BAB Insurance

This is copied and pasted from.   www.aikidochatfourm.com   AikidoChatForum.com- for -AIKIDO - ALL STYLESTHE Non-Partisan Forum for Aikido :: MEMBERS ONLY :: Political Lobbying :: BAB Author Topic: BAB (Read 57 times) aikitom member is offline Joined: Jul 2008 Gender: Male Posts: 7 BAB « Thread Started on Jul 7, 2008, 5:12am » I am new to all this so please make allowances Can any one tell me what the BAB do? Only they DON'T seem to promote Aikido? There insurance is all but useless, unless you die on the mat? As a member you cannot vote on anything only your organization has a say. As Aikido is not a sport, why is it linked to the Sports Council? The training courses or modules are over £40 but if you go through your local council they are only £20 and no traveling? The modules cannot be failed, you get your pass for attending, so whats the point? Well that should do for a start. Tom Link to Post - Back to Top   Logged stevebillett member is offline Joined: Jul 2008 Gender: Male Posts: 1 Re: BAB « Reply #1 on Jul 8, 2008, 12:23pm » This reply has been put up by Steve Billett for Keith Holland Vice Chairman BAB You are not the first to ask what the BAB is about and what it offers to members and it was partly for this reason that the Board recently undertook a major governance audit. If your Association has not passed details of the recommendations arising from this exercise you can view a summary on the website. Unlike other national governing bodies the BAB is made up of a number of member Associations, currently 38, who each maintain their own independence in a number of areas, not the least of which being grading syllabuses and standards. This inevitably creates certain limitations on what the BAB can do and how it can interact directly with its 10,000 plus individual members. Why are we a governing body, well a significant number of our members train in the Tomiki style of Aikido, which is a recognised sport and additionally Sport England recognise the role of mainstream martial arts in meeting their key objectives of promoting fitness and a healthy lifestyle. I was sorry to read your negative comments on BAB coaching. However to clarify a few factual points-(i) ScUK run similar courses at a cost of between £10 and £40, but with many of the cheaper ones being subsedised. Courses run by the BAB are generally £30, which reflects the true cost. Of course these could also be subsedised but someone would have to pay for it.(ii) the destinct advantage of BAB Courses is that they are specifically adapted for aikido (iii)the BAB follows the same guidelines as scUK in its courses which focuses on transmitting knowledge to the student without an element of pass/fail. I do not accept that the BAB does not promote Aikido, but agree that as well as publicising what we currently do, we need to do more. To this end a number of initiatives have been agreed including:- ? A major overhaul of the Website to provide more regular and meaningful information to existing and potential members ? Increasing the size and composition of the Executive Committee to make it more representative and democratic ? Seeking the views on how membership works within the BAB – what are the qualifications/standards etc. ? Complete data audit of all BAB clubs – so that the new “Club Search” really works. ? Developing a database of all non affiliated clubs/organisations so that we can target them for future membership ? Reviewing our Coaching Syllabus to make it more meaningful, more easily accessible and delivered in the most economic way, including on-line registration for courses and identifying acceptable Scuk courses.. ? Regular news updates of what is happening ? Ability for individual members to receive direct e mail news. ? Articles on the website promoting the values of aikido for children and young people ? Creation of a Youth Development Programme to spearhead the teaching of Aikido in Schools ? Developing Clubmark qualifications, which are increasingly being seen by local authorities etc as the benchmark requirement for using their facilities. ? Production of an Aikido Development Plan so that we can identify clear targets for progress ? Charities page for members to promote charities/events supported through aikido/aikidoka These are in addition to our on-going activities which includes advice and guidance to ensure all clubs comply with legislation and government guidelines – first class examples of this being the substantial work done in the field of Child Protection; representation to Government on issues such as the “banning of samurai swords”; seeking funds to further aikido; organising a national course; insurance cover; coaching etc. I am not going to comment on the detail of the Insurance cover as full information can be obtained as a download on the website. I would however say that the scheme now in operation was agreed by the member Associations as meeting their needs both in terms of cover and cost and if you feel it needs enhancing then the first step is to work through your Association. As I mentioned our constitution provides for us to work through the member Associations, but we recognise that even with the best intentions information does not always reach the individual member. So we intend to maximise the use of the website to make as much information available as is practicable to every member – so keep reading. We are responding to the needs of aikidoka in the UK, and whilst we have made a good start much more needs to be done, but do remember