RNA members vote for root and branch restructure

Members of the Romantic Novelists' Association (RNA) have voted to support a root and branch restructure in a ballot on the association's future.

In July the RNA told members it was holding a vote on an organisational restructure after its current chair and vice-chair said they would be stepping down after six months into their roles owing to the "demands" of the positions.

The RNA described an "unprecedented situation" where chair Imogen Howson and vice-chair Jean Fullerton were "no longer willing to stand for re-election owing to the extreme, unreasonable and unrelenting pressures of the job", which is unpaid and voluntary. It described an environment where committee members were "bombarded" with demands on social media and subjected to "unprecedented" personal attacks that left the entire committee on the verge of resigning too. 

Members received a ballot with two options in August. These were to vote for a root and branch restructure of the RNA or to significantly scale it back to the aims and objectives currently laid out in its constitution at the end of this membership year. The RNA said the root and branch restructure was the preferred option "as it not only future-proofs our organisation but will move us forward in the wide-reaching and professional direction that we need to go". It will involve investing in a full review of all aspects of the association's governance and constitution, to be undertaken by an outside consultant recruited by the committee.  

The RNA said the second option, scaling back its aims, would mean the RNA "would cease to continue in its current state and would not be able to offer all of the additional services to members that it currently does". 

A statement from the RNA today (7th September) confirmed the majority of members voted for the root and branch restructure. It said: “At the a.g.m. held on 16th July 2021 it was announced that due to the growth and expansion of the Romantic Novelists’ Association since its foundation 61 years ago, a review of the governance model was necessary. Members of the association were subsequently invited to take part in a ballot to vote on how best to future-proof the organisation. The ballot closed on 31st August with the result that 93% of the vote supported a root and branch restructure. 

“The committee will now act on the decision of the members.” 

Fullerton said: “I am delighted at the result of our recent ballot and the faith the membership has in the committee to move the Romantic Novelists' Association forward." 

The RNA confirmed it will now be looking to implement the vote, which will involve a business consultant. It hopes for the changes to be made by early 2022.