[This is a "stop-press"/placeholder report - a more comprehensive report will be published in or distributed with a future issue of EAB Update]

EAB's 34^th Annual General Meeting was held on 10^th April 2011 at the Eastbourne College, Eastbourne.

The minutes of the previous AGM, the Trustees' Report [for year ending October 2010] and Financial Report were presented.

The results of the ManCom* election were as follows (respectively votes for, against, abstentions):

[* ManCom= Management Committee, and Trustees of the Association]

Edmund Grimley Evans, Clare Hunter, Tim Owen, Ed Robertson, Michael Seaton and John Wells were duly elected.

As EAB President candidates, Ian Fantom received 7 votes and John Wells received 73 votes. John Wells is thus elected as President.

The winners of the 2010 writing and photo competition were announced:

• EAB website: Paul Roberts for his report on JEB in Cardiff.
• La Brita Esperantisto: Joyce Bunting for her story of the Estoril murder Kompatinda virino in LBE No. 968.
• EAB Update: Rob Hawkins for his report about the Llandudno congress in Update No. 50.

Minutes of the 34th Annual General Meeting of Esperanto-Asocio de Britio
Sunday 10 April 2011, Eastbourne College, Eastbourne

1. John Wells, President, opened the meeting by paying tribute to the work performed by David Kelso, Hon. Secretary of EAB until his sad disappearance in Italy in November 2010. John Wells led the meeting in a round of applause for David. Those present then observed a brief silence for members deceased since the last AGM.

2. Apologies for absence were received from Marjorie Boulton and Michael Seaton. Forty-two members were present.

3. The minutes of the previous AGM were approved by the meeting with one abstention.

4. The Trustees' Annual Report was presented to the meeting by John Wells.

4.1. Arthur Prent questioned whether Paul Gubbins's suggestion at the previous AGM that members should be asked to give an undertaking about acting in 'the best interests of the association' had been followed up by the Trustees. As it had not been, it was agreed that the Management Committee should discuss this at a later date.

4.2. Arthur Prent queried how far into the future EAB organises events. It was clarified that these are normally arranged at least six months in advance.

4.3. John Wells explained to the meeting that Tim Owen had been co-opted to the Management Committee in November 2010.

4.4. Peter Redfarn enquired whether EAB was planning to do anything for the Olympic Games. Brian Barker explained that he was liaising with the London Esperanto Club in this respect.

The Trustees' Annual Report was accepted by the meeting with three abstentions.

5. Joyce Bunting, Hon. Treasurer, presented the Financial Report. The change from accruals accounting to cash accounting was explained. Continued low investment income had resulted in the association making a small deficit for the year. Several observations were made on the Financial Report.

5.1. Arthur Prent commented that in previous years we had written off a proportion of the lease value in the accounts but that this did not appear to have been done in the current year. Joyce Bunting explained that there is no depreciation in cash accounting. Sally Phillips suggested that we could add an explanatory sentence to the accounts to clarify how many years are left to run on the lease.

5.2. Stephen Thompson drew attention to the fact that publicity expenditure had fallen significantly since 2009 and expressed the opinion that the association should spend a greater proportion of its income on publicity. Brian Barker commented that we were spending less but getting better results.

The Financial Report was accepted by the meeting with one vote against.

6. It was agreed to re-appoint Kingston Smith as the association's Independent Examiner. There was one vote against.

7. It was proposed by the Management Committee to leave the subscription rates for the next financial year unchanged. There was some discussion of this proposal and Joyce Bunting, Hon. Treasurer, reminded the membership that it was possible to make additional donations throughout the year. Arthur Prent commented that the percentage income that charities can reclaim on Gift Aid donations is set to decrease and suggested that members be encouraged to make additional donations to make up for this. It was decided by a vote to leave the subscription rates unchanged. There were six abstentions and two votes against.

8. Arthur Prent and Ivor Hueting were elected as vote-counters. John Wells thanked Geoffrey Greatrex and Joyce Bunting, outgoing trustees not standing for re-election, for the work they had done for the association. Joyce Bunting, in particular, was commended for her 14 years of service to EAB.

9. Ian Fantom read aloud his 200-word candidacy statement that had not been received for publication by the editor of EAB Update. Ian Fantom requested permission to read out a further statement. Permission was refused by John Wells on the grounds that other candidates had not had this opportunity. Voting then took place for the election of the Management Committee for the coming year.

10. During the counting of the votes, comments and suggestions from the membership were invited and discussed.

10.1. A presentation was made to Joyce Bunting to mark her retirement as Hon. Treasurer.

10.2. The winners of the EAB Writing and Photo Competition for 2010 were announced by Ed Robertson.

10.3. Brian Barker explained the options for publicising Esperanto during the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Elizabeth Stanley appealed for volunteers to help incorporate Esperanto into a knitting project for the Paralympics.

10.4. Miland Joshi reminded everyone of the importance of singing La Espero during congresses. Opinions were expressed via a (non-binding) vote, in which more were For singing than Against. It was suggested that if the hymn is to be sung there should be proper preparation for it, including backing music.

10.5. Mike Wade suggested the possibility of interesting parents' groups in Esperanto.

10.6. Jack Warren reminded people that a successful music workshop had taken place at Barlaston during the Ni Festivalu weekend and would hopefully be repeated in 2012.

11. The meeting reconvened after a short break to receive the election results. The six candidates with more votes for than against were declared elected:

The results for president were as follows:

There was one abstention. John Wells was declared elected.

12. There being no other business, the meeting closed.

(Original report.)

[This is a "stop-press"/placeholder report - a more comprehensive report will be published in or distributed with a future issue of EAB Update (also see below)]

EAB's 33^rd Annual General Meeting was held on 16^th May 2010 at the Imperial Hotel, Llandudno.

The minutes of the previous AGM, the Trustees' Report, Financial Report, appointment of independent examiner and subscription rates for the next financial year were all accepted nem. com. (without any explicit objections). Arthur Prent and Ivor Hueting were elected as vote counters.

After some discussion about the proposed revisions to the Constitution, no modifications to the revised constitution were put forward by the membership and a vote was taken to accept the revised constitution: 42 votes for, none against, no abstentions.

The results of the ManCom* election were as follows (respectively votes for, against, abstentions):

[* ManCom= Management Committee, and Trustees of the Association]

Joyce Bunting, Geoffrey Greatrex, Edmund Grimley Evans, Clare Hunter, David Kelso and John Wells were duly elected.

As EAB President candidates, Ian Fantom received 5 votes and John Wells received 66 votes (and 1 person abstained). John Wells is thus elected as President.

