We want you…

…as a new recruit to the BFS Board of Directors!

Long-time Beltaner and many-time Board member Tom Gibson talks about his experience as a Director of BFS and encourages you to apply for a position on the Board this year.

Tom at Beltane 2013, photo by Richard Winpenny

Beltane is fantastic! It allows people an opportunity they would otherwise never have for wild experiences that can truly change their perception about who they are and their place in the world around them. Beltane can also be a lot of hard work, frustration and emotional drain; but ultimately the good outweighs the bad and we come back to do it again.

Being on the Board of Directors is the same – the fantastic feeling that you are helping to make the festival possible and so giving our membership the opportunity to experience something fantastic mixed with the frustration when things go wrong and you are left to try and pick up the pieces.

I’ve been on the Board of Directors quite a few times now in the 16 years since my first Beltane, including two stints as its Chair, and although on occasions it has been intensely frustrating I keep coming back because I want things be done as well as possible within the Society and want to contribute as much as I can in it.

This is your chance to contribute to the running of BFS if you feel the same way. It’s not a decision to be taken lightly as you will be expected to put in quite a bit of work but if you are passionate about the Society you might be the right person to join the Board.

I would say the most important qualities for a Board member are the will to work hard to forward the society, tolerance, empathy and a skin as thick as a rhino.

To apply to be a member of the BFS Board of Directors, please fill in the form available here and email it to scribe@beltane.org by the end of Saturday 25th May.

Beltane featured in TradFest video

This year, Beltane Fire Festival was a partner event in TradFest 2013, an exciting festival organised by the Scottish Storytelling Centre to celebrate traditional Scottish arts of music, song, storytelling, dance, crafts, folk drama and environmental celebrations.

The video above not only includes some lovely footage of Beltane, but also of the Mummers’ Walk, which BFS performers took part in, and lots of other fun and inspirational parts of TradFest. Enjoy!

Board application deadline 25th May

Just a quick reminder that the deadline for applications for the BFS Board of Directors is THIS SATURDAY, 25th May! If you would like to apply to be on the Board, now is the time to get your application filled in and sent to scribe@beltane.org

All applications will be circulated to the membership shortly after the deadline, in plenty of time for the AGM at 3pm on Sunday 9th June in G25 at Arts Complex (151 London Road, Edinburgh). Board applicants will be expected to give a short talk to the membership at the AGM (3-ish minutes) and answer any questions from the membership afterwards before voting takes place.

The relevant paperwork is attached. Have at it, dedicated volunteers!

Board Application Form 2013
Responsibilities for BFS Board of Directors

Beltane time-lapse photography video

Check out this gorgeous time-lapse photography video of Beltane 2013 by BoydGPhotography on YouTube!

BFS Social Circle starts again on 23rd May

The BFS Social Circle is a weekly between-festivals meet-up and you’re all welcome

Having Beltane withdrawals? Then why not come along to the social circle and relive how fantastic it was? It will run weekly starting next Thursday (23rd) in room 1:24 (formerly 1:22) at Arts Complex (151 London Road). Most weeks it will be from 6pm but for the first two weeks it will be starting at 7pm. Come along, there will be tea and cake and sofas and a chance to chat and catch up following Beltane. Got friends who loved Beltane and want to get involved? Bring them too!

Find the Social Circle on Facebook.

BFS AGM on Sunday 9th June

This year’s AGM will be at 3pm on Sunday 9th June in Arts Complex. Due to the currently-being-renovated state of G25, we haven’t yet chosen a room for the AGM but signs will be left on the Ground Floor and Level B2 on the day so everyone will be able to find out where to come to.

The AGM presents an opportunity for all members to play an important part in creating the future of BFS by voting for who is going to be on the Board of Directors in the coming year. If you would like to cast a vote but will not be able to attend the AGM, you can choose a proxy (someone to vote on your behalf). In order for this to happen, please email chair@beltane.org with your name and your proxy’s name in advance of the meeting so that we know who to hand your voting slip to when they arrive.

If you are a member of BFS and would like to be on the Board of Directors, now is the time to apply! Please download Responsibilities for BFS Board of Directors and Board Application Form 2013 (to be returned to scribe@beltane.org by Saturday 25th May). When considering your application, please be aware that volunteer Board members are required to have lots of patience and good communication skills as well as flexibility, practical experience and a genuine dedication to the role.

Board applications will be distributed among the membership via the Announcements list on Sunday 26th May to give everyone plenty of time to read and consider them before voting. If you are a BFS member and you aren’t on the Announcements list, please send an email containing your name and membership number to scribe@beltane.org and you’ll be added to the list.

See you there!

Beltane on the BBC’s One Show

A crew (and celebrity hairdressers!) from the BBC’s One Show joined us at Beltane Fire Festival this year to film part of the event, interview some people and chop some locks! Check it out on iPlayer here.