that we are an organisation run by volunteers and the more help we get the faster we can progress. So perhaps I can draw you and other readers’ attention to the adverts on the website for volunteers and suggest that now might be the time for some of you to get involved with us. Keith Holland (Vice Chairman BAB) Link to Post - Back to Top   Logged aikitom member is offline Joined: Jul 2008 Gender: Male Posts: 7 Re: BAB « Reply #2 on Jul 10, 2008, 6:14am » O, gosh there is a lot there to cover! (sorry about the pun) So I will take this just one at a time. As if I ask to many questions the some answers could be just lost. Insurance I believe that the insurance cover per member is around £2.50 but you all most have to die to get a claim. So why do you not offer a £2.50 third party or £10 third party fire and theft (broken bones or pulled mussels in this case). £ 20 fully comprehensive the fingers are just off the top of my head. Most of the self employed would go for the fully comp., as it is their live-lily hood they need to protect. The third party is just to cover any one you may hurt on the mat, third party and self injuries. I have used motor insurance terms to make it as easy to follow as I can. This then would be up to the individual to go for the third party, third party and injury, or the fully comp. aikitom « Last Edit: Jul 10, 2008, 6:19am by aikitom » Link to Post - Back to Top   Logged John Sensei member is online There can only be one < = =text/>');// --> Joined: Apr 2008 Gender: Male Posts: 4,000,014 Location: New Milton New Forest Hants. Re: BAB « Reply #3 on Jul 10, 2008, 10:48am » Hi Tom That makes a lot of sense to me and I for one think it would work. I would not mind paying more to get better cover. As I am self employed Well done. John « Last Edit: Jul 10, 2008, 10:52am by John » Link to Post - Back to Top   Logged aikitom member is offline Joined: Jul 2008 Gender: Male Posts: 7 Re: BAB « Reply #4 on Jul 10, 2008, 8:55pm » Thank you Sensei John It is nice to have some support with my ideas Tom Link to Post - Back to Top   Logged aberaiki member is offline < = =text/>');// --> Joined: May 2008 Gender: Male Posts: 15 Location: Pontypool Re: BAB « Reply #5 Yesterday at 12:28am » Why pay that much? Up until I recently returned to the fold, we had AMA (Amateur Martial Association) Insurance. Ordinary Kyu/ Dan members (non teaching) paid £6 per year, and most of the above was covered. One of our students unfortunately broke their collar bone, so had to lose the first 30 days as an excess. He was paid for being off work, and having to go back in to hospital to have it reset. Once the claim was settled he had a nice £1,300 chq through the post. When I went through the insurance coverage on the BAB site, I was surprised how poor it actually was. Considering the size of the group, a much better policy could be obtained. It's probably about time, the committee started to do some investigation on this topic, and get their members some decent cover! I wonder how often they test the field, and see if such a policy exists with other insurers. Or is someone on the inside taking a back hander to stay with Perkins and Slade? For the sake of our club coming back under the umbrella of the BAB, we now pay more for less? Although I can see a kindred spirit in Tom, with many of his valid points regarding the BAB, it will never change. It will plow on regardless, and ignore the people it is suppose to represent. Instead of looking hard at itself, and seeing what they do wrong, they decide to spend a hell of a lot of money employing an agency to give criticism which they are prepared to listen too? Who is paying for that agency? Who has to pay for sub standard insurance? Who is paying for the Honorariums which get bestowed on certain members of the committee? We the membership! The list could be longer, but the above is a good start. There are still original members on the committee, who presided over the Jack Poole affair. Turning over and seeing one of the original Aikido students in the UK, leave the BAB i.e Sensei Ellis, is a disgrace. Anyone connected with that drama needs to hold their head in shame, as they never did anything to promote Aikido on that day! That episode will always come back to haunt you, and stay with the BAB until it's natural or un-natural end! Bring back the old MAC, and let all the arts be covered by one body. Get one insurance policy to cover the lot. I'm sure the insurance companies would bend over backwards to cover such a group. Have a standard committee to over see all, and get rid of the nit picking. This will be the only way to remove the politics out of Aikido for good, and let us all get on with what we want to do. Practice Aikido!!! Link to Post - Back to Top   Logged John Sensei member is online There can only be one < = =text/>');// --> Joined: Apr 2008 Gender: Male Posts: 4,000,014 Location: New Milton New Forest Hants. Re: BAB « Reply #6 Yesterday at 5:48am » Hi Tom I do know of one large club that are members of the BAB and pay their BAB insurance. Yet have also got full cover with Martins as there cover pays out with out you killing some one. I don't know how many insurers there are out there but it would make seance to me to put out to tender for the 10,000. I am sure that you could get cover and cost in the right balance/centered (how aiki is that) I don't know when you buy the insurance but do I do know they will deal with 10,000. John « Last Edit: Yesterday at 5:50am by John » Link to Post - Back to Top   Logge

