Globusz^® Publishing 

I decided that it was time that the three managers and I had a chance to get together and to get to know each other better. We four would be spending a lot of time in each other’s company and so we needed to be a good team. We met at my own home, breaking the day with a pleasant lunchtime meal at my local pub.

John seemed a stable personality at thirty-four years of age: he did not jump to quick conclusions. You could feel him weighing the odds and he had a quiet confidence that was reassuring.

Gerry, was ten years older than John. Although slow in his speech he was not slow in his mind. He was inclined to let everyone else do the talking, never interrupting a conversation and speaking infrequently until, when he did, it was with a deep voice, which commanded attention. He was devoted to his family, and I believed that he would never let anyone down. He has a wicked sense of humour that, for the sensitive, bordered on the harsh and would not be to everyone’s taste. Second to his family, Gerry was devoted to his animals, the beasts he called them. I am sure he was looking forward to stocking the island; it was a new challenge that had come at a good time. I knew he was not keen on the Manager’s position but I guessed that he was more worried about the title than the actual work. I was sure I had made a good choice.

Denise was an extrovert, but not overpoweringly so. She was also talkative and always gave additional expression to whatever she was saying by a variety of different hand movements. She had positive ideas on almost everything that came into question and was eager to set things in motion.

I felt I had in these three people the catalyst for the island to move in the right direction. The first thing I wanted was their views on the composition of the island council. I had already proposed that it should be composed of the four of us but with the addition of a secretary, a treasurer and one other person, but I had a feeling that the secretary could be underemployed and the treasurer would have little to do.

Denise was the first to comment. “I think we do need a secretary even though you want to keep paper work to the minimum. There will still be agendas, minutes and letters. I suggest you ask Kate to come on the committee and combine her work for Gerry with ours. As for a treasurer, this is more in your hands, you’ve put up all the money.”

John agreed, adding: “Can I suggest that Denise and I will also produce our own share of secretarial work, and it may be more efficient to keep under one roof. If we do this I think he or she will have more than enough to do. And although we could easily operate with a committee of five, seven would give a greater spread and reflection of opinion.”

Gerry agreed with Denise’s firs point and continued: “There is a need for a treasurer. There will be many transactions and a lot of money I imagine, will change hands. You, yourself, are the best person for this role, it’s your money.”

“Thanks” — I replied. “We will ask Kate to give an even greater effort for her work for the same salary rate of zero! The reason I wanted a treasurer, was because I wanted the whole affair to be transparent and to dispel any ‘kingdom and serf’ mentality that is present on other islands. I have in mind to ask Philip, my present solicitor to do the job, if he is willing. Next can I have your views on the seventh member of the committee who is to be drawn from the islanders? I want the committee to comprise of an odd number of people, not in their attitude, I mean in their numbers.”

“Perhaps we are all a bit odd by virtue of being here”— laughed John. “I think this should be your first referendum vote as we get onto the island. Let everyone get their first vote in.”

“Denise then suggested she should bring out the first newsletter, and went on to discuss in some detail the budgets I had proposed and the practicalities of packing and transporting belongings to the island. When it came to the subject of food, John worried that wealthy islanders could provide themselves with additional supplies from the mainland and thereby cause an imbalance in the stability of the island.

“I certainly want to avoid this” — I said. We will collectively purchase some essential or specialised foods from the mainland that we cannot produce ourselves, but we cannot be too rigid on this and I urge you to spread the message — and put it in the newsletter — that islanders should not expect more than a basic diet at first.”

“Now — I said — I’ve given to each of you, the figures for the initial expenditure under your control. They are very approximate, basically a pure guess at this stage, as to what our need will be to get things going. We will have to have regular updates to establish our short and long-term ability to finance our future requirements. Let me know now if you think these amounts are in any way inappropriate for this stage.”

Gerry said: “I can’t argue with the figures other than to say that there will be a high on-going expenditure for stock and the practicalities of providing safe and suitable field management. It’s really a question of how high I, or we, set the initial target. I can play safe and go for a minimum holding or if I was aware of the overall financial limitations, save money in the longer term by buying early.”

“This is a valid point and a difficulty that will affect all three of you” — I replied. “My suggestion is that you each work with the given values. As we have our regular meetings we will, I think, quickly get a better idea of the reality of those figures. We will also adjust our expenditure projections to meet and balance our affordable needs.”

