bbka WANT TO RAISE fEES AGAIN

[victor meldrew]

As VM indicates, it is a very useful "cutout" keeping ordinary members well away from any decisions. ?

Please don't misquote me !
I indicated it as plus not as a buffer zone !
You however fit the profile I was indicating and yes you may quote that !!!
VM


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[HaroldC]

Has your association's delegate ever actually asked you for your opinions on any of the ADM business?

Our County association has a mandating mechanism so that our delegate knows our views. We consulted all members over the 'sponsorship' issue a few years back.

I know, however, that this is not the case in all area [County] associations.

 

[itma]

...
I indicated it as plus not as a buffer zone !
...

But "buffer zone" it definitely is.

And that is a "plus" for ... the usual suspects!

 

[roche]

As VM indicates, it is a very useful "cutout" keeping ordinary members well away from any decisions.

The County sends a single delegate to the Annual Delegates Meeting.
That person is supposedly chosen by the branches' delegates to County meetings.
The branches' delegates are usually chosen by the branch committee, and the committee members, just like the branches' delegate and the County delegate, are "the usual suspects".

Democracy is delegated.

Has your association's delegate ever actually asked you for your opinions on any of the ADM business?

You have but your finger right on the button. While there is absolute sense in neighbouring local associations co-operating, having one delegate for a county is absurd - the granularity of representation is too large. This is one of the factors that makes "change from within" almost impossibly difficult and makes the BBKA such a dysfunctional organisation.

Fortunately, when I was a member of the BBKA, I belonged to associations that were not part of a county conglomerate, so could talk directly to the ADM delegate, and in fact attended several ADMs as a guest. BUT - the disparity between a local association with 50-100 members and a county association with 1500 makes change virtually impossible. Which is why, after 4 years of effort, I voted with my feet. Life is too short.

 

[REDWOOD]

There was no such thing as junior membership until about 2 years ago, in fact the idea had been resisted because BBKA did not want to get bogged down with things like costly child protection policies for a potentially small number of junior members (at least that's my interpretation). Most under 16's with bees also have parents who are beekeepers so have no need to join a BKA in their own right. But a small number were joining up and paying the full membership and the numbers were likely to increase due to growing popularity of beekeeping, including inclusion in the Duke of Edinburgh award scheme. So the delegates meeting did agree to create a junior membership category and charge 50% rates which is fairer as they get some benefits but not all - I don't think liability insurance is relevant for example. Personally I'd have gone further and charged a token membership of a pound or two - not entirely free though (I don't imagine junior beekeepers sell their honey for any less than we do).

Your Association your future, personalty I would not charge under 16 anything including training and equipment and get schools involved, I'm sure there is funding for this somewhere and it doesn't matter how much money they make in fact the more the better if it keeps the young beekeepers coming back, or are beekeeping assosiations only for the 50+

 

[Chris B]

I would not charge under 16 anything including training and equipment

Thanks. I'll send my kids round to your place to pick it up at the weekend.

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

......... are beekeeping assosiations only for the 50+.

They sure are.

If you have less than 50 years' experience

or less than 50 hives..........

Dusty.

(Reminds me of something.........)

 

[BeeJayBee]

... personalty I would not charge under 16 anything including training and equipment

If so, it would be about the only activity that under 16s would get for free. Scouts, in this area, costs almost £100 a year in subs, an hour's swimming costs over £2 for under 17s.

 

[MuswellMetro]

They sure are.

If you have less than 50 years' experience

or less than 50 hives..........

Dusty.

(Reminds me of something.........)

Well that would make the assocoation easy to run, me ,the president and about five others rather than 100 members causing me angst

 

[Heather]

We had a situation in Sussex where our 'delegate' voted with BBKA re Bayer without any Division being aware it was up for discussion.

 

[VEG]

We had a situation in Sussex where our 'delegate' voted with BBKA re Bayer without any Division being aware it was up for discussion.

Thats the way they like it.

 

[Norfolk]

We had a situation in Sussex where our 'delegate' voted with BBKA re Bayer without any Division being aware it was up for discussion.

We should all be used to this, it's the same way that our political system works. You vote someone into "power" and they, being your "better" are able to make decisions that will affect you without ever asking for you opinion again.
That's Westminster, and the Lords are even worse, in there you get people making decisions for you because they are "religious" leaders or maybe "sportsmen/women" even an "actor" or two.

 

[pargyle]

We should all be used to this, it's the same way that our political system works. You vote someone into "power" and they, being your "better" are able to make decisions that will affect you without ever asking for you opinion again.
That's Westminster, and the Lords are even worse, in there you get people making decisions for you because they are "religious" leaders or maybe "sportsmen/women" even an "actor" or two.

And some former politicians (on all sides - this is not a political point) who were pretty useless when they were in Government !!

 

[Russel]

The ADM papers have been sent out to BKA's so if they are not distributed ask for them to be.

 

[Pete D]

Also detail in this months BBKA news

 

[itma]

Our County association has a mandating mechanism so that our delegate knows our views. We consulted all members over the 'sponsorship' issue a few years back.

I know, however, that this is not the case in all area [County] associations.

We had a situation in Sussex where our 'delegate' voted with BBKA re Bayer without any Division being aware it was up for discussion.

I note that HaroldC says he is in "Sussex", and the seeming contradiction here.

 

[HaroldC]

I note that HaroldC says he is in "Sussex", and the seeming contradiction here.

The Answer is we are both right. The situation mentioned by Heather was viewed as totaly unsatisfactory by the County Executive and gave rise to our seeking member's views went the matter came up again. Our delegate was then 'mandated' to support the independant motion at the ADM.

Our 'delegate' was not comfortable with this. We now have a new delegate.

 

[HaroldC]

The ADM papers have been sent out to BKA's so if they are not distributed ask for them to be.

Just checked on the BBKA website - they are available for download in the members area.

I note that 3/2014 from Buckinghamshire BKA calls for a freeze on subscriptions. Buckinghamshire is a medium sized Association with 594 members.

Proposition 5/2014 from Yorkshire BKA also deals with finance. Yorkshire is the biggest BKA with 1469 members

 

[Chris B]

The Answer is we are both right. The situation mentioned by Heather was viewed as totaly unsatisfactory by the County Executive and gave rise to our seeking member's views went the matter came up again. Our delegate was then 'mandated' to support the independant motion at the ADM.

Our 'delegate' was not comfortable with this. We now have a new delegate.

Well done. The delegate isn't there to represent just themselves.

 

[alanf]

Just checked on the BBKA website - they are available for download in the members area.

I note that 3/2014 from Buckinghamshire BKA calls for a freeze on subscriptions. Buckinghamshire is a medium sized Association with 594 members...

Indeed, and if I was voting I would take that seriously. If i recall correctly at least one of the of Bucks associations was disaffiliated from the BBKA for some years, maybe 10 or more years ago?

I did have brief scan of the reports. One of the remarks was that a reason for a current shortfall in income was that membership numbers were under "budget", that is they had counted on an increase which didn't happen. The response is to increase subscription rates; that's a dangerous strategy for long term viability.