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MINUTES OF THE 17TH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF THE HARDY PLANT SOCIETY SUSSEX GROUP, HELD AT HENFIELD HALL ON SUNDAY, 20 NOVEMBER 2011
Present: Maggie Lamb (Chairman) Janet Wood (Secretary) Brian Shannon (Treasurer) Carolyn McCutchan (Joint Newsletter Editor) John McCutchan (Joint Newsletter Editor) Pat Ashby, Geraldine Eacott, Monica Lucas, David Swaysland and 120 members
The Chairman welcomed members and our speaker Anne Godfrey. She then opened the meeting with the sad task of telling everybody of the death of Iris Leeson. Iris had been our joyful Events Secretary and committee member for many years. She said that Iris had suffered a brain haemorrhage on Thursday morning and it was a great comfort that Iris had not suffered. She said that members could call Ron if they wished and they would be welcome to attend the funeral. Funeral details were at the back of the hall together with a card for signing for us to send to Ron. The proceeds of our raffle will go to The Conquest Hospital Breast Care Unit and the Stroke Association. We then held a 2 minutes silence.
1. Minutes The minutes of the AGM held on 21 November 2010 were on chairs with the accounts and the Chairman asked that they be adopted as a true record. Proposed Angela Colburn, Seconded Diana Swaysland. Agreed.
2. Chairman’s Report The Chairman reminded the members that a year ago we were entertained with a talk by Timothy Walker on Sex Lies and Putrefaction and then her first year as Chairman began with the Christmas social event with Toby Musgrave as our speaker with his talk on the plant hunters. She said that we had excellent speakers in 2011 starting in February with local plantswoman, Julia Jarman on ‘My Garden – 12 months of interest’. In March Derry Watkins talked on ‘Pushing the Boundaries: growing things you shouldn’t’. Keith Wiley came in October to talk more about his garden Wildside. Garden visits were to Aldsworth House in West Sussex, then a coach trip to Hampshire gardens, first to Abbey Cottage and then to HPS members David and Valerie Menzies’s garden Horsley. This was organised for us by Jane Baker. Thirty members went away for four nights to Dublin and the group visited some amazing gardens. In June we visited 2 East Sussex gardens: The Old Vicarage in Heathfield and Tidebrook Manor near Wadhurst. Then lastly to The Oast in Isfield. She thanked all the various committee members who arranged these events.
Talking Plants with limited numbers is a more intimate garden visit to smaller gardens. These were all successful and she thanked Shirley Carmen Martin, Ann Gray, John Williams and Steve Bustin, Anne Rumble and Anne Seigne for sharing their gardens with us. She also thanked Pat Ashby for organising these events. All our events sold out with the exception of the coach trip and she said we were fortunate in being able to fill the coach with members of the Henfield Garden Club. The Stockswells generously agreed to share their lovely home and garden with us for our Summer Party. It was a cold evening but good music and food made for a warm atmosphere. Anne Cole organised this for us and was thanked.
The April Plant Sale was a success with a new streamlined colour price label system. The Chairman thanked Monica for her work at the Plant Sale. In September we marketed the HPS at the first Sussex Prairies Plant Sale. Again she thanked Monica for bringing some wonderful plants for our display. Thanks were also given to David Swaysland for his help with the gazebo and in other areas. She said it was a team effort so thanks to all.
She then thanked Angela Colburn for organising the cakes and the members who baked them; Geraldine, Jill and Anne for sorting the teas at our indoor meetings.
She said it was a full and eventful year, we have weathered various problems, however the society is in good shape financially and has goals to aim for.
She said that apart from the programme, the web site and Newsletter were big achievements and vitally important means of communication. The web site was launched thanks to Dudley Grant, our Web Master, and she encouraged members to have a look at it. The Newsletter was our main form of communication and has gone from strength to strength thanks to John and Carolyn McCutchan, our Join Newsletter Editors. She said they had worked hard to produce a lovely little publication that was an enjoyable read. They are now retiring from this role along with David Swaysland and Monica Lucas whose terms of office draw to a close. She thanked them all for their hard work for the society and said David, Monica and John had been fantastic committee members and will be missed. David and Monica will continue to help out and John is going to carry on with the important job of washing up. Thank you to all of you.
She then went on to say that it had already been arranged for Ron and Iris to retire from the committee and we were going to thank them for their tireless and efficient work for the last 15 years, Ron as Treasurer and later Vice Chairman and Iris as
Events Secretary. They had organised the wine for our AGMs for many years and their cheerful ways and common sense will be missed. She said she had planned to present them with a garden token on behalf of the members but in view of the circumstances this will be dealt with sensitively at an appropriate time. She said that we had also arranged to have a lunch party for them next week but this of course has been cancelled. She was sad that the tribute we wished to pay them as a mark of gratitude for all that they had done was not heard by them at this meeting. Though they would not have liked a great deal of fuss she still wanted to say that nobody had done more to create the strong society we are today than Ron and Iris. She said it was important to put this on record and for all to know the debt we owe them both. She hoped that a few people would write something for the Newsletter in Iris’s honour.
She then talked about the future, we will modernise a bit where we can, using emails where possible thus saving postage and paper. The group is fortunate in that we don’t need to worry about fund raising as some HPS groups have to do. However we mustn’t be complacent, we need more ideas for garden visits from members and also help in smaller ways too; for example with the teas or writing about events in the Newsletter. The committee can then concentrate on organising visits and speakers. She encouraged the group to be sociable, wearing the badges and talking to new faces.
