See Distribution Date: 28 Mar12

MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF THE Spirit of coltishall association HELD on wednesday 21STMARCH 2012 AT WENSUM VALLEY GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB TAVERHAMNORFOLK

Present
In Attendance / Dave Welsh (DW)
Vic Comley (VC)
Steve Jones
Trevor Starling (TS)
Paul Hendley (PH)
John Welton (JW)
Ron Fraser (RF)
Members:
D Allnutt
J Ayling
P Carter
C Child
P Collins
S Colbourne
P Comley
B Day
P Goodwin
I Hines
J Hines
J Howatt
C Hubbard
N Jackson
H Jones
C Jones
D Larkman
E Mills
T MacDonald
R Myton
I Nelson
J Summersgill
F Urry
T Watson
C Welsh
B Wheeler
B Todd / Chairman
Visits Coordinator
EntertainmentsChairman
Publicity/Newsletter
Membership Secretary
Historian
Secretary/Treasurer
Honorary President
Item
(a) / Discussion and Decision
(b) / Action
(c)
1. Welcome and Introduction / 1. The Chairman opened the meeting and began by welcoming everyone to the6th Annual General Meeting of the Spirit of Coltishall Association and thanked everyone for attending. He thanked the Hon Pres, Mr Basil Todd,for his continued support and the use of the facilities at WVG&CC.
2. Apologies / 1. Apologies were received from 13 members:
M Fox, D Gilkes, M Bowman, R Summers, G Gandon, C Heys, J Osborne-Walker, B Cowell, E Goacher, L Pendleton, J Watson, K Massingham, S Nash
3. Minutes of the Previous Meeting / 1. The minutes of the previous AGM were accepted by all in attendance as a true and accurate account of the proceedings.
Proposed by J Howatt, seconded by C Hubbard,carried.
4. Matters Arising / 1. With reference to minute 9.1, This had been actioned and the Constitution had been amended to reflect the change of financial year.
2. With reference to minute 11.1, This had been set in place and sadly had already been used.
3. With reference to minute 11.3, All written communications were now being channelled through the Secretary as the focal point. He was coordinating the information flow to members.
4, With reference to minute 11.6, The Chairman stated that tickets for the Royal Albert Hall could be purchased by the general public. E Mills clarified this by stating that the tickets went on sale on September 1st but were very limited. This was confirmed by D Allnutt who also stated that the tickets are sold very quickly
5. Chairman’s Report / 1. Chairman – The chairman submitted a comprehensive report and review of progress to date. A copy of the report was sent to all members as part of the AGM Pack Upand accepted by the membership.This is at Annex A.
6. Treasurer’s Report / 1. Treasurer - The Treasurer submitted a statement of account for the period 01 Mar 2011 to 31 Dec 2011. The account showed a balance of £2115.85, this being anincrease in funds from the previous year’s total. A copy of the Treasurer’s Report is attached to these minutesas Annex B.
Proposed by T Starling, seconded by C Child, carried.
2. The Treasurer asked that the association appoint the existing auditor (Mrs S Ovenden) for the next 12 months.
Proposed D Allnutt, seconded by E Mills, carried.
7. Membership Secretaries Report / The membership Secretary submitted the following report:
I am pleased to report that membership remains steady with 123 numbers allocated and currently 121 taken up with 2 now available. We also have 3 Honorary members – The President, The Padre and Mick Jennings. This year we have had a good response with prompt payment of subs and this currently stands at 91 paid up with the expectation of more to come. This year we introduced a tri annual membership card which should keep costs of production and postage at a reasonable level. The issue of a card was viewed as a receipt for payment but through the treasurer we will maintain a register of paid up members with the issue of a receipt if required. 6 new members have joined since January to make up for “natural wastage”. Interest is maintained mainly through proactive functions along with word of mouth. Membership Application Forms are published on the web site and available in hard copy at the Coltishall Memorial Rooms at the ADRM Neatishead, and also via the road show events.
8. Historians Report / The Association Historian read a detailed report of the year’s activities and way ahead. This is at Annex C
9. Entertainments Report / 1. Ian Hines gave a report on behalf of the Entertainments Sub Committee. Events planned for 2012 were as follows;
14 April 2012 Quiz Night Battle of Britain Hall Badersfield
Jun 2012 BBQ Guide Centre Hautbois
08 Sep 2012 B of B Ball Wensum Valley Hotel
13 Oct 2012 Oktoberfest Tythe Barn Horstead
2. E Mills asked if anything was planned for the Queens Diamond Jubilee. Steve Jones said that the BBQ would be themed to cover the decades of the Queen’s reign. He also stated that the Ents Sub Committee is liaising with the Wensum Valley Hotel to support their Jubilee Celebrations.
10. Appointment of Executive Committee Members
