VIEWFINDERS OF ROMSEY CAMERA CLUB

Minutes of Annual General Meeting held 4 July 2006 at Jubilee Hall, Timsbury

                The Chairman opened the meeting at 7.45pm (29 members present)

1.                APOLOGIES :     Keith & Barbara Lambert, Andrew & Margaret Kirby, Clive Feltham and Dave Rigg

2.                MINUTES OF 2005 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING (5 July 2005)
                These were approved (proposed by Lynn Lambeth, seconded by Terry Jamieson) and signed as a true record.

3.                MATTERS ARISING FROM MINUTES  :  Item 3 : Terry Jamieson had made enquiries about displaying prints at Romsey Hospital but it is the Art Group that is responsible for this sort of thing.

• CHAIRMAN’S REPORT

Stan Stubbs opened his report by saying another year was over in the history of Viewfinders of Romsey Camera Club. The programme was one that should have satisfied everyone’s needs. To produce such a programme within the constraints of our budget means many hours of careful planning and Stan hoped that the members will join with him in thanking the programme secretary, Pat Ball.

This year was a sad one as it saw the death of Stan Webb after a long battle with cancer. Stan a long serving, very popular member of Viewfinders was a well known figure in the local photography world, liked by everyone; he will be sadly missed by all those who knew him.

The Audio Visual Group keeps going and continues to put on shows at various venues and understand will be using digital projecting in all future shows.

Thanks go to Dave Rigg who continues to organise the club’s website very successfully and also to Jean Russell for organising the raffle throughout the year. One of the most important jobs in the club is performed by Basil Hopkins for organising the kitchen and at times has to do quite a bit of arm twisting. One noticeable point this year was the increase in chocolate biscuits on the menu, long may it continue, for the benefit of other members of course!

Stan thanked the hardworking committee for the smooth running of the club. A lot of hard work goes into preparing events and club evenings.

Stan ended by saying that it has been an enjoyable year for him as chairman and a privilege to front the meetings, a duty that he has always tried to perform with propriety that the occasion demands.

• AUDIO-VISUAL GROUP

Steve Williams reported on the Audio Visual Group which sadly lost one of its long standing members with the death of Stan Webb in September reducing the number in the group to 6. With Adrian Northover having resigned from the group this has reduced it to 5. Adrian was a founder member and has been responsible for taking bookings and writing letters and other general secretarial work so he will be a great loss to the group.

During the last winter season there were 5 presentations to various groups : The Dynamo Club at Chilworth Hall, The Inner Wheel Club at Dolphin Hotel in Southampton, The Ordnance Survey Travellers Club, Tangent Club at the Rose Bowl and the Wednesday Club at St Andrews Church Southampton which was the first all digital presentation. All future presentations will be digital. Thanks must be given to Arthur Budden for the use of his equipment both analogue and digital.

• DIGITAL IMAGING GROUPS

Pat Ball reported that the first digital group still meets every last Thurs of the month except August and talk about all things digital and exchange information. There are a few less in the group now but 8 members still regularly attend.

Jack Whitemore said that the second group has reached the stage where there is little else to learn but a lot to practice especially on quality. It has only met about twice in the past year.

7.                TREASURERS REPORT
In the absence of the Treasurer, Andrew Kirby, Liz Whitemore stood in for the AGM. A copy of the Income and Expenditure Account for the financial year ending 31st May 2006 was circulated. In a written report Andrew thanked all those who had helped with raffles and refreshments which had raised over £270 and Liz Whitemore for auditing the accounts.

Profits for the fundraising evenings were £292, which was £68 less than last years £360. Hall rental rates were 10% above last years but cost £3 less because bookings have been reduced. Hall rental should not rise until July 2007, providing fuel price increases do not force an earlier rise.

Southern Federation expenses and all insurance premiums were covered by the budget and the Digital Projector has been self financing, expenses incurring being less than the rentals received. An additional item of expenditure was the replacement of the defective radio microphone system which cost £180.

After hall rental the second highest expenditure was on lecturers and judges. This was forecast to rise by up to £150 but increased petrol costs meant the cost was £170 above the previous year. In the forthcoming year the programme secretary will have to look further afield for judges and lecturers and forecasts that the cost will be £664, £41 above this year. The overall loss when rental is paid will be £59-35. This means that with rising lecturer’s costs of a further £41 per annum a minimum loss of £100 is forecast next year if membership numbers are the same as the start of this year.

If the current paid up membership is maintained and no unforeseen expenditures arise it could be possible to balance the books with a £5 increase in subscriptions.

Checking numbers who actually attended in 2006 revealed 39 subscribing members attending during 2006. On this basis probable subscriptions could be forecast as 40 members for the next year. If this transpires then a subscription increase of £17 will be needed which he was sure members would not tolerate and would be self defeating losing further members.

Andrew suggested that several steps be considered.
                Advertise clubs existence more by submitting reports to more papers and contacting Radio Solent are least
                   2 weeks before any particularly interesting lecture.
                If Stockbridge Exhibition does not produce any prospective members who actually visit the club, consider
                   dropping it to reduce the losses.
                Consider possibility of print display in local library as a PR effort.
                Consider joint meetings with Ordnance Survey & New Forest for any particularly interesting lecture.
                Given a volunteer improve club website – see Chester PS for example.
                Charge all visitors, except first two visits of prospective members £2
                Budget for a loss next year, increase the subscription by £3 to cover general inflation levels and implement
                  recruitment efforts.

The worst case scenario, with 40 members would then be a loss of around £500 and the best with 50 members a loss of
£100.

