RNLI

[scotty123]

The mugs were not as depicted in the tabloids. I seem to remember they were captioned in The Sun as "how the mugs might have looked". They wouldn't have been able to print what was actually on the said items.

But the mugs were just a very small part of the reason that the crew were stood down.

As is usual, the papers only concentrate on what makes a good headline, and is most likely to get their readers outraged.

Probably reverse engineer them & sell back at a fraction of current costs.

 

[Tomahawk]

The mugs were not as depicted in the tabloids. I seem to remember they were captioned in The Sun as "how the mugs might have looked". They wouldn't have been able to print what was actually on the said items.

But the mugs were just a very small part of the reason that the crew were stood down.

As is usual, the papers only concentrate on what makes a good headline, and is most likely to get their readers outraged.

We are hearing the institute side of this. They have a whole PR department dedicated to pushing out their "message". And they are very skilled at what they do. When I read their statements, I am left with a feeling they are not saying more than they do say. Every word is very carefully chosen to convey a feeling that accords with their corporate decisions. Nothing is a lie. But the truth may not be how it is portrayed.

And I wonder why.

 

[awol]

We are hearing the institute side of this. They have a whole PR department dedicated to pushing out their "message". And they are very skilled at what they do. When I read their statements, I am left with a feeling they are not saying more than they do say. Every word is very carefully chosen to convey a feeling that accords with their corporate decisions. Nothing is a lie. But the truth may not be how it is portrayed.

And I wonder why.

The truth is out there but can you handle the truth?

 

[penberth3]

One man’s “naught mug” is another man’s “hard core pornography” I guess.

If one of my staff bought another member of staff a inappropriate mug as a laugh, and it was on company premises, I would have a word and tell them it was not acceptable and to remove it. Job done. They would not lose their job unless they has upset other staff members.

If they ever engaged in real sexual harassment, bullying, racism ect they would be gone.

That ability to use judgement is called leadership. Many organisations are now so politically correct that they have lost a sense of perspective. I do not know the details of the RNLI cases maybe there is more to the story than has been reported but at a surface level it does not look like good management. It is certainly poor PR management.

Which is what happened at Whitby. It was all in the media reports at the time.

 

[RichardS]

I think the "joyride" incident quoted by JuanTwoThree refers to Scarborough, which was reported at about the same time as the Whitby incident.

Juan TwoThree needs to comment on that because the "joyride" incident certainly wasn't part of the "porno mugs in a cupboard" case. Jersey was also referred to as a "joyride" incident, I believe.

Richard

 

[Juan Twothree]

Juan TwoThree needs to comment on that because the "joyride" incident certainly wasn't part of the "porno mugs in a cupboard" case. Jersey was also referred to as a "joyride" incident, I believe.

Richard

I didn't hear anything about "joyriding" as regards St. Helier.

The RNLI used that term in relation to Scarborough.

Google has thrown up this news report:

https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/new...rough-coxswain-in-damning-statement-1-9116548

 

[RichardS]

I didn't hear anything about "joyriding" as regards St. Helier.

The RNLI used that term in relation to Scarborough.

Google has thrown up this news report:

https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/new...rough-coxswain-in-damning-statement-1-9116548

OK. The problem is that there have been so many of these "volunteer dismissal PR disasters" at the RNLI recently that, unless one is specific about the station concerned, it all gets a bit fuzzy. :nonchalance:

Richard

 

[Juan Twothree]

OK. The problem is that there have been so many of these "volunteer dismissal PR disasters" at the RNLI recently that, unless one is specific about the station concerned, it all gets a bit fuzzy. :nonchalance:

Richard

And there will be plenty more in the future. Lots of stations have had to stand down volunteers over the years, for various sound reasons.

All it needs is for one of those individuals to decide, in hindsight, that they have been unfairly treated, and they can now exact revenge on the RNLI by going to the press, get pictured pulling a sad face, and getting their fifteen minutes of fame.

 

[Pye_End]

Is there a management crisis at the RNLI? They seem to be lurching from one bad decision to another with resultant disastrous PR consequences.

I have donated over 30 years to support their volunteers who I admire massively. It would be a real shame if their management lost the good will these brave men and women richly deserve.

It is not racist or sexist to question overseas expenditures or the sacking of volunteers for a naughty mug in a cupboard. I suspect that most donations come from people who would ask such questions.

Perhaps the best way is to contact the RNLI direct and ask, especially if you are a member.

Newspapers always seem have an 'angle', and often when you look into the true facts it leaves you thinking that you cannot rely on them to give a balanced or accurate story.

In this day and age PR seems impossible once a newspaper (or forum) takes a dislike to you.

 

[Seajet]

And there will be plenty more in the future. Lots of stations have had to stand down volunteers over the years, for various sound reasons.

All it needs is for one of those individuals to decide, in hindsight, that they have been unfairly treated, and they can now exact revenge on the RNLI by going to the press, get pictured pulling a sad face, and getting their fifteen minutes of fame.

The volunteers actually willing and able to go to sea and put their lives on the line to help others then, not the hundreds or even it seems thousands sitting shiny arsed on posh office chairs ?

 

[NormanS]

It's all to do with perception. Nobody has a bad word to say about the crews of the boats, but the organisation is seen as top heavy, with far too many, and too well paid management staff. I haven't done anything about it yet, but I may well change my will.

 

[prv]

Newspapers always seem have an 'angle', and often when you look into the true facts it leaves you thinking that you cannot rely on them to give a balanced or accurate story.

I would not for a moment expect balance from a British newspaper, at least of the last decade or two. Factual accuracy is possible in some cases but by no means a given. Anyone thinking otherwise is being hopelessly naive and offering themselves for manipulation.