Appointment of Executive Committee Members (Cont) / 1. The Secretary stated that the existing members of the Committee had offered themselves for re-election with the exception of Steven Jones who was standing down as Chairman of the Ents Sub Committee and Ron Fraser who was standing down as Association Secretary. He asked therefore for a vote in favour of re-electing those members seeking re-election.
Proposed byS Colbourne, seconded by C Hubbard, carried
2. Jeff Ayling had agreed to take on the vacant post of Association Secretary.
Proposed by P Collins, seconded byJ Howatt, carried
3. No volunteer had come forth to fill the vacant post of Chairman of the Ents Sub Committee. This would be discussed at the next Executive Committee meeting.
4. Names and posts for the SoCA Executive Committee 2012/13 are attached as Annex D
During the proceedings of electing a new Secretary the Chairman expressed a point of gratitude to the outgoing Secretary for stepping in and holding the post for the last 2 years.
11. Ratification of Honorary President and Honorary Members / 1. The Chairman informed the meeting that the Executive Committee had agreed to put forward the present Honorary President (Basil Todd) for their consideration to hold the position for another year. This was in line with the requirements of the Association Constitution.
Proposed by E Mills, seconded by P Goodwin, carried.
2. There were no further Honorary members for consideration
12. Items and Proposals / 1. The Chairman put forward the following proposal for discussion:
Every year, prior to the AGM, the Constitution is reviewed to maintain its currency. This year it has become obvious that in principle, the Aims that provided the framework for the Association to form and operate, have now been incorporated into the Constitution. He therefore proposed that the Constitution with those updates as shown in the copies provided were accepted by the membership as the revised Constitution for 2012/13.
After discussion, S Colbourne asked for further amendment to the provided draft Constitution to:
a. Remove reference to the Aims from Para 2.
b. Amend Para 19d to read:
To arrange and control, as applicable, any project they may deem necessary for the Association. Fundraising would be separate from subscriptions and based on normal charitable fundraising effort.
It was agreed that these amendments would be carried out and the proposition was voted on
Proposed byS Colbourne,seconded byT StarlingCarried
2. R Fraser submitted the following proposal for discussion.
It is proposed that the position of Honorary President of SoCA be a lifetime position instead of the current annual appointment. This would bring continuity to the post and allow the incumbent to look further ahead for ways to enhance the status of the Association in the local community, Although to be considered a lifetime position, the following caveats would bring the presidency to an end:
a. If the incumbent is no longer able to fully carry out the role of President.
b. If the incumbent behaves in a manner which would reflect badly on the Association.
c. If the incumbent no longer wishes to remain as President.:
Proposed by P Goodwin, seconded by E Mills carried.
3. S Colbourne submitted the following proposal for discussion:
I propose that £2 of any agreed Annual Subscriptions be allocated to the Entertainments Sub Committee and held as a restricted fund for the sole use of that Sub Committee.
A lengthy discussion ensued on the merits and demerits of the proposal before a vote was taken.
Proposed by S Colbourne, Seconded by V Comley
The motion was not carried. For 5 Against 27. / Secretary
Secretary
13. Subscriptions / 1. The treasurer proposed that the subscription remained at £12 per member for the year.
Proposed: byR Fraser,seconded: byC Childs, carried
14. Any Other Business / 1. John Howatt proposed a vote of thanks to Ron Fraser who had stated his intention to stand down from participating at the Association Burns Nights. Ron had been one of the leading lights at Burns nights for many years.
2.Chris Child asked if headdress could be worn by members when they were on formal parades representing the Association. It was agreed that this was not something which could be enforced but that the Association would prefer members to wear headdress.
3. Ian Nelson informed the members that 2 Sqn was celebrating its 100 year anniversary in 2012. A celebration day would be held at RAF Marham on 12 May 2012 and he asked if the SoCA Roadshow display could attend. John Welton would put the date in the Roadshow Diary.
4. Victor Comley gave details of the following visits:
12 May 2012 The Arboretum
27 Aug 2012 East KirkbyHeritage Centre
01 Dec 2012 London Theatre Trip – War Horse
Details for all visits would be available on the website. / Historian
Secretary
15. Arrangements for the Next AGM / The next meeting will be on 20March 2013at a timeand venue to be notified. / Secretary

