Birmingham ACORN England-Wales has a clear calendar now for top level membership input. On odd years, there is now a convention. On even years for the second time, there is a delegates’ conference, which found me once again as a participant/observer. The conference is a useful way to bring 50 to 60 of the top leaders together, since the named delegates are each branch’s secretary and chair. Some chapters are also invited that are growing themselves into branches, and though allowed to speak, are not allowed to vote. Putting so many leaders together is always of great value.
For the delegates, the meat and potatoes of the agenda are the discussion and debate on various resolutions that each branch had the opportunity to submit as national policies, mandates, or proposals for research and eventual action. This is not willy-nilly. The resolutions had to be about building ACORN in some way, shape, or form. This is important. Many large unions have a similar process without that restriction and can become embroiled in division over important social and political issues, despite some of these issues being extraneous to the goals and objections of the union. The resolutions ranged between doing more actions on the “ban the bailiffs” campaign launched at the last UK convention, attaching new issues to the campaign where bailiffs are also used to collect debt, and new proposals about going after water companies, demanding housing retrofits and more. Branch membership had sent voting instructions to their delegates. After discussion, there was a lunch break, and the voting was calm and orderly. There were few close calls. Three or four measures failed with the largest number succeeding. It’s a difficult process to manage because the process itself favors some parts of our membership more than others, though the loudest applause and reaction were not to the jailhouse lawyers among the delegates, but for the impassioned and heartfelt testimony on some issues from rank-and-file members, and in one case a devastatingly articulate adolescent girl who had something to say about day care, youth issues, and more. She may not have been a delegate, but she was a fan favorite!
If the conference was just about this, some might question the time, travel, and expense, but bringing together top leaders at this level offered more opportunities. There was a staff and a financial report, both of which were invaluable for the members and provided accountability at the same time. Having just received notice days before the meeting of an award by the national lottery for 5-million-pounds over the next seven years, this meeting provided a seed-bed for coming discussions on a new five-year plan and how the leadership and staff will wisely use this game-changing grant to achieve hyper-growth for the organization, as well as new membership services and innovations.
As organizers, we always say, you judge the meeting not by the agenda or the proceedings from start to finish, but by the results produced in the follow-up. ACORN counts on our English-Wales affiliate to be a leader for the organization, so it was a pleasure to be there at what might be with continued hard work and lots of luck, the launch of a new and next chapter for the organization.