Membership Proposals - Back to the Future

[John Morris]

I think it's important that as many BOF members as possible are aware, as soon as possible, of the latest step in the Membership Funding review process. So, whether you're a nopesport regular or or a lurking watcher, please do what you can to pass on to all and sundry this email from Robin F. It was sent on Thursday 7th April to officers, councillors and senior staff.

I'm not suggesting that we all try to second-guess what Robin is about to announce in the way of funding scheme proposals; I am suggesting that we (a) watch for the announcement on the BOF website, (b) once the proposals are announced, discuss them in this excellent (when we try ) public forum, (c) make sure that May 7th (only 4 weeks away!) is clear in the diaries of likely attenders, and (d) do what we can to ensure that those who will be attending have the best possible all-round view of the benefits and drawbacks before they meet, all too briefly, to discuss them.

I consider this an excellent opportunity to show what a powerful tool for public information and for constructive public debate a web forum can be - far better than a jam-packed couple of hours of talking and not listening in a hired room at the wrong end of nowhere.

Email begins:-

Dear all,

The Working Party on the Membership Proposals met last Friday and decided to put forward a scheme based upon the first proposal in September last year but modified so that the membership fees would be more in line with the requirements of the clubs from the peripheral areas. We were not sure that this proposal was feasible until we had looked at the figures.

It was also decided that we should hold a workshop, similar to the one held on the Strategic Plan and invite representative from around the country who are involved in membership secretary work. This is planned for Saturday May 7 so that we will have their input for the Council meeting the following weekend. We will have to put out the proposal to all Council members before the working party have had a chance to comment, otherwise you will not have time to consider or consult before the Council meeting. However Council would receive an update at the meeting, giving the considered opinion of the Workshop.

The new draft proposal will highlight where we are now, how we got there, the financial implications and set out the plan in some detail. It is based on the September proposal which is based upon the current system. This has the advantage of being simple and understood by everyone. The second proposal was seen as being a little complicated and not popular to the central clubs.

We recognise that the following the debate at the AGM a lot of comment and suggestions have been generated. I regret the delay in putting out this email but life has been a little hectic over the last two weeks and we have only just confirmed the figures are feasible. We ask for a little patience and I hope that we can get the proposal to you by next week at the latest.

Regards

Robin

Email ends.


The quality of the critical review and the decisions consequently made, or ducked, on May 7th could mark a key turning point, for good or ill, in the life of orienteering in Britain. Let's get stuck in, get thinking, and give it our best. Cunning runners, we need you now!

[Blanka]

Saturday May 7

Has there been any hint as to location?

[John Morris]

Blanka wrote:-

Has there been any hint as to location?

None, except for the doghouse - which is what I'm in for releasing this.

Ooops!

Keep watching the BOF website...

[Kitch]

Never mind the doghouse, if they can't stand up to public scrutiny then they need to sort their ideas out.

WHat concerns me most is that it is clear that this is a rush job - panic workshop of membership secretaries, no time to report, no time to digest, no time to discuss their output. Just dive in to the council meeting with a proposal that has nothing to do with the workshop ( so what's the point of the workshop ?).

Hoorah

[awk]

The more I think on this, the more I'm appalled. Yes about the rush job - that's getting par for the course, but even more so with the fact that it's membership secretaries who are being consulted.

Why? As far as I can see, most membership secretaries are individuals carrying out an important administrative function for a club. They are certainly not representatives of any members as the email suggests. I cannot see any reason why they should be earmarked for consultation, other than they have the word 'membership' in their job title.

For BOF Central to think that membership secretaries can act as 'representatives' of the membership frankly beggars belief.

[Guest]

Perhaps the rush is because of the following:
Anyone joining BOF after 1st September is a member until the end of 2006. So I assume that they have to know what the 2006 fees are going to be before the 1st September so that they can charge the correct amount.

Also any changes after this date are likely to really screw up club budgeting, as it is usually about this time of year that most clubs will adjust their fees for the following year, to be in step with the BOF membership year. Bit of a problem for them if they set their fees for 2006, publicise them, and then BOF moves the goalposts....

