Ron,
I would add to what David said, that the original citations are submitted to Council by the nominating individuals, usually without the knowledge of the award recipient and without any official input from the BAA. While many citations may be very well written, there is no guarantee that the original citation is accurate and does a good job of summarising a member’s lifetime work. Nor is there any guarantee that the recipient themselves is happy with the way it presents their work.
I think, precisely because an award can celebrate many years of an individual’s work, it’s natural that the BAA may want to tidy up the citation and check it with the award recipient before it appears in print. It’s not at all about being mean and saving space!
Best wishes,
Dominic