British Naturism – Motion to 2023 Annual General Meeting
The following motion is being proposed to the AGM by a group of 46 concerned members.
Your support for the motion is strongly encouraged, and a short explanation follows.
Motion:“This AGM requires British Naturism Ltd to appoint a Treasurer/Financial Director at a salary of no more than £6,000 per annum whose terms of reference shall be;
1. Your prime responsibility is to the members of British Naturism and you will answer all reasonable questions from them fully and promptly;
2. You will ensure that as part of the annual report, events shall each have their own Income and Expenditure column;
3. You will ensure that each member of the Executive Committee knows whether they are also a Shadow Director, and that they understand the responsibilities this brings.
4. You will ensure that a list is provided with the annual report listing the totals paid (other than out of pocket expenses not exceeding £1,000 in total) to all members of British Naturism including businesses that they control.
5. You will prepare the reports under 3. And 4. Above in respect of 2021 and 2022, to be mailed to members with the next available copy of BN magazine.”
----------------------------
Explanatory note:BN started as a member’s organisation espousing the Naturist Movement, largely run by amateurs. In recent years, it has taken on a role as an events organiser and employs increasing numbers of people either directly or as contractors. 2 years ago it was decided, without consulting the members, to sell the Northampton office, and to acquire the Sunfolk sun club. These developments are changing the nature and scale of BN’s operations, but the governance of BN has not developed to keep pace with this. Many members are largely unaware of what is happening as reporting only happens after the event, and rarely contains clear financial data. The management of the larger and more complex organisation is critical to its success and survival, and yet BN has for many years had no Finance Director, despite the constitution requiring one. This motion seeks only to obligate the EC/Directors to do what they should be doing anyway. The provision for modest payment of a Finance Director recognises that it is an onerous role requiring specialist skills, and that filling it with a suitable volunteer has proven increasingly difficult.
The proposed terms of reference include some reasonable measures to enable members to judge how their money is being used, and by whom. Too often in recent times, members’ reasonable questions have gone unanswered because of lack of available information or claims of ‘commercial confidentiality’. BN is still a member-owned organisation, and it is only right that members are told in reasonable detail what their money is being used for. There should be no excuse for this lack of accountability.
Nowadays BN is handling increasingly large sums of money, and it is vital to have the right governance and management structure to both to get best-value for members, and to demonstrate that by maximum transparency. The EC/Directors have shown unwillingness to do this of their own accord, so we ask you, by supporting this motion, to require them to do so for the benefit of BN and Naturism generally.