Battle for the ICAEW's district societies

Members convened at Insurance Hall in the City for the special egm to decide whether to adopt Don Heady’s resolution or to proceed with plans to scrap the existing district society infrastructure.

But the rebels lost their resolutions by 67% to 33% in a vote of around 22,000 of the institute’s 115,000 or so members.

The result of the ballot was:

Resolution one
For – 7,376 (32.7%)
Against – 15,179 (67.3%)

Resolution two
For – 7,365 (32.65%)
Against – 15,192 (67.35%)

ICAEW president Michael Groom, said: ‘I am grateful to our members for voting in such large numbers in favour of our regional plans. We have clearly communicated the benefits we see from a far stronger regional presence, and a substantial majority of our members have supported this move. Now is the time to look outward and onward.

‘We will move on and deliver on our commitments to raise the profile of our members, enhance the value of their qualification and develop greater public understanding of the central role that Chartered Accountants play in enterprise,’ said Groom.

The dispute at a glance

The ICAEW council’s proposal ‘Getting closer to members’:

• Establish a business network of ten regional business centres in England and Wales
• Regional centres to provide a support structure for the institute’s 22 district societies.
• Set up new offices for each region by July 2001.

  To read the institute’s full statement click here.

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  Rebel leader Don Heady’s statement:

• The ICAEW council’s plan will effectively be the death of the district societies as they now stand
• It will not bring members closer to the institute as in the intention, but in fact do quite the opposite
• Heady proposes regional structure working alongside the district societies, promoting the brand ‘chartered Accountant’
• Costs for restructuring should be made available to the societies
• Set up a cohesive programme of trouble shooting, mentoring and sharing best practice

  To read the requisitioners’ full statement, click here.

  ICAEW response to Heady’s protest:

• This new structure will enhance the ability of district societies to serve members’ local needs.
• The new arrangements will free volunteers of responsibility for general administration issues and enable them to devote more time to matters that are important to members locally.
• There is no plans to abolish any of the 22 district societies.
• Each regional office will support the district societies in their region and will work with other regional business and government bodies to raise the influence and profile of chartered accountants.

  For and against: Don Heady and ICAEW vice-president Peter Wyman

  Don Heady: Work with, not against district societies
  Peter Wyman: Changes are for the better

  News archive

  PwC enters district society fray
  PwC’s district society memo
  District societies snub meetings
  District society president warns of chaos
  Institute could ignore result of egm
  TS: ICAEW dinner unites the districts
  Vote against rebels, says ICAEW head
  ICAEW admits there is no ‘plan B’
  Leading district society reformer to go
  ICAEW and Heady quarrel over voting
  Venue named for district society egm
  Heady loses support in ICAEW row
  District Societies egm set for 11 July
  Wyman rejects district society ‘myths’
  Petition ‘misused’ say institute rebels
  Ward fights back over district societies
  Heady escalates district societies row
  District societies row forces resignation
  ICAEW facing members’ revolt