DMcG said:

"because there are pros and cons both ways, but is is another matter, and that's up to the entire membership, not just you and I, or even the whole committee."

Actually, its not up to Dick Miles in any context, as he is not an EFDSS member.

I am, and I feel that (a) the kind of twinning Dick suggests would only reinforce the London-centricity that gets up so many people's noses already, and (b) regardless of what the Folk Song Society's focus may have been, the state of indigenous music, song and dance in England is worrying enough - the idea of EFDSS taking on some kind of multicultural brief would only serve to dilute its main role, which is about developing and preserving English folk dance and song (the clue's in the name, funnily enough).

Please don't misunderstand me: cross-cultural work is very important, and I've run loads of education projects with culturally diverse communities (and there's plenty of funding around for the organisations who wish to engage in this area). But EFDSS has its work cut out just in the area of English dance and song. If opportunities for working with other cultural groups emerge organically, that's great. But creating those opportunities should not be EFDSS's main focus.