72 people voted, but those votes that were not marked with any choice were not counted. 4 spoiled postal votes were received (spoiled as they did not identify themselves).

The meeting was unusually harmonious and good-humoured, and finished at 11:48am.

Minutes of the 33rd Annual General Meeting of Esperanto-Asocio de Britio

Sunday 16 May 2010, Imperial Hotel, Llandudno

1. Forty-five members were present and John Wells, President, chaired the meeting. Agreed that the meeting be conducted in English. Apologies for absence had been received from: Edmund Grimley Evans, Albert Lindsay and Stephen Thompson. The meeting observed a brief silence for members deceased since the last AGM.

2. Minutes of the previous AGM: accepted nem. con.

3. Joyce Bunting, Hon. Treasurer, presented the Trustees' Annual Report [for the year ending October 2009]. After brief discussion, the report was accepted nem. con.

4. Joyce Bunting, Hon. Treasurer, presented and commented upon the Financial Report, which was accepted nem. con. Several observations were made:

• Arnold Pitt suggested that greater use might be made of volunteers, perhaps staying overnight in Barlaston; Penny Nicholas suggested that some might work from home.
• Paul Gubbins queried the increased expenditure on Publicity; the Chair explained that this was entirely due to the contract with Encore.
• Heather Eason praised the work of Viv O'Dunne and Emma Hudson in Esperanto House; Brian Barker endorsed this sentiment.
• Terry Watts (guest) queried the return on investments and suggested that professional advice be sought.
• Eric Walker asked about the valuation of Esperanto House; Treasurer explained that the value of the Lease was being written off over 99 years. Sally Phillips proposed a vote of thanks to the Treasurer.

5. It was agreed, nem. con. to leave the appointment of the Independent Examiner (auditor) to the discretion of the Management Committee.

6. Proposed by the Management Committee, that subscription rates remain unchanged. Agreed, nem. con.

7. Discussion followed on a motion from the Management Committee to revise the Constitution, the details of which had been previously circulated. It was suggested by Paul Gubbins that members might be asked to give an undertaking regarding the 'best interests of the Association' similar to that given by Trustees: referred to the Management Committee for consideration, reservations having been expressed by Eric Walker and Heather Eason. Geoffrey Sutton queried whether the number of meetings of the Management Committee should not be specified; Secretary explained that much business nowadays is transacted by e-mail. The proposed revised Constitution was approved, unanimously.

8 Arturo Prent and Ivor Hueting were appointed scrutineers/ vote-counters. Voting then took place for the election of the Management Committee for the following year.

9 During the counting of votes, comments and suggestions from members were discussed. Miland Joshi proposed that 'La Espero' always be sung during Congress; the Chair invited a (non-binding) vote, which was finely balanced between For and Against. Tim Owen noted the friendly, positive atmosphere of this year's Congress and AGM. Terry Page asked about future congresses, especially in 2012, when there may be a European Congress in Ireland; Joyce Bunting indicated that the Charity Commission advised against AGM arrangements which effectively 'disenfranchise' some members. Peter Redfarn asked about the future of Wedgwood Memorial College; Secretary explained that the matter was still 'under discussion' between the local authorities and that no definite proposal had yet emerged. Penny Nicholas asked whether Springboard to Languages might be extended to adults; David Kelso explained that Springboard is essentially a preparation for learning other languages, based on developing Language Awareness through Esperanto, but that Angela Tellier and her colleagues would give every assistance to anyone wanting to organise courses for adults. Raymond Butler pointed out that there were worryingly few women in attendance. Arturo Prent queried why we were using English, not Esperanto, in Wales; the Chair reminded him that Esperanto was perfectly acceptable, as well as English.

9 [cont]. The results of the election for the Management Committee and for President (incl. postal votes) were declared.

For membership of the Committee:

And for President:

Ian Fantom 5 votes

John Wells 66 votes

John Wells was declared elected. The Chair mentioned that Ian Fantom had indicated that he wished to be a candidate only for President, not for the Committee.

10. Ivor Hueting confirmed that the 92nd Congress would be in Eastbourne, 8-10 April 2011 and assured everyone of a warm welcome.

(Original report.)

[This is a "stop-press"/placeholder report - a more comprehensive report will be published in or distributed with a future issue of EAB Update (see below)]

EAB's 32^nd Annual General Meeting was held on 18^th April at the Sarum College, Salisbury; it was chaired by John Wells. About 41 members and 11 guests where present; other members had submitted postal votes for the management committee and president elections beforehand.

Two amendments to the draft minutes of the previous AGM were agreed; the amended minutes were accepted.

The Trustees' report and financial report (distributed with issue 45 of EAB Update) were accepted.

The proposal to leave the appointment of an independent examiner to the discretion of the trustees was accepted.

The proposal to leave the subscription rates unchanged for the next financial year was accepted.

The meeting appointed Harry Barron and Heather Eason as vote-counters.
The results of the election of trustee to the EAB management committee were:

Ian Fantom objected to his inclusion in the election for the management committee, saying that he had wanted to stand for president without being elected to the management committee.

[Postscript: in a few places these final totals (above) differ slightly from the preliminary counts announced at the end of the AGM, but those differences do not materially affect the outcome of the ballot.]

[Postscript: the results table on page 3 of the printed edition of EAB update No. 46 has some layout errors, which have been corrected in the online edition<.]

The results of the election for president of the association were:

• Ian Fantom 10 votes
• John Wells 74 votes

A resolution to re-instate the kapkotizo system of funding federations (proposed by Frank Spilsbury and seconded by Annice Szrajbman) was circulated to the meeting; David Kelso apologised that this resolution had not been circulated to the membership in advance, because of a misunderstanding between the trustees. Ian Fantom protested that any vote on the resolution would be invalid because of insufficient notice and of "dirty tricks". A show of hands vote did not carry the resolution.

Concerning the resolution and the issues it raised:

Data Protection: Joyce Bunting explained that, whether or not EAB has registered with the Data Protection Registrar, it is nevertheless obliged to comply with the provisions of the Data Protection Act concerning the management and use of members' details. There is an option on the membership form to "opt out" of having details passed on to relevant groups; in January 2009 she had sent to the (then) federation secretary the details of those members living in the South Eastern Federation Area who had not opted out.

Kapkotizo: Joyce Bunting understood that the South Eastern Federation already has its own bank account containing a sizeable sum but was unable to access it due to death or illness of all the signatories. She had offered (on behalf of EAB) to assist the federation to gain access to the funds in that account and to date had received no reply.

