The 102nd Annual General Meeting took place on Wednesday 26th October from 8:30 pm at Chester Road Sports and Social Club, hosted by President Ian Sandall.
Autumn is a particularly lovely season in which to hold the Association's Annual General Meeting. I had not come across this poem on Autumn by Richard O'Moore, but it sums up this occasion:
'Held in late season
At a shifting of worlds
In the golden balance of autumn
Out of love and reason
We made our peace
Stood still in October
In the failing light and sought
Each in the other, ease.'
The car park at the cricket ground was packed, a little like the M25 at 5 o'clock on Friday afternoons. The reason was that there were three meetings: a congregation of Masons, a crowd of cricketers and a load of old cobblers (sorry: Old Carolians). A small group was introduced to a new young member, Joel Douglas, who had attended several events over the years, and who was then rapidly elected onto the Committee. The doors were locked before he realised the enormity of his decision! New members, especially young ones, are rarer than a nine-bob note. Joel was welcomed with genuine warmth and the usual Committee friendliness.
President Ken Ryder opened his last meeting with apologies received from Tim Gulliver and David Slater. Minutes of the AGM held in October 2015 were approved without alteration and signed as a true record. In Ken's report on his year in office, he thanked the Committee for giving him the honour and privilege of his election. He thanked Norman Broadfield for publishing his report in the magazine, and congratulated all those who had helped to deliver it. He confirmed that it was becoming increasingly difficult to recruit new younger members, as they all had commitments. He welcomed the separation in future of the roles of President and Chairman, and mentioned especially Old Carolian Arthur Miller as Junior Vice-President. Ken thanked the Committee for all their help and their friendship and said it was, in his experience, unique for its togetherness. He ended by wishing the greatest of success to the new President, Ian Sandall. Peter Picken thanked Ken for his work over the past year, and said that we all felt it had been a pleasure to work with him.
Peter also presented the Association's accounts for 2015-2016, which had been audited by Tony Kidd. Magazine expenditure had been a lower figure of £1610; DVDs had brought in £29; scholarship awards were £1400; the barbecue had raised £240; and the Autumn Event had raised £265. The Annual Dinner had cost £2666 as opposed to £2383 last year. There was a balance of income over expenditure of £162. Current assets of the Association total £8440, a slight increase on 2015.
The Committee's nomination for President, Ian Sandall, was approved unanimously. He was presented with his chain of office by Ken Ryder, and he then took the Chair. Other officers elected were Senior Vice-President Dave Laverty, Junior Vice-President Arthur Miller, Treasurer Peter Picken, Membership Secretary Peter Guy, Magazine Editor Norman Broadfield, Website Administrator David Slater, and Auditor Tony Kidd. The post of Association Secretary will have to be filled later, as Tim Gulliver is unable to continue into 2017. Also elected onto the Committee as Members were Steve Brownlow (Headteacher, ex officio), Charlie Combes, Joel Douglas (as mentioned previously), Martin Easton, Ken Garbett, Martin Hobson, Colin Lloyd, Ann Mullard, Roger Perrin, Ken Ryder, Peter Vaughan, Richard Woolley and Pat Yarnold.
The next Annual General Meeting of the Association will be on Wednesday 25th October 2017. The President closed the meeting at 8:40 pm. This was followed by the necessary photographs of the change-over to the new President and new Officers and Committee Members.
'Captain' Peter Vaughan, Chief Political Correspondent