The Treasurers report and accounts was unanimously accepted by the meeting (Proposed Alan Hancock & Seconded :
Mark Koernich)

The Chairman, Stan Stubbs thanked Liz for auditing the accounts and this was echoed by the members

Liz said that there was not enough time between the closing of accounts on May 31st and the AGM in early July to audit
the accounts and would like to see the account year end earlier.

Pat Ball proposed that the end of the account year be brought forward to 30th April (11 months only for this coming year only). This was seconded by Terry Jamieson and was carried unanimously after being put to the vote.

Discussion followed and among the points raised from the floor was that most of the steps Andrew suggested at advertising the club had been tried without much success. However several members had local publications delivered such as the Timsbury Newsletter, Braishfield Times, Chandlers Ford Directory and the Mottisfont Magazine where we could advertise. It was suggested that these members bring along a copy of these publications so that they can be collated and the addresses of the editors found.

Basil Hopkins queried whether we had analysed new members and how they found out about the club and joined. Andrew Kirby would probably have this knowledge but he was not present.

Arthur Budden queried whether we had contacted schools to advertise the club. Jack Whitemore said that they were not interested in camera clubs.

• SUBSCRIPTIONS FOR 2006-2007

In view of the Treasurers assumption about forecast membership reduction and increased expenses next year Stan Stubbs pointed out that an increase in subs is inevitable and suggested an increase of £5-00.

There was little opposition to this from the floor. It was even queried whether we still need to have concessions as Salisbury Camera Club did away with these and has made no difference to membership. Pat Ball said that a £5 increase is needed just to maintain membership and increase in judges and lecturers expenses up 20% due to petrol increases.
Arthur Budden queried whether we share the cost of judges at SPF league competitions. The answer was no.

It was proposed by Basil Hopkins and seconded by Arthur Budden that subscriptions rise by £5 to:

Individual Members……………………………                £36
                                Married Couples……………………………….               £33 each
                                Over 65………………………………………….£5 concession on the above rates
                The vote was unanimous and therefore carried.

9.                ELECTION OF OFFICERS FOR 2005-2006
                There were two nominations for the post of Chairman, Stan Stubbs and Lynn Lambeth. Voting slips were distributed and
                The result of the vote was Stan Stubs – 17 and Lynn Lambeth 10.
                Stan Stubbs was therefore elected Chairman 2006-2007

The remainder of the officers and committee were elected unopposed. The officers and committee for 2006-2007 are as follows

10.                ELECTION OF AUDITOR
                Liz Whitemore was elected unopposed as auditor (proposed by Sheila Read, seconded by Lynn Lambeth).

11.          SPF DELEGATES FOR 2005-2006
Lynn Lambeth was elected (Proposed Stan Stubbs, Seconded Arthur Budden). Terry Jamieson was elected as the other SPF Delegate (proposed Alan Hancock & seconded by Stan Stubbs).

• SUBJECTS FOR  LES FREDERICKS TROPHY

The committee had decided on 3 subjects for each of the categories (prints and slides) to put before the AGM for voting. These were PRINTS :  Architecture, The Forest and Close Up.    SLIDES : Seaside, Car Parts and Harvest 
                       PROJECTED DIGITAL IMAGES : Abstract, Low Light and Machinery
After being put to the vote :

• the subject for prints will be THE FOREST
• the subject for slides will be SEASIDE
• the subject for Projected Dig Images will be LOW LIGHT

• PROPOSED CHANGES TO RULES

A package of competition rule changes had been formulated by the committee and agreed at the Pre AGM meeting by members apart from a modification to one. The package of rules to be voted on was as follows.

Proposal 1 :                   Reduce the number of classes to two : Primary and Advanced

Proposal 2 :                To advance from Primary to the Advanced class it will be necessary to achieve 16 scores of 8 or more
                                which would include 4 scores of 10.

Proposal 3                Any member who feels that he or she would like to return to the Primary Class, they should be allowed
                                to do this at any time. There will be no enforced relegation.

Proposal 3A                If a member wishes to relegate voluntarily from the advanced class, that member would then have to
                                attain 4 scores of 10 to gain promotion back into the advanced section.

Proposal 4 :                1.  Have two classes in Prints and Slides.

• Carry over the points from this years work under the new system of marking to gain promotion to

to the advanced class.
               
                Proposal 5:                Introduce digitally projected images in all Trophy Competitions with the exception of the Panel Trophy
                                                where it would be impracticable to project three images at once.

                Proposal 6 :          To have two classes in the Print, Slide and Projected Digital Images of the Year Trophies starting in
                                                the  2006-2007 season.

The proposed changes as written above were then proposed by Terry Jamieson and seconded by Mark Koernich and after being put to the vote were unanimously accepted by the membership.
               

• ANY OTHER BUSINESS

• Nigel Charlton mentioned the enjoyable evening of  mix and matching prints recently and wondered whether  we

could have more evenings like this.

Stan Stubbs said he was trying to organise a similar evening between clubs, probably Salisbury on his
Chairman’s evening next year.

• Jim Flux questioned whether it was worth canvassing members to do presentations on member’s evenings.

Pat said that he would appreciate members volunteering for this.

• Basil Hopkins queried whether a digital evening could be put on by the digital group showing how they do

various techniques etc.

Stan said that Colin Varndell ran a very enjoyable and successful weekend and suggested that as Terry Jamieson went on this weekend with quite a bit of the instruction on a one to one basis perhaps Terry could
have an evening showing the kind of instruction and techniques shown during that weekend.

                There being no further business the meeting closed at 9.10pm.

Steve Williams (Secretary)

LAW

Since this page was written in December there have been some developments. This has caused me to add extra information to this page.

In particular there is information relating to the Photography Petition.

So see the updated page for more necessary information here

Previous Stop Press news can be seen here

This page last updated, 4 November, 2006.