MESSAGE TO WWS GOVERNORS

 

• ...... Mrs Clementine Allan
• ...... Ms Elizabeth Charles
• ...... Mr Stuart Fox –  Frensham Nominee
• ...... Mr Paul Hunter
• ...... Ms Kirsty McIvor – Sturt Nominee
• ...... Mr Richard Melki
• ...... Mr Edward Studdy – Chair
• ...... Mr David Wright – Gib Gate Nominee
• ...... Ms Jane Worner

Dear Mr Stubby and whoever it may concern,

As I’m prone to do these days, and that is to state at the outset that I expect that this correspondence will read with scant regard. Moreover, what I have to say will no doubt be characterised as the rant from an angry old man. I can confirm that such an assessment is right on the money and especially so given that it is in my current duty statement. .................... That said, I find the confirmation in the Southern Highlands Express that Frensham’s Governors (Formally WWS Ltd Govern) remains hell bent in being the corporate citizen from THEinferno. Galloping rough shod over the well-founded community concerns, sensibilities and sensitivities is hubristic and it must be seen as an exemplar extremely poor marketing. There is much more that I could (should?) say but I’ll leave that to your individual imaginations .................... Moreover, in the 21st C, and as for meeting community expectations, the depths that are being plumbed by you are astounding. It is said that a wise man said … “Never borrow the devil's pitchfork for he will surely use it against you.” .................... ‘The old girls’ et al currently calling out THEschool’s behaviours here, and persistently, and over time, it should be telling you all on the board something – quite simply, it’s their education speaking. Nonetheless, together you apparently have all decided to lend them a deaf ear to their rational call for a rethink. Yes, as one the few alive today who actually knew Winifred West, and I am with them even though I do not believe that I’ve met any of them. .................... I’ve said it before, I recall Winifred West espousing ‘making’ relative to place and here, with her making her environmental concerns loud and clear in this context. That is when she was speaking as an educator and the quintessential placemaker that she was. Her life partner Phyllis Clubbe, often said of Winifred that she was a nice person but when she was a “visionary with a mission” she was ever likely to be less nice. Having got to know them both it is possible to imagine Winifred storming into a governors meeting, dressing down all present on this and that and leaving all to ponder a few things as she returned to her gardening whatever the weather. .................... Together Winifred West and ‘Miss Clubbe’ (AKA ‘Clubby’) left an extraordinary legacy to a very large Community of Ownership and Interest (COI) not shareholders, not stakeholders but a COI who are asserting, as best they can, the right to speak out and speak up on your current propensity for nightmarish decision making. They acknowledge their obligations as well and there are poignant lessons embedded in that. In a marketing sense it makes good sense to pay close attention. However, as a ‘board’, and on the evidence, you are disinclined to acknowledge a COI in lieu of anything like shareholders to be accountable to. Given that, on the evidence, it is more comfortable to be unaccountably self-serving – status quoism writ large! As for the legacy you are apparently oblivious to, what you have to care for and about is significant. .................... As for this so-called development in the ‘The Lower Holt’ it bears all the hallmarks of a comfortable GETaway at the beach and home away from home at the boarding house. OMG it is a SUGARcoated BUSHexperience with hot and cold running water on tap and what is more, it is architecturally BOVINEdust, lowest common denominator, and sadly it is mediocre to boot. There was a day when the girls slept on open verandas and what’s proposed here is unambiguously banal and downright silly aside from being environmentally inappropriate and pedagogically stupefying. There was a day when serious players in placemaking were engaged – consider Clubbe Hall for a moment [1] – [2] – [3] against this [4] in the context of a contribution to the CULTURALlandscape. The question hanging here is how on earth didn’t this banal architectural lowest common denominator proposal ring any alarm bells? I’ll get to that, but for you now, I guess you might well muse upon that! Indeed, what might Winifred think! .................... From what’s on display, it is time for a radical rethink with some divergent thinkers and cultural realists present in the room. That is