Minutes of The Royal Photographic Society of Great Britain Annual General Meeting held at the Smethwick Photographic Society, The Old Schoolhouse, Oldbury B69 2AS at 5.30 p.m. on Saturday 27 September 2008.

AGM08/01 MINUTES 

Proposed by Mr. J Simpson ARPS that the Minutes of the Annual General Meeting held on the 13 October 2007 were signed as a true record of the proceeding.  Seconded by Dr. R Jacobson ASIS Hon FRPS and carried unanimously.

Before proceeding to next business the President Dr B Senior Hon FRPS reported that the recommendation at the 2007 AGM that the processes of the 2007- 2009 election should be investigated had been followed.  An independent Board of Inquiry had been convened and had concluded that there had been no breach of procedure which would make the election unfair or unsafe.  Their report had been published in full.  Mr. J Page Hon FRPS asked for confirmation that The Society considered the matters relating to the 2007-2009 Society Elections, as recorded in full in the minutes of that meeting, now closed.  Dr. Senior, on behalf of  Council,  confirmed this to be the case.  There was no dissention from the meeting.

AGM08/02 REPORT AND ACCOUNTS FOR 2006

Mr. Bailey LRPS, Hon. Treasurer, gave a summary of the consolidated accounts for the year ended 31 December 2007, said accounts showing a deficit of £5.7k. He advised that total Income was up by some £116k over the previous year and Expenditure had increased by £111k.  Mr. Bailey further added that there had been an increase in the value of Society assets of £22.6k and that cash reserves had also increased by £42k.  Mr. Bailey however stressed the need for caution in the current economic climate and stated that with the volatility of the stock market The Society’s investments would probably decrease in the year

Proposed by Mr. Bailey that the Trustees Report and Accounts for the year be adopted.
Seconded by Mrs. M. Albright ARPS and carried unanimously.

AGM08/03 SOCIETY AUDITORS

Proposed by Dr. Ansary FRPS that Council be authorised to appoint and agree a fee for the Society Auditors in 2008. 
Seconded by Mr. Page and carried unanimously.

AGM08/04 SPECIAL RESOLUTION

As an introduction to the Special Resolution concerning the revision of the Rules the chairman invited Mr. Birch ASIS FRPS to outline the proposed changes.  Mr Birch reported that at the request of Council he had chaired a working party comprising the elected members of the Advisory Board with the mandate to revise the Rules to remove any ambiguities without changing the intent. The revised Rules had been checked by Stone King Sewell LLP to ensure legal clarity and compliance with the Bye Laws   Mr. Cucksey ARPS queried the reference to the Advisory Board in Rule 4.3, stating that it did not cover all members of the Board.  It was explained that Rule 4.3 concerns the elected members and Mr. Cucksey was referred to By-Law 15.1 which specifies all members of the Advisory Board

The Special Resolution as follows was put to the meeting:

Pursuant to Article 16 of The Society’s Royal Charter, that The Rules of The Society contained in the document produced to the meeting and for the purpose of identification signed by the chairman thereof be approved and adopted as the Rules of The Society in substitution for and to the exclusion of all existing Rules thereof.

This was proposed by Mr. Reynolds Hon. FRPS, seconded by Dr. Buckley-Sharp ARPS and carried with two abstentions and no votes against. 

There being no further business the Chairman declared the meeting closed at 6.05 p.m.