[Postscript 2009-04-24 The SOEF treasurer informed Joyce that the account can now be accessed, and thanked her for providing assistance in achieving this.]

Draft Minutes of the 32^nd Annual General Meeting of Esperanto-Asocio de Britio

Saturday 18 April 2009, Sarum College, Salisbury

[What follows are the draft minutes, circulated to the membership with EAB Update No. 49, and presented for approval at the 33^rd Annual General Meeting in Llandudno, 16 May 2010.]

1.    Forty-one members were present and John Wells, President, chaired the meeting. Agreed that the meeting be conducted in English. Apologies for absence had been received from: Edmund Grimley Evans, Geoffrey Greatrex, Annice Szrajbman and Stephen Thompson. The meeting observed a brief silence for members deceased since the last AGM.

2.    Minutes of the previous AGM.

2.1.    Ian Fantom proposed that the words "during which the President confirmed that they did have a document called 'Ĝenerala Regularo', which he held before the meeting" be added to #2.2 . Accepted, nem. con.

2.2.    Ian Fantom proposed that, in #8, the words "deplored the wording of the President's recent letter in Update" be amended to "informed the meeting that solicitor Rik Dalton, who had for many years been EAB's legal advisor, had written to Professor Wells, stating that his statement in EAB Update 41, page 3, was part of a 'vicious and defamatory campaign against Ian Fantom' ". Not accepted: 2 in favour, 20 against, 19 abstentions

2.3.    Ian Fantom proposed that, in #8, the words "Ian Fantom said ... unless someone objected" be amended to "Ian Fantom argued that the language of the AGM should be English, because use of Esperanto in the past had been exclusive. Although it was a requirement that members support Esperanto, it is not a requirement that they be fluent in the language". Accepted, nem. con.

2.4.    With these amendments, the minutes were accepted, one vote against.

3.    Joyce Bunting, Hon. Treasurer, presented the Trustees' Annual Report. After some discussion, the report was accepted by acclaim, with one abstention.

4.    Joyce Bunting, Hon. Treasurer, presented, and explained several sections of, the Financial Report, which was accepted unanimously, with one abstention.

5.    It was agreed unanimously, with one abstention, to leave the appointment of the Independent Examiner (auditor) to the discretion of the Management Committee.

6.    Proposed by the Management Committee, that subscription rates remain unchanged. Agreed, nem. con. Paul Gubbins proposed a vote of thanks to Joyce Bunting, Hon. Treasurer, for her excellent stewardship during very difficult times; agreed, by acclaim, one vote against.

7.    The chair proposed as scrutineers/ vote-counters Bill Walker and Harry Barron. Ian Fantom objected to Bill Walker. Agreed, nem. con. that Harry Barron and Heather Eason perform this role. Voting then took place for the election of the Management Committee for the following year.

8.    During the counting of votes, comments and suggestions from members were discussed. David Bisset announced that the Congress committee had donated 5 Esperanto books to the library of Sarum College, to mark the occasion of the Congress.

Discussion followed on a resolution proposed by Frank Spilsbury, seconded by Annice Szrajbman, calling on the Management Committee to restore the former system of capitation payments to federations. David Kelso, Hon. Secretary, apologised for the fact that copies of the resolution had not been distributed with other papers for the AGM, due to a misunderstanding between the office-bearers and the Office. The resolution failed: 3 for, 24 against, 12 abstentions. Ian Fantom informed the meeting about a petition from the South-East Federation to the President of the Association, on the same subject. The Chair confirmed that he had already written to the two original signatories on the petition, thanking them for their views, and would write to the others.

Terry Page once again raised the question of the language used at the AGM. While his personal preference was for Esperanto, he acknowledged the difficulties that would arise, when all documents, of necessity, are in English. The Chair confirmed that he would be happy to accept contributions in Esperanto, from those who have that preference. Agreed to refer to the Management Committee, to decide at their discretion.

Derek Tatton updated the meeting on the Association's relationship with Wedgwood Memorial College, from which both benefitted. Ian Fantom expressed his dissent.

Michael Sims asked the Management Committee to consider making available again, either printed 'Esperanto' envelopes, or 'Esperanto' stickers for envelopes.

9.    The results of the election for the Management Committee and for President (incl. postal votes) were declared.

For membership of the Committee:

The eight candidates with more votes for than against, were declared elected.

And for President:

John Wells was declared elected. Ian Fantom stated that he had been a candidate only for President, not for the Committee.

10.    Hilary Chapman confirmed that the 91^st Congress would be in Llandudno, 14-17 May 2010 and assured everyone of a warm welcome.

(Original report.)

[The draft minutes of the 2008 AGM were distributed to the membership with the mailing of EAB Update, for approval at the 2009 AGM.]
[At the 2009 AGM two amendments were agreed, and the meeting then approved the minutes]
[Glossary: the term nem.con. is an abbreviation for Nemine Contradicente, the Latin for "without objection".]

Minutes of the 31^st Annual General Meeting of Esperanto-Asocio de Britio

Sunday 11 May 2008, Prince of Wales Hotel, Southport

1 Thirty-five members were present and John Wells, President, chaired the meeting. Agreed that the meeting be conducted in English. Apologies for absence had been received from: Marjorie Boulton, Edmund Grimley Evans, Kate Hall, Brian O'Sullivan, Bill Simcock, Derek Tatton, Angela Tellier and Eric Walker.

2 Minutes of the previous AGM.

2.1 Terry Page proposed that 'in attendance' be amended to 'present'. Agreed, nem.con.

2.2. Ian Fantom had previously submitted 3 proposed amendments:
#8, Standing Orders. After discussion, agreed nem. con. to add: The Management Committee was unable to find a copy of the Standing Orders during the meeting [addendum to draft, agreed at 2009 AGM:] during which the president confirmed that they did have a document called "ĝenerala regularo" which he held before the meeting.
2.3 #8, Buchanan. Agreed, nem. con., to add: 'Arthur Sly asked why the Buchanan inheritance was being used to support a lecture in Esperanto to esperantists.'
2.4 #8, Membership. Agreed, nem. con., to amend 'this subject' to 'the reasons for the decline in membership' but not to make other amendments to this section.

2.5 With these amendments, the minutes were accepted, one vote against.

3 Joyce Bunting, Hon. Treasurer, presented the Trustees' Annual Report. In response to questions, David Kelso spoke briefly about Springboard to Languages, Paul Gubbins provided an update on the ongoing Review of Wedgwood Memorial College, and Joyce Bunting explained the Association's investment policy. The report was accepted, with one abstention. Paul Gubbins moved a vote of thanks to the Treasurer: accepted, by acclaim.

