Victorian Collectors Notice

[Carlo Giuseppe Tacchini]

If it will help, I am willing to become a member of any Japanese sword society or club to help swell the numbers of members in that country. I do not know if there is some type of quorum needed to meet guidelines for establishment of such entities in these countries, but, you have my full support. John

 

South Africa, Australia, United Kingdom, Canada... the majority of Commonwealth's area !

 

You're planning veeery long holydays to visit all of them for the annual shinsa, aren't you ? :D

[John A Stuart]

Carlo, Yes, perhaps not a visit in corpus, but, in spiritus. Just to fill up the ranks. John

[Carlo Giuseppe Tacchini]

Just kidding... It's not a bad idea that might be followed by others to rise the ranks. Crossed-subscriptions between clubs of different nations.

[moss]

Hello all,

maybe the Aussie members of the board could look at the South African setup and model something similar to fit in with our laws here.

If it works for them it should work here?

 

Cheers Moss

[IanB]

I have just read the Victorian exceptions list. I wrote to the Australian legislature in my role as curator of a National Museum back in the late 1990's when news of a proposed ban was first muted. I confess that my letter did contain some rather tongue-in-cheek possibilities as to where a sword ban would cause problems simply because I didn't really think any government would be stupid enough to enact legislation. I do remember coming up with Scottish dancing, the Freemasons, and I also mentioned High Court judges who sat beneath a sword as well as military officers on 'passing out parades'. Sadly I then fell ill and more or less had to drop out of the picture. It is delicious to see that the idiots who finally came up with the exemptions have included most of these instances in their legislation.

 

On a more serious note, might I just sound one note of caution. Setting up societies is certainly one way to counter these lunacies. The existence of such groups did much to help in the UK. It was clear from the reports I have had that the people tasked with implementing the legislation had absolutely no knowledge on the subject at all and I suspect were grateful for the help they received from the various pressure groups. There is a problem however if a society is established whose membership comprises scattered correspondents who are not known to the organisers. It is perfectly possible that people might apply simply to gain the right to own swords for their own dubious reasons. Should such a member subsequently become involved in a crime involving a sword, that society would not only lose all credibility but also give ammunition to those striving for a total ban. How you could positively vet prospective members I do not know, but careful wording of a membership form is a start.

Ian Bottomley

 

Ian Bottomley

[Brian]

A member must annually sign a declaration of "good standing" stating that he is upholding the aims of the society, and has not committed any acts contrary to the intentions of the society or law. Every year, he is posted a new one, and signs and returns it together with any dues that are outstanding. That way, if someone does something "dodgy" it is clear the society acted properly and the person was acting purely in their own capacity.

 

Brian