The RSPBA has responded to comments made by former Pipe Band College Piping Principal, Mr Jim Campbell.
Mr Campbell’s comments followed the announcement earlier this month by Association Chairman Bob Niven of a ‘strategic reset’ of the College with new leaders and more focus on teaching. Read it here.
In a long statement reported fully on Piping Press, Mr Campbell claimed that he and the other three College Principals, were given notice that their period of appointment had ‘expired’ without any discussion and despite ‘re-affirmation’ by the board.
He went on to claim the Board of Directors [BoD] refused funding for a £45k outreach programme to teach at branches. (Read Mr Campbell’s statement in full here.)
In reply, the Association said: ‘The Board of Directors wishes to correct statements made by Mr Campbell in his letter published in the Piping Press. It should be noted that the recent article in the Piping Press did not emanate from the RSPBA.
‘The ultimate authority for all decisions in the RSPBA is the Board of Directors. It is their responsibility to ensure adherence to the rules and these clearly state that, ‘All members of the Pipe Band College [PBC] selected based on their application shall serve for a period from one to three years as agreed by the Board of Directors’.
‘When elections were held by the PBC in November 2024 the results were not presented to BoD for ratification. This was explained to the current Principals.
‘Mr Campbell has incorrectly stated that his request for a PBC budget was refused. This is not the case; he was actually asked to submit funding requests in advance of any expenditure being incurred, not given a blank cheque.
‘This is simply good practice at a time when all expenditure has come under scrutiny; it would not prevent members of the PBC carrying out their functions but would encourage a more careful evaluation of what was actually necessary.
‘It is acknowledged that members of the PBC have delivered many positives over the years, and for that they are thanked.
‘However their focus, with the exception of the summer school, has been increasingly concentrated on schools with flourishing pipe bands, and little has been done in the wider community. This is the reset referred to in the Chairman’s statement.’
A reader, Fred MacKay, has voiced his support for Mr Campbell and criticised the Association. He said: ‘The RSPBA hire full time people who have no knowledge of the pipe band world and have the cheek to make accusations against prominent qualified Adjudicators who give up their time for a pittance of payment.
‘I think the board of Directors need replaced by competent pipers and drummers who have genuine interest in pipe bands and education; how they expect to fill these four position which were held by very capable people is beyond me, I don’t believe any of the assessors will take it on.’
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