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MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF THE
FARADAY HOUSE OLD STUDENTS ASSOCIATION
HELD ON 24 MARCH 2010 AT 11.30AM
AT THE NATIONAL LIBERAL CLUB, LONDON
MEMBERS IN ATTENDANCE
There were 34 members in attendance. The President, Gerald Palmer took the chair. He welcomed all those present to the meeting.
1. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
Apologies were received from Phil Sutton, Tony Burn, Graham Courtier, Colin Kinloch, John Green, R.S. Cullen, John Golding, Ron Mottram, Jim Edwards, Mike Carnaby and Graham Chandler. The majority included notes thanking the Council for their work over the years and sent good wishes to all present.
2. MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING
The President asked the meeting to approve the previous minutes. Sue Higham proposed acceptance and Ian Alexander seconded. The minutes were approved unanimously.
3. MATTERS ARISING
There was none other than covered by Agenda Items.
4. PRESIDENT’S REPORT
The President said he had been keen on a final visit to The Royal Institution as Michael Faraday had done so much work there. He also wanted to have a visit to the Mansion House. This went well except for a long delay in getting our lunch as the ovens failed at the Counting House pub.
5 HONORARY TREASURER’S REPORT
Copies of the accounts had been distributed to the members. The Hon Treasurer, Gerald Palmer said that the total income for the year was zero. Our expenses totalled £650.33. This consisted of stationery costs, stamps, printing and secretarial assistance for large mailings. We made an unexpected profit on functions of £252.15 due to a refund on our lunch at the Counting House. This gave us a total deficit of income over expenditure of £398.18. Our accumulated fund fell from £3165.36 to £2767.18 as of 31 December 2009.
Gerald Palmer said that as we were in funds he had decided not to cash the cheques that had been sent in for the lunch. This was met with applause from the floor. Any balance left over when all bills are paid will go to the Electrical and Electronic Industries Benevolent Association.
Martin Gratte and Mr Hunt Cooke will each get a bottle of whisky. Frankie Gratte and Phillipa will each get a bouquet of flowers. Martin has provided us for many years with a meeting room at no expense to the Association. Mr Hunt Cooke has audited our accounts on a similar basis. Phillipa has always made the arrangements for our room at Grattes and has fitted it all in so cheerfully.
The President asked the meeting to approve the accounts. Bob Sephton proposed and Des Lewin seconded. The accounts were approved unanimously.
Des Lewin thanked the Hon Treasurer for all his good work over the many years he had held the job. Those present gave a round of applause.
A question was asked about the website. David Ollington confirmed that we had paid for the server to carry the website for this year and we had also paid the registration fee for the name of the website which is
www.fhosa.org.uk
6 HONORARY SECRETARY’S REPORT
Saying goodbye is always difficult. We have had a number of letters thanking the Council for keeping things going this long. The Newsletters and the Website seem to have kept people informed about what we have been doing. Several people have said that they would never have visited the places we have been if it were not for the Association having organised a trip. We owe our thanks to the many Presidents who came up with good ideas for visits.
The website has been visited 5600 times (as of 19 March) and 8500 pages have been viewed. The recent visitors have come from the UK, New Zealand, Sweden, Czech Republic, Singapore, Jamaica, Australia, India, Ghana, Canada, Norway and the USA. The work that has gone into the site seems to have been appreciated particularly by our overseas members. Our Hon. Treasurer has been kind and has paid for the site to continue for a further year. So we will be able to report on this meeting.
At the last AGM it was agreed that I would send out a Press Release about the closure of the FHOSA. This was done and copies went to the IET Journal- The E&T, The Electrical Times and the Electrical Review. The E&T came back with the suggestion that it was not really them so they forwarded it to The Membership News. I have not seen any reference to it but do not see either the Electrical News or Review. Has anyone seen anything? [No one had]
One idea that we have been mulling over is the idea of a Luncheon Club so that those of you who would still like to get together could meet perhaps twice a year and have a meal together. The Council have lunch prior to a Council Meeting at “The Waiting Room” which is a restaurant adjacent to the Premier Inn at 26-30 York Way, just a stone’s throw from Kings Cross. We are meeting there on Wednesday 30 June to tie up the final accounts of the FHOSA. If you would like to join us let me know. We will not have any money for postage but I can keep in touch with you by e-mail or by the website. We meet in the bar at 12.30 and eat around 1.15. We thought we would make it FH members only to start with. If the club gets going we may decide to invite wives and partners later.
I have put out various items from the Archives. Please look at them. After the meeting I will be making a date with the Archivist at the IET to discuss handing over such items as they will accept.
7. ANY OTHER BUSINESS
Two members requested copies of our members list.
Sue Higham said that she had very much enjoyed all the visits that had been arranged over the years.
Sue is doing a sponsored walk for the Great Ormond Street Hospital. She is walking Hadrian’s Wall and if you would like to sponsor her dial up
www.justgiving.co.uk/susanhigham. She thanks anyone who donates.
The meeting then adjourned to join the ladies for luncheon and a drink.
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