'Either Max is happy for our forum to be led by (some of) our 'moderators' towards a change to members only posting or it needs to be made clear to those calling for this (and to our forum) to be informed that this is NOT going to happen"

Once again you appear to be dictating to Max how he should run his site. He is under no obligation to inform the posters of this site what he plans or may plan to do. He has not yet made the forum members only - and while he may or may not have plans to do so in the future it is his decision. Just as it was his decision to appoint moderators.