Results from 2016 AGM

The AGM was held on 26th May 2016 and was attended by 24 members.  The formal aspects of the AGM were efficiently concluded with headlines as follows:-

• The Chairman’s Report (reproduced in full below) and the financial report addressed the strengths and success of our club in its sixth season but highlighted the need for our first ever increase in membership and visitor fees since our inauguration driven by increased costs and expanded activities of meetings, exhibition and external competitions.  Membership and Guest fees were agreed to increase to £30 per person and £3 respectively.
• Bill introduced the provisional programme for next season starting in September.
• The committee was re-appointed en bloc but Val will additionally take on the role of External Competition Secretary.

Ken Howe then presented all the trophies and certificates to the respective winners: the full details can be found on the Competition/Roll of Honour pages of the web and the evening concluded with light refreshments and general chat about plans for the summer and the coming season.

Chairman’s Report…

Our sixth season has ended with 40 Members, consisting of 33 membership renewals and 7 new Members. As always, it is very encouraging that the Club has such a high level of renewals and that we continue to attract new Members.

Our Committee, as always, has continued to work with much dedication and enthusiasm throughout the year to help ensure the success of the Club. Our thanks must go to them all. However, we are all 6 years older than when the Club was formed and, whilst we are not quite creaking yet, one or two injections of more youthful spirits would not go amiss.

The Club’s second Annual Exhibition ran for 7 days instead of the 3 days for last year, with the full week proving very popular with visitors especially over the bank holiday weekend. Special thanks are due to all those Members who supported the efforts of the Committee through their stewarding, along with the setting-up and taking-down of the Exhibition.

Our second venture into the Western Counties Photographic Federation PDI competition resulted in a very acceptable 34th out of 56 clubs, again against a very high standard. And a few Members are now taking an interest in submitting work to salons, with considerable success.

Our fifth Star Night was very successful, and was attended by 29 Members and 21 Visitors. Ben Osborne gave us a very entertaining evening as he flew, sailed and drove us through his career as a professional photographer.

Last November, the Club purchased a new “state-of-the-art” digital projector with some of Kelvin’s legacy, and this has proved its worth in PDI competitions this season.

To date, it has been our practice to hold short Workshops subject to demand before the start of our Programme evenings. This has not been successful this Season. We will, therefore, be holding two full Thursday evening Workshops this autumn in addition to our normal evenings. The Workshops will be held in the small room at the back of the Hall, and will cover specific subjects to be decided upon.

I mentioned at the AGM last year that the Club could not continue for ever with the same subscription fee, the fee not having been changed since our inauguration. The Committee will therefore be requesting approval of their decision to increase the membership and visitor fees in Item 6 of the Agenda.

Enjoy your photography during the summer. And if you find yourself in a tight corner…..do not forget to take a photo of it for the set subject of Corners for next season. I look forward to seeing you all in September.

David