Title: Minutes of 31st Annual General Meeting held Tuesday 22nd October 2013
Author: Gillian Masters
Last saved by: Diane
Company: Microsoft

Minutes of 32nd Annual General Meeting held Tuesday 11^th November 2014

Present: Robert Jewels, Graeme Milnes, Mike Kohnstamm, Robin Hamilton, Dave Willock, Jane Willock, Rhiannon Havard, Brian Congreve, Digna Liepa, Wendy Winney, Martin Bye, Kath Edwards, Nancy Hooper, Leighton Hill, Gwyn Matthews, Sue Johns, Janet Aplin, Claire Edwards, Len Bowker, John Isaacs,  Brenda Isaacs, Gwyn Lewis, Alan Whitlow, Pat Simpson, Wyn Rosser, Robert Smith, Lynda Newton, John Newton, Kathryn Bennett, George Baugh, David Harrison, Jan Hill-Tout, Stephen Brigley, Diane Davies, Nigel Clifton.
Apologies: Roma Whiteley, Gillian Masters, Vic Chambers, Glenys Rugman, Val Hamilton, Jen Richards, Jeff Hobden,  Vic Chambers, Elaine Shellard.

Diane Davies presented a slideshow illustrating a back-packing walk of the Southern Upland Way done over two years by members of the Group.  

1.  Minutes of the previous AGM were accepted and there were no matters arising..

2. Officers' Reports 
(a) Nigel Clayton (Chairman):  thanked all the officers and committee members as well as walk leaders for their work and support of the Group over the past year.
(b) Diane Davies (Secretary): circulated a written report in the form of the article on the Group in the 2014 Glamorgan Rambler.
(c) John Newton (Treasurer):  circulated a written report.
(d) Kathryn Bennett (Membership and Family Walks): reported that the present membership stands at 666 and that there is a lot of new interest in the family-friendly walks.
(e) Mike Kohnstamm (Publications): thanked those who contributed yto producing the two programmes, WalkTalk and the short walks leaflet.
(c) Gwyn Lewis (Rambles and footpaths):  On footpath matters the main activity was consultation order on alleygating, though no orders had come through.  Alleygating orders have recently been replaced by Public Space Protection Orders which can apply to any PRoW and there is a need to see how this will work out in practice.  He thanked walk leaders, especially new ones but added there was always a need for further leaders as they spread the load and more importantly helped revitalise the programme with new ideas.  Thursday evening walks remain problematic in terms of declining numbers participating and he felt that a new person was needed to take on the role of organising them.  He reminded everyone that these walks had long been a prime source of new members.

3. Honorary President:  Kath Edwards was made Honorary President for the year and she thanked the Group for conferring the honour on her.

4. Election of officers: all were elected unopposed and unanimously.
(a) Chairman: Nigel Clayton			(b) Secretary:  Diane Davies 	
(c) Treasurer:  Elaine Shellard			(d) Membership Secretary: Kathryn Bennett	
(d) Publications Officer: Mike Kohnstamm		(e) Footpaths Officer:  Gwyn Lewis
(f) Publicity officer:  vacant			(g) Countryside Officer: Diane Davies

6: Election of committee members: the following were elected unanimously:
Leighton Hill, Gillian Masters, Roma Whiteley.
Wendy Winney offered to be the organiser for the Sunday Walks programme but declined to go onto the committee – this offer was accepted.

7. Election of Independent Examiner: with the election of Elaine Shellard, the present incumbent, to the post of Treasurer there was a need to find a new person.  There were no nominations and it was agreed that the committee should appoint one.

8. AOB:  John Newton, who had served a number of years as Treasurer and Countryside Officer, Jane and Dave Willock who had been committee members and organised the Sunday walks for a number of years, Rob Wilkinson who had served as Publicity Officer and Jeff Hobden and had been a former Treasurer and a long-serving committee member were all warmly thanked for the contributions they had made to success of the Group over the years.