BARS is delighted to announce the results of the online elections and appointments for the BARS Executive Committee 2024–2026 cycle, which took place earlier this month.
The following role-holders were confirmed for terms to last until summer 2026:
- President: Matthew Sangster
- Treasurer: Mary Fairclough.
- BARS Review Editor: Caroline Anjali Ritchie.
We received no expressions of interest for the following roles, so will be seeking to fill them by either appointment or co-option:
- Website Officer
- Education and Schools Liaison
Voting opened on 4 July 2024 and closed on 10 July 2024. The turnout was 112. Members’ eligibility to vote was confirmed before the results were ratified. The Executive is grateful to BARS Members who voted in the election and gave the new Executive a clear mandate to move forward over the coming year and beyond.
Results of the President and Treasurer elections were as follows: President – Matthew Sangster 57 votes (50.9%), Andrew McInnes 47 votes (42%), Abstentions 7 (6.2%), Reopen the Vote 1 (0.9%); Treasurer – Mary Fairclough 110 votes (98.2%), Abstentions 1 (0.9%), Reopen the Vote 1 (0.9%). Out of a total current membership of 486, with 112 votes cast, turnout was therefore 23%. The BARS Review Editor role received two expressions of interest, and was appointed by a panel convened to review applications. The panel met in early July.
Members of the Executive Committee, both incoming and outgoing, will be meeting at the BARS Biennial General Meeting at the Romantic Making and Unmaking conference at the University of Glasgow on 24 July 2024 to be formally admitted into the new Executive.
As outgoing President and on behalf of BARS, Anthony Mandal would like to welcome our incoming members – Matt, Mary and Caroline – as they join those who will be continuing in their Executive roles. Moreover, we would extend our gratitude to those outgoing members of the Executive (Anthony, Cassie, Mark and David), who have generously given their time to serving BARS in recent – and in some cases many – years, especially when they have faced considerable duties elsewhere.