BOX VILLAGE HALL MEETINGS
Minutes of the ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING of
BOX VILLAGE HALL MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
held in Box Village Hall on WEDNESDAY 9th APRIL 2008 ay 8 pm.
These Minutes are subject to approval at the 2009 AGM
Apologies were received from Rev Irving, Jane Tottenham, Evelyn Swan, June Jones, Richard Way, Terri Collings, Brian Dowling, Geraldine Ames, Steve Hemmings, Joan Davis and Anne Chandler.
In attendance were 17 villagers including the Committee.
C Ames read the minutes of the previous AGM and they were accepted unanimously.
Matters arising from the minutes:
- The Open Gardens will be held on June 15th 2008. Volunteers are needed to help with parking, stewarding, and other aspects. Anyone willing to help should contact Joan Davis.
- The St Georges Day Concert to be held Sunday April 20th still has tickets available from Roger Davis or Geraldine Ames.
Chairman’s Report by C Ames
This is the opportunity for villagers to have a say in how the hall is used and maintained and I hope that your Management Committee has done, in the main, what is wanted. No doubt you will put us right this evening if that is not the case.
During the year we have had successful working parties painting, cleaning, refurbishing and gardening in order to keep this precious asset in tip top condition. Sometimes it isn’t easy, like when the central heating boiler played up at various times during the winter, leaving Yoga Classes shivering on their mats! However, thanks to Donna Ball, our cleaner and Vagn Madsen, the caretaker, the Hall continues to look spick and span for our many hirers, even if it has been chilly!
The triple doors dividing the main hall from the committee room have given continuous trouble and recently a carpenter has repaired them so that they now glide effortless back with no sticky runners to impede progress. Most of the committee at some time during the year have had an input to this job, so we are quite relieved that it is now resolved!
Outside the Hall itself the surrounding areas have been worked on by both Tiggy Lessner and Karen Bowrey. De-weeding the area at the rear of the Hall has been heavy work whilst the planting of new shrubs and bushes around the patio area to the east has made a wonderful area for peaceful rest, coffee mornings and general activity for the Mother and Toddler group.
The annual events, which are now well entrenched in the calendar, took place, all with enormous success – the two Air in G shows – Shoo Shoo Baby and Frankly Sinatra – were particularly appreciated by full houses. Other events of a “one off” nature included a Harvest Festival service, News Year’s Eve Party and the now famous Walk the following morning as well as the St George’s Day concert to name but a few. To the organisers of these events we give a hearty thank you and hope you will do it again next year. In the case of the St George’s Day Concert, which takes place on 20th of this month, tickets are still available from Richard Dennis or Geraldine Ames.
The Newcomers’ Party again attracted a good crowd and I am delighted to say that 6 new families attended too. It was so good to see small children playing happily in the grounds of the Hall whilst the mums and dads joined us for a glass of wine and nibbles, supplied so well by the whole Buckle family.
A new venture has started up on a monthly basis – film nights. Alan Vaughan has presented some local films as well as international hits for us. This is a commercial enterprise for Alan and the reception has been good. I commend the films to you.
Your Management Committee is very much a team and I wish to thank them all most sincerely for all their hard work during the year. Whatever the need there has always been someone on the committee willing to attend to the problem.
It is therefore with regret that I have to announce that James Benham is standing down from the Committee both in the capacity of Newsletter Editor and Secretary to the Committee. James, who has been doing the Newsletter for more years than I can remember, stepped into the Secretary’s role a year after the sad death of his wife Pat, who had so efficiently carried out the same duties for many years previously. Under James’ stewardship the Newsletter has effectively evolved, so that it now appears on the Village Website and is read literally all over the world. James has constantly brought in new topics, provided coverage of major issues in the Village and at all times has made the publication very readable; who could ask for more.
During his years as Secretary he has kept me on the straight and narrow, ensuring that we comply with the terms of our charitable status and reminding all of us about issues minuted but not resolved. Consequently the whole Village, as well as the Committee, owe James a huge debt of gratitude for the work he has done so quietly but so efficiently. There is a precedent within the Hall Committee that retiring officers are not awarded gifts. However, for the work which James has done in association with the Box Newsletter we felt that a token of our appreciation would be appropriate. I would therefore like him to receive this small gift – a pewter tankard, suitably inscribed, which I hope will remind him of those years at the keyboard and screen frantically wishing that someone, for once, would be on time with their material for the Newsletter!
Treasurer’s Report was presented by Mark Robinson. Although Revenue was down, the year end shows the Village Hall in a sound financial position (see attached report). A vote of thanks to Mark Rogers was recorded for auditing the accounts for the year. C Ames led a hearty vote of thanks to Mark Robinson for all the work he does not only with the finances but in keeping the licenses and Health and Safety aspects in order.
Elections
C Ames explained that the committee is made up of official representatives of 6 organisations as follows:
Anne Chandler Minchinhampton Parish Council
Richard Dennis Catholic Church Council
Daphne Edwards Box Garden Club
Colin French Parish of Minchinhampton with Box
Una Tyldesley Women’s Institute
To Be Elected Box Village Society
In addition, there are 5 elected members and co-options as required. Those standing for election are:
C Ames
B Dowling
M Robinson
S Buckle
R Davis
The Chairman then called for any other nominations. There were none, so R Dennis suggested that all those so nominated be elected en bloc. C Law seconded the proposition. This was agreed and the voting unanimously in favour.
The following were then nominated by the Committee Chairman to stand as co-opted members:
Steve Hemmings - Village Green Manager
David Mustardè - Furniture Manager
Ivy Witts - Secretary
Under Any Other Business, the following points were raised:
1. Chris Law sought clarification on the new VH hire rates. C Ames said although £4.50 had been agreed at the last AGM, at the Committee meeting following it was decided to raise them to £5.00 for residents of Box as of January 2008. Sarah Buckley confirmed that the hire rate for people outside the village was £12 per hour in the week and £14 per hour at the weekends.
2. Malcolm Jones asked that personal contact details be removed from the Village Newsletter on the website because he has been spammed as a result. Steve Hemmings will be asked to deal with this on his return from holiday.
3. M Ballinger stated that the hedge bordering the Village Hall car park obstructed vision for drivers leaving the car park and asked permission to trim the hedge by approximately 1 ft. It was unanimously agreed that Mr Ballinger be allowed to do so. Mr Ballinger also reported that repairs to the damaged wall in the car park are being arranged by him personally.
The meeting was adjourned at 8.40.
Signed:
………………………………………………………….. Date ………........................
Chairman
Contact: Chairman (Chris Ames) on 01453 832345 - Email: BVH@Box-Village.com