4 Joyce Bunting, Hon. Treasurer, presented the Financial Report, which was accepted, with two abstentions.

5 Reappointment of Kingston Smith as Independent Examiner was proposed by Helen Fantom, seconded by Michael Seaton. Ian Fantom queried why a full audit was not carried out and why we had moved (some years earlier) from the previous auditor/ examiner. Helen Fantom explained that a 'full audit' would cost more, for no significant benefit, and Joyce Bunting explained that the change of auditor had been a question of judgement on her part, approved by the AGM. The motion was passed, with one vote against.

6 Proposed by the Management Committee, that subscription rates remain unchanged. Agreed, with one vote against, two abstentions.

7 The chair proposed as scrutineers/ vote-counters Hilary Chapman and Harry Barron. Agreed, nem. con. The chair announced that Derek Tatton had withdrawn his candidacy for the Management Committee; voting then took place for the election of the Management Committee for the following year.

8 During the counting of votes, comments and suggestions from members were discussed.

Elizabeth Stanley pointed out the prominent publicity for the congress in the centre-fold of the free publication Conference Times and congratulated Jim Voiels on achieving this. She also reported that she had taken the opportunity of conveying to the Conference of Christian Women, taking place the same week, greetings and a copy of a prayer-book in Esperanto.

[Amendment to draft, agreed at 2009 AGM:] Ian Fantom argued that the language of the AGM should be English because use of Esperanto in the past had been excluded. Although it was a requirement that members support Esperanto, it is not a requirement that they be fluent in the language.

Terry Page raised the question of the language used at the AGM. His preference would be for Esperanto, although he acknowledged that there are a variety of opinions. Ian Fantom said that his recollection was that the language used was Esperanto unless someone objected, but Stephen Thompson said that the language used had been English since 1998, arising from the change-over from BEA to EAB and the requirements of Companies House.

Paul Gubbins recommended that the Association invest in a data-projector, so as not to incur heavy rental charges. The chair took the opportunity to thank the congress committee for the high standard of equipment and facilities.

9 The results of the election for the Management Committee (incl. postal votes) were declared:

David Bisset 69 for 5 against 4 abstentions
Jean Bisset 69 for 5 against 4 abstentions
Joyce Bunting 76 for 1 against 1 abstentions
Edmund Grimley Evans 71 for 1 against 6 abstentions
David Kelso 73 for 3 against 2 abstentions
John Wells* 75 for 1 against 2 abstentions
(* also candidate for President)

All 6 candidates were declared elected and John Wells was declared President for the coming year.

10 Jean Bisset announced that the 2009 Congress would be in Salisbury, 17-20 April 2009.

Signed: ...J.C.Wells... Date 18 April 2009

[This is a "stop-press"/placeholder report - a more comprehensive report was published in EAB Update No. 42 (July - September 2008)]

EAB's 31^st Annual General Meeting was held on 11^th May at the Prince of Wales Hotel, Southport; chaired by John Wells.

The following trusteeswere elected to the management committee:

• David Bisset: For 69, abstain 4, against 5
• Jean Bisset: For 69, abstain 4, against 5
• Joyce Bunting: For 76, abstain 1, against 1
• Edmund Grimley-Evans: For 71, abstain 6, against 1
• David Kelso: For 73, abstain 2, against 3
• John Wells: For: 75 abstain 2, against 1

Derek Tatton withdrew his nomination as a candidate, because of other commitments.

[This is an extract of the report on the 89th British Esperanto Congress, first published in EAB Update No. 42 (July - September 2008)]

Jarkunveno

La Jarkunveno de EAB iris tiel glate kiel dum la pasintaj kelkaj jaroj. Skrupule kaj eble iom tro tolereme prezidis ĝin John Wells, kiu meritas apartan dankon. La membraro refoje elmontris sian fidon al la komitato per ĝia reelekto. Derek Tatton tamen jam pli frue demisiis pro troa okupiteco. Liaj scioj pri la funkciado de aliaj similaj organizaĵoj kaj aparte pri la estrado de Wedgwood Memorial College estis aparte valoraj al la Administra Komitato.

[and the above table of election results]

(Original report.)

[This summary report appeared in EAB Update No. 38 (July - September 2007)]

The [30^th] AGM of the Association took place in Letchworth on Sunday, 6 May, during the British Esperanto Congress. Approx. 32 members attended; Dr John Wells, President of the Association, chaired the meeting.

The Annual Report of the Trustees and the Financial Report were presented by the Hon. Treasurer, Joyce Bunting, and were accepted by the meeting. It was agreed to leave subscription rates unchanged.

In the election for the Management Committee, the results (including postal votes and proxies) were as follows:

• David Bisset: 56 for, 3 abstain, 4 against
• Jean Bisset: 52 for, 6 abstain, 5 against
• Joyce Bunting: 60 for, 1 abstain, 2 against
• Helen Fantom: 45 for, 7 abstain, 11 against
• Edmund Grimley-Evans: 54 for, 7 abstain, 2 against
• David Kelso: 60 for, 0 abstain, 3 against
• Derek Tatton: 58 for, 3 abstain, 2 against
• John Wells: 61 for, 0 abstain, 2 against

As the number of candidates was less than the number of vacancies, and all received more votes for than against, all 8 were declared elected. John Wells was the sole candidate for President and was declared elected.

During the period for Comments and Suggestions from the members, which occurred while votes were being counted, issues raised included: standing orders and conduct of meetings, publicity and recruitment, language policy (Language Watch), Buchanan Lecture and Prize, attendance at AGMs, and considerable discussion of JEB activity.

David Kelso, Hon. Secretary

(Original report.)

[This report was first published in EAB Update No. 34 (July - September 2006):]

EAB's 29th Annual General Meeting was held on 30 April at Green Gables Hotel, Scarborough; chaired by John Wells. The following is a slightly abridged version of the draft minutes, which were compiled by Vilĉjo Walker at the request of the Management Committee.

Report and accounts

The Trustees' Report, summary accounts and AGM agenda had been distributed beforehand; the minutes of the previous meeting were distributed at the meeting. Before starting the meeting we remembered the 21 members who had passed away during the past year with a short silence.

Around 52 members attended; apologies had been received from Edmund Grimley Evans, John Rapley, Don Lord, David Hill and Bill Simcock.

The Trustees' Report had been published in Issue 33 of EAB Update. This was accepted: a majority voted in favour, 0 against, 2 abstained.

