresses large & small matters. One small matter, to the Winburnian handyman with the wireless microphone, is whether the battery might run out. But it hasn’t run out before! How long has the battery been in the microphone? Don’t know – but it’s never run out! Sistery the Speaker Pro carries her own batteries, for a moment such as this.
On the table by the door I…
II...
… names of Past-Presidents, including AH Fripp, AL Jones & AP Cosgrove (these all directors of Welch & Lock, Estate Agents) mingle with other names commonplace in my youth & arising.
Alan Cosgrove introduced Patricia & myself, who in turn introduced Alfie Fripp (Squadron Leader RAF Retd.) the oldest surviving & longest serving British POW (to the best of our knowledge). Excerpts were played from BBCtv news items in March this year I…
II (marking the route of the escape tunnel in The Great Escape from Stalag Luft III)…
… and Patricia introduced Uncle Bill to the Wimborne Rotary Club…
Uncle began speaking c. 13.45 & talked for some 40 minutes. Only 3 Rotarians left, because they had to for their professional lives. It is unheard of, that everyone stays this long for a lunchtime speaker.
Then Q&A I…
II...
III...
… for a further 10 minutes.
Uncle Bill was not only representing the Fripp family, but also his generation of service people. This was a moving event, with a sense of being in the presence of history.
Returning to DGM HQ c. 15.45 & an awaiting present…
22.31 An e-mail sent, filed under the heading of Dear Crafty…
Do i have experience of people not honouring commitments?
Yes!
What to do?
In a Guitar Craft context, we call on what is best in all of us; that is, we call on Higher Nature. We cannot police Lower Nature.
It is important to declare our aim. Our conduct may then be placed alongside that aim.
in a professional context, the failure to honour obligations often goes to litigation. This from one who has extensive experience of asking that what is owed, has been contractually agreed & promised, not subsequently presented or delivered, is satisfactorily addressed & the commitment discharged. That is, on occasion, we do police Lower Nature. I note, this comes with a high price attached.
In Guitar Craft, goodwill is assumed. In my professional life, goodwill is not something I can rely upon.
Fundamentally, it is not possible to undertake a relationship with anyone who does not have a practice, or discipline, of some kind. An established discipline confers a singularity: when I say I will do this, it will be done. No arbitrary impulse can unseat this commitment. A discipline confers reliability, repeatability, response-ability; alternatively expressed, a discipline confers effectuality in time.
I am not aware of the personal interactions & exchanges within the Circle, so will not speculate as to how the difficulties have arisen, or any sense of umbrage that might have come about, what series of reactions could have been set in motion - all the stuff of personal friction - and what undertakings may consequently have been abandoned.
When we work in a Circle, we must be very clear of our personal aims, and very clear of our personal responsibilities. Leading a Circle is not something that we can adopt, or claim, if we want something for ourself. I have also expressed my concern that when impersonal work combines with personal relationships, there are problems.
Good luck!
00.33 An evening of e-fury & computing. The floor is waiting.
