MINUTES OF THE 59th ANNUAL GENERAL MEEETING
OF THE FRIENDS OF ST PAUL’S CATHEDRAL
HELD ON WEDNESDAY 4th JULY 2012
IN THE “OBE” CHAPEL, ST PAUL’S CATHEDRAL
1. PRAYERS
The Chairman, the Very Reverend Dr David Ison, Dean of St Paul’s, welcomed
everyone and opened the meeting with prayers for the Cathedral and for the Friends
including those who have died or who could not attend through sickness.
2. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
Over 200 Friends attended. Apologies for absence were received from:
The Bishop of London
The Lord Mayor of London
David Ford
Ken and Pam Francis
J Harris
B Haunch
Kay Hausden
Mervyn Hogg
Lindsay Lea
D S Startup
Jean Stokes
Peter Thorogood
Michael Topliss
D W Wright
Michael Osborn
Philip Hill
Mr & Mrs Kershaw
Jonathan Lewin
3. MINUTES OF THE AGM HELD ON 8 JULY 2011
The Minutes were approved and signed by the Chairman. There were no matters
arising.
4. SECRETARY’S REPORT
The Secretary started by noting the Friends’ own Diamond Jubilee: 60 years ago the
Friends were formed and, by Thursday 21st May 1953, at “five thirty o’clock” and just
12 days before the Coronation, The Queen Mother was here for the first Friends’
Festival entitled “The Festival of the Friends of Saint Paul’s and Commemoration of
Benefactors.” At it, the then Dean Matthews led the Friends in prayers for many
people: St Mellitus and St Erconwald, Kings William I and Charles II, several Bishops
of London, Christopher Wren and those who became the Friends, the members of
the St Paul’s Watch, and to “those who in later days by their labours and generosity
contributed to its adornment and to the works of preservation.” This theme of
thanksgiving would be reflected in the subsequent Festival evensong at which three
previous Secretaries would each read an intercession: Robin Sherlock, Robin
Bawtree and Patrick Wilkins, who between them covered almost a 20-year period:
their predecessors Johanna Peebles and James Salandin were invited but both were
unable to attend, for different reasons; together they would have covered over 40 of
the 60 years. The Festival is the annual opportunity to thank everyone for their
Friendship for St Paul’s whilst also enabling everyone to meet and share their
common love of St Paul’s. The Royal Patron, HRH The Duchess of Gloucester,
would be attending the evensong, chorister recital and part of the reception. The
cathedral continues to be most grateful for her enthusiasm for, and interest in, St
Paul’s and our community.
The Secretary reported on the results of the questionnaire earlier in the year, which
some 150 (roughly 7%) out of 2,650 Friends answered, which revealed that just over
half joined the Friends as a way of supporting the cathedral, about a third to support
its mission and roughly a quarter mentioned particularly their desire to “get involved
and to belong.” The most popular aspects which Friends claimed to like best were
the services (55%), the music (50%), the atmosphere (47%) and the building and its
beauty (44%).
In trying to harness this affection, the social events programme now aims for at least
one in each of the four seasons, over and above the summer Festival and Advent.
Some 25 came to Fenton House in Hampstead one windy wet May evening, and the
rather hotter June trip around the 2 Grocers churches and their livery hall quickly
attracted its maximum of 70 so is being repeated for a further 70 in October.
Future events will be announced in the September mailing of the next Dome
magazine.
Throughout the past year, Council began to look at the various constitutional
documents, to see if anything would benefit from updating or consolidation, helped
enormously by two members of Council being professional lawyers.
The Council made two new financial commitments to the cathedral – one, matched
by an anonymous donor, to give each member of staff an M&S voucher at Christmas,
at the height of the Occupy protest, a gesture hugely appreciated by all cathedral
staff, many having to deal with difficult issues on a daily basis; and one this year to
contribute half the cost of new curtains for the gates to the Dean’s and Minor
Canons’ aisles and behind the organist; the current curtains it is believed have been
in place since the 1950s.
Council has also regularly debated the notion of a subscription increase but have felt
that the time of the Occupy protest, and its aftermath, not to mention the economic
downturn, were not the best times to bring this in. It is likely that one will be
introduced in 2013. A new colour leaflet to promote the Friends has been
introduced, and a variety of special offers and ideas used to attract new, preferably
long-term Friends. New-look membership cards had been sent out at renewal and,
at long last, subs will soon be collectable through the more cost-effective Direct
Debit system. The desk calendars at Christmas were well-received. Friends are
being mailed more regularly because costs of so doing are being pared, aiming for
more communication than less.
The Secretary paid particular tribute to Heidi le Grange for her work on the Friends
and thanked her, Ben Nikolay and Matthew Lagden also.
He concluded by expressing thanks to Bishop Graeme Knowles for his Chairmanship
of, and enthusiasm for, the Friends whilst Dean of St Paul’s, before his regrettable
untimely departure; and he warmly welcomed Dr David Ison as his successor both
as Dean and as our Chairman, together with his wife Hilary, who have both already
made a great and positive impact upon the cathedral community.
There were no questions.
5. CHAIRMAN’S REPORT
After only six weeks in post, and seven years as Dean of Bradford, the Dean is keen
to focus on St Paul’s as an outward-looking, onward-going and forward-looking
organisation. He has fixed some 30 2-hour sessions in September to talk with many
groups of people to hear about their engagement with St Paul’s, their hopes and
dreams, insights and vision for the cathedral. By the end of the year he will have an
agreed vision and the outline shape of a strategic plan for St Paul’s, looking at how
we are going to use the Cathedral for the next 10 years. The Chapter House
renovation is the major project ahead, with the generous help of the Friends, but
subject to other funding, to make it fit for purpose.
