Dunbartonshire Concert
Band
Minutes of Annual General
Meeting
Saturday 8th October 2005
at Westerton Hall
Chairperson: Vicky Evans
Minutes taken by: Alison McCree
1. Apologies
Jane Caldwell,
Monika Mihm, Mark McDonald, Hannah Newall, Catriona Donald, John Broad, Moyra
Hawthorn.
2. Acceptance of Minutes of 2004 AGM
The minutes of
the 2004 AGM were available to all band members at any time and appeared on the
website.
As no points were
raised, these were adopted by Alan Cooper and seconded by Ian Angus.
3. Chairperson’s Report
Vicky Evans began
by welcoming all the new members who have joined the band in the course of the
last year or since the start of this year. It is always very encouraging to see
so many new faces in the band and she hoped they would all enjoy their time in
DCB.
Vicky took a few
minutes to look back at some particular highlights from the last year.
The Royal
Highland show was a very good event for DCB for several reasons. This event was
secured through a national agency which has raised the profile of the DCB and
may lead to future similar engagements.
The concert we
took part in with Chepstow Male Voice Choir was another very enjoyable evening,
as was the concert at Maryhill Church and Alan Cooper was thanked for his
efforts in organising that event.
Vicky was pleased
to report that the corporate concert at Ayr Town Hall had been very well
received by all who attended and hopes this may also lead to future
engagements.
The band’s success in Dundee at the national concert band
festival lead to a Gold Award and an invite to the National Final in Manchester
in March. Vicky thanked Robert Baxter (Musical Director) for his hard work in
getting the band up to that level and standard of playing.
The final
highlight Vicky spoke of was the concert in Henry Wood Hall in June. This was
one of our most successful concerts yet and Vicky thanked everyone involved in
what was a very enjoyable night for band and audience alike.
Vicky went on to
speak about target for the 2005-2006 session.
These are :
1. Continue to find ‘new’ concerts and
increase the fees for these.
2. Expand on our ‘own’ concert (eg Henry
Wood concert) and continue to explore new ideas
for this.
3. Increase the band finances and
budget effectively.
Set specific fundraising targets for
specific things.
Apply to trust funds for grants.
4. International Trip 2006.
5. Look for new rehearsal space in the
area. Priority is a hall with storage space and improved acoustic. This will be a priority for this year.
6. Hold more workshops and sectional
rehearsals.
At the end of her
report, Vicky asked for questions from the band:
Carolyn Irvine: Is there a new venue in mind?
Vicky: Killermont
Church is a possibility but nothing definite has been discussed.
If
any band members know of a possible venue, they were asked to contact
the committee.
No further
questions.
End of
Chairpersons report.
4. Secretary’s Report
Alison McCree
announced that the band address list had recently been updated and issued to
band members, but unfortunately had contained several typing errors so will be
re-issued in the near future. This would allow several more new players to be
added to the list also.
The Band Member
profiles which were first issued a couple of years ago are due for updating and
will be issued to all members over the next few weeks. Alison asked that these
be completed as fully as possible. A profile of the band membership is
increasingly being asked for when we make grant applications so it is important
that we keep these up-to-date.
No questions.
End of Secretary’s report.
5. Treasurer’s Report
Treasurer
Catriona Donald was unable to be at the meeting, so Vicky Evans gave a brief
financial report and explained that the accounts were now closed and about to
be audited. Vicky explained that an EGM would be announced in the near future
when Catriona would be present and able to take questions from the band and for
the accounts to be adopted and seconded.
A financial
statement was issued to the band. This showed a loss of £92.40, although there
is currently around £600 in the bank account. Despite closing with a loss,
Vicky pointed out that the Manchester trip was an unforeseen expenditure for
the band this year and making a small loss should not be considered as bad as
it may at first seem.
Questions from
the band:
Peter McKinnon: Could the proposed EGM be held as
early as possible (after the required 28 days notice) to give the new treasurer the
chance to start
this years accounts?