She was pleased to report that the 2012 programme was all planned, there was no coach trip but members have the opportunity to travel to Dunblane in Scotland for a very special HPS weekend and she hoped that a group from Sussex would attend. For 2013, we were in the process of making arrangements for events with both Chris Beardshaw and Roy Lancaster.
Brian Shannon, the Treasurer, then asked for the adoption of the Chairman’s report. Proposed: Sally Watson Seconded: Monica Lucas The adoption was carried by the meeting.
3. Treasurer’s Report The Accounts for the previous year to 30.09.2011 had been circulated to the members present. The audited accounts showed the comparative figures for the payments and receipts for 2010 and 2011 as well as showing how the accounts are made up.
The Treasurer said that amounts can vary due to the accounting period, the 2011 Newsletter advertising was higher than in 2010 due to late payments which were due in the 2010 accounting period but received in 2011. The trip in 2010 was included in our accounts for 2010 but in 2011 the Dublin trip the payments were made directly to the travel company.
The increase in postage in 2011 was largely due to the postal increase.
After allowing for the prepayments made for future events we are still left with a healthy balance and the committee will utilise some of these funds to book high quality speakers while keeping attendance fees at an affordable level. It also allows us to hold parties like we did this summer, when the event was subsidise in a modest way.
There were no questions from the floor..
The Chairman asked for the adoption of the Treasurer’s Report and Audited Accounts for the year to 30 September 2011. Proposed: Jane Baker Seconded: Tessa Pawsey The adoption was carried by the meeting.
4. Election of Chairman, Officers and Committee and Independent Accounts Examiner During these elections each person to be elected was asked to stand as they are proposed. The Treasurer then proposed that we elect Maggie Lamb to continue as our Chairman.
Proposed: Elizabeth Gammon Seconded: Anne Rumble Members were asked to raised their hands in favour. Elected.
The Chairman then said that the position of Vice Chairman was vacant and proposed the appointment of Geraldine Eacott to this post. Proposed: Celia Withers Seconded: Carolyn McCutchan Elected
The Chairman then said that for the position of Secretary, Janet Wood was stilling stand again. Proposed: Jennie Maillard Seconded: Alan Ruby Elected
The Chairman said that for the position of Treasurer, Brian Shannon was willing stand again. Proposed: Jane Baker Seconded: Elizabeth Gammon Elected
The Chairman then said that the position of Events Secretary was vacant and Carolyn McCutchan was willing to stand for this post. Proposed: David Swaysland Seconded: Sally Watson Elected
The Chairman then said that the position of Newsletter Editor was vacant and proposed that Kay Peck be appointed to this post. Seconded: John McCutchan. Elected
The Chairman then asked that the remaining committee posts be elected en bloc for a further year. The following members were all willing to stand again: Pat Ashby, Jane Baker, Anne Cole, Jill Mance Proposed: Morfudd Paul Seconded: Tessa Pawsey Elected.
We were then asked to re-elect the Independent Accounts Examiner, Clive Dart who is willing to stand again. Proposed: Tessa Pawsey Seconded: Monica Lucas Elected
5. Any Other Business The Chairman asked if anyone from the floor wished to raise anything. Tessa Pawsey: She asked for support for British Bumble Bees through the Bumble Bee charity and had a booklet for members to see. David Swaysland: Our sound system was for sale and he had the information available if anyone was interested. David Swaysland then asked for a round of applause for Maggie, our Chairman, who had suggested and initiated the many good events and speakers for us.
Maggie then gave out brief details for an event organised by the Middlesex Group called Passionate about Plants on 21 April 2012. Details were available at the back of the hall.
Details of the Talking Plants event to be held on 24 February at Janet and Sarah Wood’s home in Cross in Hand were given out and members were asked to put their names down on the board that Tim Ashby had brought to the meeting.
Carolyn McCutchan reminded members of the Hellebore Study Day on 2 March, there were a few places available. She also said that as the new Events Secretary she would be confirming bookings by email if available but would not be sending out reminder letters and directions unless SAEs were enclosed with the bookings forms. She said that she looked at her email twice daily if members wished to contact her. Tessa Pawsey raised her concerns for those members who did not use email and were now being required to enclose an SAE. She asked that the committee reconsider this and pay for the information to be posted to those members not on email. Some other groups include directions in the details and it was suggested that the details and directions for the venues be put on the group web site.
Car sharing was also raised and we would put the home town on the name badges and also include boxes to be ticked on the booking form for those looking for a lift or offering to give one.
Angela Colburn thanked all the cake makers and said that the list was available for names to be added or removed.
Maggie said it was important for members to think about being on the committee, we don’t want the group to shrink and sink.
She then finally concluded that she was sorry to have to leave the meeting early but she was expecting some good news from her daughter later this afternoon and her daughter had said it would involve a hat!
Our next AGM was to be held on 25 November 2012 and our speaker was Any McIndoe.
Our visitor, Vivienne McGhee, the HPS National Chairman then spoke to the meeting briefly.
Anne Godfrey gave a talk entitled: ‘Good in Bed’. We held the raffle and a sale of second hand gardening books took place and we enjoyed a buffet lunch.
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