British Naturism International
Posted by bnchange on June 9, 2007
“It is ironic,” says Stuart Troughton of the BNchange campaign group. “That I’m standing for International Officer, a post held by Paul Kirby for several years. “As I’m not entirely sure what it entails. I know it means that I will be ‘in charge’ of the various holiday advisers, but what else did it cover?” Stuart emailed BN’s office to asking for a copy of the role and responsibilities for the International Officer, only to be told that it doesn’t exist! “I was amazed,” he said. BNchange knows for a fact that Richard Burnham – a very experienced business practices consultant – was asked to create roles and responsibilities for the Executive Council members but due to the lack of co-operation from the rest of the council, he had to create them himself. Over-runs in council business caused more delay, so they were only discussed after Richard had resigned and Michael Farrar was asked to re-write them. That was in 2004. In the EC minutes for February 2007, Angela Russell was asked to ‘update’ the roles and responsibilities for the EC, making them ‘more concise’ at the same time and as we went to press, BNchange learned that the roles and responsibilities have finally been agreed by the Executive Council.
“We have no illusions about how difficult such things can be to write,” said Stuart, who has years of experience as an effective organiser. “But if they take three-plus years to create such an important document for their effectiveness as a council, then what hope is there that they can efficiently deal with BN’s outstanding problems?
“I actually want to see what kind of benefit does British Naturism and its members derive from its large expenditure, but minimal involvement in, in the International Naturist Federation, for which Mick Ayers is now European PRO,” said Stuart.
The INF did not feature heavily in the 2004 survey with only two per cent of respondents stating that they didn’t need the INF card. The survey failed to asked the opposite question, ‘Is INF membership, which is included in your BN membership, a reason to join?’ Most French and Spanish naturists resorts don’t require you to show an INF card on entry, but those few that do are also perfectly willing to sell you one on the spot. To BNchange, this undermines there value as identification for the ‘genuine naturist’ and with no other visible benefit to its members, they find it hard to justify the £26,500 of BN’s members’ money handed over to the INF over the last three years for which there are published accounts (2002-5).
It has come to BNchange’s notice that the 2007 budgets have already been trimmed, presumably to take care of the worsening cash flow, except that is the International Officer, who according to the last set of accounts seen by BNchange still stood at £4,500 in comparison to the a mere £1,000 allocated to the R&LO for campaigning purposes. “This does really suggest that the EC has their priorities wrong,” said Stuart. “When you recall that the 2004 survey showed that 83 per cent wanted BN to work harder to get more locations available for naturism. Andrew Welch may have said that ‘We’re listening’ but I think the budgets tell the truth there, as far as the EC are concerned.
“What is more, our understanding is that the next meeting to be hosted by the INF in 2008 will be in Brazil, not exactly known for its vibrant naturist community, and partially paid for by BN members’ money.” BNchange says that if Mick Ayers had any sympathy for the financial mess that BN finds itself in he would be cancelling any arrangement he’s made for this trip. After all, was it not he, as then chairman, who set British Naturism onto its current path?
During his tenure of the chairman’s seat, Mick Ayers employed contractor Andrew Welch without reference to the Executive Council and the warnings of Chris Beasley-Reynolds, the then Treasurer, that the cost of £1,000 per week was not affordable, more than born out by the deficit of £82,000 run up since. The situation was made worse when at the 2005 AGM, just two days after the EC was given assurances that there was no cash flow crisis looming, Mick Ayers and others arranged for a longstanding savings bond valued at £30,000, and representing BN’s final cash reserves, to be cashed enabling BN to pay staff’s salaries. It was only through probing questions by members on the floor that Chris Beasley-Reynolds owned up to the true situation, much to Mick Ayers’ chagrin, otherwise the whole thing would have stayed a secret.
Stuart Troughton knows all about secrets, working for GCHQ, but he says there are times when a secret should be kept and a time for openness. BN has very little need for secrecy at all and it is this that often undermines the confidence of members in BN itself. “Like, why aren’t the minutes published in full?” asked Stuart. “The magazine and website only carry an heavily edited versions, as are the minutes for the Management and Marketing sub-committees, which only raises more questions and suspicions among members.”
BNchange believes that after being the main instigator of British Naturism’s perilous financial circumstances that it is inappropriate for Mick Ayers to be once again on the Executive Council. Notwithstanding the yet to be published roles and responsibilities for BN’s officers, Stuart Troughton believes that the International Officer should have direct contact with other national organisations, mostly in Europe but in other English speaking countries too. “The INF,” he says. “Is literally a waste of time and money, with no benefit to British Naturism’s members at all. It’s time that the members came first, not someone’s ego.”
