Joining the West Lothian Driving Instructors Association
Another association, another set of fees... Why bother to join this one? Well, this one was originally formed in 1992 when a need was seen for instructors to have an opportunity to meet and discuss the workings of our industry in our area. The West Lothian Driving Instructors Association does not attempt to replicate the work done by any of the national instructor associations, instead we focus entirely on matters affecting us in West Lothian. We also act as a conduit for information to come back to our members from other national groups, such as DISC. We have had varying amounts of success over the years. But for any type of organization to run well and be efficient takes an active membership. For many and various reasons some people choose not to join, however it is now becoming more important that we, as ADI’s who can potentially be working very much in isolation, have a cohesive organization that can make a difference to our careers and working environment, at all levels. As a group we are affiliated to DISC (Driving Instructors Scottish Council) who played a significant part in the change of stance from the DSA in regards to all instructors having to re-sit the part 1 test and also recently were very involved in encouraging the agency to review its plans to force instructors to sit in on ALL driving tests. As a member of the local association, you can attend meetings at which we have specially invited guests speaking on topics related to our businesses , relevant to the areas we work in, and which count towards our CPD allowances. These meetings are generally free to group members and £3 to non members. Coming along to a meeting as a non member is often a good way to dabble into the group and see if it has any relevance to you.
The most successful meetings without doubt, are when Tom Lindsay, Ronnie Simpson and other staff from the DSA attend in their own time, often sitting through a Questions and Answers session with us giving (and receiving) some very useful information with regard to the area in which we work. In addition there are frequently useful discussions on the use of various locations in the Bathgate area for maneuvers and reactions from the general public. Visit the diary page to see a schedule of this years meetings and an outline of a proposed list of speakers and topics.
Another benefit is the traffic report text messages that we use to keep the members informed of any serious hold ups in our working areas, that might impact on your traveling to or from lessons (or indeed tests!).
We recently aquired a stock of fake bank note detector pens for (we hope) which Ray Lynch has for sale at £2 each. Currently these are on sale in Ryman's in Livingston for £5 each, such are the advantages of bulk buying.
Whilst it is recognized that there have been some shortcomings in the past, related to minutes, agendas, locations etc, the effectiveness of the group depends on people being involved. We NEED new ideas and thoughts on the business and therefore welcome input from existing ADI’s, PDI’s and recently qualified ADI’s to contribute to the development of our industry. Whilst work is naturally the main topic of the association, we also have a social side, examples being the Christmas nights out, Go-Karting and 10 pin bowling, each a resounding success and a change from work! So, please give serious thought to joining and attending the meetings, our industry is always changing. DON’T BE LEFT BEHIND! Your input via your association may even influence change.
To join, contact one of the committee members come along to one of the main business meetings (see the diary page), come along to one of the social functions or see one of the committee members. The annual membership is £10 which includes free access to all business meetings and preferential access to the Christmas night out.
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This page last updated 06/05/2010
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