AGM Agenda - Wednesday 17th November 2021

 

Please find below a copy of the previous Annual General Meeting’s Minutes. In a bid to try and reduce our carbon footprint and save paper, there will be VERY limited printed copies at the meeting. Should you wish to have a printed copy at the meeting, please could you print your own copy or alternatively, screenshot this on your phone and tablet and bring that with you! 

Annual General Meeting

 

East Anglian Sheepdog Society

Wednesday 20th November 2019 at 7.30pm

 

Stowmarket Rugby Club, Clifton Way, 

Stowmarket, Suffolk, IP14 1SZ

 

MINUTES

1. Apologies for Absence

Dudley Edmunds, Denise Chapman, Fred Chapman, Sarah Jenkins, Denny Allen, Jerry Moloney, Gerry Foster, Claire Lyster, Ricky Hutchinson, Megan Hutchinson

 

2. Members Present

Graham Baldry, Grace Baldry-Roberts, Ed Thornalley, Sally Else, Den Else, Margaret Angood, Denis Jenkins, Gill Bharakhda, Tony Bharakhda, Niki Wilden, Bob Wilden, Kath Perry, Wendy Cole, JaneMatthews, Ed Hawkins, Andrea Bartram, Meg Wilson

 

3. Minutes of the 2018 Meeting

• Kath Perry handed out to Members present

 

4. Matters Arising from the Minutes

• No matters arising

 

5. Chairman’s Report

Ed Thornalley reads report, Grace Baldry-Roberts to make available online (Facebook & Website).

 

Welcome everyone to the AGM; it's nice to see so many faces, and particularly some new ones.

 

I believe the East Anglian Sheepdog Society is one of the strongest societies in the country. Since its reformation in 1976, I think it has gone from strength to strength; progressively adapting for its members and the changes within the sheep industry throughout East Anglia. I'm sure that Richard Seabrook and the other founding members would be very proud to see it today. I believe we offer more to our members than any other society for every level of dog, competitor and handler; from absolute beginners right through to International team handlers. The sheep industry has changed dramatically since those early days of our Society; back then there were much larger sheep numbers within East Anglia, with many estates carrying large breeding ewe flocks. Whereas now, the breeding numbers within our area have lessened and the focus is now more on store lamb finishing or running gimmers. Gone are the days of Ingham sheep sale; three sales through the Summer selling up to 10,000 sheep at the main August sale. However, as a Society, we have adapted; securing venues and sheep to enable us to continue toput on trials. We now put on more trials than ever, with Open trials taking place in every month throughout the Summer and a very full Winter Nursery series.

 

This is all due to the incredibly hard work that YOUR Committee put in; thanklessly and tirelessly. Unlike many societies in the UK, we don't have many farmer or shepherd members, so for many of our trials, there is quite a logistical job to cart handling systems, trial course, toilets - not to mention in many cases, the sheep to the venue! This work is often carried out by the same few people for every trial and often at their own personal expense in fuel, not to mention time, so please all be aware of this.

 

At the risk of repeating what I wrote in the last newsletter, I would like to thank the whole Committee for their work in making our Society what it is, and I would (again) like to thank the "unseen heroes" of our Society. Whilst it is perhaps unfair to single anyone out, I feel it's important that all members realise the hard work that goes on behind the scenes. So I would particularly like to thank Kath Perry for her hard work as Treasurer and Open Trials Secretary, Grace Baldry-Roberts for her work as Society Secretary, and also the non-dog running members of our Society, namely Den Else, Claire Lyster and Denis Jenkins.

 

On a final note, I would like to thank the Society itself for allowing me to be Chairman for the past 2 years; a position I consider to be an honour as personally I owe the Society so much. A long time ago, when I knew nothing about sheep or dogs, I met a man names Will Grey. Shepherd on Elveden Estate, Will introduced me to sheep and dogs, and in fact gave me a pup called Millie. He then suggested I join the Society. On the rare occasion things go well on the trial field, I want to thank Will - but more often than not, I want to blame him for introducing me to the most addictive drug I have ever taken! It's a lifelong affliction with many more lows than highs - I often mutter to myself "it's Will Grey's fault". However, I believe that the occasional highs far outweigh the lows, so on that note, let's all try and work to make OUR Society even better!

 

Ed Thornalley

Chairman

 

 

6. Treasurer’s Report

• Committee Members expenses can be claimed, at present and historically no one has claimed expenses before. Not normally shown in accounts but we wanted it to be from this year onwards.

• Society Expenses would be at a loss of £1600 if we removed the sponsorship that we have receivedthis year and if Members had taken their expenses (i.e. Secretary and Treasurer for their time and trial organisers for fuel). 

 

7. Nominations for New Committee

Members Nominated	Nominated by	Seconded
Ed Thornalley	Kath Perry	Grace Baldry-Roberts
Grace Baldry-Roberts	Ed Thornalley	Wendy Cole
Ed Hawkins	Ed Thornalley	Grace Baldry-Roberts
Graham Baldry	Grace Baldry-Roberts	Jane Matthews
Kath Perry	Graham Baldry	Ed Hawkins
Denis Jenkins	Meg Wilson	Ed Thornalley
Sally Else	Ed Thornalley	Meg Wilson
Den Else	Kath Perry	Grace Baldry-Roberts
Bob Wilden	Jane Matthews	Kath Perry
Meg Wilson	Ed Thornalley	Bob Wilden
NEW MEMBERS
Andrea Bartram	Ed Thornalley	Grace Baldry-Roberts
Margaret Angood	Kath Perry	Niki Wilden

 

8. Proposed Amendments to Constitution

1) The East Anglian Nursery season start date should be the first of October each year, regardless of the date of the first Nursery trial.

