BCA AGM 2026 - 10am, Sunday the 28th June. Monyash, Derbyshire

[BCA Membership]

BCA AGM will be held at 10am, Sunday the 28th June at Monyash Village Hall, Derbyshire.
There will also be the option to attend online - zoom link at a later date.

Plans are afoot to make a whole weekend of it, with a BBQ on the Saturday evening - it would be great to see lots of cavers there!

More details in the attached or on our website, including how to get your BBQ ticket!
https://british-caving.org.uk/bca-agm-2026/

 

[Benfool]

Are we meant to have had an agenda for the upcoming AGM? I've probably missed it, but I cant find it anywhere!

B

 

[BCA Membership]

Hmm, I've not seen it either, I'll try and get a copy to publicize.

 

[BCA Treasurer]

Apologies on behalf of the Secretary, the Agenda has been delayed by unforseen circumstances and will be issued tomorrow (26th)

 

[Badlad]

If my memory serves me correctly the agenda should be published six weeks before the AGM, or longer if there are constitutional changes. This was to ensure members, both club and individual had fair notice of anything being discussed. If it hasn't been published as laid out in the constitution then any general meeting would be unconstitutional.

 

[Benfool]

Point 7.5 in the BCA constitution states:

The Secretary shall ensure that an agenda is prepared and circulated to all Members, not less than 6 weeks before any General Meeting of the Association, to give notice of the time, date and venue of the Meeting and the subjects to be discussed.

So, indeed, this AGM could be seen as being unconstitutional.

I appriciate that the officers are volunteers and it really is a thankless job (I really do appriciate it!), but releasing the AGM agenda on time would be a really simple way for the BCA to engage with its members, which I know it struggles with.

 

[nearlywhite]

You are both correct and I can only apologise for not having realised myself.
It will be out as soon as it can be done (this afternoon!) - with the reports. A link will be posted on here when it is available.
It appears this was due to an emergency hospital admission and missed as a result.

I had thought the agenda without the reports had been agreed and sent many weeks ago. When we reviewed what was going to AGM there were no Constitutional ammendments, or proposals for policy change - so there shouldn't be too much of a consequence to constitutional viability but we do need to be held accountable and kept in check. This still shouldn't happen and I am sorry.

I'm looking at how we can prevent this going forward.

Rostam
BCA Chair

 

[Benfool]

Thanks Rostam

 

[BCA Treasurer]

The AGM Agenda, reports, accounts and Zoom details are now available on the BCA website under 'Official Documents'.

Direct link:

https://british-caving.org.uk/documents/2026-agm-agenda-reports-and-accounts/?tmstv=1782492730

 

[Badlad]

I'm looking at how we can prevent this going forward.

Rostam
BCA Chair

If you look at the BCA Manual of Operations it lays out in clear step by step form the procedure leading up to a General Meetings.

I would urge caution, a lot of it, with holding an unconstitutional General Meeting however limited the agenda. Anything you discuss, accept or vote for could be claimed as invalid. If you are trying to effect change, future incorporation particularly and elements of Council are not supportive they will bring it up again and again to undermine the good work the majority might support. It puts the exec in a difficult position, the chair particularly, as one of the key duties is governance and following the constitution.

I am sympathetic and I fully appreciate the volunteer effort which goes into running BCA. I sat on Council myself for many years and did a lot of work on behalf of the organisation. One key lesson I learnt at that time was that you had to play by the book. This is essential if you wish to make major change and take people with you.