I'm happy with the horsetrading if it all comes off OK. The BMC has had enough damage from disruption and stalemate and the prospect of going into the AGM with a serious chance that the democratically formulated BMC Implementation Group (IG) position on the ORG recommendations, as ratifed by the democratic elected National Council (NC) on the new Articles might not reach the 75% vote required was very worrying (last year was the highest vote numbers in AGM history but only 5% of the full membership). Like Shark, I wouldn't want to see the proposed new Board tied in knots such that it couldn't function properly but the proposed changes were pretty much putting the intent wrt the membership body (the new NC and new form of President), holding the board to account (from the perspective the IG expected) into black and white in the newly proposed Memorandum of Understanding. It also puts any Independant Director candidates who meet the required skill set for the Board to an AGM member vote (rather than a board selected best candidate put to the AGM for ratification). I see both these particular changes as positive and only possible as the BMC/IG team have negotiated a bit of movement from Sport England as well as from negotiations with the sensible Tier 1 people, like Jonathon and Crag.
Some of the less sensible Tier 1 people at the meeting (not just Rodney) wanted more delay to be 'ultra-democratic'. However this is in the context of a 2 year process started in 2015 and already given an exceptional extra year extension. Sport England rightly expect a decision this summer. The delays are because the NC left things to drift (yes those member reps with primacy that the Tier 1 folk wanted to retain most of their power and who also voted in the Climb Britain rebrand). I want to be clear these things happened in NC with no ill intentions but the NC do seem a bit detatched at times from ordinary member views and a bit slow at times to repond to externally set timetables: a situation that should go away with a board and the full membership (plebs) having a right to watch at AGM. The new structures have much improved direct pleb input (much to the horror of some of the highly experienced activists who exploited their power and influence in the past) like Live streaming and electonic voting at the AGM and areas. There are also proposals for a couple of direct member elected reps from the whole UK and a proper club rep (currently an observer). Also better codes of practice similar to best practice in modern organisations, that would prevent some of the worst abuses we have seen in the secret distribution of misinformation that were leaked (on which point I can show some folk at the Peak Area next week some of these letters that are not available openly online, if you ask me there)
I can't see all the old troublemakers backing down from Tier 1 (so their motion might legally stand for an AGM vote) but if the sensible end of the Tier 1 vote, led by Jonathon White and Crag Jones, leave the motion the rest look pretty stranded to me. People still do need to vote or as it looks pretty certain those with undemocratic intent will try and scupper the Tier 3 plans; it will be much easier with electronic voting, but that applies on both sides. The leaked letters from the remnants of the BMC 30 don't indicate any sign of peace: the most recent ones speculate on the upcoming Presidential contest and slip back into the same patronising, sexist attitudes we have sadly got used to. This is because, since the acting President is standing down, Lynn, as a current VP, has volunterered to wear the traditional BMC asbestos as the exec linked candidate to face the other candidate, Les.
BTW for people with a life considering watching the BMC TV YouTube film of the Open Forum, it's 2hours and a bit long, so if you want a quick view, start watching at 1.58.00 to get a sense of the compromise and what needs doing next.