A fun ride...

[Phil TK]

the group simply does not have enough Observers to assign new Associates to!

I really hate to point this out, but this really means that not enough people feel inclined to go on and become an observer, it's probably the reason you don't have enough. I wonder why that is? eh.

I know someone who's a member of a RoSPA group and says that it's "struggling to survive" at the moment.

From what you're saying about the 'Mobile Display Unit' the IAM seems to be struggling too. There you are, a perfect reason to form a new organisation from Rospa and IAM and start afresh with no beards or Belstaff products allowed.

the constant negative image being pushed out by arrogant people who aren't even up to date with the situation at the moment

You mean people in the IAM  :lol

So *WHO* exactly is putting people off joining the IAM and stopping people from getting the advanced training they could well do with...???

(Fortunately I'm willing to actually go out and *meet* these people and see what benefit I can get from joining them, rather than listen to the pontifications of "some bloke on the forums" who has as much credibility as "a bloke down the pub")

This is actually a good point, but it's the IAM's problem to sort out and not anybody elses problem. Trouble is, I and a lot of lother people feel that you won't ever get past the negative image. If people on forums and blokes down the pub are undermining the credibility of the IAM and you can't reverse it, then the IAM will continue to wither on the vine. This is the UK remember, negative images stick, it's the way it is.