Simon Rogerson reports on BSAC ’ s 2023 Annual General Meeting
SCUBAHUB
Pushing forward
Simon Rogerson reports on BSAC ’ s 2023 Annual General Meeting
BSAC ’ S ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING for 2023 presented a picture of a confident club getting back into its stride after the setbacks of the pandemic . With healthy financial reserves , a boost in training and a rise in membership numbers , BSAC Chair Edward Haynes gave an upbeat perspective of the club , its members and activities . The AGM was held digitally , on the Microsoft Teams platform . The meeting was legally quorate , with 74 delegates logging in .
Chair ’ s Report
Edward Haynes began proceedings by welcoming the attendees , with members logging in from Egypt , the UAE , Australia and Malta , as well as the UK .
He began his own report on BSAC ’ s progress with a section on the club ’ s achievements over the past year . First of these was the Phase One of the BSAC App , which is changing the way we all interact with the organisation . Then there was the introduction of a new course , Advanced Ocean Diver , an optional step between Ocean Diver and Sports Diver , qualifying candidates to dive as deep as 30m .
Edward said we have embraced the return to face-to-face meetings . While the club has enthusiastically embraced digital learning , in-person training lies at the heart of hands-on diver training . BSAC has added a new dimension to its offering through the enhanced relationships with commercial centres created by the Branch + Centre Partnerships . It also serves to explode the myth that BSAC training can ’ t be delivered in a short timeframe . There was more good news in that membership numbers are still on the rise , continuing the post-Covid upwelling .
As Chair , Edward works with the club ’ s ruling Council , whose working practice he outlined so that members could understand its work . He said the Council meets regularly via online Teams sessions , but there are also periodic in-person meetings and Extraordinary meetings , which typically address a single topic or pressing matter .
He explained the work of the various sub-committees , each of which oversees an aspect of BSAC life , from implementing Strategy to the embedding of Equality Diversity and Inclusion ( EDI ) throughout BSAC literature and culture . There ’ s also a sub-committee that governs the work of BSAC ’ s International franchises in Japan , Korea and now Egypt , though the Thailand franchise has now been dissolved .
Edward welcomed newly elected Council members Yasmine Thorn ( Vice Chair ); Andy
Shenstone ( Honorary Secretary ); Emma James ; David Bell and Carline Deal . He also thanked outgoing Council members Rachel Quinn ( departing Vice Chair ); Rachael Brown ; Robin Kirkpatrick and Yohanna Weber ; Elaine Player and Rob Mason . Clare Peddie ( Vice President ), was thanked for her work on the Audit committee .
He made a point of praising BSAC ’ s HQ staff for their work over the year , which included the AGM and election process ; overseeing the implementation of the Branch + Centre Partnerships and a raft of environmental initiatives . HQ has also been busy coordinating the revitalised Instructor Training Scheme and continuing to support clubs with dedicated workshops . Edward said HQ staff have been instrumental in supporting university branches ; implementing the latest membership survey and helping to produce SCUBA magazine .
“ We owe our thanks to so many people ,” Edward said . “ To the branch committees for getting their members out diving ; to the Regional teams , without whom most SDCs and ITS events wouldn ’ t happen . And of course , finally but not least , to my fellow Council members for being open and actively contributing to discussions .”
Slides excerpted from the Chair ’ s report
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