Support from Mike Moss

Just to advise you guys that this is not the first time that the central part of BCS went down a path which took it away from the branches and the ordinary members of the Society.

It is going back in the mists of time to 1992 when action was taken in response to the fact that the BCS centre kept saying that the members were the backbone of the Society but cut back every year on the funding and backing for the branches. At the time I was Chairman of the Manchester branch and representative of the north on the branches board committee.

I was unhappy with the situation, so coordinated action nationally across branches' chairmen to lodge protests. We then proceeded to put down a motion at the AGM and this elicited response to the effect that the then president came north to discuss with us. We received a commitment to increase funding and support for the branches (and this was put into effect in succeeding years). We left the motion on the table at the AGM without active campaigning and the only reason it failed was because the President claimed the right to vote on behalf of members who had not specifically voted in favour of the motion.

It is sad that the Society has come to a similar situation now. However, experience says that sometimes one has to go beyond soft words with some people who respond only to actions.

Michael Moss CITP LLB