KELVIN PROBUS CLUB
MINUTE OF THE 29th ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING HELD IN JORDANHILL PARISH CHURCH MEMORIAL HALL, GLASGOW, ON TUESDAY 24 APRIL 2018.
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Apologies.
Apologies were intimated from Gordon Arthur, Robin Leake and Bill Wood.
Minute.
The Minute of the twenty-eighth Annual General Meeting of the Club, held on 17th April 2017, had been approved by the Committee as being a true record. On this basis, the adoption of the Minute as a correct record was proposed by Archie Henderson, and seconded by Vivian Clement.
President’s Report.
Alastair Macfarlane delivered his review of his year as President uniquely in verse, paying tribute in doing so to the many servants of the Club, from Ken Fisher at the door welcoming members as they arrive to Robbie Mitchell providing the technical know-how for sound and vision. He also recorded his thanks to Shaun Digges and John Walls for their work in ensuring that the club website was kept up to date with details of the fortnightly talks as well as the walking group’s activities and the various visits organised by Archie Henderson, the outgoing Social Secretary.
Alastair paid especial tribute to the members of the Committee for their work behind the scenes, and singled out Ken Fyfe and Stewart Roy who were standing down respectively as Treasurer (after nine years of service) and Secretary (after six years). On behalf of the Club he thanked them both for their management of club finances and their advice and guidance over the years. He wished them both well as they retired to the back benches.
Secretary’s Report.
Stewart Roy presented the Secretary’s Report for Session 2017-18, which had already been circulated to all members, commenting that he had never before been thanked in verse! Amongst the changes in membership during the year, there had been three deaths (Robin Dods, a past President, and Jim Boyd and Ewan Murray from the Associate Membership. Two new members had been admitted, Jean Adair, the first woman member of the Club following the change in the Club constitution at the previous AGM, and Iain McCall. Taken together with a number of transfers to the Associate membership category, there had been an overall net reduction in the full membership to 83 members. Stewart endorsed the Committee’s hopes that the erosion in numbers over recent years would be reversed, and encouraged the members to recommend membership, to both men and women, to help achieve this.
Turning to the programme in 2017 – 2018, Stewart commented appreciatively on the variety, the topicality and the degree of local interest in the talks members had enjoyed. Speakers had again been impressed at the sizeable audiences and the level of interest in the talks as gauged by the questions posed by the club members.
Overall, the Club had enjoyed another successful year, members again having enjoyed the many opportunities offered for social contact, both at the Club’s twice-monthly meetings and through outings and the activities of the walking group. This was Stewart’s last report as Club Secretary, and he took the opportunity of saying that the experience of working with a series of outstanding Presidents and such a hard-working Committee had been a genuine pleasure. With office-bearers of their calibre the future of the Club was assured. The social contact, the walking group, and the outings all contributed to the continuing success and good health of Kelvin Probus.
Treasurer’s Report.
Ken Fyfe presented the Annual Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2018, and gave a detailed commentary on the figures. Overall, the club was in good financial health, although expenditure for the year had exceeded income by £202, due in large part to the cost of social events (mainly the Christmas lunch) and outings (the high cost of transport being a contributory factor). The balance in the Club accounts accordingly stood at £3,634 at 31 March 2018.
A new cost was that of President’s expenses, to cover presentations to some of the speakers, such as bouquets of flowers to women speakers and malt whisky to Dr. Hughes following his talk about Robert Burns. Following on from this, and in view of information regarding the practice in other Probus clubs, the Committee had decided that from now on a modest presentation would be given to speakers in the form of a voucher as a token of appreciation. Travelling expenses would continue to be met when incurred by speakers travelling from outside Glasgow, and donations to charities would also continue. The meeting approved the adoption of the accounts.
Ken drew attention to the item “donation” of £400. Thus sum was the result of contributions from club members, plus the contents of the whisky bottle, and had been presented to the congregation of St Rollox Parish Church whose minister had been the club’s guest at the Christmas lunch. Shaun Digges also informed the members that following the Christmas lunch, it was decided that the proceeds of the St Johns Renfield charity fair should also be donated to St Rollox, and the sum of £388 had been donated.
Subscription
The Treasurer observed that the level of funds reminded sound, and the annual subscription had been held at its present level for three years but the decision to present speakers with vouchers would be an additional expenditure. Consequently, he recommended that the annual subscription be increased by £5 to £30 with effect from session 2018 – 2019. Ken expressed the hope that it would be possible to keep the subscription at this increase level for the next three to four years. One member observed that an annual subscription of £30 worked out at a cost of £2 per talk, which was particularly good value. The meeting approved the recommended increase in the annual subscription to £30, on the proposal of Willie Begg, seconded by Archie Henderson.
Election of President.
On the nomination of the Committee Angus Murchison was installed by acclamation as the 30th President for session 2018/19. Alastair McFarlane, the outgoing President, presented Angus with his President’s badge. After being invested with the chain of office and presented with the President’s lapel badge, President Angus Murchison took the chair. Angus thanked Alastair for his conduct of the year and presented him with his Past-President’s lapel badge.
Election of Vice-President and Office-bearers.
President Angus Murchison informed the meeting that to date there had been no success in identifying someone to be nominated as Vice-President. He accordingly proposed that the Committee be given powers to seek a nomination for Vice-President and to report back to the Club in due course. This was approved.
The President proposed the appointment of David Moir as Honorary Secretary and the appointment of Vivian Clement as Honorary Treasurer. Both nominations were approved by acclamation.
Election of Committee Members.
In accordance with the Constitution, all members of the Committee retire annually but are eligible for re-election. Past President Robin Leake stood down after his year as Welfare Officer and was thanked for his service in this post and previously as Vice-President and President. He was replaced by Alastair Macfarlane who would remain on the committee for one year as Welfare Officer.
On the recommendation of the Committee, the re-election of John Allan, Arthur Allison, John MacFadyen and Robbie Mitchell was approved. The nomination of Gordon Barclay as Social Convener to replace Archie Henderson was approved. The meeting approved all these proposals by acclamation.
Appointment of Examiners.
The President informed the meeting that David Allen was willing to continue as one of the Examiners of the Club accounts, and that Robin Hutchison was willing to take over as the other Examiner (replacing Vivian Clement) the meeting unanimously agreed to their appointment for session 2018-19.
Venue for the Christmas Lunch
The President informed the meeting that the Committee had kept the venue for the Christmas lunch under review. He himself had contacted most of the possible venues in or around the club area, and after considering all relevant information, including cost and travel, the Committee had recommended to the AGM that the choice lay between Café Source Two and Douglas Park Golf Club. It was noted that Douglas Park Golf Club had a private club license and that the booking would need to be in the name of a member of the Golf Club. The President reassured the meeting that this requirement would be met.
There followed a discussion of the pros and cons of the two venues and the matter being put to a vote the meeting chose Douglas Park Golf Club by 23 votes to 9, with 8 abstentions.
Support for Vice-President.
Rev. McIndoe queried whether the daunting task of preparing a programme of 16 speakers was a deterrent to potential choices as Vice-President, and asked if a mechanism could be put in place which might offer assistance in this task. In reply, Stewart Roy replied that the Committee had been aware of this issue as a potential difficulty perceived by those approached to take on the job of Vice-President and that at its last meeting the Committee had approved the setting up of a Programme Sub-Committee consisting of the President, the immediate Past President and the Honorary Secretary with the specific remit of providing assistance to the Vice-President in the compilation of the syllabus. In addition, he added that suggestions for possible speakers and topics for talks were encouraged and always welcome from club members.
Any other competent business.
There being no further business the President thanked the members for their attendance and declared the AGM closed.