Asian Tsunami

[Steve McLaren]

I agree with all members that say we should do something. As users of the wonderful dive sites in the region it is time to give something back! Perhaps BSAC could place a levy on all members via the clubs and send this off to the Disaster Appeal Co-ordinating Organisation

[Andy Wade]

I agree with all members that say we should do something. As users of the wonderful dive sites in the region it is time to give something back! Perhaps BSAC could place a levy on all members via the clubs and send this off to the Disaster Appeal Co-ordinating Organisation

Sorry, but whilst it might be laudable, I think a levy on all members is a non starter. Any donations have to be voluntary or people will complain that BSAC is wasting their funds.

125,000 dead and still counting.

I've just donated on the Red Cross web site, which was very easy. I'd urge people to go with something similar for instant help, and maybe donate to a larger fund for help in the months to come.
For anyone who wants to see how far the tsunami actually reached, go here:

<a href="http://staff.aist.go.jp/kenji.satake/animation.gif" >http://staff.aist.go.jp/kenji.satake/animation.gif</a>

It gives you a good idea of the level of destruction in affected areas.



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[Steve L.]

I agree with all members that say we should do something. As users of the wonderful dive sites in the region it is time to give something back! Perhaps BSAC could place a levy on all members via the clubs and send this off to the Disaster Appeal Co-ordinating Organisation

Maybe an easier option would be for BSAC to make a straightforward donation. I`m sure it would only take a vote from the General Council to permit a donation to be made.

Anyone at H.Q. like to comment on this ?

[Nigel Hewitt]

Maybe an easier option would be for BSAC to make a straightforward donation. I`m sure it would only take a vote from the General Council to permit a donation to be made.

Anyone at H.Q. like to comment on this ?

No that's unfair to the HQ people. BSAC has strong rules about its members money and they can't just start giving it away to any cause no matter how worth while. Many of us feel more involved with this disaster because we've been there and places we've visited are wrecked and the people we've met have been killed, injured or bereaved. Although I think giving is a good idea I do think that any contributions are a private matter between the individual and their own conscience.

[Keith Lawrence(BSAC)]

Anyone at H.Q. like to comment on this ?

Please do not take our silence as a lack of action, we are currently assessing how best to assist our friends and members in the affected regions and a statement will be made in due course.

Keith Lawrence
BSAC Council Member

[David Walker]

:=I agree with all members that say we should do something. As users of the wonderful dive sites in the region it is time to give something back! Perhaps BSAC could place a levy on all members via the clubs and send this off to the Disaster Appeal Co-ordinating Organisation

Sorry, but whilst it might be laudable, I think a levy on all members is a non starter. Any donations have to be voluntary or people will complain that BSAC is wasting their funds.

I have to agree. It'd be lovely to be able to give these countries and their people all the aid (not just money) they need, but it really isn't down to BSAC as an organisation to do that - they can encourage members like anyone else, but I think BSAC would be going beyond its decision making powers to start making donations to charities.
Yes some dive sites we (as divers) use were affected, but many members i'm sure have suffered from cancers, have been helped by the RNLI, have seen sharks underwater that may have been saved through the work of charities... all are good causes related to diving (however loosely), but on the whole all BSAC can and should do is encourage private members to do what they wish.

In any case, if they donate eg ?2.50 for each member then thats a lot of money BSAC can't necessarily afford, and collecting that ?2.50 each through branches would be expensive logistically, not to mention impossible legally and so it would be back to being voluntary anyway... in which case why don't people donate directly anyway?

Nice idea, but you can't expect BSAC Council to make decisions like that - you can just hope people decide to offer help on their own.

David

[Steve L.]

Nigel

As I understand it, the reason we elect a council is to make decisions on our behalf (some of them unpopular !)

Steve

[allan j bretherton]

Well done Keith, thanks for posting this

Allan

:=Anyone at H.Q. like to comment on this ?

