Leytonstone Life
The original Constitution, written before the group was even created, had long needed a complete overhaul. So from today (6th October 2019), a new set of Values, Rules and Guidelines take its place. This emphasises three core Values identified for the group, but also allows members to "drill down" to find more detail when needed.
March 2020: Two new groups.
Background:
I created this group, in February 2014, with a clear vision of what I wanted to achieve. A fair group, convivial in nature, and useful for Leytonstone folk. To achieve that, I wrote - beforehand - a "Constitution", and the group has been run on the basis of that for 5½ years now.
At the time I created the group, I had a firm belief that - set up the right way - the group would be self-maintaining. With enough admins, I thought, there would be none of the "tyranny" of its predecessor group, and that fairness would emerge naturally. It was my clear intention to step down as an admin within two months of the start-up, to underline the idea that it was "collectively owned" by the community, and not by any individual.
That prediction was completely wrong! The reality is that a community like this will always be under pressure from people who are malicious or who have chips on their shoulder, and will always require some steering effort to keep the peace. Handing out admin privileges arbitrarily was also a mistake - some of the early admins had very different ideas of how the group should develop, and there were some huge rows. So I'm still here as an admin, and the recruitment of new moderators (like admins, except that they can't sack each other!) has followed a process which does require buy-in to that original vision.
Now, the original Constitution had solid democratic aspirations, requiring any change to be approved by a vote. However, from time to time we've seen some members attempt (or threaten) to push for a vote to make changes which would be entirely incompatible with the original vision. Meanwhile, through a series of votes and polls we've arrived at an ethos which has been stable for at least a couple of years, and which seems to be acceptable to the majority. I've come to see the admins more as "trustees" on behalf of the community, rather than delegates to be displaced in the event of some row. So - given that Facebook unambiguously treats me, as group creator, as the "owner" of the group, I've decided that it's more important to stick to the original vision than it is to stick to the letter of what was merely a mechanism to bring that vision about. So the most fundamental change is that while the values of fairness, neutrality and equal treatment are unchanged, it'll be the admin team who decide how the group is run, for the benefit of the community it serves, though we'll often want to consult with the membership.
Otherwise, you'll see that little of substance is changed. We're quietly dropping the requirement for one admin for every 50 members - or we'd be 347 admins short! Other provisions have been rewritten in the light of extensive experience, but the values remain the same. In fact the re-structuring of the Rules now revolves around three essential Values, and for many that'll be all you'll need to know. Each Value has some related Rules, which are hidden unless requested, and the Guidelines on how the Rules are interpreted are also there if you click a further link. It's hoped that members will be able to find the "policy" relevant to some situation quickly and easily, and without reading lots of woffle.
So, as of today, the old Constitution is retired, and from now on the group will be administered according to the Values and Rules, with Guidelines, that you'll find in this link. This is more to preserve the established ethos of the group than it is to introduce any change. I hope it's clearer and easier to use.
You can also access the original Constitution for comparison purposes.
Philip Herlihy