David Rose
Active member
News just in: both houses of the BCA - individual and group members - have approved four changes to the constitution by enormous majorities. This is a very welcome result that can only strengthen the organisation's position as the representative body of our sport.
The most significant vote is probably that to approve deletion of what was the first sentence of the constitution's section 4.6. This read: "The owners and tenants of property containing caves have the right to grant or withhold access." Some members had considered that this sentence contradicted the BCA decision to campaign to get recognition for the right of access to caves on CROW access land and so rendered it invalid. Others disagreed with this view, but in any case, it has now gone, with 88% pf individuals approving the change, and 85% of groups - so easily surpassing the 70% threshold needed for a constitutional change.
The other three more technical changes concern the conduct of future elections of officers and ballots. They passed with even bigger majorities. According to BCA chairman Andy Eavis, the turnout was healthy: "nearly 50% of groups voted, and a reasonable proportion of individual members, by far the majority of both houses by email."
Andy adds: "It had been planned to announce the results at the forthcoming BCA council meeting on Saturday 7th October, however, the executive decided it was sensible and right to pre-warn its members before this meeting to give people time to consider the situation."
So please discuss away. I'm the new BCA newsletter editor, and will of course be writing about this more in the next edition, due at the end of October.
The most significant vote is probably that to approve deletion of what was the first sentence of the constitution's section 4.6. This read: "The owners and tenants of property containing caves have the right to grant or withhold access." Some members had considered that this sentence contradicted the BCA decision to campaign to get recognition for the right of access to caves on CROW access land and so rendered it invalid. Others disagreed with this view, but in any case, it has now gone, with 88% pf individuals approving the change, and 85% of groups - so easily surpassing the 70% threshold needed for a constitutional change.
The other three more technical changes concern the conduct of future elections of officers and ballots. They passed with even bigger majorities. According to BCA chairman Andy Eavis, the turnout was healthy: "nearly 50% of groups voted, and a reasonable proportion of individual members, by far the majority of both houses by email."
Andy adds: "It had been planned to announce the results at the forthcoming BCA council meeting on Saturday 7th October, however, the executive decided it was sensible and right to pre-warn its members before this meeting to give people time to consider the situation."
So please discuss away. I'm the new BCA newsletter editor, and will of course be writing about this more in the next edition, due at the end of October.
