"Nor stony tower, nor walls of beaten brass,
nor airless dungeon, nor strong links of iron,
Can be retentive to the strength of spirit;
But life, being weary of these worldly bars,
Never lacks power to dismiss itself"
Cassius (Julius Caesar, Act 2 scene 3)

If there were any who doubted the strength of feeling in SAAHIP about certain of the principles which guided its negotiators in the constitutional fray, then the recent debate at the conference in Alpine Heath would have corrected them and smartly. In a sharply divided debate that resulted in a withdrawn motion and a recommendation from General Council, the broad membership made itself clear on several crucial points. Firstly, SAAHIP members remain positive about the negotiations and about the concept of an umbrella organisation for Pharmacy. However, they remain painfully aware of the potential losses which submitting to simple majoritarian structures might entail. Perhaps most pointedly, they demand the opportunity to engage in debate at SAAHIP branch level on the impacts of the proposed constitution. The timetable within which the current process has unfolded did not allow sufficient time, and they therefore wish the process to be lengthened rather than rushed through in order to satisfy the deadlines set at Sun City. While mere postponement will satisfy the second concern, it is the first that places a greater burden on the process. The area of greatest uncertainty lies in the manner in which the new PSSA branch structures will be governed. It might be necessary to have "in principle" agreements at branch level before members will be willing to commit to the national model. But before we engage in argument about carts and horses and which goes where, let us return to the Bard, and the words of Brutus (Act 4 scene 3):

There is a tide in the affairs of men
Which taken at the flood leads on to fortune;
Omitted, all the voyage of their life
Is bound in shallows and in miseries.
On such a full sea are we now afloat,
And we must take the current when it serves,
Or lose our ventures.