Dorset Twinning Association
Annual General Meeting
17 October 2005
Wareham Town Hall
A welcome and introduction to the meeting was given by John Peake, Chairman of Dorset County Council and President of Dorset Twinning Association. He thanked Wareham /Hemsbach and Wareham/Conches Twinning Associations for hosting the evening.
John Peak proposed Charles Patterson as Chairman of the meeting; this was agreed.
1 Apologies Tony Watts, Gillian Humphries-Corfe Castle, Norman Payne-Wimborne/Valognes, John Lamper, Betty Adams-Weymouth & Portland/Louviers, Hilary Thompson-President of Manche Twinning Association, Margaret Shipman – Sherborne/Granville, Jim Cheesman – Blandford/Mortain,
Belated apologies: Philida Rogers-Lingua
2 Minutes of AGM
Minutes of the 18 October 2004 were approved. Proposed by Catharina Green and seconded by Terry Hawthorn.
3 Matters Arising
There were no matters arising.
4 Hon Secretary’s report
David Kenyon informed members that he is keen to keep the organisation within Dorset County Council and that they support it. The main role is to act as an umbrella organisation and by having an umbrella organisation can obtain insurance for the Dorset Twinning Association using the office address as a formal place.
He was pleased that the ex-Dorset Chairman, Pat Hymers, is still involved in twinning and thanked both Marion Stanton for all the work she does with twinning and the Chairman, John Peake, for being closely involved.
He said that it was good to see so many members at the AGM. For members to travel 60-70 miles to the meeting goes to show what an interest there is in twinning.
The Newsletters have been very popular and posted on the website. We have a premier domain name for the website www.twinning.org.uk and are keen to build this up as it is proving more relevant to people.
Forthcoming events
1 To think about twinning with Manche and the need to build up the bank account to do this.
2 Suggestions were asked for the Twinning Symposium 2007 (March/April) . Three suggested venues Granville, Brussels and Dorset – Theme: Make something a success in an enlarged Europe.
John Rigler, Ferndown Twinning asked that with the large umbrella from County could they not start to promote twinning with Town, Parish and District councils. Ferndown council showed no inclination to help at all. John Peake will try to encourage the councils to become involved.
Catharina Green, Verwood & Three Legged Cross – Members are brought into twinning from interest. –Town Twinning needs ambassadors at European level to highlight twinning. EU grants have now gone up - £1K for Town Council. The beauty of twinning is that it is not political. DK will find out and get back to you.
Lawrence Fullick - Bournemouth – LGIB is a very good website for information on rural, district, town and parish councils. www.LGIB.gov.uk The problem with rural districts is talking to Town and Parish Councils.
Terry Hawthorn – Blandford/Mortain - Blandford Town Council have supported and attempted to help them but North Dorset District Council does not have the same attitude.
Robert Hymers – As a long term plan of changing culture maybe someone would be interested in being involved on the parish council and there would then be an interest at grass roots level.
5 Accounts for 2004/5
Copies of the audited accounts were circulated. Income is generated from small grants on occasions but mainly it is your subscriptions that provide public liability cover. Expenditure has increased slightly because of the newsletters. A surplus has been built up ready to use on twinning events. The account requires two signatures and it is useful to have the services and support of these officers.
John Hanlon, Ferndown asked for a résumé of what insurance covered. Copy of insurance policy to be sent to him.
Myrna Gomes-Maria proposed that the accounts be accepted and John Traves seconded.
6 Election of Officer
Charles Patterson proposed John Peake as President, Jane Patterson seconded.
Pat Hymers proposed David Kenyon as Honorary Secretary, John Chaffey seconded.
Charles Patterson proposed Peter Lewis as Honorary Treasurer, John Peake seconded.
Pat Hymers proposed Keith Fooks as Auditor and Robert Hymers seconded.
John Peake proposed Pat Hymers and Tony Watts as Honorary Vice-Presidents and Charles Patterson seconded.
All the above members were duly elected.
7 Reports from Associations
These were tabled for comments. Robert Hymers asked that a copy of the reports be sent to those Associations not represented at the meeting as they gave a good summary of the activities of the associations.
8 Presentations
Ian Robertson Jumelage officer for Bournemouth East Cliff Rotary Club gave a very informative and humorous talk on the twinning activities of the Rotary Club. They are self funded and each member pays a small levy of £1.50 per month towards their visits. There are 5 Rotary Clubs in Bournemouth. They follow the 3F rule of Formal, Fun and Family for their twinning weekends. One year they had a French car treasure hunt in the Pays D’Auge, an area like Devon but with garlic, and the clues were in Franglaise. They often come home with cris de fois – a crisis of the liver due to too much to eat and drink.
