2010-11

Chairman’s Report 2010-11

The Society has enjoyed yet another excellent programme arranged by Kath McCarthy which has included a wide variety of visiting speakers as well as drawing from our own wealth of talent with talks by Michael Compton, Christopher Pendred, Betty Shearing and John Tolley – and we can include Kath’s daughter, Jane, in that category also. We are greatly indebted to Kath for her work on the programme.

Attendance at all meetings was good; one had to be postponed due to snow. Membership currently stands at 87.

As always with our meetings, the efficient working of the technology is of great importance and our thanks are due to John Fogg - Elliott who has ably taken over as Equipment Officer, with his predecessor, Peter Bush, in a consultancy role. Although not due to any fault of theirs, sadly, the lapel microphone has continued to let us down occasionally, requiring speakers to use the hand held one.

The legacy of £ 550 from the late Mrs Rowe has enabled the Society to purchase its own projector which has been a great advantage for us. The balance is being put toward designing our own website which we hope will bring benefits in addition to those already accruing from our inclusion in the Limpsfield website.

We have been fortunate that Keith Louis has continued to produce a series of eye-catching posters for our meetings; these are posted fort- nightly in nine different locations in Oxted and Limpsfield. The posters, combined with the prompt press reports produced by Stuart Paterson for local news outlets, have ensured that we receive very effective publicity.

Our Summer Outing to Syon Park and Osterley Park in June was very well supported, the coach being full.

This annual publication goes from strength to strength under the very capable organisation of Betty and Brian Shearing and we are grateful to them for continuing with this important work, as well as printing the membership cards and visitors’ receipts.

The administration of the Society is well under control with our Secretary, Moyna Bridge, and our Treasurer, Anna Burrage. My sincere thanks to them and, indeed, everyone on the Committee. We were very sorry to lose Shirley Dunnicliffe as both our Membership Secretary and a long-time member when she moved to the West Country and we wish her well in her new home.

At the AGM in March, sadly, our President, Stephen Miles, decided that the time had come for him to retire from that post. We are most grateful to Stephen – he has been no mere figure head and has assiduously attended all committee meetings and nearly all our lectures. To mark Stephen’s retirement, the Society bestowed Honorary Membership on him. We are very fortunate that Keith Louis has agreed to take over from Stephen as President.

Trevor Burrage