AGM and Snorkel Members

[susan barclay]

Unless I have misread the AGM Notice in this months Dive mag it appears that BSAC want to abolish all snorkel memberships from the AGM. The only class relevant to give voting rights within BSAC would be Full Diving Membership (at no doubt extra membership cost to that paid by the current snorkeller). The Associate Membership proposal specifically bans such members from being snorkellers. Snorkellers have long supported the aims of BSAC and indeed many snorkellers go on to become divers. Similarly after a life-long period of diving membership some of the older members just revert to snorkelling when they are no longer able to dive through age or illness. This is not the way forward IMHO. Regards to all.

[Keith Lawrence(BSAC)]

Unless I have misread the AGM Notice in this months Dive mag it appears that BSAC want to abolish all snorkel memberships from the AGM. The only class relevant to give voting rights within BSAC would be Full Diving Membership (at no doubt extra membership cost to that paid by the current snorkeller). The Associate Membership proposal specifically bans such members from being snorkellers. Snorkellers have long supported the aims of BSAC and indeed many snorkellers go on to become divers. Similarly after a life-long period of diving membership some of the older members just revert to snorkelling when they are no longer able to dive through age or illness. This is not the way forward IMHO. Regards to all.

Hi Susan

It certainly isn't the intention to disenfranchise snorkellers, far from it! The changes to the articles are a tidy up, nothing more (I hope) than that - as the additional text says that accompanies the notice. However, it's obviously not clear so I've emailed Mike Todd (Hon Sec) with your query, I hope that Mike will be able to clarify the position for you.

If the motion is anti-skorkel in any way then I can promise you that I will be voting against it myself, that was never our intention and I hope that Mike will be able to clear this up for you.

Regards

Keith L
BSAC Council Member

[susan barclay]

:=Unless I have misread the AGM Notice in this months Dive mag it appears that BSAC want to abolish all snorkel memberships from the AGM. The only class relevant to give voting rights within BSAC would be Full Diving Membership (at no doubt extra membership cost to that paid by the current snorkeller). The Associate Membership proposal specifically bans such members from being snorkellers. Snorkellers have long supported the aims of BSAC and indeed many snorkellers go on to become divers. Similarly after a life-long period of diving membership some of the older members just revert to snorkelling when they are no longer able to dive through age or illness. This is not the way forward IMHO. Regards to all.

Hi Susan

It certainly isn't the intention to disenfranchise snorkellers, far from it! The changes to the articles are a tidy up, nothing more (I hope) than that - as the additional text says that accompanies the notice. However, it's obviously not clear so I've emailed Mike Todd (Hon Sec) with your query, I hope that Mike will be able to clarify the position for you.

If the motion is anti-skorkel in any way then I can promise you that I will be voting against it myself, that was never our intention and I hope that Mike will be able to clear this up for you.

Regards

Keith L
BSAC Council Member

Hi Keith

Just an extra point to consider:- The Note accompanying the Proposal 'clearly' states " Although four membership grades are deleted from the Articles, all but Honorary Member will continue to be BSAC Membership Grades". In other words:
1) Four membership grades are 'deleted' i.e. snorkel member would no longer be a membership garde
2) Only those remaining grades excluding Honorary Member would be a membership grade and they are - Full Diving Member, Associate and Corporate.
3) Only a person over the age of 14 could now be a BSAC member - those current snorkel members between the ages of 8 (eligible to train as a snorkeller) and 14 would just be dispensed with.

IMHO there is no need to remove Snorkel Members from the Articles of Association. I am afraid that your 'tidy up' expression does not give me confidence. The way things appear it could be that a BSAC Corporate Sponsor or Equipment Manufacturer becomes a full member of BSAC whilst the army of child/teenage and adult snorkellers and family supporters are consigned to the dustbin of your 'tidy up'! Kind Regards of course to you and all.

[bsachq]

Dear All

It is definitely not the intention of BSAC Council to abandon Snorkel members. The aim was to move Snorkel, Youth, Junior members from the Articles only to the appendix at the back of the Articles and Rules of Association. As stated in the Notice of Meeting - "Although four membership grades are deleted from the articles, all but Honorary Members will continue to be BSAC membership grades"

AS they are currently recorded in the Articles at the moment bears no relation to how these membership grades are actually applied today. They are simply being moved from one place to another.

I want to assure you that we do all value our Snorkel members as we do our Junion and Youth members. We are aware that the majority of these are our full diving members of tomorrow and the future of diving. They will not be penalised in any way.

If anyone reading this posting wishes BSAC HQ to post them a copy of the Articles and Rules of Association then please do not hesitate to email me and I can do this for you. It may then be easier to understand what is happening with the Articles and you will be able to see that it is just a proposal to move the wording.

If you have any further queries, then please email me directly on <a href="mailto:maryt@bsac.com">maryt@bsac.com</a> or telephone me on 0151 350 6220 and we will deal with your enquiry

I hope that this helps clarify the situation

Regards

Mary Tetley
BSAC Operations Manager

[webmaster]

If you need the documentation associated with this then the Notice of the BSAC AGM is available at the link below.
The BSAC Rules and Articles of Association are also available online by a link from that page, or direct at <a href="http://www.bsac.org/services/rules/bsacarticles.htm" >http://www.bsac.org/services/rules/bsacarticles.htm</a> .

Mike

[Edward Haynes]

Susan

None of the membership grades proposed for removal from the AofA currently have voting Rights, so there is no change there.

As for what would happen to members like you I haven't yet received a satisfactory answer from the Hon Sec.

I am thinking of proposing an amendment to this proposal, under Article 35 (which is also down for removal).

Edward Haynes