Minutes of the Annual General Meeting 2015
Held on Saturday 30th January 2016 At Harberwain Farm, Shap, Penrith CA10 3LL
Meeting started at 6.30pm prompt (broke for dinner part way through)
1. Apologies for Absence
Lulu Thomas, James Hodgson, Aaron and Marie, Jane Nelson, Becci and Adam, Dan Hughes, Helen Perriman, Neil Tranter, Chris Dolan, Newton Bowmer and family, Ruth Morrison, Talon, Jenni and family
2. Minutes of the Annual General Meeting 2014 approved unanimously
3. Reports on Events during 2015
3.1. Chair’s report
The year went well overall, “I only had to have words with people twice quietly, hopefully so quietly they didn’t really notice” There were more events than in previous years although despite some being not very well attended they went well. Everyone seemed to have a good time and everyone seems happy so that’s fine. Our return to Appleby went well all things considered and the other new events went well too. Of course everything always has room for improvement and we should continue to develop and research what we do.
3.2. Events attended in 2015
Towton Palm Sunday Re-enactment [frei co]
Barnoldswick St Georges Day [RWS] • Went well. Was great fun. Had to borrow people to make it work
Skipton Castle [RWS] • As usual went well
Skipton Sheep Day [RWS] • Went well but getting the numbers again was very difficult
Tewkesbury Medieval Festival [TMF] • Went well though camp was difficult to locate when most people were turning up Ightenhill, Burnley [RWS] • Just Wesley and Alison – great fun, two was enough
Appleby Castle [RWS] • Mostly good but water and facilities slightly problematic • People were disappointed as entrance fee was high and visitors couldn’t see the castle as it was closed
Muncaster Castle [RWS] • Went very well. Use of indoor space was invaluable
4. Other Activities during 2015
Agreed List of acquisitions and improvements
Pottery – purchased, now fully stocked again
Mini field kitchen fire – purchased, works well
Mini first aid kit (including rehydration sachets) – kept in armoury and taken on field, main first aid in Kitchen tent
Bill rack – ongoing, order to be finalised with Lucy the Tudor Alison and Wesley
Wind break – no longer required
Quintain – ongoing Matt
Tabbards for Knight School – Aaron? Dan N to check
Authentic bows for adults have a go – Not required
Posters – electronic version available from Wesley useful for occasional use and for use for venues who book us along with general publicity pack
Signs Wesley and Jules • Armoury Disclaimer
CAUTION This armoury contains REAL weapons.
Items may be sharp and/or heavy. Children must be supervised at all times.
DO NOT touch any item unless it is handed to you”
Arena signs x 2?
DANGER Do not cross the barrier
Children's drill kit – sorted except Flagpole holsters x 2 required Matt
Stocks – now fixed Dan N
Awning for forge required Dan N & Aaron
Racking and organisation in storage – completed and working well. Plastic boxes and packing keep out the rats…
5. Financial Issues
5.1. Financial Report (attached, Appendix 1)
Society requires £900 per year to operate, of which £400 comes through subs. Therefore we require more than 2 events per year and or an increase in subs (see below)
5.2. Price of Subs and Due Date
Unanimously agreed to increase subs to £20pa per adult (£10 unwaged), children of members free, Friends of the Society £10 (Friend status to be awarded to various individuals for services rendered Sebastian Fattorini, members of the Frei Companie and Scots Guards who have helped at events, Guthrie (Company of St Margaret), Terry the Alchemist, Peter at Appleby, the folks who made the video at Muncaster, Guy the photographer, Tony Wallace (Ferrers) Year end is 31st December. Subs this year are due by end February and in following years will be due by 31st January. This will enable us to keep our obligations wrt accurate timely subs to the Federation of the Wars of the Roses
5.3. Cost of Storage is currently £40 per month (£480 per year) See costs in 5.1
6. Election of Committee for 2016
6.1. Following unanimous agreement the Committee is now
Treasurer and Membership secretary - Matt
Chairman – Dan N
Vice Chair (Chair next year) – Wesley
Website - Wesley
Secretary - Alison
Archery Captain – Jules
Health and Safety – James and Jules
Member without portfolio - David
6.2. Non Committee jobs
Cook – Sheila. All help welcome as it is a mammoth task
Beer Captain – Neil (who has to buy all the beer)
Deputy Archery Captain - Neil
Publicity and Marketing – Hughes family? David to ask
7. Recruitment, membership, publicity
7.1. Will add friends (see 5.2) and produce membership cards (Wesley) for both members and friends. Cards can be laminated.
