In the past, only about 1.5% - 3% of
BASC members can be bothered voting in the annual elections for the
governing Council of their organisation.
Wildfowlers cannot complain that
their sport is poorly served by BASC if they fail to exercise their
democratic right to vote in the Council elections.
British Association for
Shooting and Conservation
2013 Council Elections
Wildfowling Candidates
The British Association for
Shooting & Conservation was originally known as WAGBI - the Wildfowlers
Association of Great Britain and Ireland. Founded in 1908, WAGBI was for most of
its life a dedicated wildfowling organisation and played a highly important part
in the promotion and protection of wildfowling as a sport in Britain. In 1981 it
changed its name to BASC to reflect the fact that it had become Britain's
pre-eminent organisation for all branches of sporting shooting.
However, it is the sport of
wildfowling has borne the brunt of government restrictions on
shooting in recent years.
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Most of the "lost" quarry species have been of
interest only to fowlers.
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Restrictions on semi-automatic shotguns affected
wildfowlers more than other shooters.
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Restrictions on the use of lead shot affected
wildfowlers more than other shooters.
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Future threats to sporting shooting are
likely to hit wildfowling hardest.
Ensuring that BASC remains firmly focussed
on wildfowling is of crucial importance, not only to wildfowlers but also to
every other sporting shooter in Britain. Wildfowling is the "Front Line" against
threats of adverse changes to both wildlife and firearms legislation and
regulation - at local, national, European and flyway levels.
For this reason it is essential
that a reasonable representation for wildfowling is achieved on the Council of
BASC. In the 2013 elections there will be two vacancies to be filled and one
wildfowling candidates are standing - John Graham.
Ballot forms will be sent to all
BASC members with the issue of "Shooting & Conservation" in early
March.
Each member will be entitled to cast up to 2 votes. However, tactically,
the sensible way of ensuring that the wildfowling candidate is elected is
to cast only one vote - for John. Votes for any other candidates are, in
effect, votes against him
You can also vote online at the BASC
Website. Go to www.basc.org.uk and sign-in
to the Members Area with your membership number and password. Then click on the
"Elections" tab to be taken to the online "polling booth". This will open at the
same time as postal ballot papers are sent to members but offers a far more
convenient method of casting your vote.
Please vote for John Graham
| JOHN GRAHAM
says.....
I trained as an accountant and worked for one of the world’s largest
multi-national organisations.
I’m someone whose glass is always half-full, never half-empty but
I’m never complacent and I believe that there’s always something
else that can be done.
I served on BASC Council from 1996 to 2006, the last two years as
chairman. I have been chairman of the executive and finance
committee, the disciplinary appeals committee and several other BASC
committees. I was a trustee of the former staff pension fund. I am
currently a member of the wildfowling liaison committee and the
disciplinary appeals committee. I was elected a Vice-President of
BASC in 2008.
I have been a member for 51 years and have considerable knowledge
and experience of BASC and the shooing community, from assisting at
shows and game fairs in my teens to involvement at the very highest
level as chairman, which included regular interactions with other
countryside organisations.
In addition to understanding what BASCstands for I’m also heavily
involved in the grass roots of shooting through my involvement in
one of the country’s most respected wildfowling clubs, so I know and
understand the concerns and aspirations of the BASC membership,
which are also my concerns and aspirations.
I abhor inefficiency because it means wasted effort and money and
with a little thought it can be eliminated. BASC is a business and
Council must manage it as such. The shareholders of the business are
the members and they expect their money to be used wisely to protect
and promote the sport they love.
I was able to use my knowledge and skills when as chairman, amongst
a number of things, I reviewed the role and operation of Council,
the committees, the chairman and chief executive which brought about
improvements in efficiency that remain today.
BASC is on the cusp of change. A new Chief Executive will inevitably
bring a different outlook to the organisation and it’s important
that any change combines the best of the old with the promises of
the new. With my knowledge of BASC and from my experience of working
in industry, I believe I will be ideally placed to assist in the
further development of BASC.
An opportunity should be taken by Council for a root and branch
review of BASC’s structure and operations, and in my experience, if
that hasn’t been carried out for a number of years then practices
will have developed that will have weakened BASC’s efficiency and
profitably.
I am also a firm believer that BASC must involve itself in land
acquisition which will place BASC in a stronger position when
representing the shooting community in matters involving
Governmental and Non-Governmental Organisations. We have fallen
behind a number of other organisations in acquiring land but it’s
not too late to start now. Land is an investment, not for the short
term but for the future and I believe that BASC should be thinking
about where it wants to be at the end of this century.
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Vote for John Graham
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