BSAC beurocracy

[Martin]

Good Morning.

I would like to say that I think it is time that some of the needless beurocracy was cut from the BSAC. I realise that this goes against the grain of everything which is British, but I'm willing to be a Rebel.

My branch is a student branch, and some of the committee members are not the most reliable and speedy of folk. Membership forms sometimes take a while to be sent off, and orders sometimes take an eternity!! Before you all say 'get a new secretary' or 'inform them to be more efficient' the fact is it's a job which no-body wants, and someone kindly accepted and does their best at.

Anyway. this has come up after one of our branch members tried to order the 'dive leading' book from the mailshop this morning, but the jobsworths there refused to send it to him because his membership had lapsed. Then he said he would just pay retail price (rather than members), but still the same story.

Next was 'can I renew my memberhsip no then, on the phone'? Answer was 'No. We can renew membership of committee members on the phone, but not ordinary members.'

No offence, but this is ridiculous. Could we please get reasonable on this.

1. It would be extremely useful if a members could just renew their membership directly with the BSAC (but as a branch member). Either through an online form, or (my prefernce) by having a direct debit every year.
2. Can we remove this obsession with having to have a memberhsip number to process absolutely anything.

[jens hucke]

Dear Martin,
I can understand your frustrations, however :

1) If a member doesn't want to go through the Branch, then they can join BSAC Direct. However, what you suggest is BSAC accepting your word that you will also pay Branch fees locally, and that the branch wants you as a member ( which it might not). Fact is, there is a mechanism in place which guarrantees this process, and it is the system we employ. Is it applied blindly? No. As membership secretary, I have had great experiences and support from HQ in processing memberships.
It might seem Bureaucratic, but we do need to have some system in place, and the existing one isn't all that bad. I think it is being updated regularly, the new membership cards look great for example, and some form of Direct Debit is being trialled.

However I would be devastated if any diver could claim to have joined BSAC and my branch directly via HQ, without us locally having been involved in the process in some form.

2) Regarding needing membership numbers to order books, I'm a bit unsure, because if you order it via the BSAC mailshop online, the membership number is an optional field, hence not mandatory. Diver Training Packs however are more controlled as to who can order them, as it should be.

In this matter I think that there might have been a missunderstanding which maybe someone at HQ can clarify.
In the mean time, try aquapress. They dispatch within 24 hours and appear to have it in stock ( in case you wonder, amazon quote 4 to 6 weeks).

regards
jens

[bsachq]

Hi Martin,

Anyone can order from the BSAC Shop whether they are a current member or not. If they are not a current member they will be charged the Retail price for any items purchased this however is quite flexible and if they have only lapsed by 4 - 6 weeks we would still let them have the item at the members price but any longer than this we would view them as lapsed and they would be charged the Retail price.

In the case you are referring to the member of your branch actually lapsed back on 01/07/04 which is over 4 months ago and was informed of this but still wanted the members price so was told that if a faxed copy of the renewal form was sent through to the BSAC Shop that we would honour the price after which the call ended.

If you or the member concerned would like to order a copy of the Dive leading I will ensure that it is sent promptly for you.

If you would like to speak to me further about this or any other matter please do not hesitate to call me on 0151 350 6223.


Phil Hughes
Retail Supervisor
British Sub Aqua Club

[Hannah Thompson]

Martin

As a university mambership secretary it's not always our fault that memberships take so long to be processed. The SU insist on taking full control of our finances, this means that our membership forms have to go theough the SU for a cheque to be raised and sent to BSAC.

A brilliant example of how efficient the SU are is that one year i sent them the membership forms and they wrote the cheques to the individual members and posted them to the members, not BSAC despite my very simple instructions enclosed with the forms!!!

oh well, i just write bigger now

H

[edward haynes]

I would like to add that each Branch Committee should approve each new and renewing membership, so it would be difficult - close to impossible - for the committee to do this if HQ accepted Branch membership.

Jens is quite right a branch can refuse membership without giving a reason. It's the easiest way of expelling a troublesome member.


Edward