Please do not take our silence as a lack of action, we are currently assessing how best to assist our friends and members in the affected regions and a statement will be made in due course.

Keith Lawrence
BSAC Council Member

[Dave]

Nigel

As I understand it, the reason we elect a council is to make decisions on our behalf (some of them unpopular !)


Only if those decisions relate to that which the council is there to make decisions on. Giving members money away ( regardless of how worthy a cause ) isnt, afaik, within their remit

Dave

[Tom Brookes]

As much as we all feel something needs to be done, as Bsac is a Limtied company I would assume if it was to collect money from the member as some sort of levy, BSAC would I think have to pay VAT & TAX on the money's collected. So as some of the others have sent my donation has gone via the red cross.

Please correct me someone if the above is wrong?

[Adrian Kelland]

As much as we all feel something needs to be done, as Bsac is a Limtied company I would assume if it was to collect money from the member as some sort of levy, BSAC would I think have to pay VAT & TAX on the money's collected. So as some of the others have sent my donation has gone via the red cross.

Please correct me someone if the above is wrong?

Even if you are wrong, the Red Cross etc. are better set for the Gift Aid tax recovery. The web sites are up and running. Why duplicate all that effort for what is a small number of people.

Like you I have used the Red Cross.

Adrian

[vice-chairman]

As time moves on the enormity of the situation in Asia is becoming clearer and the immense scale of the disaster hard to comprehend.

Following many suggestions on how we can help and much discussion on among council members we feel that the following actions are most appropriate:
?h BSAC Council would encourage our members to make a personal donation to the Disaster Fund as they see fit by following the links on our website front page <a href="http://www.dec.org.uk/" >http://www.dec.org.uk/</a> or by phoning 0870 60 60 900. The reason for this is that the international agencies have an infrastructure in place and individuals may also have personal preferences about where their donations are best directed.
?h BSAC will continue to contact our overseas members, branches and schools in the region and offer them our support for the medium and long term. We feel that in this way we can help to re-build what has been lost and we as divers know what we can work best for these branches and members
By way of an update I have copied in below some local information obtained by Deric Ellerby:

"Some good news, five Singapore members diving from Phuket have survived OK, a ship we have used for a number of events and frequently used by our Singapore members and Jack Ingle was in Penang but has also survived and is helping in rescue operations there and our new school in the Andamans run by Sasikumar Attoor has survived without injuries to staff or customers. Our regional development officer, NI Les Skelton is also in the Andamans just now and is OK. I have heard that our Penang branch has lost their clubhouse and equipment, but no loss of life reported.

... our main Phuket school SEAL, has suffered no loss of life, their liveaboards are all OK and the water stopped 1 metre from their shop and the recompression chamber. An ex-BSAC school was nearly as lucky, no loss of life, boats OK but shop destroyed. Current information from the Andamans is that no inbound tourism is permitted."

Marcus Allen BSAC Vice Chairman, on behalf of BSAC Council

[apodzorski]

An additional way to support local communities in some areas is to continue travelling to the diving areas. In this way many local people are supported - not only the locals that work in dive shops, but the local fisherman who supply fish to resorts, local farmers that have resorts as there only real source of income etc. Ko Lanta in Thailand is an example of this. See the link below for more info.

[jade7]

:=I agree with all members that say we should do something. As users of the wonderful dive sites in the region it is time to give something back! Perhaps BSAC could place a levy on all members via the clubs and send this off to the Disaster Appeal Co-ordinating Organisation

Sorry, but whilst it might be laudable, I think a levy on all members is a non starter. Any donations have to be voluntary or people will complain that BSAC is wasting their funds.

125,000 dead and still counting.

I've just donated on the Red Cross web site, which was very easy. I'd urge people to go with something similar for instant help, and maybe donate to a larger fund for help in the months to come.
For anyone who wants to see how far the tsunami actually reached, go here:


yea we all should do our part to help. It has been disasterous. The damage (http://www.nationmaster.com/cat/Disasters) caused is beyond imagination.