BCSS

[RichR]

I have been unable to get in touch with the BCSS. None of the email addresses on their site work, or else they are ignoring me. I joined and paid dues last Sunday but have not heard from them since, other than an acknowledgement that they received my payment. Their website won't accept my login information either. I know we have BCSS members that are active in this forum too. Can anyone give me a valid email address for them? I don't know what the problem could be.

[Licespray]

I tried joining their forum in December. Never had it activated or it never worked. No response to emails either.

[RichR]

Licespray, Are you in the U.S.A?

[Aloinopsis]

I don't currently live in Britain but they allowed me to join. There's a special category for overseas members.

A friend in Essex told me that the forum rejects new members all the time but they're not able to do anything about it. I am not technically savvy enough to know how that works though.

[RichR]

Okay thanks, Aloinopsis.

[SCS]

I have been unable to get in touch with the BCSS. None of the email addresses on their site work, or else they are ignoring me. I joined and paid dues last Sunday but have not heard from them since, other than an acknowledgement that they received my payment. Their website won't accept my login information either. I know we have BCSS members that are active in this forum too. Can anyone give me a valid email address for them? I don't know what the problem could be.

They are in the process of a website update, switching over. So, that may well be the problem. I did recently join the forum several months ago. Looking forward to their new website.

[SCS]

I don't currently live in Britain but they allowed me to join. There's a special category for overseas members.

A friend in Essex told me that the forum rejects new members all the time but they're not able to do anything about it. I am not technically savvy enough to know how that works though.

I joined without a problem.....

[Licespray]

I’m Australia.

Their entry questions can be hard too unless you’re a member..

[phil_SK]

Hello,
When you first join, there isn't much to tell you so a period of 'quiet' is perfectly normal. You should receive a welcome pack through the post first. I'd expect it to come within a couple of weeks to a UK member, obviously longer for overseas members. The June edition of CactusWorld should start to arrive to UK members around the middle of June and the Society asks members to wait until the beginning of the following month before contacting the Society to check what's gone wrong if they don't receive it. It all feels very slow in these days of instant responses but it does all work! If you get stuck and really need to contact someone about your membership then Tony Morris is the person to contact on membership@bcss.org.uk but, as I say, there's nothing to tell you for now - if you've had an acknowledgement of payment then you're fine.
The website is a mess - a new website has been 'imminent' for the best part of a year and its failure to be delivered on time is both an embarrassment and a cause of much annoyance within the Society leadership, to put it mildly. April was the last deadline missed by the contractors. The current website has been neglected due to the belief that at any moment it will no longer be needed, only for the switch not to happen. Part of the preparations for the switch have involved - I think - removing the ability to log in to the website. For your reassurance, there is no content on the current website that can only be accessed by logging in - everything is on view to all. The Forum is a bit different, and has a separate log in system (a historical anomaly). If you're struggling with registering for that then Bill Hildyard bill@hildyard.org.uk should be able to fix it for you - it would help if you can remember what username you created for yourself.
Stick with it!
Phil Crewe
BCSS Macclesfield & East Cheshire Branch Secretary
BCSS Forum moderator
CactusWorld production team

[DaveW]

Blame it on Brexit Phil - everybody does, from ingrowing toenails to mealybugs.

[RichR]

Hello,
When you first join, there isn't much to tell you so a period of 'quiet' is perfectly normal. You should receive a welcome pack through the post first. I'd expect it to come within a couple of weeks to a UK member, obviously longer for overseas members. The June edition of CactusWorld should start to arrive to UK members around the middle of June and the Society asks members to wait until the beginning of the following month before contacting the Society to check what's gone wrong if they don't receive it. It all feels very slow in these days of instant responses but it does all work! If you get stuck and really need to contact someone about your membership then Tony Morris is the person to contact on membership@bcss.org.uk but, as I say, there's nothing to tell you for now - if you've had an acknowledgement of payment then you're fine.
The website is a mess - a new website has been 'imminent' for the best part of a year and its failure to be delivered on time is both an embarrassment and a cause of much annoyance within the Society leadership, to put it mildly. April was the last deadline missed by the contractors. The current website has been neglected due to the belief that at any moment it will no longer be needed, only for the switch not to happen. Part of the preparations for the switch have involved - I think - removing the ability to log in to the website. For your reassurance, there is no content on the current website that can only be accessed by logging in - everything is on view to all. The Forum is a bit different, and has a separate log in system (a historical anomaly). If you're struggling with registering for that then Bill Hildyard bill@hildyard.org.uk should be able to fix it for you - it would help if you can remember what username you created for yourself.
Stick with it!
Phil Crewe
BCSS Macclesfield & East Cheshire Branch Secretary
BCSS Forum moderator
CactusWorld production team

Thanks for the explanation, Phil. I'll try to be patient.