Denise then pointed out: “These figures are fine in themselves but there will be so many perhaps small, but mounting costs and many not definable. I’m thinking for instance of fuel for Angus’s fishing boat. From what I understand of Angus, at the moment, he has made us an offer of his boat, but will he continue to supply the fuel himself? I don’t know of his financial situation, I have no need to. Do we just except this situation or do we make an offer, or give an allowance?”

“I think that’s one for me” — I said. “I’ll have a word with him and any other individual that you can think of with a similar situation and let you know.”

“I’m not sure if this is my department — asked Gerry — but what’s the policy regarding the provisional distribution of food in the canteen? Do we provide food from day one, bearing in mind that you have asked people to bring their own supply for the first two weeks?”

“I imagine you would have great difficulty in providing anything during the first weeks. But eventually, I envisaged that you and Ian would provide the food as it were, wholesale, meat to the butcher, vegetables to the store, that sort of idea. It seems increasingly likely that we would have to open a shop at some time. But I would like to discuss that in more detail on another occasion. Initially, John returned again to his question of people going off the island.

“As I see it, Angus and his fishing boat will act as a sort of ferry service for our collective needs. We cannot and would not want to directly own him or his boat. He may, or may not, respond to any individual who wishes to travel to the mainland for whatever purpose they choose. A wealthy person could continually provide themselves with additional supplies, and if so, could this not unbalance the stability of the island? Another aspect of this is that mainlanders could quite easily come to the island and legally offer to sell their goods.”

“These remain difficult issues. As I see it the answer again lays in what is reasonable. On the whole, I think and hope that I have chosen reasonable people but the test comes in what their attitude will be. I think we should promote this word ‘reasonable’ in the island newsletter.”

Denise then told us that she had been reading up the history of some of the other islands.

“It does seem that among the islanders in general, one of the factors in their situation that they could not escape from was their system of tied cottages, which could not be purchased or leased. They lacked the satisfaction of owning their own homes. Now I know our situation will be somewhat different but each of our islanders will be in much the same position of not owning their own property. Ownership will I think be a greater incentive for them to continue residence into the future. For the long term perhaps you’ll keep open the possibility of islanders being able to purchase their property? I believe this would be a big incentive for anyone wanting a commitment beyond the first year and I understand that they would be entitled to grants and loans for them to improve the buildings.”

“You’re right Denise, I am very much in favour of this, I think it’s too early to raise this generally at present but I will keep it in mind.”

“I’ve just had another thought” — Denise continued. “It’s about your generosity in providing all that you are for the first year. It occurred to me that looking at it from our side as it were, some would find it rather difficult not to be paying for their accommodation, heating, water, gas and all those other services that they would normally have paid for all these things in the past. Although one could believe that few would object to being given something for nothing, some may feel indebted and therefore unequal in the sense that they are dependent upon your good will in these areas. I don’t believe that you would want them to feel in this way. Should we therefore allow them the ability to show their commitment by way of some form of payment rather than let them harbour the thought that they are totally dependent upon you for these services?”

I was so glad that somebody could point this out to me, and felt that it showed the value of having the right people around to help.

“Do you know, Denise, I’ve never thought of it like that. You are absolutely right, but to change the basic idea at this stage and start charging people would introduce a whole range of new problems. The first thing is that most are not actually earning, certainly not from their work on the island. My immediate reaction is to fall back on my often-stated word ‘reasonable’ and ask for a contribution. Do you think we could introduce a scheme of voluntary payments? What do you think, Gerry?”

“I think this has opened up a ‘Pandora’s box’ — answered Gerry. “If as you say correctly, they are not earning and several have sold up their interests on the mainland then they would have to pay from any savings that they possessed. Not everybody will have savings so therefore it’s not an option.”

“My view is — I said — that for anyone who feels they would be happier to make a payment to make whatever voluntary contribution they feel appropriate to me either publicly or personally for that specific purpose. What do you think, John?”

“Perhaps, if we agree on the matter of donations, it would be better if any payments of this nature were on a personal basis between you and the individual, then there would be no chances of comparisons being made and used unpleasantly.”

“OK” — I concluded. “I am not completely happy with this idea. I will have to develop ideas beyond any interim arrangement of voluntary payments to the extent that I will have to introduce a system of receiving rent for the properties I own. However, this would automatically suppose that I was making payment to islanders for work they are carrying out for me. I will have to resolve this matter before the end of the first year on the island.”

I was so glad that these considerations had been pointed out to me. It showed the value of having the right people around to help.