The Dean briefly covered a selection of the highlights of the past twelve months,
with St Paul’s hosting the usual kaleidoscope of special occasions in amongst our
core commitment to the regular services, feast days and festivals in the religious
calendar. Amongst many other things, 2011-12 saw the service here for the 350th
anniversary of the Book of Common Prayer, the 10th anniversary of 9/11, the 70th
United Guilds Service for the City livery companies and the 358th Festival for the
Sons of Clergy; also the Centenary of Scott of the Antarctic and the prestigious
Templeton Prize being awarded to the Dalai Lama, Her Majesty The Queen attended
the OBE service and then of course the memorable service for her own Diamond
Jubilee. There was also the usual January evensong broadcast on BBC Radio 3, his
own installation, the commissioning of 2,700 young people to be ambassadors in the
diocese - and about 1,700 other services, with the Paralympics service yet to come
on 26 August, an extensive and diverse range of worship but in that way many
hundreds of thousands of people, millions via radio and television broadcast, get to
participate in what is this essence of this living cathedral at the heart of London and
the nation.
During the year we had sadly lost our Dean and Chancellor and from Bradford his
perception was that the cathedral was unfairly presented. Chapter is drawing up
plans for how to deal in future with such events which had had a hurtful impact on
staff though their loyalty and dedication had been magnificent. The St Paul’s Institute
is working with the City and financial sector in an ever-wider and more relevant way
than ever before. He hopes to have a new Chancellor installed by Easter 2013.
Martin Stancliffe retired as Surveyor to the Fabric on Christmas Day 2011, 300 years
to the day after Sir Christopher Wren did, after 21 years and being succeeded by
Oliver Caroe. Michael Page retired as Dean’s Virger after 23 years and has been
succeeded by Charles Williams who himself started here in 1987. In the Works
department, Alan Horsfield, General Foreman and Foreman Mason has just retired
after 42 years of service, Chris Whittington after 41 years and Randolph Davies
(both electricians) after 32 years of service. These amount to some very long and
faithful service.
He thanked all the Friends and volunteers for their continued support and looked
forward to a strong partnership in the years to come.
In response to questions:
Information about significant staff changes and principal events will continue to be
given in Dome;
The Secretary’s report and the Dean’s sermon would be accessible on the Friends
webpage (as would photographs and other relevant information including Accounts);
Some kind of photographic Who’s Who of staff would be given consideration by the
Registrar;
Further efforts would be made to attract more and younger Friends;
A signing–in book would be reinstated at the AGM;
Funding for chorister and all music was as important as ever, and the collection at
the Friends evensong would once again benefit the choristers’ charity;
The Diamond Jubilee commissioned piece by Will Todd is not yet recorded
commercially but downloadable from the BBC website and itunes;
Tours of or articles about the monuments in St Paul’s would be considered for 2013.
6. PRESENTATION OF ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS
Jack Henderson (JH) presented the annual accounts for the year to 31 December
2011. The Friends Council and the auditors had formally approved them.
Unfortunately not every attendee was able to see a copy at the meeting but JH
talked them through the detail of them. Council will discuss and address alternative
ways of communicating Accounts to Friends in future.
He showed how the Friends are in a good position with some £1m held, of which
£500,000 is committed to the Chapter House project.
Clifford Bxxxxxx proposed and Mervyn Redding seconded that the Report and
Accounts be adopted. Two Friends voted against their adoption, on grounds of not
having seen them.
The Chairman thanked Jack Henderson for his lucid presentation. The approved
accounts will be uploaded on to the Friends page of the Cathedral website.
7. APPOINTMENT OF INDEPENDENT EXAMINERS
The death of one of our 2 independent examiners, Tim Alston MBE, who had
examined the Friends’ accounts for many years, was noted with deep regret and
condolences were extended to the family. Michael Osborn was unable to be present
but the Chairman expressed thanks for his work alongside Tim Alston’s, which had
been completed before his sudden death. Council will debate the appointment of
examiners at their next meeting and report to the next AGM.
8. DONATIONS TO DEAN AND CHAPTER
The Chairman thanked the Friends for their pledge of £500k for the Chapter House
refurbishment, yet to be drawn down whilst the balance of funding is found. He also
informed Friends that Council had also authorised during the past year:
£20,000 towards the repaving of the Whispering Gallery
£18,000 for Wren Drawings for the Collections On Line
£1,700 towards staff welfare in the wake of the Occupation
£5,000 (in 2012) towards new curtains for side aisles and organ loft
9. RETIREMENTS FROM COUNCIL
Bob Aldous and Peter Davis have retired from the Council. The Chairman thanked
them for their service on Council and to the Cathedral as steward and wandsman
respectively.
10. ELECTIONS TO THE FRIENDS COUNCIL
There being two member-nominated vacancies and two candidates proposed and
seconded before the deadline, David Hooper (longtime cathedral guide and Working
Friend and Jane Sladdin (former chorister parent and current server), the Secretary
described both candidates to the meeting and they were duly elected to serve for
three years: Jane Sladdin was further proposed by Mervyn Redding and seconded by
Patrick Buckingham; David Hooper by Eileen Woods and Maureen Bonanno-Smith.
11. ANY OTHER BUSINESS
There being no further business, the meeting closed at 1530.
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The Very Rev’d Dr David Ison
Chairman
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