Make sure your voice is heard on Easter Monday!
As you should be aware, there are 2 proposals being presented to the membership at the AGM on Easter Monday that aim to make some important changes to help set the Association on the right path for the future. A summary of the key points of these proposals is below:
Proposal 1: Replace ‘Chairman’ with ‘Master’ at both District and Association levels
Purpose: To change the focus of those leading our Districts/Association from chairing meetings to being responsible for ringing.
Key points: The Masters would have a defined role description that makes them responsible for ringing locally and/or across the Association. They don’t have to carry out all tasks associated with the role themselves – delegation is perfectly fine if everyone is working towards the same goal(s).
Proposal 2: Reduce the size of the General Committee from 34 to 22 members
Purpose: To make the General Committee leaner and more agile, enabling them to carry out the business of the Association more effectively.
Key points: The General Committee needs to be strategically focussed on moving the Association forward and ensuring ringing has a future within the County. Meetings of up to 34 people are difficult to manage and business can take excessive amounts of time to achieve (at least 4 years for the mobile ring, as an example). Reducing its size will allow it to work more effectively, but as required other members can be co-opted to help with specific tasks (for example if certain skills are required but not available from existing members). The Youth Officer, a key role in the Association, will become an official member of the General Committee.
Call to Action
The vote on these important proposals will take place during the AGM on Easter Monday, being held at Willesborough. The full proposals document can be found below:
AGM Proposals 2018 v1.1 (with drafting amendments)
If you have a strong opinion either way, I would encourage you to attend the AGM and have your say. Change isn’t always easy, but I strongly believe the Association will benefit both now and in the future from embracing it and moving forward.
Many thanks,
Doug Davis, General Secretary