Joyce Bunting presented the Annual Accounts: both income and expenditure had increased; the benefits of being a charity were mainly concerned with tax savings (&POUND;1,182 had been reclaimed through gift aid nominations); a part-time office assistant had been appointed. Joyce thanked Office Manager Viv O'Dunne for her help in managing and administering the finances (as well as her office and bookshop activities) and appealed again for a successor (or at least an understudy) for the role of Honorary Treasurer.

Ian Fantom questioned whether we were voting on the summary or full accounts, and asked why there was a need for two versions when several years ago the entire accounts had occupied just two pages. Helen Fantom explained that the full accounts were structured to comply with SoRP (Statement of Recommended Practice) regulations, while the summary was presented to members reflecting areas relevant to the charity's operation. Eric Walker emphasised that the conclusions and totals in both versions are the same, and Terry Page highlighted the declaration by the Independent Examiners that 'the summarised financial statements are consistent with the full final statements and trustees' report'.

The accounts were accepted: a majority voted in favour, 0 against, 2 abstained.

Paul Gubbins asked us to recognise the good work done by Joyce as Honorary Treasurer; John Wells endorsed this.

The reappointment of the Independent Examiner (Kingston Smith) was discussed; Joyce mentioned that they had recently come top in a 'charity accountant of the year' competition. Reappointment was accepted: a majority voted in favour, 0 against, 1 abstained.

Subscription rates

The trustees explained their proposal to leave the subscription rates unchanged. Joyce explained that members can always make a donation if they wish to pay more than the standard subscription. Brian O'Sullivan asked if subscriptions could be paid in instalments. Eric Walker highlighted the experience of the 'Esperanto Action' group's &POUND;1 membership rate, which had not attracted many additional members beyond those already paying EAB subscriptions. Ian Fantom warned of the dangers of attempting to 'undercut the competition'.

The proposal to leave subscriptions unchanged was accepted: a majority voted in favour, 0 against, 1 abstained.

Resolutions

Resolution 1: 'This meeting is of the opinion that suggestions, ideas and criticisms from members should be welcomed by the Management Committee, and should be given due acknowledgement and consideration'.

The proposer was not present; Anice Szrajbman (the resolution's seconder) felt that there should be more discussion about issues, rather than simply receiving the results of the Management Committee's deliberations. Angela Tellier remembered a 'meet the ManCom' session in the programme of a previous British Esperanto Congress, and John Wells agreed that this should be a standing item at future congresses. Ian Fantom complained that the Management Committee had not, in his view, given due acknowledgement to his own suggestions about falling membership. Eric Walker highlighted that the Letters page of EAB Update is available for members to air suggestions, but Ian Fantom recounted his disagreement with its editor over whether his letter was 'suitable for publication'. Lillian Wrigley observed that older members do die, and so membership numbers will fall unless we recruit younger members.

The resolution was accepted: a majority voted in favour, 0 against, 1 abstained.

Resolution 2: 'This meeting expresses concern at the apparent overuse of confidentiality, and of the Data Protection Act, with the effect that the membership remains relatively uninformed about key issues in the association.'

Anice Szrajbman (the resolution's proposer) explained that several years ago she had tried to circulate a proposal for reviving the South Eastern Federation, but when she wrote to EAB and to several local group secretaries, she received no reply. Joyce was unable to comment on that particular event (Anice couldn't be precise about the dates so it was possible that the office was in the process of relocating between temporary addresses at the time); the current practice is that the office will forward communications to a named member or local contacts on request, but will only give out a member's address details if the member has ticked the relevant permission box on their membership details. Also, such requests need to be clear and concise; if it is just one part of a lengthy letter covering many topics then there is a risk that this one part might get overlooked.

Bill Walker was concerned that 'junk mail' and unsolicited mailings would alienate members, and asked that the trustees be allowed to use their judgement about the permitted uses of the membership database. Andrew Wheatley observed that EAB is not alone in having to accommodate the Data Protection Act, and Elizabeth Stanley pointed out that, whether EAB is registered under the Act or not, we do have to comply with it; we must respect individuals' decisions on whether they want to be contacted. Ian Fantom wanted to revisit the reasons for the decision taken (years ago) to register EAB under the Act, complaining that he had received inconsistent answers to this in the past.

Ian Fantom also complained that the Management Committee had [in 2000] deliberately 'dismantled' the federation structure by scrapping the kapkotizo [the annual payment of &POUND;1 per member from EAB to their local federation] and Members of the association attending this year's AGM Konsila Komisiono [the regular meeting of federation representatives in London]. Eric Walker challenged this, explaining that several cost-saving decisions were taken at a time when EAB's expenditure considerably exceeded income, so (i) instead of paying the kapkotizo automatically (even to inactive groups), the trustees made its payment conditional on receipt of an annual report from the federation - only two federations submitted reports, and one of those said that they did not want to receive the money - and (ii) the travel expenses of bringing local representatives to London were significant, so the face-to-face meeting was replaced first by a telephone conference call and then later by a proposed e-mail discussion group - but when that was advertised in EAB Update, only one person volunteered to take part. Jean Bisset said the original Konsila Komisiono had not been an effective conduit between EAB and her own federation.

The resolution was not accepted; 13 voted in favour, 25 against, 11 abstained.

Ian Fantom expressed his view that this resolution had not been handled properly by the chairman.

Election of trustees

Elizabeth Stanley, Arthur Sly (both proposed by Michael Seaton) and Tom Shorney (proposed by Elizabeth Stanley) were appointed as vote-counters: a majority voted in favour, 0 against, 0 abstained.

Before the election of the trustees, John Wells read a statement (appended) drawing attention to the declarations and statements made in EAB Update, issue 33. He listed a number of Ian Fantom's strengths but felt that his unwillingness to work with the other trustees made him unsuitable as a candidate for the management committee.

Ian Fantom disputed John Well's account of events, and the report of related incidents in EAB Update. He complained of a deliberate campaign to obstruct his work of addressing membership numbers, with 'Kelso' as the 'ringleader', supported by 'Tatton' (whom he accused of having ulterior motives behind the association's move to Barlaston) and the honorary secretary, who had refused to speak to him [Geoffrey Sutton, the previous hon. secretary, states that he has never refused to speak to anyone. On the other hand, he is not prepared to engage in incessant spurious argument. GS, editor.] Jean Bisset objected to Ian Fantom's use of just surnames when referring to people.

Comments and suggestions from the membership

Website: Bill Walker announced an enhancement to the EAB website, allowing people to place orders and make online (credit/ debit card) payments for bookshop items, membership and donations.