7.2. Friends can receive a copy of adapted warning orders as a kind of newsletter (Alison)
7.3. Friends invited to “annual BBQ” Sept, Appleby, evening (Wesley and Alison)
7.4. Recruitment is important to increase membership so that we can remain sustainable (see 5.1) and do a couple more events reliably.
8. Planned Activities for 2016
8.1. How many should we have? We have 6 booked for 2016 with 1 more possible (Skipton Sheep Day). Members should please try to commit to attend 3 to 4 minimum.
8.2. On the table at the moment – do we need to sharpen up anything we do?
17th - 20th March – Towton. Wesley and James? Plus anyone else who wants to will walk to Towton from Skipton in kit. 45 miles, will take 3 days. Planned to meet with others also walking to Towton from other places.
23rd April (turn up 22nd, leave 24th) St George’s Day Barnoldswick [RWS] • Two nights camping, food provided, roughly same as last year – two stints on square, play, knight school, parade round town etc • Invite Scots Guard etc
28th – 30th May - Skipton Castle [RWS] • Usual with addition of pewter casting and forge on gravelled area near bluebells • Invite others
9th – 10th July - Tewkesbury Medieval Festival [TMF] (Wesley acting captain)(Sheila is doing Schools Day again in the days preceding the event – please contact her if you wish to join in)
30th – 31st July Appleby Castle [RWS] • Invite friends (Wesley)
27th – 29th August - Muncaster Castle [RWS] • They enjoyed the casting/forge last year • Terry will be joining us for meals etc • Alison to ask if the room can be available again • Beat the tide will be on again
11th September – Appleby Heritage Weekend [RWS] (camping night before) Invite friends (Wesley)
9. Any Other Business
9.1. Breakfast is not the cook’s job. First one up should light the fire, anyone can cook
9.2. Kitchen help is ALWAYS required. If you find yourself at a loose end please volunteer…..
9.3. Website is doing well
9.4. Training is offered – archery, venue near Barnoldswick – discuss on Facebook group
9.5. Transport for Dan’s set up and Jules’s Forge and Wesley’s kiln is additional difficulty. Any thoughts from anyone who didn’t attend the AGM would be welcome
9.6. Improving the archery display would be good. Use Sheila’s tent, Neil to man? Fletching etc? Jules to talk to Neil
9.7. The boss (Dan) says there is ALWAYS room to improve.
Meeting finished 10pm
Meeting started at 6.30pm prompt (broke for dinner part way through)
1. Apologies for Absence
Lulu Thomas, James Hodgson, Aaron and Marie, Jane Nelson, Becci and Adam, Dan Hughes, Helen Perriman, Neil Tranter, Chris Dolan, Newton Bowmer and family, Ruth Morrison, Talon, Jenni and family
2. Minutes of the Annual General Meeting 2014 approved unanimously
3. Reports on Events during 2015
3.1. Chair’s report
The year went well overall, “I only had to have words with people twice quietly, hopefully so quietly they didn’t really notice” There were more events than in previous years although despite some being not very well attended they went well. Everyone seemed to have a good time and everyone seems happy so that’s fine. Our return to Appleby went well all things considered and the other new events went well too. Of course everything always has room for improvement and we should continue to develop and research what we do.
3.2. Events attended in 2015
Towton Palm Sunday Re-enactment [frei co]
Barnoldswick St Georges Day [RWS] • Went well. Was great fun. Had to borrow people to make it work
Skipton Castle [RWS] • As usual went well
Skipton Sheep Day [RWS] • Went well but getting the numbers again was very difficult
Tewkesbury Medieval Festival [TMF] • Went well though camp was difficult to locate when most people were turning up Ightenhill, Burnley [RWS] • Just Wesley and Alison – great fun, two was enough
Appleby Castle [RWS] • Mostly good but water and facilities slightly problematic • People were disappointed as entrance fee was high and visitors couldn’t see the castle as it was closed
Muncaster Castle [RWS] • Went very well. Use of indoor space was invaluable
4. Other Activities during 2015
Agreed List of acquisitions and improvements
Pottery – purchased, now fully stocked again
Mini field kitchen fire – purchased, works well
Mini first aid kit (including rehydration sachets) – kept in armoury and taken on field, main first aid in Kitchen tent
Bill rack – ongoing, order to be finalised with Lucy the Tudor Alison and Wesley
Wind break – no longer required
Quintain – ongoing Matt
Tabbards for Knight School – Aaron? Dan N to check
Authentic bows for adults have a go – Not required
Posters – electronic version available from Wesley useful for occasional use and for use for venues who book us along with general publicity pack
Signs Wesley and Jules • Armoury Disclaimer
CAUTION This armoury contains REAL weapons.