Vicky: Yes,
but we are going to wait until after the BASBWE concert at the
end of October so we don’t lose any more
rehearsal time for meetings before then.
Alan Cooper: The
financial statement makes no mention of tax relief and is DCB still a registered charity as there
was a mix up with forms during the year for this?
Vicky: This
will be checked with Catriona. The paperwork for charity status did get sorted out so DCB
should still be a registered charity.
Vicky will double check.
Ian Angus: Is
the band bank account in credit?
Vicky: Yes
Ian Angus: Mentioned
a set of cymbals that the band were possibly going to buy but these may not still be
available. Ian will check and inform Vicky.
No further
questions.
EGM to be
announced.
End of Treasurer’s report.
6. Musical Director’s Report
Robert Baxter
thanked everyone for a particularly good rehearsal this morning, saying that the
band sounds great!
He thanked the
band for the offer of the position as Musical Director for the next year and is
pleased to accept this.
2004-05 has been
a particularly good year for learning new music and Robert has noticed great
improvements in the bands’ sight reading and
increasing ability to learn new music quickly. This has allowed us to increase
the repertoire of the band more.
Lots of new
pieces have been brought into the music pads over the last session and this
one, and lots of ‘old favourites’ (such as Hooray for Hollywood) have been returned to
the library.
Winning a Gold
award at BASBWE was evidence to the band how far we have come in the last 5
years in terms of our playing and Robert was delighted by this.
Robert looked back
to the concert in June at Henry Wood Hall and thanked Alistair Savage in his
absence for his excellent solo work during the concert. He also thanked the
band for what was a very successful and interesting concert for the audience.
Robert endorsed
what Vicky had mentioned in her report about the targets being set for the
coming year.
His targets would
also include:
1. Look for another commissioned piece of
music if finances allow.
2. Try to use music that will push
advanced players and encourage everyone’s improvement.
3. Aim for a Gold again at BASBWE in
Motherwell, and if successful and invited, take part in the national finals in Glasgow in March 2006.
This had been discussed at committee
and was possibly not going to be planned for but Robert felt it would be a pity to miss the opportunity to
take part in the finals when they are
‘on our doorstep’ should
we be invited.
4. Record Arthur Main’s piece ‘Dunbartonshire’ and Peter Longworth’s piece ‘Leaf in
the Water’ in April / May of next year.
Finally, Robert
thanked all the band for their personal support over the last few months and
for the generous gifts given to Kate and himself following Anna’s birth in May.
No questions.
End of Musical
Director’s report.
7. Election / Re-Election of
Committee Members
Vicky announced
that instead of each individual committee being proposed and seconded, she
would read a complete list of the proposed committee and this could then be
adopted. Checking that this was acceptable and correct procedure, which it was,
the new committee is as follows:
Chairperson: Vicky
Evans (re-election)
Vice Chairperson: Collette Waller (new
role, existing committee member)
Secretary: Alison
McCree (re-election)
Treasurer: David
Broad (new
role, existing committee member)
Fundraising: Peter
McKinnon (new role, existing committee member)
Engagements: Vicky
Evans (until Dec) (re-election)
Librarian: David
Broad (re-election)
Ordinary Members: Derek Galloway (re-election)
Monika Mihm (new member - replaces Andrew
McCafferty)
Mark McDonald (new member - replaces Moyra
Hawthorn)
These were
proposed by John Gourlay and seconded by Jacqui McMahon.
Vicky
specifically thanked Andrew McCafferty who is standing down from the committee
for his work for DCB over a long period of time. She also thanked Catriona
Donald who is standing down from the committee for her work as Treasurer and
Moyra Hawthorn who is standing down as Vice Chairperson.
