Aisling Arann

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ORGANIZATION

The way forward

The following are possibilites and concrete proposals for a way forward for Aisling Árann Teoranta. These should be considered along with other proposals.
Aisling Árann Teoranta is primarily a facility. Despite having a structure which is hierarchical, with elected directors, it was never envisaged that the project on Aran would operate from top down. Aisling Árann Teoranta is a facility to allow us as a group to own property, to deal with government bodies and other agencies, and to present a clear identity when necessary. It may also be useful to us in other respects for the promotion of our own dreams.
The Aisling Arann directors have no mandate to speak on behalf of anybody other than the paid-up members and then only when specifically asked to do so. They do not have the right to tell people how to live their personal lives.

Taking the principle that Aisling Árann Teoranta is primarily a facility, the role and powers of the directors are the following:

• to be responsible for the legal obligations of Aisling Árann Teoranta and to keep its affairs in order.
• to control the use of the name Aisling Árann, e.g. on headed notepaper, bank accounts, dealings with government bodies, agencies, the media, etc.
• to make the facilites of Aisling Árann Teoranta available to the wider Aisling network, and to exercise control and take responsibility over the way those facilities are used. (The facilities of Aisling Árann Teoranta at present include: registered name, charitable status, bank accounts, notepaper, company seal, office, property and equipment.)
• to do work specifically mandated at an AGM and to be accountable for that work at the following AGM.

The principle of subsidiarity is a guiding principle for Aisling Árann Teoranta. This principle applies in a hierarchical power struture to effectively resist the tendency to accumulate power at the top. The principle of subsidiarity is that decisions be made at the lowest efficient level. The application of this principle has two implications for Aisling Árann Teoranta.
In the case of a "top-down" initiative, mandated by an AGM (or EGM), the directors must work to release power to people involved in the action. This may mean that in the end Aisling Árann Teoranta is only nominally involved in what it originally initiated.
In the case of a "bottom-up" initiative, e.g. one which begins with an individual or a grassroots group who wish to use the Aisling Árann name or other facilities, decision-making in all matters, except what clearly pertains to company facilities, remains at the base. Clarity is best obtained in these cases by a written agreement.

Membership

Aisling Árann Teoranta is required to have a register of members which is updated annually. Until now the concept of membership has never been clear, as we operated out of a spiral model which, although it had levels, had no clear moment of entry. While the spiral model applies to the wider Aisling network it does not fit the legal structure of Aisling Árann Teoranta.
People who feel they are part of the spiral network of the Aisling may nonetheless not want to be involved in Aisling Árann Teoranta. There are other ways to be involved. Membership of Aisling Árann Teoranta is for people who specifically want to be involved in the responsibilities and administration of the legal company structure.