people with domain knowledge, designers and ‘makers’ with the capacity to think ‘divergently’ … outside the box & the status quo. I’ll repeat again Ronald Reagan’s translation of status quo … “Its’s quite simply Latin for the mess we are in”… and by golly Reagan wasn’t a great thinker but in this he was on the money. .................... So, along with your STURTdetermination as a ‘Board of Governors’ you are displaying your dystopic disability to not only see the dystopia but also show any ability/inclination to address the issue plus also to be cognisant/mindful of what is going on in THEworld in a REALworld context. Why is it that you are seen to be looking to plunder STURTresources in your hellish “pausing”? For what purpose? As much as you tell yourselves that STURT is a NONperforming COSTcentre. SELFreflection is a humbling process. Its purpose is essential to find out why you think, say, and do certain things...... AND then better yourself. .................... Some questions! Has anyone considered WWS doing a meaningful SWOTtest recently!!?? Has anyone been so bold as to suggest engaging with ‘WWS’ COI – schools plural ? Has the news of Chevalier’s 4 day week reached ‘the board’ in any meaningful way? Has anyone considered engaging with EDUCATIONIONALresearchers when thinking strategically? Indeed, is any time being given over to meaningful STRATEGICreview? Has any thought been given to WWS’s future prospects after the Federal Govt ultimately reviews SCHOOLS’funding? Has any thought at all been given as to how WWS might grow in a 21st context or survive even? Has any thought been given to the recent Cranbrook debacle? In the light of the board’s wayward PERFORMANCEindicators these are somewhat rhetorical questions. And there are more still! .................... I’m unaware of who it might have been who put forward the idea that wallowing on the smooth surface of their self-satisfaction, many of us are merely counting the shadows on the wall of their/our delusions. Moreover, while adding up the so, so many illusions and indulgences in the comfort of lies and the ignorance of unpleasant truths the SELFsatisfied retreat is the only safe way out … pull the shutters down and keep schtum. Whoever it was who said this, they had the capacity to describe SELFreflection as a noun/verb and lay the foundations for whatever comes next. Spend some time musing upon that please. .................... Arguably, WWS as the current insulated and isolated FRENSHAMschool entity has transmogrified into a TOPdown exemplar of a somewhat Machiavellian CORPORATEfiefdom masquerading as a worthy entity entitled to all kinds of ‘largess’ on the grounds of it history/ies. In truth it is but a very PALEshadow of what was once ‘marketable’ by word-of-mouth. How did this happen? Why did it happen? Going forward is it viable, marketable, or relevant socially, culturally, or educationally in a 21st C context? SEE https://whatmightwinifredwestthink.blogspot.com/p/operational-structures.html .................... Since I write from afar and that I’m ever likely to be characterised as an irrelevant angry old man sticking his bib where it is not wanted it is what it is. Nonetheless consigning this to the bottom of the bottom draw might not work– see this LINK for the record. Quite simply, transparency is increasingly a 21st C reality. .................... John Maxwell has said “Never open a can of worms unless you plan to go fishing.” Please know, I am ‘fishing’ and as a cultural producer, cultural geographer, and researcher WWS is a petri dish in my CULTURALlaboratory. Moreover, it is where the foundations of my professional life and research interests are laid down. .................... If you intend to respond to this, please refrain from patronising me as you have done before – it’s not a good look. If it is your default positioning is to pay no attention to what the critics say, so be it. Statues are never erected in honour of a critic. Anyway, if it is your inclination so to do, don’t waste any energy trying to change opinion. Just do your thing, and don’t care if the world likes it or not and let word-of-mouth and social media will do their thing and as likely as not, what needs to be done will be done. .................... What always resonates with me is the Buddha’s teaching on truth. There are just three things that cannot be hidden .. The Sun … The Moon … The truth. .................... Yours sincerely, Ray Norman Sturt Alumni, Cultural Producer, Cultural Geographer & Researcher Ray Norman The lifestyle design enterprise and research network .................... eMAIL: raynorman7250@gmail.com