I would think any changes agreed after 1st September 2005 could only realistically come into effect for the 2007 membership year.

[Spookster]

Geoff Newton has written a good article, published in April Compass Sport, that follows on from John Morris's. It provides a good explanation of why the Strategic Plan is as it is, and the influence that Government funding of the sport has its structure.

[Mrs H.]

totally agree Spookster - it's a brilliant article - very clearly thought out and explained. Basically Geoff is saying it is no mystery why orienteering is being run the way it is by BOF Central - they are fulfilling the role exactly as the government wants them to and thereby could be said to be doing a good job (bet you never thought you'd hear me say that). and as the government hold the majority of the purse strings that is perhaps understandable.
What Geoff points out is that the level of funding is unlikely to continue and we the orienteers will then be left to foot the bill. He merely asks whether this would be a good time to decide what we want (or are prepared) to pay for - and what we are preparted to do without.
For instance - schools orienteering - the government likes it and supports it but we know it does little for club membership compared to the effort put into it - if the government wants it - let them pay for it - don't expect the rest of us to pick up the bill. Is it time to regain control of the sport for ourselves - if we're going to have to pay for everything anyway?

Do we know Geoff - which club is he a member of - can we get him on-line?

[graeme]

and as the government hold the majority of the purse strings that is perhaps understandable.

...but if the government really held the majority of the purse strings for funding orienteering, wouldn't money be coming from BOF to the clubs, rather than vice versa?

Graeme

[graeme]

Graeme wrote

.but if the government really held the majority of the purse strings for funding orienteering, wouldn't money be coming from BOF to the clubs, rather than vice versa?

- so read it vefore you have another go at me!!

Same courtesy please Mrs.H . I think we agree that the government isn't actually providing the money for funding orienteering - it's pretending to do so while actually funding something quite different.

The question is whether we can extract any net funding from the government for what we want to do, once we've (paid people to) jump through all the hurdles to get at it.

Graeme

[Blanka]

Can someone split off the relevant bit of the discussion into a 'Schools Development' topic for clarity? Thanks!

[rocky]

done!

[John Morris]

There is to be a Membership Workshop at the Great Barr Hotel, Birmingham on May 7th, starting at 12 noon and scheduled to finish at 5pm.

It appears to be an all-ticket affair. No Councillor has been invited, or even directly informed. If you feel that you should have been invited, John Dalton seems to be the man to contact.

The aim of the meeting is to produce 'a suitable Membership Proposal to be placed before the membership at an EGM in September' where, as a regular Special Resolution (if you see what I mean ), it will need a 75% vote in favour. Normal postal/proxy voting rules will apply. I will personally propose that proxies be polled; can I have three volunteers to back that call, please?

The calling note goes on to say that 'any Proposal must first be approved by Council which meets on Saturday 14th May' - so please ensure that your Council Rep, fully briefed, is at that meeting to vote.

The new proposal - which I tend to think of as Incarnation 3 - is a revised version of the September 2004 proposal. It was released in draft form on 13th April to a restricted address list (Council, I think) for comment, and may have been changed since. As Alex Ross is a member of the Working Group, I'd guess you could get an up-to-date version from him for briefing purposes.

I have drafted a rough and ready calculator (ie a simple spreadsheet) that can be used to show how Incarnation 3, as exposed in draft on 13th April, will affect orienteers' contributions to BOF. I hope to revise this a few days after the May 7th meeting to take account of any significant changes.

I'll put a revised copy on nopesport in due course if our kind hosts will allow me. Meanwhile, the draft version is available from me (john@morris-assocs.demon.co.uk).

[awk]

How can any self-respecting member of Council approve a proposal on one of the most fundamental elements of BOF's being, which will have barely been drafted 7 days beforehand, and about which they will have had little if any time to think? How can Councillors and Council Reps do their job, which is represent the views of the membership and their associations, if they have had no opportunity to consult?

[John Morris]

Ranald McD tells us (the Councillors, that is) that one person - but not the regular Council Rep - is to be invited from each Region/Nation.

The basis for selection is not clear to us. We have asked for info.

We have also asked that the list of invitees, and the paper they are to discuss, be put up on the BOF website.