Publicity: Helen Fantom summarised the publicity resulting from Jim Voiels' press release about the congress, with contributions from Brian Sullivan and Angela Tellier (see separate report). John Wells thanked them for their hard work. Paul Gubbins stressed some learning points arising from the experience, with the need for more advanced planning so that people 'on site' can be prepared when reporters or photographers turn up, and Terry Page echoed the need for a two-way dialogue with the local congress committee. Helen Fantom appealed for more volunteers for the 'local contacts' list; Stephen Thompson asked that anyone quoted in a press release or listed as a contact should receive a copy of that release in advance.

Membership: Eric Walker responded to comments about falling membership; other Esperanto associations in Englishspeaking countries had suffered comparable falls, but with lesser falls in bilingual countries (Ireland, Canada, etc), while other clubs and associations in Ipswich also suffered from falling membership. Ian Fantom complained that his research into membership over the last year had been ignored, and said the only cases in the last ten years when the trend had been reversed were due to his own initiatives. Derek Tatton compared the similar trends in trade unions, the Women's Institute, etc. with thriving organisations: the University of the Third Age (UA3), book groups, web networks and discussion groups. Terry Page highlighted the age profile; many membership-based organisations are becoming not just smaller but older. Ian Fantom complained that his research into membership numbers had been obstructed and that people were unwilling to listen to his answers. Lillian Wrigley said she had found U3A more flexible than the Workers' Education Assocation, and that young people are motivated by political concerns. Gillian Cartledge compared membership (not free) with the internet (free) where Esperanto is thriving, but felt that the association had become more vibrant since the move to Barlaston, and that fund-raising does not have to be tied to membership numbers. Ian Fantom asked why, if people 'knew the answers', he had been asked to research the topic.

Eric Walker summarised his experience of telephoning lapsed members who have ignored reminders; around half say they had 'forgotten' and a quarter have died or moved; rarely do they say they have 'lost interest' - although he acknowledged that this might be their trying not to offend.

Young Members and JEB [Young British Esperantists]: Ian Fantom said that membership of EAB was not attractive to young people. Jack Warren cited recent reductions in funding for language teaching, and the removal of compulsory GCSE foreign language exams; in his view when mainstream foreign languageteaching falls, Esperanto suffers too. Andrew Wheatley reiterated how young people use the internet, and asked how we can make our events sufficiently inclusive to attract younger people.

Hanna Tellier asked for a membership category that includes voting rights and EAB Update but not La Brita Esperantisto; Angela Tellier asked us to consider a flat rate for members, independent of any subscription to publications. Rolf Fantom highlighted the important distinction between people who just learn Esperanto to use it, and those who want to become active in promoting the language to others. In his experience, many young people skip the national events, preferring to start by attending international ones right away. Vicky Fisher welcomed seeing so many young faces at this event.

Eric Walker stressed how both circumstances and JEB's role have changed, and asked if EAB now needed a youth section. Ian Fantom felt that we need to have something relevant to offer to young people before trying to recruit them, but had proposed a &POUND;10 'youth membership' category as an interim step. Malcolm Jones highlighted how the rules of the Norwich Jubilee Esperanto Foundation have been relaxed to allow young British Esperantists to receive funding to attend Esperanto events in Britain.

Petra Fantom explained how JEB had separated from EAB so as not to be bound by charity regulations but stressed that JEB is still happy to work with EAB; JEB membership is free as JEB is mainly a 'friendship' group. Daniel White felt that mutual (automatic) membership of JEB and EAB could be worthwhile. Rolf Fantom explained the history of past affiliation agreements, and welcomed the idea of joint memberships. Ian Fantom again explained his handling of Eric Walker's 'youth section' proposal and blamed the Management Committee for 'talking out' the idea. Anice Szrajbman suggested that JEB should have a representative on the Management Committee; Joyce confirmed that this was already provided for, within the JEB-EAB affiliation agreement.

Michael Gunton stated that young people like to sign up to a single issue, and participate in order to effect change; some want to 'dip in and out' without making a commitment. John Wells contrasted that approach with our situation; learning Esperanto does require an intellectual commitment. Fiona Wright said that she found guest speaker Atilio Rojas's 'fun and games' approach welcoming. 'We should play more', she added.

Terry Page asked if the AGM should continue to be hosted at the British Congress; the general response of the members was to keep the AGM within the congress programme.

Election results

The meeting reconvened after lunch for the election results

• David Bisset: 90 [96] for, 9 abstain, 10 against
• Jean Bisset: 89 [94] for, 15 abstain, 5 against
• Joyce Bunting: 103 [105] for, 7 abstain, 3 against
• Helen Fantom: 66 [67] for, 24 [25] abstain, 23 [22] against
• Ian Fantom: 16 [17] for, 21 [22] abstain, 75 against
• Edmund Grimley-Evans: 71 [92] for, 13 abstain, 8 against
• Derek Tatton: 97* for, 13 abstain, 3 against
• Eric Walker: 90 [88] for, 17 [16] abstain, 9 [10] against
• John Wells: 107 [108] for, 3 abstain, 4 against
• Andrew Wheatley: 79 [80] for, 29 [28] abstain, 4 against

* This figure initially announced suffered a transcription error and was read out as '17'; this was subsequently spotted and corrected by the vote-counters.

Postscript: Because of the variation in total votes counted for each candidate, the trustees subsequently arranged for a recount of the votes by office manager Viv O'Dunne; these counts [above, in brackets, where different] showed: (i) a major difference in the count for Edmund Grimley-Evans and some minor differences in the other counts; (ii) a difference of five between the 110 voters checked off as eligible, and the 115 voting papers collected (perhaps five voters bypassed the eligibility check, or were checked but not ticked off). The counts should therefore be assumed to have a (worst-case) five-vote margin of error. Neither of these differences materially affect the outcome of this election. Nevertheless the trustees plan to review the vote-counters' guidelines before the next election.

Ian Fantom attributed his result to 'threats, concealment and intimidation' by David Kelso. He said that he had not expected to be elected, had stood for election as a protest to draw attention to his situation, and that if he had been elected he would probably have declined to serve on the committee anyway.

Invitation to Letchworth

John Wells closed the meeting at 14:15, and Arthur Sly invited members to attend the 2007 British Congress in Letchworth.

Appendix: Statement read by EAB President John Wells during the AGM

I would urge all the members of the Association, before they vote, to read the April-June 2006 EAB Update very carefully. In it you will find, on pages 5-8, the mandatory texts by the candidates for election to the Management Committee for 2006-07.

