ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 2008
Minutes of the AGM
Held at Eastbury School
On 19th January 2008
Apologies: Derek & Jean Vagg, Eileen Pullin, Rae Foster, Meryl Catty
David Webb, Chairman of Bishopsgate Branch welcomed everyone to the AGM and introduced the Chairman of the Executive Committee, Ian Whaley.
Minutes: The minutes of the last AGM were circulated to the members in Cockney Ancestor.
Matters Arising: Item 2. Ms Martinez should be altered to read Ms Martino.
The minutes were proposed for acceptance by George Smith and seconded by Brenda Keer. They were accepted unanimously by the members present.
Executive Chairman’s Report:
The Chairman gave his report to the members and this will be published in full in the next Cockney Ancestor.
Ian thanked everyone for attending the 29th AGM. He thanked David Webb – our President – for his introduction.
Treasurer’s Report
Bernard Amps stated that this had been a difficult year for the Society.
We are losing members because people are finding out their information on the Internet.
Bookstall sales are down – mainly because we have not attended many Fairs. We are trying to rectify the situation this year. The credit card machine has been a big asset.
Bernard has not claimed for Gift Aid yet as another Family History society was heavily fined by the Charities Commissioners. Bernard wants to ensure that our figures are without reproach before he submits the claim.
The Bookstall accounts need to be put in order.
At the end of the year we are £577 down. We have had to break into reserves.
Bernard has kept a very close check on expenditure. We have changed some of our investments to the COIF account which is giving us 5% interest.
Question from Roy Gibbs – Under expenditure, sundry expenses/credit card charges, last year this was shown as £22 but this year is £818. Bernard replied that the credit card machine costs us £44 per month for transaction charges.
Roy also asked if the Filby project was carrying on as the amount was shown as being down to £14,000 from £26,000 the previous year. Bernard that another £14,000 had been transferred into the COIF account because we get 5% interest there against 2% for the Filby Fund.
Ian Whaley announced that the accounts be adopted as per Bernard’s proposal and Dick Walker seconded. All voted unanimously for these to be adopted.
Ian stated that for those members who did not know, the Filby fund was a project begun by John Reynolds, our previous Chairman, to finance research facilities and a centre for our part of London. We have approached Tower Hamlets and Bancroft Road archives as a possibility but nothing definite has been decided yet.
Election of Officers
Position____________Candidate____________Proposed by____________Seconded by
Chairman___________Ian Whaley____________Stephen Park___________Debbie Earrey
Treasurer____________Bernard Amps_________George Smith___________Anne Quade
Secretary_____________Vera Bangs___________Debbie Earrey__________Stephen Park
Membership Secretary____Sandra Patchett_______Jo Dyerson____________Anne Quade
Projects Coordinator______Vacancy
Vice Chairman__________George Smith_________Ian Whaley____________Vera Bangs
Members Interests________Eileen Pullin__________Vera Bangs____________Ian Whaley
Committee Member_______Pauline Earrey_________Sylvia Law____________Stephen Park
All the above were voted into office by a majority.
Election of Auditors – Bernard Amps proposed Clockhouse Accounting, Clock House, Romford for another year. Seconded by Vera Bangs. All voted in favour.
Motions Proposed to the AGM
There were no motions proposed to the AGM.
AOB
Alan McMasters asked it we could provide Gift Vouchers for the bookstall. Ian Whaley replied this was a possibility but there was a danger of these being copied.
Derek Morris said that he and Dennis Wang had submitted articles but had heard nothing more. Vera would look into this and get back to him. Ian stressed that all articles should be sent to editor@eolfhs.org.uk
Jeanette Spens asked as she was member 116 should she get £1,000 when CA116 was published? She went on to ask if we should be giving the Filby money to a search room. Ian replied that it would be useful for the Society to have somewhere where we could store books, work on projects like the NBI – all the committee members have stuff stored in our houses. Jeannette said that a lot of research rooms are cutting down because they are not used much. Ian replied that is why we are hoping to go to Bancroft Road and George Smith stated that the storage for the bookstall cost the Society £6,000. Also if we have our own premises we could apply for a Lottery Grant. Sylvia Law was worried that it would end up as a storeroom and that there would not be enough people to man it. Ian thought that there would be enough help and that people would volunteer for projects who did not have enough room to do this at home. Ian felt that we needed to try to set this up at least.
Jill Whittaker member 2219 thought more people would volunteer to help if they were given some sort of job description so that they knew what would be involved if they took a task on. Ian thought this a good idea.
There were no more questions so Ian closed the meeting.
Henry Whaymand stated that a lot of those present belonged to several societies but he would like to take this opportunity to say thanks to the officers of the committee and everyone who keeps the Society going.
Ian thanked him. He agreed that many people who had attended today had come a distance but if they joined their local family history society they could help there – tell them I sent you! He asked if people could help clear away as we have got to clear all the chairs and tables away before we can go home.
Ian thanked everyone for attending the meeting wished them a safe journey home and declared the AGM closed for another year. Next year will be Barking and Dagenham branch’s turn to host the AGM it will be the Society’s 30th AGM so hopefully we will do something special.
