Bottlebank said:
The BCA should make absolutely crystal clear, well in advance, when it's meetings are and who is entitled to attend.
With respect, I think it is pretty clear for anyone who is interested enough to read around. Everything is clearly explained in the BCA Handbook, for example. Apart from this, though, I accept there probably isn't anywhere else with it all clearly listed in one place.
However the meeting dates are on the calendar and the Constitution makes fairly clear who is entitled to attend which meetings, the only exception being that there is the potential for extra people to be co-opted to the various Committees and these are not listed by name. Whether they are actually listed on the website, and in what way, is currently a bit mixed. I am going to be working on a content revamp of the website over Christmas and/or Easter, so should be able to sort that then.
For the avoidance of doubt, BCA has the following meetings:
General Meetings (AGMs, SGMs and EGMs) - all Individual and Group members are entitled to attend, speak and vote. Anyone else is entitled to attend and speak at the Chairman's discretion.
Council Meetings - Council members (with a vote) are elected by the AGM, or are appointed directly by the Organisation they represent. The list is: Chair, Treasurer, Secretary, Conservation & Access Officer, Equipment & Techniques Officer, Training Officer, Legal & Insurance Officer and Publications & Information Officer, plus 4 individual member and 4 club reps. Those who can send a voting representative are: the 5 Regional Councils (CCC, CNCC, CSCC, DCA, DCUC), and the 7 Constituent Bodies (ACI, ASCT, BCRA, BCRC, CDG, CHECC, WPCST).
Council then makes a few other non-voting appointments: Newsletter Editor, Handbook Editor, Webmaster, Web Services, Rope Testing, Youth & Development, 2016 Co-ordinator.
BCA's main employees (i.e. Training Administrator and Membership Administrator) are also invited.
Beyond that anyone else is welcome to attend and speak, at the Chairman's discretion.
Standing Committees - Each of the Standing Committees meet with varying degrees of frequency. Training has sub-committees which also meet. Each Committee is made up of a voting representative from each of the Regions and the Constituent Bodies, plus the Officer themselves and anyone the Committee appoints. I don't have the time to list all the appointments here.
Despite this, I am not aware of anyone ever having been turned away from any BCA meeting, so meetings are basically open to anybody.
(I will almost certainly have missed something out here!)