Elizabeth Beringer March 26, 2009

Dear All,

I read with interest Jeff and Carl letters and I appreciate Jeff your willingness to take responsibility. I agree with everything you said, and at the same time have another perspective. I have been willing to step up to the plate and continued to be on committiees, go to meetings etc.for many years. I do not feel that a lack of willingness on my part played a role. I have participated in many productive meetings with other trainers over the years where there was a lot of agreement about steps that could be taken. The reason that I finally gave up is that I got tired of singing the same song, going over the same territory. Now the NATAB is conducting surveys about alternative training options. I’ve spent a lot of time on this and generated lots of good ideas with others, but these things don’t lead to action. What happened to all those notes? All those ideas? Why are we recreating the wheel again.  There have been lots of people ready to work on these issues at varsous moments, but it only goes so far. So I don’t agree that its because we all dropped out. I’m just waiting for a venue where action is possible, otherwise like you I have many better things to do.

I have often felt (OK not always), and always feel on the STG’s, that I work fast and  efficiently with colleagues from the training community on many issues. I read with interest Paul Rubin’s letter saying maybe the training policy is not as dyfunctional as we tend to say it is. It made me stop and think. There is a lot that works. And there are a lot of good ideas for change. Jeff brings up one, the continuity issue. Long ago with big trainings I pushed for this point. But later it was clear that this needed to be balanced also with a need for variety in small trainings who have more continuity than they need. I have brought this up and had agreement on it in countless meetings. But its still not in the policy.

How is it that a totally inexperienced group got all this IFF money and consultants and it goes directly to the full IFF board. Whereas I’ve been at so many meeting coming up with great ideas and consensus on some changes that go nowhere?  Personally I think a good place to start would be to look at the policy and come up with a bare bone minimum International policy and then different Regions could add to that. They couldn’t subtract, only add. But again, although I would gladly serve with such a group if it would lead to action, how this will happen is beyond me.

Best Wishes to All of You!
Elizabeth Beringer