I realise that sounds a little Viago-esque, but it’s the reality as they all circle the drain financially and do anything they can to try to cling onto readership while cutting costs. Stoking their readers’ existing prejudices (in whichever direction they lie) is a good cheap way of doing that.

Pete

 

[Deleted member 36384]

The volunteers actually willing and able to go to sea and put their lives on the line to help others then, not the hundreds or even it seems thousands sitting shiny arsed on posh office chairs ?

Statistically speaking, “shiny arsed” workers sitting on posh office chairs are more likely to die going to and from their place of work than RNLI crews proceeding to sea. Maybe we should refer to them as our brave hero administrators.

 

[RichardS]

And there will be plenty more in the future. Lots of stations have had to stand down volunteers over the years, for various sound reasons.

All it needs is for one of those individuals to decide, in hindsight, that they have been unfairly treated, and they can now exact revenge on the RNLI by going to the press, get pictured pulling a sad face, and getting their fifteen minutes of fame.

Although see my post #129:

An independent report into the entire affair says: The investigation, by Guernsey Harbourmaster Captain Chad Murray, found that the UK-based RNLI failed to properly manage the station for years and should never have investigated an informal complaint about coxswain Andy Hibbs which ultimately triggered the breakdown in the relationship between the charity and local crew.

So, according to the leaked independent report, in the Jersey case they were, in actual fact, unfairly treated.

Richard

 

[Blue Sunray]

I would not for a moment expect balance from a British newspaper, at least of the last decade or two. Factual accuracy is possible in some cases but by no means a given. Anyone thinking otherwise is being hopelessly naive and offering themselves for manipulation.

:encouragement: :encouragement: :encouragement:

 

[Juan Twothree]

Although see my post #129:

An independent report into the entire affair says: The investigation, by Guernsey Harbourmaster Captain Chad Murray, found that the UK-based RNLI failed to properly manage the station for years and should never have investigated an informal complaint about coxswain Andy Hibbs which ultimately triggered the breakdown in the relationship between the charity and local crew.

So, according to the leaked independent report, in the Jersey case they were, in actual fact, unfairly treated.

Richard

Perhaps, although I don't know, as I've never been there.

The comment about the RNLI failing to manage the station for years is very relevant though. These various instances of crew being stood down never stem from one single incident. There will usually have been a problem developing for some time, which hasn't been dealt with effectively at a local level.

A few years ago I was on a course down at Poole, and in the bar one evening we got chatting to a crew member from another station.
She told us that although she loved lifeboating, and being a part of the RNLI, there was a horrible atmosphere at her station. A senior crew member, who she described as a bully, was running the station very much on his own terms, resulting in a high turnover of crew, as many simply voted with their feet and walked out when they couldn't put up with it any longer. Others had been sacked from the crew because this individual had fallen out with members of their family. He had no time for any RNLI rules or procedures, he did things his way.

And lo, it came to pass that a couple of years later, that same senior crew member was one of those featured in the papers, having been sacked by the RNLI for a single, innocent mistake, the only one in his otherwise unblemished career.

 

[dom]

I would not for a moment expect balance from a British newspaper, at least of the last decade or two. Factual accuracy is possible in some cases but by no means a given. Anyone thinking otherwise is being hopelessly naive and offering themselves for manipulation.

....Stoking their readers’ existing prejudices (in whichever direction they lie) is a good cheap way of doing that.

Fair point, but I guess the free press is what it is and one can triangulate from multiple sources. And a pattern does seem to be emerging whereby conflicts at least exacerbated by iffy RNLI management are followed up with a harsh put-down of those staff who have the misfortune to draw the wrath of its well paid PR team. The RNLI never accepts any blame.

We are seeing the same approach here; the RNLI has taken to social media to rebut criticisms from (by strong inference) the closet racist, Daily Mail reading, semi-literate, xenophobic bigots. In parallel it heralds the "phenomenal support from those new donors which share its new objectives."

Nothing is forever and I am cancelling my £128 DD. Speaking to several in Hamble yesterday, it's a common sentiment. As South Coast sailors the moral question this begs is to simply switch donations to the equally deserving, less political, and more frugal SNSM.

That said, if the RNLI wants to find a new direction with new donors, there's nothing wrong in that.

 

[CLB]

Fair point, but I guess the free press is what it is and one can triangulate from multiple sources. And a pattern does seem to be emerging whereby conflicts at least exacerbated by iffy RNLI management are followed up with a harsh put-down of those staff who have the misfortune to draw the wrath of its well paid PR team. The RNLI never accepts any blame.

We are seeing the same approach here; the RNLI has taken to social media to rebut criticisms from (by strong inference) the closet racist, Daily Mail reading, semi-literate, xenophobic bigots. In parallel it heralds the "phenomenal support from those new donors which share its new objectives."

Nothing is forever and I am cancelling my £128 DD. Speaking to several in Hamble yesterday, it's a common sentiment. As South Coast sailors the moral question this begs is to simply switch donations to the equally deserving, less political, and more frugal SNSM.

That said, if the RNLI wants to find a new direction with new donors, there's nothing wrong in that.

Good luck calling on the SNSM when this side of the channel.

 

[dom]

Good luck calling on the SNSM when this side of the channel.

True, although I spend a lot of time sailing in France so switching to the SNSM for a few years might fairly rebalance. Switching to one of the excellent UK independent lifeboats would be another option.

I'd be delighted to restart donating to the RNLI if it sorts out those cloth ears and pours some cold water on its antagonistic, donor-funded, PR department. Personally, I would like to see the money spent on boats, equipment, crew training, etc, and would be wary of dubious mission creep.

 

[jordanbasset]

Well following all this media hysteria I I have made an extra contribution to the RNLI, hope they keep up the good work:encouragement: