LOUGHBOROUGH TWINNING ASSOCIATION

Minutes of the Annual General meeting held on Wednesday May 23rd 2007 in the Town Hall

There were 31 members present and apologies were received from Pauline Hallam, Maureen Ward, Jancis Barlow, Barbara Feely, David Wolfe, Margaret Duncan, Peter Lewis, Les Bailey, David and Pat Griffiths, Diana Bass, Phil Cobb, Max Hunt, Douglas Maw

  1. The Mayor, as President, welcomed everyone, mentioned his own experience of twinning and expressed the hope that links will be maintained and that there could be more events for young people.  The Chairman David Walker also stressed the importance of young people and mentioned that grandchildren had enjoyed family link visits

  2. The minutes of the meeting on May 24th 2006 were approved.

  3. Matters arising:
    The chairman re-iterated his appreciation of the hard work by the Borough Council and members of the LTA to ensure the success of the golden jubilee celebrations in 2006
    The mayor thanked David Walker for his commitment, enthusiasm and ability during his distinguished term of office as chairman. He had built personal relations with the four twin towns and shown himself keen to broaden twinning into business and economic links. He also thanked him for his work for the jubilee celebrations.

  4. The Mayor then asked for nominations for chairman

  5. Raymond Mason was proposed by David Walker, seconded by Hazel Meredith and elected.

  6.  Raymond Mason took the chair. He thanked the meeting for entrusting him with the office. In saying what a hard act he had to follow he stressed how much David had helped us to enjoy twinning. Among his achievements he picked out the newsletter (and hoped that David would continue this), his great efforts to secure EU funding and his personal commitment to the link with Zamosc. He thanked Claire for the way that she had opened their home to numerous parties, which added so much to the fun of twinning. Hazel then presented a book to David and a bottle of wine to Claire

Raymond took the opportunity to express sincere thanks to Phill Symonds for his term as vice-chairman and for his dedication in particular to the family link. Best wishes were sent to Lynn on her birthday and Hazel presented a bottle of wine to Phill

The following officers were elected

Vice-Chairman: Colin Salsbury proposed by David Walker seconded by Phill Symonds

Immediate past Chairman: David Walker. He expressed his appreciation to Hazel and Richard Meredith for their help and enthusiasm and to David Hogg for his assiduous work on the accounts during his time as chairman
Secretary: Hazel Meredith, proposed by David Walker; seconded by Raymond Mason
Minutes Secretary: Richard Meredith proposed by David Walker; seconded by Raymond Mason

Treasurer: David Hogg, proposed by Raymond Mason, seconded by Hazel Meredith
Council Representatives (nominated by Charnwood Council in 2007)
Councillors  David Goss, Jewel Miah

The following had been elected to represent individual groups on the Executive Committee
Schwäbisch Hall   Pauline Hallam
Epinal                   Jenny Carter
Gembloux             Phill Symonds
Zamosc                 Sue Hunt
Bhavnagar            Daphne Beale

There remained a minimum of three and a maximum of six additional places.
The following were proposed, seconded and elected:
Mavis Mason, John Graham, Amrat Bava, David Wolfe, Ken Pacey, Betty James

Note: David Walker has written to Bernard Smith to thank him for his lengthy term of office on the Executive and in particular for his meticulous work on the constitution of the association

7. Accounts. David Hogg presented the accounts, which he said were straightforward. He expressed the Association’s thanks to the Borough Council for the grant of £1,550 towards the administration of the LTA and hospitality for groups from the twin towns. He explained that the accounts for each of the groups were in a satisfactory state and that it was important to have money in hand for future visits.

Derek Buxton proposed and Ken Pacey seconded the adoption of the accounts. This was carried unanimously. Raymond Mason thanked David Hogg for his work.He in turn expressed thanks to Yvonne Minfie for her work in auditing the accounts.  Patricia Staples proposed and David Walker seconded that she should be re-appointed. This was carried and David Hogg suggested that the secretary should write to thank her and give her a bottle of wine as a token of our appreciation.

8 The AGM for 2008 will be on Wednesday May 21st

9 AOB

Ken Pacey handed to the Mayor a book about Zamosc entrusted to him by the President of Zamosc.

Hazel asked if anyone could offer to have a 17-year-old girl from Epinal for two or three weeks in July

Following coffee and biscuits David Walker gave an excellent presentation entitled “Highlights of Twinning”. He showed its origins as a way of bringing people together after the war, the debt to Jean Monnet, the 12 million euros available for twinning (for both civic links and the meeting of citizens) and how slow the UK is to access this money. He showed pictures of key events in each of the twin towns and focussed on the importance which twinning has for Zamosc in creating relationships and the way that people can feel they are part of a wider family

The evening concluded with sincere thanks by the Mayor who expressed his confidence in the Association and his pleasure at the breadth of interest and commitment, which David had demonstrated