You will also find, on page 4, the text of a motion of censure that was put to the Management Committee at its February 2006 meeting, a motion calling for the suspension of the trustee Ian Fantom. The reasons for proposing the motion are set out there, together with a summary of the discussion that followed. The outcome was that the Management accepted the motion calling for Ian's suspension by 5 votes to 1, with 2 abstentions.

In my own statement at the foot of page 6 I did my best to summarize the situation in an impartial manner. I have always during my period of office leant over backwards to ensure that Ian is accorded his democratic right to be heard and to express his opinions, and I have striven to remain neutral in the ongoing disagreement between him and other Trustees.

Following the vote of censure, the Management Committee invited Ian Fantom to present his side of the matter, which he duly did in the statement printed on page 8. The Management Committee felt it necessary to comment on this statement of Ian's, and the Management Committee's agreed comment appears at the foot of page 8. As President of the Association, it was naturally appropriate that I should sign it with my name.

In my message printed on page 6, written after the February meeting, I told you that matters had reached a point where Ian Fantom was willing to collaborate with none of the Trustees except his wife Helen and me. He told me this face-to-face. I have now to tell you that as a result of what I wrote in Update Ian, when he next saw me, hissed at me the accusation 'perfidulo' (traitor), and has since then refused to speak to me. Despite this, I have for my own part continued to speak to him normally. So the situation now is that Ian is willing to collaborate with none at all of the Trustees except his wife.

I deeply regret this. Ian has many talents. He is full of good ideas for publicity and for promoting Esperanto. For example, he helped me considerably with the speech I made at the British Congress in Felixstowe. He has produced an excellent newsletter for the London Esperanto Club and publicity material for next year's congress. However, he is no longer willing to work with the other Trustees. He will not even speak to the President.

(Original report.)

(from EAB Update 30, Jul-Sep 2005)

The 28^th Annual General Meeting of EAB was held on 7 May at the Central Baptist Church, Bloomsbury, London.

Twenty-six members attended, including the trustees.

John Wells opened the meeting by welcoming the members. He later read out a list of members who had died during the previous 12 months and asked for a minute's silence in their memory.

Trustees' Report & Rates

The Honorary Treasurer, Joyce Bunting, presented a summary of the Trustees' Report as well as the Financial Report, on which there were no comments. The Trustees' Report was approved unanimously.

The meeting decided that membership rates should remain unchanged.

Election

For the election of members of the Management Committee (trustees), Arthur Sly and Arthur Prent were proposed as vote-counters and were accepted unanimously. The result of the ballots cast at the meeting and the postal votes were as follows:

David Bisset 76 for, 5 abstain, 4 against
Joyce Bunting 80 for, 4 abstain, 1 against
Helen Fantom 60 for, 17 abstain, 8 against
Ian Fantom 47 for, 17 abstain, 21 against
Edmund Grimley Evans 72 for, 12 abstain, 1 against
David Kelso 79 for, 5 abstain, 1 against
Geoffrey Sutton 74 for, 10 abstain, 1 against
Derek Tatton 76 for, 8 abstain, 1 against
John Wells (president) 80 for, 4 abstain, 1 against

John Wells declared that all candidates had been duly elected.

There were 66 postal ballots, 1 spoiled ballot, and 20 votes cast at the AGM.

Charity Bill

Joyce reported that the Charity Bill had fallen due to the calling of the general election, and she outlined possible advantages for small charities when the bill is passed. Edmund Grimley Evans read out information received from the Charity Commission, stating that members have no financial liability. Ian Fantom commented that it is not the Charity Commission who know about liabilities of charities.

David Bisset enquired what percentage of members had signed a Gift Aid form, to which Joyce Bunting replied that she did not have the figure at hand but believed around 60 people had signed such a form.

Bulonjo 2005

Terry Page presented a detailed report (see elsewhere in EAB Update No. 30). David Kelso proposed a vote of thanks to Terry for his sterling work in the organisation of the British part of the event, which was warmly applauded. He also presented Terry with a bottle of Glen Terence Scotch whisky as a token of his personal thanks. John Wells thanked Terry and Anica Page on behalf of EAB.

Membership comments

There was a general discussion on obituaries, Terry Page querying how one might obtain information on deaths. David Kelso suggested that EAB Update might print a notice requesting information on members who had passed away. John Wells said one could put one's own autobiography on the web.

The discussion moved on to publicity. Helen Fantom commented that it is important that one does at least something; if in doubt she could suggest something. Terry Page asked if we are recruiting enough young members. There was agreement that we are not. John Wells remembered Humphrey Tonkin's small, informal JEB meetings. It was commented that young people meet more often on the web nowadays. Ian Fantom reported that he gets around a thousand hits on his Esperanto Viva website a year but does not know how many are from the UK. He said we needed a fresh approach but gave no details.

Terry said he recently presented Esperanto at two schools, adding that we should not expect immediate positive reaction - an 'incubation period' is normal. Helen recalled similar experiences with Norman William's' initiatives in Manchester, adding that we might exploit the still great interest in language learning. Ian Fantom believed there was divided opinion in the Administrative Committee on the Esperanto Lobby, to which John Wells replied that he was referring to 'old issues' of many years ago and that there had been no such discussion in recent years.

Bill Walker referred to Angela Tellier's work for schools, to which Helen replied that it concerns in particular primary schools. In response to further queries, she went on to outline the present work in Gloucestershire, reporting that primary schools will have to teach a foreign language for four years and, as most teachers do not speak a foreign language already, Esperanto offers them a uniquely advantageous path forward, introducing them to language learning in general and useful aspects of other subjects, such as grammar and mathematics.

Administrative Committee meeting

After the AGM, the new Administrative Committee held a brief formal meeting. Due to lack of time, the responsibilities of individual members of the Administrative Committee will be dealt with at the Committee's annual discussion weekend meeting in Barlaston in July. There are, however, proposals that David Kelso deal with 'outside education' issues and that Ian Fantom deal with research.

It has already been decided that there will be discussions in Barlaston with Jill Ward, Principal of Wedgwood Memorial College, and Terry Page, Jim Voiels and Angela Tellier will also attend all or part of the weekend to discuss their respective fields of congresses, local PR and education.

Contacts with Liverpool University continue, although it is proving difficult to obtain concrete information. All relevant matters will nevertheless continue to be pursued by the Committee.

Books for Africa

A sum of £200 was approved to cover requests from Africa for books. Any such requests are first approved by the African Office of UEA.

