Page 3 - Summer 15

Committee – BAHVS
President – Jane Keogh j.keogh5@btinternet.com
Senior Vice-President – Mark Elliott homeopathicvet@btinternet.com
Junior Vice-President – Chris Day cday-avmc@hotmail.co.uk
Hon. Secretary – Stuart Marston sec@bahvs.com
Treasurer – Wendy McGrandles wendy@glenbrae-vet.co.uk
Magazine Editor – Malene Jørgensen malene@laforcevitale.eu
Communications Officer – Nick Thompson nickthompson@holisticvet.co.uk
IAVH Representitive – Nick Thompson nickthompson@holisticvet.co.uk
Faculty Veterinary Representitive – John Saxton john.saxton@talk21.com
Mag distribution – Cheryl Sears cheryl.sears31@btinternet.com
Committee – IAVH
President – Peter Gregory pg.ahimsa@virgin.net
Treasurer – Don Hamilton donhamiltondvm@gmail.com
General Secretary – Helene Widmann helene.widmann@chello.at
Coordinator subcommittee for education – Stefan Kohlrausch stefan.kohlrausch@arcor.de
Head of IAVH Office – Markus Mayer office@iavh.org
Newsletter subcommittee – Malene Jørgensen malene@laforcevitale.eu
IAVH Communications Officer – Nick Thompson nickthompson@holisticvet.co.uk
LIGA contact – Marc Bär info@homeopatte.ch
Moving with the times
The BAHVS magazine is the association’s excellent publication distributed to all members, other select organisations and to other professionals. At present, there are four editions a year produced so ably by Malene [Jørgensen, editor] and Phil [Barker, designer] and posted by Cheryl [Sears, distribution]. The amount of work needed and undertaken is large, and the production costs are the biggest regular expenditure (aside from congress) of the BAHVS. The committee have considered the implications
be inserted directly to the advertiser’s sites, so readers can access information or order products while reading the magazine. It will also mean, the advertisers can use multimedia, which would generate extra income for BAHVS, as we can justifiably increase the fees for advertising in the magazine.
• With the huge growth in social media, access to the various platforms and communications can be seamlessly integrated. This aspect will
of this bearing in mind that BAHVS is such a small association, and feel that it may be time to move to an online version.
There are arguments for maintaining the status quo to be sure but the potential advantages are many.
• Firstly the costs of production: Printing packing and postage costs would be saved immediately. The deadline for publication would be in control of the editor and worries of getting copy ready for printing would not be an issue.
•Older copies of the magazine would be available online and could be read at any time. Also in the future it may be possible to include a search facility to chase up previous articles of interest.
• From the website, articles etc. from members could be uploaded directly to the editor. In the future it will be possible for the digital magazine to contain audio and visual content allowing huge flexibility for the editors with regard to content. These could be interviews, lectures, films etc. It will likely include direct links to You Tube content. Also, of course, the photo and text content will not be as restricted (no extra costs).
• Down the road sections of the magazine could be made interactive. With the newer tech- nology, not only will the website be accessible in a form compatible with tablets, smart- phones etc., but so will the magazine. This means that members can catch up at any time that suits them from any device without fuss.
• There is potential for distributing the magazine on a global scale, which means more exposure for veterinary homeopathy and homeopathy in general. This will, of course, have to be considered carefully as to where and how, but can be done at no extra cost.
• Advertising potential is another plus: Links can
also need careful consideration.
• Finally, a digital version eliminates the problem
of ‘unsold’ copies. Any legitimate person can be sent a digital copy in an instant at no cost to the organisation.
There are a few disadvantages also.
• No Physical Presence: The magazine will not have a physical presence. Having a magazine online will not allow a reader to simply toss the magazine into their carry-on while flying or heading to work. While magazines can be read on e-readers, tablets, and phones, the easy ability to mark pages and feel it in your hands does not appeal to those, who prefer handheld reading material.
• Scepticism: It doesn’t ‘sound’ professional. Even in the age of technology there are still those, who view online publications as something sketchy and unprofessional – hopefully most members have moved to the digital age.
• Social Forums: The social networking that is usually desirable with online magazines can also be a hassle for keeping a clean quality magazine. Social networking and forums on the magazine’s website can lead to open “haters” voicing their opinions, making forum and website moderation important. This will largely be taken care of by only allowing members to access the current magazine via a password system, and thus only they will be able to interact. Other traffic is moderated at the moment and will continue to be so.
I hope everyone will be disposed to visit the web site on a regular basis and contribute to the success of the organisation. Please send comments, ideas etc. to me sec@bahvs.com. It is likely that the magazine issue will be on the AGM agenda, so you have plenty of time to consider.
Best wishes to all. Stuart
The British Association of Homeopathic Veterinary Surgeons (BAHVS) was formed in 1981, to advance the understanding, knowledge and practice of homeopathy. It aims to stimulate professional awareness of homeopathy and to encourage and to provide
for the training of veterinary surgeons in the practice of homeopathy.
It is an open forum for differing approaches to the subject of veterinary homeopathy and it’s application, allowing for constructive interchanges of ideas.
This publication is copyright. No part of it may be reproduced without the permission of the Editor. Material published does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the BAHVS or the Editor.
The BAHVS does not necessarily endorse products or the companies advertised. 1
Design / production / advertsing: phil@delnorte.co.uk