What does Council do?

This was a one-off comment from the recent member survey, along with “What does it set out to do and what does it achieve?” Good question. Probably the majority of you might not care too much as long as you get what you consider to be good value for your £20 subscription.
So what is good value to you? That’s another reason why your survey responses are valuable to your Council – they are a powerful guide; a weather vane; a mood indicator; and a rich source of diverse opinion from your individual comments.
You said that you value the Newsletter most, by an enormous majority. The second tier includes the lectures, PETEX, and directory which facilitates the ongoing contact and networking with like-minded colleagues.
Simply, this is what Council must continue to provide at the quality you require. These are the tangible things, but what is the character of the PESGB?
In my opinion, these quotes from your responses get close:

• • Simplicity and modesty of purpose
  • Current and affordable
  • Supportive of its members and very friendly
  • Relevant, informative, but not dull
  • Egalitarian
  • Technical forum in a social setting
  • Dedication to the E&P industry and to individuals

This character is probably just as important to you as the tangible benefits and Council is careful to nurture this. The simple answer to the question is that we work to direct the resources of the Society to provide the benefits that have most value to you. Firstly, we have to know what are the core benefits. This is not as easy as it sounds as there is a natural human tendency to provide
what we think you want. There is also a natural tendency to try new things and evolve events which can get to the point where they are no longer relevant, cost effective or popular to the majority of the membership. In contrast, some business wag said: “Customers? They never know what they want!”
Then, we work to provide those benefits to the highest possible standards, in a rapidly changing environment. An example of this is the Finder Well Conferences. See the advertisement on page 23 and the abstract on pages 6-63.
To crib from Charles Handy – ‘Let’s make no mistake about it, this charity is a business.’ This business exists to provide the services that its customers need and want. Funding comes from: donations, your subscriptions, advertising revenue, PETEX etc. Costs go to provide the benefits and the necessary administrative support.
And guess what? When times get tough, donations fall. So we work to cut costs whilst maintaining value to you , and drum up new revenue through new approaches.
So that’s what Council does. And as I said in  the January Newsletter, I expect PESGB to be the same vibrant, healthy, dynamic Society that successfully provides valuable core benefits to its oil and gas industry members 34 years from now.