.
I did 8 years in the Royal Observer Corps (now defunct) as a 'spare-time, voluntary, uniformed civil-servant' - that was OK as my little unit only had 5 or 6 people in it, we were usually deployed in groups of 3, and most of them were pleasantly odd and/or eccentric.
I was a Parish Councillor for 5 years, and a School Governor for a secondary academy for 5 years. Both took up quite a lot of time and although I contributed well out of meetings, I mostly remained silent at meetings (listening, absorbing, thinking about it then when I had something to say, the rest of the room had moved onto the next item). Both were before I realised I had a lot of Aspie traits - which explain a lot about my approach. Luckily, at the time, the Parish Council was not run on political lines, otherwise I might have got very wound up.
Now I'm doing less. Not sure why, but cutting down on some music activities (many of which are voluntary).
One thing I do currently do are the teas, coffee's & cake for rehearsals of a local Gilbert & Sullivan company. Come the performances I'm in the band anyway, but me going along means one or more of the cast don't have to drop out half way through rehersal to go and make 28 drinks. I also make cakes each week for them (bought 5Kg of chocolate for cooking last week) which they wouldn't get if I were not there. I do feel awfully embarrased & cringy when they clap me each week.
Finally I'm on several Independent Schools Admissions Appeals Panels. Three people, plus a clerk, listen to someone from the school saying why they can't allow a place for the child, then the parents saying why they want their child to go to a particular school. Both sides, and we, get to ask lots of questions. It's a very low-level court (a Tribunal) so is a legal process but we try to keep it relaxed. We get (sometimes a huge pile of) paperwork to read in advance and make notes on, check the admissions law has been complied by the school/LEA, then wach appeal lasts 30 mins (often more). We can hear up to 16 a day. We're not paid (apart from petrol/childcare expenses). I find it very interesting - I'm quite nosey. We get a free lunch (dried up sandwiches) but I usually escape from Shire Hall to decompress from polite conversation.
Sometimes I chair the appeals, which simply is reading a script and gently keeping to the right order. If it's overrunning we can ask people to move on if they're repeating themselves. But a few weeks ago, a parent wanted their child to go to a certain school and spoke for 1 hour solidly - and it was all compelling, fresh information. Sometimes it's easy to allow the appeal, other times we can't - say the parents had a great case but the school already was overfull and with loads of kids with SEN. I've heard several appeals recently where the child had ASD - and watching their parents present, they had ASD as well (both high functioning). We always ask lots of questions to help make sure the parents (and the schools) have said everything they need to say, even if they didn't think it important. I'm also happy to give advice to anyone about schools admissions appeals if it's not in my area.
I did 8 years in the Royal Observer Corps (now defunct) as a 'spare-time, voluntary, uniformed civil-servant' - that was OK as my little unit only had 5 or 6 people in it, we were usually deployed in groups of 3, and most of them were pleasantly odd and/or eccentric.
I was a Parish Councillor for 5 years, and a School Governor for a secondary academy for 5 years. Both took up quite a lot of time and although I contributed well out of meetings, I mostly remained silent at meetings (listening, absorbing, thinking about it then when I had something to say, the rest of the room had moved onto the next item). Both were before I realised I had a lot of Aspie traits - which explain a lot about my approach. Luckily, at the time, the Parish Council was not run on political lines, otherwise I might have got very wound up.
Now I'm doing less. Not sure why, but cutting down on some music activities (many of which are voluntary).
One thing I do currently do are the teas, coffee's & cake for rehearsals of a local Gilbert & Sullivan company. Come the performances I'm in the band anyway, but me going along means one or more of the cast don't have to drop out half way through rehersal to go and make 28 drinks. I also make cakes each week for them (bought 5Kg of chocolate for cooking last week) which they wouldn't get if I were not there. I do feel awfully embarrased & cringy when they clap me each week.
Finally I'm on several Independent Schools Admissions Appeals Panels. Three people, plus a clerk, listen to someone from the school saying why they can't allow a place for the child, then the parents saying why they want their child to go to a particular school. Both sides, and we, get to ask lots of questions. It's a very low-level court (a Tribunal) so is a legal process but we try to keep it relaxed. We get (sometimes a huge pile of) paperwork to read in advance and make notes on, check the admissions law has been complied by the school/LEA, then wach appeal lasts 30 mins (often more). We can hear up to 16 a day. We're not paid (apart from petrol/childcare expenses). I find it very interesting - I'm quite nosey. We get a free lunch (dried up sandwiches) but I usually escape from Shire Hall to decompress from polite conversation.
Sometimes I chair the appeals, which simply is reading a script and gently keeping to the right order. If it's overrunning we can ask people to move on if they're repeating themselves. But a few weeks ago, a parent wanted their child to go to a certain school and spoke for 1 hour solidly - and it was all compelling, fresh information. Sometimes it's easy to allow the appeal, other times we can't - say the parents had a great case but the school already was overfull and with loads of kids with SEN. I've heard several appeals recently where the child had ASD - and watching their parents present, they had ASD as well (both high functioning). We always ask lots of questions to help make sure the parents (and the schools) have said everything they need to say, even if they didn't think it important. I'm also happy to give advice to anyone about schools admissions appeals if it's not in my area.
