Annual General Meeting, 2008 October 29
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Annual General Meeting, 2008 October 29
held at the Royal Astronomical Society, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London SE1
Roger Pickard, President
Ron Johnson, Hazel Collett and Nick James, Secretaries
The President opened the 2008 AGM and invited Mrs Hazel Collett, Meetings Secretary, to read the minutes of the previous year's meeting. These were approved by members, subject to minor correction, and duly signed. The President then invited the Association's Treasurer, Dr David Boyd, to address the Meeting.
Dr Boyd reported that the Association's Accounts for the year ending 2008 June 30 had been published in the Journal in October1 and that, in summary, an operational surplus of £2,642 had been recorded over the year. Although this surplus was substantially smaller than that which had been recorded in 2006-7, Dr Boyd remarked that in view of the present economic situation, and the losses being reported by many other organisations whose assets were more heavily invested in the stock markets, it was a relief that the BAA had made any surplus at all. Dr Boyd invited questions, but there were none. He then proceeded to propose that the Meeting adopt the published accounts, and this motion was seconded by Dr Nick Hewitt and passed nem con.
Dr Boyd went on to report that Council had decided to change the Association's auditors for the 2007-8 Session in order to reduce costs. The Accounts for 2007-8 had thus been audited by Chappell Cole & Co. Ltd, and in view of the good service that had been provided, Dr Boyd proposed that they be reappointed for the coming year. This proposal was carried nem con.
The President then invited Mr Ron Johnson, Business Secretary, to announce the result of the ballot for members of Council for the coming session. Mr Johnson reported that the result of the ballot was as follows. President: Roger Pickard, 382. Treasurer: David Boyd, 388. Meetings Secretary: Hazel Collett, 359. Papers Secretary: Nick James, 370. Business Secretary: Ron Johnson, 361. Other members of Council: Tom Boles, 353; John Mason, 352; Valerie White, 346; Mike Harlow, 328; Peter Hudson, 327; Dick Chambers, 313; Martin Morgan-Taylor, 308; Alan Dowdell, 303; Mike Maunder, 301; David Arditti, 289; Tony Morris, 209. Subsequent to the ballot, Alan Dowdell had withdrawn his nomination, and Council had co-opted Tony Morris to take his place. Tom Boles had attained the highest number of votes in the election for Council, and so would become a Vice-President of the Association for the coming year. Mr Johnson closed his report by proposing a vote of thanks to the scrutineers of the ballot.
The President then presented a summary of the Association's activities over the past year.