MINUTES OF THE 61st ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
OF THE FRIENDS OF ST PAUL’S CATHEDRAL HELD
ON WEDNESDAY 3rd JULY 2013 IN THE “OBE” CHAPEL
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 150 Friends attended. Apologies for absence were received from:
The Lord Mayor of London
Mr Don Miller
Pamela & Edward Bevin
Mr Bryan Page
Mr Anthony Bird
Mr Robin Sherlock
Mrs Pamela Blood
Miss Maureen White
Mrs Patrick Buckingham
Mrs Christine Wilson
Charles & Sandra Burston
Dr David Wright
Mr Keith Hutton
3. MINUTES OF THE AGM HELD ON 4 JULY 2012
The Minutes were approved and signed by the Chairman. Under matters arising, the
Dean and the Secretary reported that:
The annual subscription was raised from £20 to £25 with no adverse
feedback; levels will be held for 2 years; only a dozen (out of 500+) Life
members requested new-style cards;
The Secretary’s 2013 Report, the 2012 Accounts and the Bishop’s
sermon today will all be uploaded soon on to the Friends’ webpage;
For reasons of confidentiality it was not possible to issue publicly a
photographic staff Who’s Who;
It was felt that young Friends will join when they are ready to, and the
Friends’ five-year investment in the Schools and Families work of the
cathedral will greatly influence this;
Signing-in by Friends at the AGM had been reinstated;
An article by Simon Carter (Collections Manager) on monuments, as
requested, had appeared in ‘Dome’ in the Spring/Summer 2013 edition.
4. SECRETARY’S REPORT
RW recorded the Friends’ special thanks to a number of people: our Patron HRH
The Duchess of Gloucester who had come to a number of services and occasions at
St Paul's during the past twelve months, including the Advent Carols and who would
be attending evensong; she also attended a wonderful Gala in February in aid of the
choristers. Her presence, together with that of our Joint President The Lord Mayor,
and a private recital by our choir followed by the first ever - and spectacular - dinner
in the Nave, for which some 200 music-lovers had each paid £750, enabled over
£100,000 to be raised for the choristers: a wonderful achievement. Through it the
cathedral has, as a deliberate but happy by-product, met more musical friends of St
Paul’s with whom long-term relationships can, it is hoped, be forged.
RW announced that, after the choristers' traditional recital, the Duchess would
formally present the newly-minted Friends’ Choristership medal to a year 6 chorister
Gabriel Ali for the remaining two years of his time in the choir, reflecting the new
commitment to a choristership by the Friends of £10,000 in each of the next five
years. This new medal (featuring the Dome on one side and a cherub from the
pulpit, itself funded by the Friends in 1960 to mark the Cathedral’s 250th, on the
other side) stays with the cathedral and is in addition to the Head Chorister's medal
which the Friends gave, back in 1982, and which is still worn by each Head
Chorister, whoever their benefactor.
He also alluded to the presentation after the AGM by the Schools and Families
department, recipients of another Friends grant (£15,000 a year for five years) which
Council had also approved. He expressed thanks to the Friends, whose support in
donations - and legacies - make these grants possible. A number of Friends made
provision for the cathedral in their Wills for which St Paul’s is most grateful. RW
hoped more Friends will consider when next updating their Wills.
In April, in the OBE chapel, the memorial service had been held for Miss Johanna
Peebles, Friends’ Secretary from 1970-82 and formidably knowledgeable about the
Cathedral. A former Succentor spoke eloquently of her knowledge, friendship and
faith, and that she was a true friend of St Paul's, a true friend of her friends, and a
true friend of God: an impressive and enviable combination of qualities.
RW then paid tribute to Bishop Michael Colclough and his forthcoming retirement
from Chapter and as Vice-Chairman of the Friends. He had always seamlessly
extended his pastoral responsibilities towards the Friends, including Working
Friends, engaging with them all to nurture and appreciate their contributions of both
time and money in support of the running of this great cathedral. On behalf of the
Friends, RW wished him and Cynthia well in their new abode.
The Secretary underlined the importance of Friendship to keep St Paul's going.
There had been no adverse feedback to the subscription increase and a number have
now moved to direct debit which helps minimise costs. New recruitment leaflets
and some advertisements had somewhat inflated the expenditure figures for the
year. However, printing leaflets is not an annual occurrence and recruitment is
found to be more effective from mailing those who tick the box on the Gift Aid
envelopes taken in collections at services. Whether those Friends renew for second
and further years remains to be seen. One-year Friends were not really costeffective. Under a new initiative to welcome the whole year's new Friends, they
are now invited to a January evensong followed by a drinks reception; this was well
attended and well received this year, and will be repeated next January.
RW reported that costs had been controlled where possible: subs had gone up,
additional donations had increased and the social events had all been well-attended
and have generated a slight profit in each case, even though that was not the
intention. Further events beyond the Organ one coming up on 9 October were
planned, and the speaker for the second Friends annual lecture, on Wren churches
and other buildings, had been booked: Adrian Tinniswood. This would again be held
at Stationers Hall on 12 March 2014, followed by tea and evensong. The tours
involving city livery halls had proved very popular (Grocers Hall last year,
Apothecaries Hall – twice, such was the demand - this year) and more will be
planned of a type which keeps the majority anchored and rooted back to the
cathedral in some way, either by involving an evensong or relating to some aspect of
St Paul's so that the Friends office is not a kind of travel agency.
There had been the usual breathless round of events over the past twelve months
which had kept all departments on their toes as usual. The week which saw the
Roman Catholic Archbishop of Westminster, the comedian Frank Skinner, and then
memorial services for the cricket commentator Christopher Martin Jenkins followed
a day later by the one for Baroness Thatcher, perhaps featured more than most in
the cathedral memory bank.
RW reported that St Paul's continues to flourish and Friends and Working Friends
play a key role in that. Just under 3,000 Friends were part of a much larger
Community of St Paul’s comprising clergy, staff and laity, the school and the
chorister parents, former choristers, committees and donors, worshippers and
pilgrims – the list of lives touched by St Paul’s is endless; the cathedral was truly
grateful.
Finally, the Secretary announced the temporary relocation for perhaps 18 months of
the Friends and Fundraising office from the Chapter House – originally built almost
exactly 300 years ago this year - so that the refurbishment can begin. A new
“Friends” top floor will be added, an extra floor which existed from 1885 until the
bomb fell on it on 29 December 1940. Reception will be in the portakabin by the
north west crypt door with the Friends and Fundraising office in 3b Amen Court,
one of the basements that have housed generations of former cathedral servants.
There were no questions.
5. CHAIRMAN’S REPORT
At the 2012 AGM, the Dean had only been in post for six weeks and the Queen’s
Diamond Jubilee service had just taken place. This year, the big occasion had been
the State Funeral for Baroness Thatcher. Whilst the Olympics had been great for
the country, the cathedral’s visitor numbers had dipped in consequence, but these
had bounced back this year and were now reaching record levels. Musical highlights
had included the funeral but also the recent BBC Radio 3 evensong broadcast and
the boys’ appearance in the COLF War Requiem. A memorable event for the Dean
had also been the evensong when ladies from the Occupy Protest had come back to
chain themselves to the pulpit.
He then described personnel changes including the Canon Treasurer Mark Oakley
moving to be Canon Chancellor last January, who was already making great strides in
developing the Institute with, for example, a recent packed debate featuring the
Archbishop of Canterbury and the CEO of Barclays. Philippa Boardman was now in
post as Canon Treasurer bringing significant experience of her East End ministry; and
Sacrist Jason Rendell had moved to become Chaplain to the Bishop of Chichester
(Martin Warner, former Canon Residentiary of St Paul’s.) His six years of notable
ministry had included the rock on which many cathedral services have been built.
The Dean asked Friends to pray for them all.
As regards strategic planning, some 400 people had been through the Deanery sitting
room over last September and October, sharing their affections, hopes and dreams
for St Paul’s. The vision statement is now on the cathedral website and more
information about the proposed coherent way forward would be promulgated
widely after the next Chapter meeting.
He thanked all the Friends and volunteers for their continued support and looked
forward to a strong partnership in the years to come.
Finally, the Dean presented theatre tokens to Bishop Michael Colclough as a gift
from the Friends to mark his forthcoming retirement from Chapter and as ViceChairman of the Friends. He described his constant, loving and caring presence over
the past five years, and said how much he valued his wise head on experienced
shoulders. After the chorister recital, HRH The Duchess of Gloucester also
presented Bishop Michael and Cynthia Colclough with Honorary membership of the
Friends. In response, Bishop Michael thanked the Friends for their generosity and
Friendship and that he saw his time at St Paul’s as the icing on the cake of his
ministry,.
Phyllis Bankale then spoke of her grateful thanks to the Dean, whom she described a
as a blessing from God, and to Chapter especially Bishop Michael on his retirement.
She wanted to thank the choristers and said there had in general been tremendous
changes for the better over the past twelve months in the cathedral.
6. PRESENTATION OF ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS
Jack Henderson (JH) presented the annual accounts for the year to 31 December
2012. The 2-page financial summary mailed to all Friends in May was generally
found to have been helpful. All those attending the AGM were handed a paper copy
of the full 2012 Accounts, which JH went through.
JH noted that donations and subscriptions are up but legacies (which are only ever
windfalls) are down. Gift Aid will be a regular income stream which will be claimed
where possible. Social events made a surplus of £400. There was a one-off bank
charge for the setting up of the direct debit facility. Legal fees were incurred simply
for the constitutional review work. Print costs are not annual. The transfers
between the Foundation and the Friends were because only the Foundation can take
credit card payments and only the Friends can undertake direct debits. In response
to questions, JH confirmed that no pension contributions are requested to be made
to the employee and that the £660,000 noted in note 14 relates to grants earmarked
but not yet spent out of the total of £937,000 available. In response to a question
from Caroline Turner, RW outlined the support received by many of the City livery
companies, who support the cathedral quite generously (many for choristers) but
not necessarily via the Friends.
The Dean as Chairman asked the meeting formally to “receive” the 2012
Accounts which they did unanimously, proposed by Peter Chapman FCA and
seconded by Mervyn Redding.
The Dean 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
JH reported that, as mentioned in the 2012 Minutes, Council had discussed this last
October and appointed WWP as paid auditors. WWP used in fact to be the
Friends’ and the cathedral’s auditors and also audit the Garfield Weston Trust for St
Paul’s accounts. He commended them for their robust audit, carried out within
agreed timescales, and said they were good value for money.
8. DONATIONS TO THE CORPORATION OF THE CATHEDRAL
CHURCH OF ST PAUL IN LONDON (DEAN AND CHAPTER)
The Dean itemised the grants already offered by the Friends, yet to be drawn:
£500,000 Chapter House top floor
£5,000 new aisle curtains
The North Transept ramp & temporary choir stalls projects are being rethought, so those grants are held in suspense.
The following new grants had been approved by Friends Council in 2012-13:
£15,000 in each of 2013-17 towards the Schools & Families department
£10,000 in each of 2013-17 for a Friends choristership and £500 medal
£15,000 for a hoist at the West End of the cathedral
Total of these commitments: £140,500 spread over 5 years
9. ELECTIONS TO THE FRIENDS COUNCIL
The Dean summarised the constitutional review work which had been trailed at last
year’s AGM and which had been led by Council member Patrick Buckingham who
could not attend the AGM: the Dean expressed profound thanks for his hard work.
On detailed review, it became apparent that the constitution of the Friends and its
governance documents were badly out of date. The reasons for, and timing of,
various changes to the constitution had become lost over the years since the Charity
Commissioners approved the scheme for the Friends in 1971.
Members of Friends Council, as Trustees of the charity, are required to comply with
best practice and a new Charities Act which came into force last year has provided
perfect timing to ensure that the Friends regulatory documents reflect up to date
requirements.
This review has also been done, not in isolation, but in the wider context of a
general governance review of the whole cathedral; in fact, the same lawyers who
have helped us with the preparation of the new Friends documents have also dealt
with review and amendment of the documents for the School Foundation, now renamed the Chorister Trust.
He stressed that the fundamental object of the Friends has not changed. The Friends
exist to promote and support the work the Cathedral and of its Dean and Chapter:
that purpose has not altered in any way. One of the recommendations taken on
board – and all of them were unanimously approved by Council at its May meeting –
was throwing open the possibility at some future date of the Chair not necessarily
being the Dean, though Chapter will always have two places on Council, one of
whom will always be Vice-Chair. In many if not most cathedrals, the Dean is not
necessarily Chair of Friends Council and we want to allow for that possibility here in
the future. He thoroughly endorsed that – and stressed that he and his successors
would always want to address the Friends at appropriate opportunities whether or
not as Chair, and Council is very keen for that to be the case.
Another recommendation is to extend Council members’ terms by one year so, for
that reason, and to maintain a sense of continuity whilst we are undertaking this
process, Council felt it was better for there to be no elections to Council this year.
He encouraged all Friends to start thinking about standing for the various posts and
election to Council in 2014.
Some further work was still required to bring the internal housekeeping documents
up to date, and this is ongoing. Council hoped to keep this review in house with
only a little input required from outside lawyers. The Dean and Council were
satisfied that when this review has been completed, the Friends of St Paul’s will be a
charity which can go forward into the 21st century confident that it is in good order
and in good heart. Above all, Council could take care of the resources people
entrust to the Friends.
There were no comments.
10. ANY OTHER BUSINESS
No items had been submitted. The Dean thanked RW for his dedication and
work in organising the Festival. He also thanked Graham Lacdao who was
photographing the various elements of it. He then introduced Janet Marshall and
Stephen Spencer to describe the work of the Schools and Families department of
the cathedral which they did informatively and with great panache.
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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