Items may be sharp and/or heavy. Children must be supervised at all times.
DO NOT touch any item unless it is handed to you”
Arena signs x 2?
DANGER Do not cross the barrier
Children's drill kit – sorted except Flagpole holsters x 2 required Matt
Stocks – now fixed Dan N
Awning for forge required Dan N & Aaron
Racking and organisation in storage – completed and working well. Plastic boxes and packing keep out the rats…
5. Financial Issues
5.1. Financial Report (attached, Appendix 1)
Society requires £900 per year to operate, of which £400 comes through subs. Therefore we require more than 2 events per year and or an increase in subs (see below)
5.2. Price of Subs and Due Date
Unanimously agreed to increase subs to £20pa per adult (£10 unwaged), children of members free, Friends of the Society £10 (Friend status to be awarded to various individuals for services rendered Sebastian Fattorini, members of the Frei Companie and Scots Guards who have helped at events, Guthrie (Company of St Margaret), Terry the Alchemist, Peter at Appleby, the folks who made the video at Muncaster, Guy the photographer, Tony Wallace (Ferrers) Year end is 31st December. Subs this year are due by end February and in following years will be due by 31st January. This will enable us to keep our obligations wrt accurate timely subs to the Federation of the Wars of the Roses
5.3. Cost of Storage is currently £40 per month (£480 per year) See costs in 5.1
6. Election of Committee for 2016
6.1. Following unanimous agreement the Committee is now
Treasurer and Membership secretary - Matt
Chairman – Dan N
Vice Chair (Chair next year) – Wesley
Website - Wesley
Secretary - Alison
Archery Captain – Jules
Health and Safety – James and Jules
Member without portfolio - David
6.2. Non Committee jobs
Cook – Sheila. All help welcome as it is a mammoth task
Beer Captain – Neil (who has to buy all the beer)
Deputy Archery Captain - Neil
Publicity and Marketing – Hughes family? David to ask
7. Recruitment, membership, publicity
7.1. Will add friends (see 5.2) and produce membership cards (Wesley) for both members and friends. Cards can be laminated.
7.2. Friends can receive a copy of adapted warning orders as a kind of newsletter (Alison)
7.3. Friends invited to “annual BBQ” Sept, Appleby, evening (Wesley and Alison)
7.4. Recruitment is important to increase membership so that we can remain sustainable (see 5.1) and do a couple more events reliably.
8. Planned Activities for 2016
8.1. How many should we have? We have 6 booked for 2016 with 1 more possible (Skipton Sheep Day). Members should please try to commit to attend 3 to 4 minimum.
8.2. On the table at the moment – do we need to sharpen up anything we do?
17th - 20th March – Towton. Wesley and James? Plus anyone else who wants to will walk to Towton from Skipton in kit. 45 miles, will take 3 days. Planned to meet with others also walking to Towton from other places.
23rd April (turn up 22nd, leave 24th) St George’s Day Barnoldswick [RWS] • Two nights camping, food provided, roughly same as last year – two stints on square, play, knight school, parade round town etc • Invite Scots Guard etc
28th – 30th May - Skipton Castle [RWS] • Usual with addition of pewter casting and forge on gravelled area near bluebells • Invite others
9th – 10th July - Tewkesbury Medieval Festival [TMF] (Wesley acting captain)(Sheila is doing Schools Day again in the days preceding the event – please contact her if you wish to join in)
30th – 31st July Appleby Castle [RWS] • Invite friends (Wesley)
27th – 29th August - Muncaster Castle [RWS] • They enjoyed the casting/forge last year • Terry will be joining us for meals etc • Alison to ask if the room can be available again • Beat the tide will be on again
11th September – Appleby Heritage Weekend [RWS] (camping night before) Invite friends (Wesley)
9. Any Other Business
9.1. Breakfast is not the cook’s job. First one up should light the fire, anyone can cook
9.2. Kitchen help is ALWAYS required. If you find yourself at a loose end please volunteer…..
9.3. Website is doing well
9.4. Training is offered – archery, venue near Barnoldswick – discuss on Facebook group
9.5. Transport for Dan’s set up and Jules’s Forge and Wesley’s kiln is additional difficulty. Any thoughts from anyone who didn’t attend the AGM would be welcome
9.6. Improving the archery display would be good. Use Sheila’s tent, Neil to man? Fletching etc? Jules to talk to Neil
9.7. The boss (Dan) says there is ALWAYS room to improve.
Meeting finished 10pm
