MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL MEETING OF THE NOTTINGHAMSHIRE BRANCH OF THE SLCC HELD
ON TUESDAY OCTOBER 13, 2009 AT 10.30AM AT THE OFFICES OF NEWARK TOWN COUNCIL.
Members present were Malcolm Plumb (Eastwood Town), Jim Hanrahan (Newark Town), Roger
Hawkins (Barton in Fabis Parish), Jane Johnson (Selston Parish), Barry Woodcock (Nether Langwith and
Whitwell Parishes, National Financial Advisor), Carol Standish (Southwell Town), Kevin Shaw (East Leake
Parish and Notts SLCC NEC member), Charles Brown (Fernwood Parish), Wendy Davies (Elkesley Parish)
Lynn Holland (Bingham Town), Cheryl Davison-Lyth (Balderton Parish), Margaret Downie (Stapleford
Town), Andrew Marshall (Greasley Parish), Mandy Frost (Brinsley Parish), Lorraine Murphy (Greasley
Parish) and Mike Elliott (Radcliffe-on-Trent Parish).
1]
APOLOGIES Secretary Mike Elliott read out a list of apologies from 21 councils and from Kate
Needham, Past Service Member.
2]
MINUTES
The secretary presented the minutes of the annual meeting held on March 6 2008 and these were
accepted as circulated and signed by the chairman.
3]
CHAIRMAN’S NOTES
Chairman Malcolm Plumb welcomed those attending and thanked Jim Hanrahan, clerk of Newark
Town Council, for allowing the meeting to be held in the Town Hall. He announced that he was retiring
from his post at Eastwood Town at the end of the year but hoped to gain another appointment shortly.
4]
ANNUAL ACCOUNTS
Treasurer Mrs Jane Johnson presented the annual accounts for year ending December 2008 and
these were proposed by Barrie Woodcock and seconded by Malcolm Plumb for acceptance. They showed
a cash balance of £578 83p. A vote of thanks was given to Mrs Johnson for her work as treasurer and for
presenting the accounts so clearly.
Members discussed the possibility of a branch stock of printed material and advice books and it
was agreed this be pursued, and an allocation of £150 for purchase of suitable material was agreed. It
would be intended that such material could be loaned out to members. The treasurer and the secretary
were to source the material.
The secretary said he had a sixth and seventh edition of Arnold Baker
available to loan.
5]
ELECTION OF OFFICERS
The following appointments were approved:
Chairman: Barrie Woodcock; Vice Chairman: Roger Hawkins, Treasurer: Jane Johnson, Secretary:
Mike Elliott, Training Officer: Jim Hanrahan and Carol Standish;
It was agreed the Executive Committee be made up of these officers with Kevin Shaw and
Malcolm Plumb as elected members.
6]
REPORT OF THE NATIONAL EXECUTIVE MEMBER KEVIN SHAW
A verbal report was given by the Nottinghamshire member of the National Executive Council. He
said he had enjoyed his period of office from 2005 to the present time but said his intended retirement from
East Leake parish council meant that he could no longer serve as the national representative. He updated
the members on the current work of the NEC and of the plans the Taunton-based Society had for the
future. He spoke of a tele-meeting the Executive had held earlier in the year, brought about by the fear of a
swine-flu epidemic and said it had been fairly successful and may be repeated again in the future. It had
saved the Society several hundred pounds in travelling costs.
A vote of thanks was recorded to Kevin for his services as the Nottinghamshire representative on
the National body during his five year periods of office.
Members agreed to support the appointment of Roger Hawkins as the new representative and of
Barry Woodcock as the substitute member.
7]
RECRUITMENT DRIVE
The meeting agreed that a drive to increase membership for the coming year should be a target for
all existing members. It was also agreed that action was also needed to encourage existing members to
attend meetings and that consideration be given to the meeting venues as a way to help encourage more
people to attend.
It was suggested that it might be helpful to organise a meeting of new clerks to highlight to them
the benefits of being members of the Society and of the services available to them from membership. It was
agreed an effort be made to do this and to circulate them asking them why they did not become a member.
The secretary said currently the Notts branch had 87 members.
Carol and Jim offered to organise some training opportunities for both members and non members and the
secretary said he would be able to provide contact details for them.
The secretary spoke of the close working relationship with the Notts NALC secretary and said this
was of particular help to the branch in its work. It was agreed a request be made to the NALC secretary
Lynda Ogilvie for her to consider include an item in her newsletter urging council chairmen to support their
particular clerks being members of the Society of Local Council Clerks, outlining the benefits both the clerk
and the council receive from such membership.
8]
SHARE YOUR PROBLEMS
A number of items were raised including how a councillor could and should resign membership,
when the six month rule for non-attendance kicked in, and whether or not to register for VAT.
The use of a credit card by a council was also discussed and Barrie pointed out that this should not
in fact be done, although he admitted it was fairly common practice.
The meeting closed at 12.45pm and was followed by a buffet lunch and a networking session.