A request from Ian was for suggestions for venues to visit or eat within 1-2 hour drive from Bournemouth. Also if anyone has an interesting topic upon which they could speak to their club, not necessarily on twinning, they would be please to hear from you. (Please contact Marion Stanton 01305 224551).
Catharina Green from Verwood & Three Legged Cross Twinning Association spoke about her association and the honour of becoming a member of the Confrérie les Compagnons Vignerons de Joachim du Bellay for work done for twinning. The town was awarded the European Diploma this year by the Council of Europe through the efforts of its twinning association and hangs in the Council Offices in Verwood. Over the last 23 years they have grown in numbers and are slowly attracting younger families as well. They support local clubs and charities.
John Peake commented that Eastern European countries want to see what UK are up to and wished to make contact and get more money from Brussels. He would invite Neil Parish to attend the next AGM.
Gina Wilcox from Poole-Cherbourg Twinning Association spoke from the school/young people aspect. Gina had travelled 300 miles from Germany to be with us at the AGM. Working with young people has come naturally to Gina as she has always had foreign youngsters in her home as a child. A group of teachers organised a trail around a French town for middle school students to follow on their day trip to France and also to visit schools. They are fortunate in Poole to have built up a good relationship with Brittany Ferries staff. If you would like information on group rates for transport to Cherbourg contact Gina Wilcox on 01202 681263.
9 Any other business
In Wareham/Hemsbach they have 25 French children every alternate year who stay with friends in Wareham. It was felt that it was time to encourage the young people with young families as there are not enough children who are interested in going to France. Since the Head of the language department died earlier this year at Purbeck School there is no one to bring the interest to the children. A plaque is to be put in the school highlighting school exchanges and town twinning in memory of Mike Phippard.
The suggestion of using a newsletter to promote twinning activities to young people was discussed but decided that this was too difficult to market to heads in schools. A different way of looking at marketing to young people was needed.
It was suggested that the interest needed to come from grandchildren rather than expect teachers to do things. Gina’s model of involving children with an educational element might be a way forward. There is a need to enrol people into the Association at the age that the present twinners went in at.
All French coordinators meet once a term and their own interest is valued. Unless there is an interest from the head or a member of staff it is very difficult to get in to schools. Schools appreciate a fixed price to present to parents.
Ferndown have been very successful with joining twinning with a family French Club where they correspond with their twinners in France in French and the French in English. They have bought and exchanged English and French books. Membership has gone up quite considerably and it attracts 40 year olds.
Wareham/Hemsbach sends copies of their newsletters to The Purbeck School German department for the children to read and translate.
Verwood have been asked by Scout Groups to help as the youngsters are very keen to learn more about Europe. They have found that by holding barn dances, family fun days that not many people were interested. The attitude to twinning on the continent is very different, they are very keen and Hemsbach selected a sister town in Eastern Germany and the town finance it.
Piddlehinton asked how many members each association has; they have 38 through three villages.
Wareham, Hemsbach 100; Swanage French Circle/Cerisy la Salle 40 (varies); Swanage Town/Rudesheim 75; Poole – whole of population of Poole and Twinning Club, 100 families signed up; Bournemouth 40; Bere Regis 60 families; Bradford Peverell 44 including children; Blandford/Mortain 65 families; Verwood 125; Dorchester 125; Dorchester/Holbaek 21 families; Gillingham 60; Lytchett Matravers 45 families; Piddlehinton 38; Weymouth & Portland/Holzwickede 60; Weymouth & Portland/Louviers 40 (20 active); Wimborne/Valognes 200; Wimborne/Ochsenfurt 100.
Total of 1047 members plus 291 families
Ideas for fund raising came from Swanage Town to use Swanage Town Community Partnership and Purbeck Community Partnership.
Ryan Air has discontinued its route from Bournemouth to Rudesheim and asked that Twinning Associations write to them. There is a route with Air Berlin from Southampton to near Berlin
Weymouth & Portland/Holzwickede informed the members that in Germany the umbrella twinning group is called partnership (IPZ) not twinning. Pauline Crump would write a piece for the website on IPZ.
10 Date of 2006 AGM
Diana Morgan from Swanage French Circle volunteered to host the next AGM at Swanage on Tuesday 17 October 2006. Venue to be confirmed. Diana to speak with Swanage Town to share the hosting of this event.