The BCA AGM was held on Sunday 11th June, with a raft of constitutional matters on the agenda. Darkness Below has received the following summary from BCA Legal and Insurance Office Bob Mehew:

I have been asked by several people as to the outcome of the vote relating to Section 4.6 of the Constitution.  The Agenda item was divided into three parts. 

Part a) related to “That this general meeting confirms there is no impediment in the constitution to prevent the BCA campaigning for the Countryside and Rights of Way Act to apply to caving”.  This was passed by overwhelming majorities.

Part b) related to three alternatives of which one would replace the sentence of concern whilst the other two would remove it.  The meeting favoured the approach of deleting the existing sentence “That the owners and tenants of property containing caves have the right to grant or withhold access” and it was passed with sufficient majority that it now goes forward to a ballot involving all members.

Part c) on adding a new sub section on permitting BCA to campaign for changes in the law whatever the constitution said, was withdrawn.

For information, several other amendments were also passed.  The one on introducing proxy voting failed.  The one on amending postal ballots was passed following assurances that postal ballots would remain available.

Information was also supplied to the meeting that BCA now holds the email addresses of over 70% of its membership.  The Executive is now looking at ways in which it can make use of that information to conduct the ballot which may involve both use of post and email methods to make contact with members.  The desire is to get the ballot started before the end of July so the results can be announced at the Council meeting on 7 October.  Updates will be posted on progress.

Bob Mehew
BCA Legal & Insurance Officer