<Original signed>

R Fraser

Secretary

(01362) 693932

Annexes:

A.Chairman’s Report

B.Treasurer’s Financial Report

C.Historian’s Report

D.Executive Committee List 2012/13

Distribution:

Exec Committee

File

Website

Annex A to

SoCA AGM Minutes

28 March 2012


CHAIRMANS ANNUAL REPORT – 2011/ 2012 February 2012

Introduction: Yes it was another busy year and for me the outstanding moment was the march along Filby Road to St Edwards’s church on Remembrance Sunday. It was an historic moment as the residents became aware of the sound of marching men, some in uniform; not heard or seen since November 2006. The other marching occasion was the Guard of Honour at the Cathedral for Battle of Britain where we took part with the Royal Air Forces Association in the salute from the CountySheriff and other dignitaries. The Entertainments Committee have excelled themselves again; this is covered in a later paragraph. Yet again we have lost a few members but also gained new ones. This tends to keep the average of 80 members as in most years. Unfortunately a couple of our best supporters have passed away this year but we will continue to keep an eye on their surviving spouses.

We have managed to keep the Reverend Elizabeth Bailey quite busy too, with several services and dedications throughout the year including the Service of Remembrance on the 11th November and the Remembrance Sunday Service on the 13th: who said Elizabeth had retired. The usual wreaths were laid as well at the anniversary of the 41 Sqn coach crash victims at Scottow in May and the annual Battle of Britain parade at County Hall. Also in November was the short Memorial Service at Aylsham for David Bullock GM. Included on the 11th November was the dedication of a brass plaque presented by members of 41 (R) Sqn which identifies that bench in the MemorialGarden that now belongs to them.

Committee Posts: Despite a short spell in hospital our Honorary President, Basil Todd, has provided his unstinting support for the Association. He attends most of the Memorial Services, all of the formal functions and some of you have attended his own private anniversary celebrations. Although initially he was apprehensive about the role, he has remained fully supportive of the Association in a most generous and unbiased manner. Most members know and chat with Basil and his wife Christine at the various functions and that has given him a chance to get to know you all. The Entertainments Committee are having an internal shuffle of responsibilities again this year and we do need a Secretary to relieve the Treasurer of at least one of his important responsibilities.

Hopefully, everyone has seen the RAF Coltishall room at the Wensum Valley Hotel & Golf Club (WVH&GC) kindly made available to SoCA by Basil as a tribute to what we are attempting to achieve with the Association. During the last year we did reduce the number of committee meetings to three monthly to help cut back on the committee members personal costs. We had to increase the frequency to bi monthly as it was proving difficult to approve official expenditure. Most of the existing Executive Committee Members are willing to continue for yet another term if the membership is in agreement and where there are vacancies these will be advertised in the AGM pack.

Development/ Aim: Whilst reading the Constitution and Rules I was pleasantly reminded of the ‘Objectives of the Association’. Although it suggests that we should provide Social occasions to celebrate the comradeship through the members connection with the Station, it also quotes ‘other’ occasions and goes on to mention the preservation of the history. We certainly provide members with ample social occasions as mentioned above but I would suggest that we could do with a few more to assist with the latter items.

Despite the difficult times, we have enjoyed another year of well supported functions with no unforeseen experiences or embarrassing circumstances. As I said last year, only responsible folk will join this auspicious club. We continue to support the history of Coltishall through the Coltishall Memorial Rooms at the AirDefenceRadarMuseum at Neatishead. The Museum re-opened in April 2011 under the management of Chris Morshead who replaced Doug Robb on his retirement. The annual visitor numbers are comparable with 2009 and there has been a lot of support for the museum from the public who were very disappointed that it was closed. Our stalwart team have carried out the annual review over the winter months and have almost completed the preparation for the 2012 season. The public are always impressed with the display, extent of knowledge and sense of pride that the team always presents. We still require a few more volunteers to act as guides during the forthcoming season so if you feel inclined to help sustain the history of RAF Coltishall; you will be most welcome to join the team.

Our Historian, John Welton was very busy in 2011 with the ‘Road Show’. This is a mobile Presentation complete with displays and artefacts and was very well received at RAF Coningsby for the 95th Anniversary of 41 Sqn (R) celebrations. He was accompanied by Paul Hendley and presented OC with a framed print. Also we attended the formal opening of the RAF Coltishall Battle of Britain Memorial Hall, now owned by the Corby family. Again we supported the Armed Forces Week with displays at the Forum in Norwich. We will always welcome volunteers to assist at these events.

Membership/ Subscription: The most expensive commodity is personal time, particularly if you are still employed. The cost of fuel is quite close too but up to now no-one has claimed for what they do in terms of material cost or travel regarding committee meetings. We may have to permit some remuneration in this area eventually but a reduction in the number of meetings to six per year does help. With current technology we are all talking to each other most of the time and a mini meeting seems to develop at most functions or funerals: there has been a few more this year. Most of the committee members are still prepared to commit their time and often other facilities to see the organisation flourish. Looking back through past minutes reminds me of the discussions we have had regarding communication. There were problems with the first website and the newsletter production but these have now been overcome so we are asking you to make more use of them. We have analysed the costs and unless we make these savings we will have to raise the subscriptions. The Treasurer will be covering this in his statement at the AGM.

Entertainments: The Chair of the Entertainments Committee, Steve Jones, has had a most dedicated team of people to organise the entertainment functions. There is no need for me to list the functions as most of you attend them regularly. Whilst the web and email has been used to advertise, we still need to make better use of the Newsletter. However, for the regulars you already know that there will be a Battle of Britain Ball in September, preceded by an informal function in June. The usual Octoberfest will be followed by Burns 2013. Our Fund Raiser did manage to raise some fresh funds towards a new project which hopefully will see the Jaguar Cockpit mounted on a roadworthy trailer. This will mean that we can take the cockpit to local fetes and fairs and remind people just what the Jaguar was all about. We had many requests last year but the logistics were too difficult.