In reply to Babika:
> You have got a chip on your shoulder haven't you?
You don't have to have a chip on your shoulder to question the direction of travel of the BMC, if people hadn't done that a few years ago we wouldn't now be reaping the benefits of the re-org etc. I'm loath to put my head above the parapet, as I don't want to appear some old fart who's anti change, I'm not anti change! I was a supporter of the re-org and I certainly don't want say anything to undermine the new CEO who, by all accounts does a good job, but I sometimes wonder whether the BMC leadership is aligned with the membership.
> As others have said before, our climbing, walking and mountaineering is improved immeasurably by having a BMC even if we don't always notice it.
No one is disputing that so I'm not sure what point your making, the BMC is wonderful and the remarkable thing is it became so despite the amateurism, the lack of vision etc. you allude to. Whilst it was shambling along it built up an insurance company to fill a gap for climbers and mountaineers, it acquired cliffs that were under threat, it secured access to playgrounds it had no right to, it contributed to a professional training structure for indoor top ropers through to winter mountain. Is there not a danger that we will throw the baby out with the bath water with this reforming zeal. I look at all the latest appointments and wonder whether the pendulum has swung too far from climbing dirtbag to corporate whatever.
> Being a CEO is about leadership, vision, strategy, communication and drive for success. Some of those attributes fit with being an active climber but not all.
It's worth asking whether a vision forged by corporate experience or competitive sport is transferable to the BMC, the Glaziers had a vision for Man Utd but its left the customer's feeling short changed and ignored. I'm not saying this of Paul or anyone in particular but it you favour directors for their business or competitive sport background rather than climbing 'lifers', as was traditional for the BMC, you might end up with a vision better suited to a corporation or a competitive sport (increase membership, wider reach, greater media exposure, increased participation, more kudos for directors) but not a vision for climbing and climbers?
> In my experience climbers can be selfish, bloody minded, obsessive and keen to reduce their workload so they can bugger off climbing. I include myself in that.
In my experience CEOs tend to be selfish, bloody minded, obsessive and not so keen to bugger off climbing. Do I want people like that at the head of the organisation which I see as being there to help me bugger off climbing? That said, there are plenty of examples of people who are climbing lifers with very successful, business lives - unfortunately at least one of them was overlooked during the last round of director elections