The intention of the UKBGF is that it be fully democratic and to be owned by and represented by its members. The current Board is coming to the end of its two-year tenure and it is time to begin the process of electing a new Board for the two years 2017-8. The new Board will decide the future direction of the organisation and while much has happened in the last two years, those elected will be able to develop new ideas as they see fit.
The timetable for the elections will be as follows:
- 1st September 2016: Nominations open.
- 23rd September 2016, 6pm: Nominations close. Candidates will be announced as soon as possible afterwards
- 25th September 2016: Voting begins.
- 14th October 2016, 6pm: Voting ends. Results will be announced after verification.
- 25th October 2016, 6pm: Successful candidates will be invited to attend the Board meeting in London to begin preparing for a smooth handover – if you are nominating yourself, please keep that evening free if at all possible.
- 1st January 2017: The new Board formally takes office.
All full UKBGF members (not Juniors) who are either UK citizens or ordinarily resident in the UK are eligible to nominate themselves. All members will be eligible to vote. Members will be emailed a link to the voting form as soon as it is ready. Those elected to the Board must remain members for their term of office. To nominate yourself you need to submit answers to the following 5 questions (each answer may be no longer than 500 words).
- Why do you want to stand for the board of the UKBGF?
- How much time will you devote to the UKBGF over the next two years?
- What are your plans for the UKBGF over the next two years?
- Why should people vote for you?
- Any other comments that you feel relevant.
Nominees should email their answers to sean@ukbgf.com by 6pm on the 23rd September along with their full name, address, a contact phone number and a good quality digital photo of themselves. If you stood for election in 2014 then we can reuse the photo from then, if you prefer. Nominees’ photos and statements will be published on the website so that voters have an opportunity to read your answers before deciding who to vote for. We will not publish contact details unless specifically requested.
If you are unsure about whether to stand or not, and there is any background information which will help you make up your mind, please email sean@ukbgf.com to request it. Please don’t leave it to the last minute to ask! If you are still unsure, please do stand if you feel you can make a useful contribution to the Federation. Alternatively, if you feel that you have something to offer but do not want to commit to being a UKBGF board member, please get in touch to volunteer your services. Everyone within the organisation is a volunteer and all offers of help are greatly appreciated.
Excellent post! I would ask for a clarification on the process of nomination however. Is there some vetting or approval process of the nominees, or are all accepted? In the former case, could the criteria for approval/disapproval be explained please?
There are no additional criteria beyond being a full UKBGF member and being UK national/resident. We expect people to nominate themselves, but if someone nominates a different person then we would check that the nominee had given their consent first, as a matter of courtesy.
The existing board has done a sensational job. I hope many or all of them stand for re-election!