Our Annual General Meeting preceded our October lunch meeting at Dudsbury Hotel and Golf Club.
Reports from the Club Officers had previously been made available on the website and were, essentially, a summary of the year’s activities from each Officer’s perspective.
Members were also given access to the annual Financial Report and audited Accounts, which showed that the Club was in a healthy position, although the Treasurer cautioned that rising costs must be expected to have an impact in the year ahead.
In his President’s Address, Bernard Gilbert thanked the members of the committee for their support during the year, with a specific mention for John Brace and Paul Burton who were retiring from their posts. He commented that moving our meetings to Dudsbury a year ago had, in the main, worked well, although the recent announcement about a forthcoming refurbishment was concerning. The committee would keep this under review but previous experience has shown that there are few viable alternatives.
The key items on the agenda were the election of the president and officers. The Committee for the for the year ahead will be:
Richard Evans President and Webmaster
Lindsay Reid Speaker Secretary and Vice President
Bernard Gilbert Treasurer and Immediate Past President
Stephen Dennison Membership Secretary
Paddy Clarke Meetings Secretary
Alan Parker Social Secretary
John Brace Minutes Secretary
Ian Searle Committee Member
Martin Bird Committee Member
The final item was an announcement by the membership Secretary, Stephen Dennison, that the committee had agreed to introduce a new category of membership: Honorary Member; to recognise long-serving members who had served 25 years in the Club.
The first members to receive this recognition were David Hargreaves and Roger Price, who were duly presented with special lapel badges by President Bernard Gilbert.