Vicky drew the
bands’ attention to other members of the band
who are not on the committee but who should be thanked for the work they do for
the band that some people may not be aware about. These are:
Webmaster: Alan
Cooper
Travel Group: Anneli
Demberg
Hall Lets: Collette
Waller
Registrar: Ken
Howkins
Press Office: Moira
Reid (Allan’s wife)
Newsletter: Alison
McCree & Moyra Hawthorn
And finally,
Musical Director - Robert Baxter.
The appointment
of Auditors followed.
Jane Caldwell is
standing down as an auditor so Richard Phelps had been asked to become an
auditor.
John Gourlay was
willing to continue as an auditor.
These were
proposed by Ian Angus and seconded by Ken Howkins.
8. Subscriptions
At this point,
Vicky thanked Robert Baxter for his contribution to the AGM and asked him to
leave so financial matters could be discussed.
A sheet was
issued to all members of the band which stated the current band subscription
rates and the proposed new rates which were being put forward by the committee.
The current rate
(unchanged for 3 years) is:
£60 full
members
£25 OAPs,
unemployed on benefits or full time education
The proposed new
rate is:
£70 full
members
£35 OAPs,
unemployed on benefits or full time education
Vicky stated
that this worked out at £1.33 or £0.88
per person, per rehearsal.
Reasons to
increase subs are: need to increase
the band income, they
want
to increase MD fees
current
rate unchanged for 3 years
Questions or
Comments from the band:
Jacqui McMahon: points out that the increase for the
reduced rate is greater than for the full rate.
Peter McKinnon: points out that while OAP is
considered over 65 by the band, there are
some retired people in the band not yet over 65 years.
Peter McKinnon: also, if there are people in the
band with specific hardship not in the reduced rate categories, please speak to a committee member,
as we will negotiate individual circumstances.
No further
comments were made, so a vote was taken.
There was a unanimous
vote in favour of a subscriptions increase, so a vote against was not
necessary.
9. Musical Directors Fees
The current
Musical Directors fees were stated on the sheet that had been handed out for
subscriptions.
The current rate
is:
£60 per rehearsal and
£70 per concert
The proposed
increased rate is:
£70 per rehearsal and
£80 per concert
Vicky stated that
Robert had specifically asked her to announce that he has not asked for an
increased fee.
Questions or
Comments from the band:
Allan Reid: When was the last increase?
Vicky: Last
year
Bill McLelland: Last
year, the members wanted to increase the fee more than the treasurer recommended, but went with
the treasurers advice. Is the
treasurer in agreement with this increase?
Vicky: Yes.
No further
comments were made, so a vote was taken.
Votes for an
increase MD fee: 21 votes
Votes against an
increase MD fee: 1 votes
Abstentions: 7
votes
As there was a
clear majority for the increase, the MD fees will increase as stated above.
10. AOCB (any other competent
business)
a) Anneli Demberg: BASBWE competition
October 30th. Time of completion to be confirmed.
Peter McKinnon: Will there be a bus?
Vicky: Bus may be arranged, but it
may be easier and more cost effective for band to arrange lifts in peoples cars instead. This will be discussed
at next rehearsal.
b) Alan Cooper asked if trustees needed to
be re-appointed at this meeting. Vicky explained
that they did not, but that they were going to be discussed at the next committee meeting anyway and this
would then allow for re-appointments or new appointments.
c) Andrew McCafferty announced that the
tour committee (Anneli, Moyra, Andrew and
Alison) had met several times
over the summer and would be announcing the proposal f or the 2006 tour in the near future as some further
research was ongoing.
d) Subs: Please pay in the next couple of
weeks now that costs have been decided!
e) Ken Howkins: Please phone or e-mail if
unable to attend concerts or rehearsals.
f) Peter McKinnon: Killermont Church is a
possible new venue and although storage is not currently
available there is a possibility that it may become available. Should he pursue
this in the meantime?
Vicky: Will discuss at next
committee meeting.
There was no further business to discuss and Vicky closed the meeting at 12:55.