I have to say that I agree with Aikitom ideas of offering more cover options for the members of the BAB.

Hi John

I do agree with what you are saying on the insurance front and as you can see other people have agreed that maybe a better insurance should be made available, Although I feel the correct course of action is through all the heads of Associations, if enough people make comments that they wish to see a better / different insurance then I am sure these requests will be looked at by the BAB Exec member who is charged with looking after the BAB Insurance. 

these postings seem to have broadened out more to 'what's the BAB all about' and some general rumblings of discontent.

Dear Mr Cooke,

I am slightly confused, as to which part of the above forum section you agree with. Perhaps "I fully accept that the BAB has lots of imperfections"? Although if you read the section written by Sue Ward, it does give the reader some hope, the BAB committee are about to change, and listen to what the average member thinks. I fully believe this is not the case. This forum should not be an arena for members to give information to the committee regarding any issue. If anyone with an ounce of common sense, sat down and looked at the insurance coverage currently available, they would see it is totally inadequate.

When an ordinary member receives their insurance slip, how many make a point of finding out what they are covered for? If you were able to send out a sample sheet of the coverage to a selection of members at random, giving them a freepost envelope to reply, you would then get a more positive reply. They would be informed of how little they are covered for. Considering the activity we do, the cover is appalling. How would you personally be able to continue paying your mortgage, or look after your family, when you find out the injury you have sustained will gain you zero pounds in compensation? If you slipped at work, or fell from a ladder, you would expect your employer to have the correct insurance in place to cover the inconvenience you suffered. If not, you would be the first person to either complain about it, or shout to the press about the lack of concern shown to you as an individual!

If the people who sit on the committee had any concern for the people they represent, they would sit down and look at the current coverage. Read it, then ask themselves, is this worth it? It's about time you took a pause on your current plans, and looked over what you already have. I cannot believe anyone would object to paying more, if they realised the cover was the best you can get.

Steve Billett suggested in his post in June, to lobby the BAB Chairman on this issue, if anyone felt this needs to be brought to the attention of the committee. Unfortunately, in the past, the chairmen have very little time to listen to anyone. I can only draw that conclusion from past events! If they cannot listen to, not only sitting members of the committee, but founding members of the BAB, what chance do the ordinary mortals have of being listened too? I would be the first person to apologise if the above statement was wrong, but you only have to search this sorry episode on the internet to find out the truth! Until you shake off that mill stone from around your necks, you will never be taken serious in any respect. Why don't you prove us wrong, and do something about it Mr Sumpter!



Edited by Bob - 01 Aug 2012 at 6:21pm