Dear Friends,
Notice is hereby given that the 2019 Annual General Meeting and Gathering of the Friends of the Boscastle Museum of Witchcraft will be held at 2.30pm on Saturday 30th November 2019 at the Wellington Hotel, Boscastle. All paid-up members are entitled to attend and vote at the AGM. A draft agenda, together with details of the procedures for the election of trustees, are included herein.
As usual, there will be a full programme of talks, plus stalls and a fundraising raffle on the day of the AGM.
The AGM and is free to members, but you must be a paid-up member to attend. Family and group members are entitled to two votes at the AGM.
Please let us know if you are intending to attend the AGM; we need to know this to organise seating, refreshments etc.
Please respond to either: [email protected] or BM Box 1951, London WC1N 3XX.
The winds of change are rustling the branches of Friends this year. At the AGM this year we will be electing several new trustees to join the board and get involved in the day to day running of Friends.
We now have up to seven new trustee posts to fill.
The trustees would like to urge any members who have the time available and the necessary skills, to consider supporting Friends by standing for election. Full details of the election procedures are given below.
A draft agenda for the AGM is included with these papers. Any member who wishes to add additional items to the agenda should notify the Secretary, either by email or post, by Thursday 23rd October at the latest.
The final version of the agenda, including items submitted by members, will be provided at the AGM.
Election of trustees
As a registered charity, elections are conducted according to the rules set down in our constitution. Trustees are elected by secret ballot at the AGM.
Anyone wishing to stand as a trustee must be a fully paid-up member of Friends. So if you wish to stand, please notify the Secretary in writing by email, or by post.
Email: [email protected]
Post: Mole Cottage, Atherington, Umberleigh, Devon, EX37 9HY.
Your nomination will need to be proposed and seconded by two fully paid-up members of Friends. Together with your nomination please provide the following details:
• Your name
• Your contact details
• Name and contact details of your proposer
• Name and contact details of your seconder.
You do not need to provide a written election address as you will be given the opportunity to speak about why you wish to stand at the AGM.
The current trustees are:
• Adrienne Frayne (Secretary)
• Cavan McLaughlin (Membership Secretary)
• Sharon Day
• Judith Noble
• Ben Verhaevert
Trustees are elected for a period of three years.
Our constitution makes provision for a total of ten trustees so there will be five places available for election/ re-election. The constitution is available for you to view on our website. Trustees are required to attend four meetings per annum (these are usually held in Cornwall or Devon) and to take on the day to day running of Friends.
Trustees represent the views of the members and are accountable to them. They are responsible to the membership and to the Charity Commission for the proper running of Friends as a charity. We provide training and support for new trustees but being a trustee does involve a considerable amount of work, including administration and management.
We are required to publish a list of our trustees (but not any private contact details) on the Charity Commission website. Friends’ exists to support the Museum and our primary purpose is to raise funds to enable to Museum to grow and develop. Trustees will be expected to work with members to generate new ideas for fundraising projects, put them into action and manage them. They also have to undertake all the administrative aspects of running Friends and organise the AGM and other events.
As we are a small charity we cannot fund any expenses for trustees.
You will see from the above that we are looking for people who are prepared to commit time, skills, energy, and good ideas. This year we will also be looking for someone who will consider acting as a Treasurer, so if you have any bookkeeping skills, your Friends need you.
If you would like to find out more about what is involved, and discuss standing for election, or if you have any queries about the process, then you are most welcome to email the Secretary [email protected]
If there are more candidates than places, an election will be held by secret ballot at the AGM.
All those standing for election should be prepared to speak briefly, about three minutes, to the meeting about why they wish to stand and what they will contribute to the running of Friends.
I look forward to seeing you at the AGM.
Adrienne Frayne
(Secretary)
Friends of the Boscastle Museum of Witchcraft 2019 Annual General meeting
Draft Agenda
1. Apologies for absence
2. Minutes of the 2018 AGM
3. Matters arising from the 2018 AGM (not covered elsewhere on the agenda)
4. Chair’s report
5. Secretary’s report (Adrienne Frayne)
6. Treasurer’s report and financial statement and accounts for the 2018-19 financial year (for approval)
7. Gift Aid report (Sharon Day)
8. Membership Secretary’s report (Cavan McLaughlin)
9. Report on future development of and anticipated changes within Friends
10. Election of trustees
11. Subscription rates for 2019 (the AGM is required to set these)
12. Artist’s Residency
13. Museum Director’s report (Simon Costin)
14. Any other business
15. Date of next Annual general Meeting