Annual General Meeting, 7 December 2005

European Movement Sussex branch
Annual General Meeting

Wednesday 7 December 2005 at 7 pm for 7.30 pm
at the Steyning Centre, Fletcher’s Croft, Steyning
(adjacent to the car park opposite the church)

Business Agenda
1	Minutes of the AGM 6 December 2004
2	Chairman’s Report – Michael Rider
3	Treasurer’s Report – David Garrett Accounts will be ready in November for the meeting and can be supplied in advance on request.
4	Election of Officers Nominations invited for the positions of Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer, and membership of the Committee. Nominations should be received by the Secretary no less than seven days in advance of the Meeting. [Secretary: Martin Toomey – Jarvis, Jarvis Lane, Steyning, West Sussex BN44 3GL]Nominations received to date: Chairman: Sarah Leigh, Secretary: Martin Toomey, Treasurer: Chris Jones Committee: Kate Evans, Illa Hayward, Oliver Hayward, Michael Rider, Margaret Tuccori. New committee member: Martin Vasey. Retiring from the Committee: David Garrett, Sarah Pope, Grace Blaker.
5	Adoption of Auditor for 2006 2005 Hon Auditor is Ronald Fox
6	Any Other Business Matters with written notice before the meeting Matters arising from the meeting [at the discretion of the Chairman]
Reports & Entertainment
	West Sussex County Council EU moves: Youth Ambassadors
	1957 – 2007: 50 years celebration of the Treaty of Rome
	Sussex branch members in Ireland – with photos
Social Agenda
Mulled Wine and Refreshments: the Committee welcomes help in providing refreshment – offers of help to Illa Hayward 01903 814658
Next Annual General Meeting
	December 2006

European Movement Sussex branch
Chairman’s Report for 2005The year had been a volatile one with the May General Election in which the issue of the UK’s role in the EU had barely figured in spite of the then assumed imminent referendum campaign; the rejection by the French and Dutch of the Constitutional Treaty and the controversies still ongoing consequent on the UK’s six month Presidency of the Council. The Chairman welcomed the agreement to start accession talks with Turkey; he regretted the continued hostility to European solidarity of the mainstream printed media, but commended a slew of recent BBC programmes which had succeeded in presenting issues more even-handedly than elsewhere. Nonetheless the public’s quest for adequate and objective information still remained largely unsatisfied.

The Branch Committee had met eight times. Events and activities organised included:
–    two lecture/discussion series for local U3As – in Lewes and Steyning, with presentations involving six members of the Branch
–    two study/discussion afternoons, well supported by members, on migration/asylum and the future of the EU
–    two information stalls – in Burgess Hill and Haywards Heath
–    two Presidency lunches – Luxembourg and the UK with high quality insider speakers
–    an all day Brinsbury seminar on the EU’s relations with its neighbours, for which we had been able again to recruit prestigious presenters and a lively audience
–    a 30 strong week’s study visit to Ireland in the company of members of the Aumühle EM Branch which had been imaginatively organised and had been a resounding learning, social and cultural success
–    a motion at the national AGM urging HMG to set up a National Forum on Europe following the Irish initiative
–    the Secretary’s newsletters which had disseminated timely organisational information

The Chairman commented on the particularly heavy workload entailed in the year’s two highlights. As a consequence Oliver Hayward wished next year to stand down as Brinsbury lead, and Grace Blaker to withdraw from the Committee. The Chairman drew attention to the reaction of Catherine Bearder from Britain in Europe who, in concluding an audit of the Branch’s work in June, bad remarked on the lively and varied programme.

In 2007 the Branch intended to continue with its tried and tested formulas – two Presidency lunches (Austria and Finland), study afternoons, information stalls, a new edition of the Brinsbury seminar – perhaps recast after consultation with members; and in addition complete the Steyning U3A presentations; work up a contribution to the work of the West Sussex Schools Council; and give further thinking to the Branch’s proposed Frangois Duchêne award. The new national EM website has just been launched which will make communications within and between Branches more effective – the Committee will pass on guidance to members early in the new year. One final issue for the whole Branch – more members than the current 75 are needed, and particularly younger ones!

Michael Rider Chairman

7 December 2005

European Movement Sussex branch
Minutes of Annual General Meeting
7 December 2005

1.	Present: John Barstow, Grace Blaker, Ingrid Caygill, Peris Coventry, Kate Evans, David Garrett, Ernie Gillian, Illa and Oliver Hayward, Andrée and Noel Henchley, Sarah Leigh, Sarah Pope, Gwyneth Powell, Stephen Quigley, Michael Rider (Chairman), Peter Sinclair, Ailsa Stuart, Jenny and Martin Toomey, Margaret Tuccori, Martin Vasey, James Welch, Pat Whicher, David and Margot Young.
2.	Apologies: Leonie Achurch, Rosemary and Terry Baker, Chris and Mary Bintcliffe, Bob Booth, Bernadette Le Cleff, DC Dengate, Bob Escolme, Oliver and Renate Farley, HM Frost, Kate Glazier, George Irvin, Jonathan Jaeger, Chris Jones, Chris Peer, The Duke of Richmond, J Ross, Fred Taylor, Janet Tregear.
3.	The Minutes of the previous AGM were accepted.
4.	Chairman’s Report.
5.	Treasurer’s Report: Audited accounts were handed out and explained. The Brinsbury seminar had made a small profit as there had been no speaker fees. This year’s capitation grant had not been received by the end of the financial year, but a cheque for £700 had since arrived, so that the accounts show a healthy balance. The adoption of the accounts was proposed by Oliver Hayward and seconded by Stephen Quigley.
6.	Election of Officers: Michael Rider was standing down as Chairman but will remain on the Committee; he was thanked for his valuable contribution to the Branch, his leadership and commitment to the European cause by Stephen Quigley and Oliver Hayward who presented him with a book. Sarah Leigh was elected as new Chairman (proposed by Jenny Toomey, seconded by Illa Hayward); a two-year rota is to be aimed for in future. Chris Jones was elected as Treasurer (proposed by Martin Toomey, seconded by Sarah Pope). Martin Toomey was reaffirmed as Secretary. Three Committee members were leaving and were thanked for their manifold contributions: Grace Blaker, David Garrett (Treasurer) and Sarah Pope. The rest of the Committee were reaffirmed en bloc. Martin Vasey was elected to the Committee (proposed by Sarah Leigh, seconded by Gwyneth Powell). John Fox was reaffirmed as auditor; he would, though, prefer the Branch to look actively for a successor for next year.
7.	Any other business: (i) Grace Blaker passed on Uwe Diezmann’s invitation to Branch members to visit the Aumühle Branch; she has a list of names and addresses. (ii) It was noted that Bob Booth could not attend the AGM as he was being presented by the High Sheriff of Sussex with the Lewes and District Volunteer of the Year Award.
8.	The AGM finished at 8.30 pm.
Three short, stimulating exposés followed the AGM:
(i)	Rachel Gapp, Europe Officer for West Sussex, gave a fascinating insight into her many-sided work.
(ii)	Daryl Radwell spoke about the Youth Cabinet and the Youth Ambassadors – the “Europeers” – in schools.
(iii)	Stephen Quigley outlined plans and possibilities for celebrating “50 Years of the Rome Treaty” in 2007.

A social with food and mulled wine concluded the evening.