I therefore propose that in our Constitution, under section 7 – ‘Rules for Trials’, and in the first section –that the following sentence should be added:

“The EASS Nursery season start date shall be the first of October each year, regardless of the date of the first Nursery trial.”

Proposed by Ed Thornalley & Seconded by Ed Hawkins

 

• Graham Baldry: Only question is why is it October? Why not earlier?

• Ed Thornalley: Just a date for the proposal, we can’t change it now, but could change it at a future AGM. 

• Denis Jenkins: Essence of it is correct. We have Ickworth in October and Intersociety and EASS Championship. It tidies it up and we need to stay in line with the rest of the country. 

• Vote – All in Favour

 

2) The Committee of the East Anglian Sheepdog Society shall have the authority to award free annual membership to any non-dog running member, who in the Committee’s view, works above and beyond for the Society. This will only be awarded by unanimous decision of the Committee.

I therefore propose that in our Constitution, under section 4 – ‘Constitution’ – a further member type be added as 

6) Non-Dog Running Honorary Member

And in the following section, that the sentence be added as item g):

“g) The Committee shall have the authority to award free annual membership to any non-dog running member who, in the Committee’s view, works aboveand beyond for the Society. This will only be awarded by unanimous decision of the Committee.”

Proposed by Ed Thornalley & Seconded by Ed Hawkins

 

• Ed Thornalley: Got rid of joint membership last yearand occurred to me that we have non-dog running members that work hard and get nothing out of the Society but charge them membership as you must be a Member of the EASS to be on the Committee.It will be an annual membership and reviewedevery year; not to be confused with Honorary Membership. 

• Jane Matthews: I can see points. But HonoraryMembership status already states very similar point.The terminology of the proposal is wrong. 

• Ed Thornalley: But this is an annual membership, will be reviewed yearly, not awarded for life.

• Denis Jenkins: Principle is good

• Bob Wilden: I don’t think we should get bogged down by the terminology and not vote for it on that basis. 

• Vote – 16 in favour, 1 against – proposal passed 

 

9. Any Other Business / General Discussion

Discussion of Cradle Trial

• Denis Jenkins: Ed Thornalley has been instrumental in returning Cradle to our Winter trial season. There has been debate about it being on a Saturday, with the Nursery/Novice on the same field the following day – with regards to some people using the Saturday as a practise before Sunday. Shouldcontinue to be the preserve of the beginner, not a practise for Nursery dogs before the trial on the Sunday. My point is, should we be allowing anybody that is not a Novice handler to run in the Cradle? Could there be a class within the Cradle for the Novice Handler? The Novice Handler could therefore run on the Saturday and Sunday. 

• Ed Thornalley: Have novice handler class at my next cradle trial? To be discussed at next Committee meeting. 

• Niki Wilden: Could you clarify? If you run in cradle on Sat, then Nursery on Sun, can you back to Cradle? 

• Ed Thornalley: Yes, so long as you haven’t been placed in a Nursery trial (1st-4th)

• Looking into Constitution, we need to change definition of Novice Handler and remove “placed in 2 Open/Novices” – maybe call EGM to discuss that

• Members Opinion – Should we keep Cradle for Novice Handlers?

• Wendy Cole: I think it is but no harm in specifying, no harm in tidying it up.

• Ed Thornalley: Totally agree.

• Grace Baldry-Roberts: I agree.

• Bob Wilden: I have a different view. You could argue that at Nursery trial you are allowed to run a dog that has been placed in Open so why not Cradle. It could bring the standard up. I think an experienced dog would help not hinder. 

• Niki Wilden: Surely someone experienced wouldn’tenter it unless it was genuinely for the experiencefor them or the dog? For me, the cradle is for the experience for me and for my dog. .

• Ed Thornalley: *aimed at Margaret and Andrea* At your first cradle trial; if someone had had a really good run, would you have felt encouraged or put off?

• Margaret Angood: Not put off; I think what's more important is the atmosphere and knowing that someone would be there to help or advise.

• Andrea Bartram: For me it’s both, I have been helped a lot, advised etc. Other people were working on similar problems and that made me feel more comfortable.

• Margaret Angood: There is less pressure running it on Saturday.

• Graham Baldry: I agree, remember why we moved it to Saturday in the first place. 

• General feeling – complete preserve of novice handlers?

– 9 for 

– 5 against 

• General feeling – should novice handlers be allowed to run on both days?

– all for 

 

Annual Dinner

• Booked 15th February 2020

• Gipping Valley Suite, Best Western, Claydon 

• Got Nursery/Novice Championship on the Saturday and hoping to have Cradle on Sunday

• Got a reduced rate for rooms

 

10. Meeting Date for the New Committee

Wednesday 27th November 2019 – 7.30pm

11. Close of Meeting

21:20