EAB website

Special thanks were afforded by the Committee to Vilĉjo Walker for promptly updating the EAB website, which for so long had languished without anyone willing to take it on. The Committee is still looking for someone to take on the task of arranging lecture tours. Is there a volunteer for this out there?

(Original report.)

(from EAB Update 26, Jul-Sep 2004)

EAB's 27th Annual General Meeting was held on 1 May in the Marlborough Hotel, Felixstowe, during the British Congress. Before around fifty members, trustees Edmund Grimley Evans (President and meeting chairman), Joyce Bunting (Hon. Treasurer), Geoffrey Sutton (Hon. Secretary), David Bisset, Helen Fantom, Derek Tatton and John Wells were present.

The Trustees' Report was published in issue 25 of EAB Update, together with the Financial Report, and the AGM Agenda was sent out as an insert in the same issue; the Minutes of the previous AGM and copies of the Annual Financial Statement were distributed at the meeting.

Edmund Grimley Evans opened the meeting by reading out the names of members who had died during the past year. There followed a minute's silence.

Edmund proposed to add an item to the Agenda, enabling the vote on the constitutional amendments. The lack of the item was an oversight by the Secretary but it had been fully set out in EAB Update , and comprehensive proxy voting-forms, covering the constitutional options, were sent out with La Brita Esperantisto (i. e. to all members with voting rights). Helen Fantom read out a statement by Ian Fantom concerning this oversight. The Chairman's proposal was seconded by Eric Walker and accepted unanimously by a show of hands.

Apologies for absence were received from Ian Fantom, June Miles, Grahame Leon-Smith, Stephen Thompson and Jack Warren.

Joyce Bunting, presented a summary of the Trustees' Report as well as the Financial Report. Both were approved unanimously.

It was also agreed to keep subscription rates unchanged.

Michael Seaton and Bill Simcock were proposed and accepted unanimously as election vote-counters. There followed the voting for members of the Management Committee and the proposed amendments to the Constitution, which was carried out by secret ballot. Many thanks to Michael and Bill for undertaking the laborious task of totting up the votes, the results of which they read out at the end of the meeting.

All the nominees were elected, and all the amendments to the Constitution accepted.

While the votes were being counted, members discussed the Resolution proposed by Ian Fantom and Stephen Thompson (EAB Update No. 25). Helen read out a statement by Ian Fantom, and the full text of the resolution was read out. Joyce Bunting summarised the Management Committee's reply, previously printed in the same issue of EAB Update . Paul Gubbins pointed out that EAB have considered the resolution so we had already done what the resolution requests. Eric Walker advised voting against the resolution as a new type of organisation is to be proposed by the Charities Commission. Kate Hall agreed that we should await the new Charities Act. Bill Walker commented on the subject of debt, stating that only the trustees have responsibility and liability [correction; that statement was not made by Bill Walker]. It was agreed that it was an interesting point whether members were in some way liable. The Treasurer replied that EAB does not carry any substantial debts, and financial matters are dealt with in the simplest possible manner. However, the Management Committee agreed that it would nevertheless look into the matter further in a way that would not incur unnecessary legal fees. Eric Walker added that he disliked the idea of a registered company as members would then have to be registered, and there would be additional administrative burdens. The resolution was voted on by a show of hands: None for, and 6 abstentions.

During the traditional 'Comments and suggestions from the membership' there was a complaint that there was not enough informative literature to hand out. Helen Fantom explained the present situation, adding that more was on the way. It was asked what plans there were for the EAB website. Helen replied that the matter was being discussed; Matthew Tellier was praised for the site on education.

Eric Walker spoke on his plan to revive the 'Konsila Komisiono' as a moderated informal Internet discussion group; the Administrative Committee of EAB had already asked Eric to go ahead with this. Helen asked members to contact her in order to help promote Esperanto as a 'bridge language' in the European elections. Due to the demise of several federations and groups it was suggested that members meet in informal groups for a meal.

Votes for the Committee:
David Bisset: For 79 Abstain 7 Against 4
Joyce Bunting: For 88 Abstain 1 Against 1
Helen Fantom: For 73 Abstain 11 Against 6
Edmund Grimley Evans: For 84 Abstain 4 Against 2
Geoffrey Sutton: For 81 Abstain 9 Against 0
Derek Tatton: For 85 Abstain 4 Against 1
John Wells (candidate for Pres.): For 88 Abstain 1 Against 0

Votes for amendments to the Constitution:
(1) For 77 Abstain 7 Against 5
(2) For 75 Abstain 10 Against 4
(3) For 73 Abstain 13 Against 2
(4) For 78 Abstain 7 Against 3
(5) For 82 Abstain 6 Against 1
(6) For 72 Abstain 14 Against 3
(7) For 82 Abstain 4 Against 3
(8) For 74 Abstain 12 Against 2

(Original report.)

(from EAB Update 22, Jul-Sep 2003)

The Annual General Meeting of EAB took place on 24 May in the presence of around forty-five of the members attending the British Esperanto Congress in Glasgow. After remembering members who had died during the previous year with a minute's silence, apologies were registered from Grahame Leon-Smith, Frank Spilsbury and Terry Page.

The Honorary Treasurer, Joyce Bunting, presented a summary of the financial position, and David Kelso, Director of Development, presented a summary of achievements and plans.

All current Management Committee members were re-elected, except Frank Spilsbury. David Tatton is a new member.

Discussion on the constitution produced varying views. It was stated that members need to feel they own their association. Embarrassment was expressed at having to vote in public, a secret ballot being thought a better option, and some members wished to vote directly for officers. Postal balloting also received support, although there was also opinion against a wholly postal voting system. It was noted that the members of the Scottish association vote on an annual, rotating basis, having past, present and future presidents. Some thought this interesting, although service might not be limited to just one year. However, it was pointed out that voting for named candidates for the post of treasurer, for instance, has legal implications for the whole committee, and the committee need flexibility to respond to circumstances. The secretary's job was also seen as a post requiring special knowledge. A preference might be indicated. What, it was asked, if a candidate has a skill solely for a single function? It was emphasised that, as a small organisation, we need a simple election system, and support was voiced for short published summaries of intentions by candidates.

The President took straw polls. No one opposed a secret ballot. There seemed to be an overwhelming majority in support of directly electing the president, and some think other officers should be directly elected as well.

The Constitutional Committee is to propose a new constitution, taking the views expressed into account.

The annual subscription was also discussed. The meeting had approved no changes for next year. Some members think it is set at about the right level, although others think the ordinary subscription should increase to reflect true support and value.

(Original report.)