I read with interest Reva Klein’s extended article on the politicking behind the October 29 meeting of the embryo National Governors Council. There are obviously many differing perceptions of what has occurred in the past 11 months.
In fact, the National Association of Governors and Managers was always willing to take up its ex-officio place on the NGC steering committee but after the first meeting, attended by Celia Jordan as a substitute for Peter Morris, attendance was offered only on a very restricted basis (which NAGM could not accept) and then basic information about meetings - time, place, agenda, minutes and so on - was no longer circulated to NAGM.
At a meeting with the NAGM executive on September 25, Simon Goodenough finally justified this exclusion on the basis that NAGM was perceived as being opposed to the NGC and only those fully in support of NGC were welcome (an experience comparable to Martin Corrick’s and which I think needs no additional comment). Therefore the more recent exclusion from NGC full membership of local associations which include individual governors as well as governing bodies, which effectively excludes NAGM local associations from NGC full membership, could not be a reason for any course of action by NAGM as might be suggested in the article.
JOHN JENNINGS Stable Cottage Brougham Penrith, Cumbria.