Page 1 Newsletter – December 2015 Contents Page Chairman’s Report 2 Young Arts Report 2015 Church Recorders Report 2015 Planned Visits for 2016 4 Day of Special Interest – 20 th Century Sculpture The Baker White Memorial Hall, Lower Hardres, Thursday 25 th February 2016. Information and application form enclosed. Final date for applications – 12 th February 2016. 5 Lecture Programme for 2016/2017 6 Agenda for Annual General Meeting on 18 th January 2016 at 7.00 p.m. (Lecture at 7.30 p.m. to follow the AGM) Registration in the Old Sessions House atrium from 6.00 p.m. 8 Minutes of the Annual General Meeting held on Monday 19 th January 2015 9 Election of Officers and Committee for 2016 10 SCDFAS Profile 2015 11 Subscription Renewal Form for 2016 – Reminder 12 NB: This newsletter includes papers for the Annual General Meeting in 18 th January 2016 at 7.00 pm. Please remember to bring them with you.
12
Embed
Newsletter December 2015 Contents - The Arts Society ...€¦ · Newsletter – December 2015 Contents Page ... thanks to Maggi ... how time has been told down the ages from the perspective
This document is posted to help you gain knowledge. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think about it! Share it to your friends and learn new things together.
Transcript
Page 1
Newsletter – December 2015
Contents
Page
Chairman’s Report
2
Young Arts Report 2015
Church Recorders Report 2015
Planned Visits for 2016
4
Day of Special Interest – 20th
Century Sculpture
The Baker White Memorial Hall, Lower Hardres, Thursday 25th
February
2016. Information and application form enclosed. Final date for
applications – 12th
February 2016.
5
Lecture Programme for 2016/2017
6
Agenda for Annual General Meeting on 18th
January 2016 at 7.00 p.m.
(Lecture at 7.30 p.m. to follow the AGM)
Registration in the Old Sessions House atrium from 6.00 p.m.
8
Minutes of the Annual General Meeting held on Monday 19th
January
2015
9
Election of Officers and Committee for 2016
10
SCDFAS Profile 2015
11
Subscription Renewal Form for 2016 – Reminder
12
NB: This newsletter includes papers for the Annual General Meeting in 18th
January 2016 at 7.00 pm. Please remember to bring them with you.
Page 2
SOUTH CANTERBURY DECORATIVE &
FINE ARTS SOCIETY
CHAIRMAN’S REPORT
DECEMBER 2015
Dear Member,
At the end of my first year as Chairman, diffident as I was about undertaking the role and
in the absence of any other “willing volunteer”, I can now say it has certainly been a steep learning
curve!
Thanks to the freely given advice and information from experienced committee members
and former Chairmen, the show has not only stayed on the road, but, with the addition of two other
brand new appointments, consolidated its strengths and upgraded elements of technology.
Central NADFAS is a very exacting leader with high standards required, not only from its
panel of accredited lecturers, but also from our individual societies. It supports performance with a
steady stream of teaching sessions on all aspects of the skills required for the various committee
roles – so please do not hesitate to offer your skills - and maintains contact and enthusiasm by
National and Area conferences.
The lecturers, too, are funds of information on national trends and developments. We
breathe a sigh of relief each month at the safe arrival, on time and fully equipped with their lecture
notes and computer memory stick – ‘old fashioned’ slides are already dinosaurs, but we do still
have a projector and carousel, just in case! They are deeply versed in their subjects and respected
in their fields and merit due courtesy and generosity in our welcome – a chance to relax and refuel
their energies before lecturing - to our advantage and theirs. Some travel from great distance and I
can thoroughly recommend the pleasure of hosting them for an evening meal and overnight stay.
Volunteers?
We are very fortunate to have safe and sufficient parking close by so comfortable and well
appointed a lecture theatre with space to meet each other for coffee/tea and biscuits before the
meeting. This year, as ever, we have enjoyed a high calibre of lectures on a wide variety of
subjects, with the highest votes of appraisal from committee – and remember, we do like to hear
members opinions as well - for Oliver Everett on “Indian Mughals”, David Phillips on “Trusting,
or not, the Experts in Art” and Nicola Moorby, who fascinated us with the “Mysteries of Sickert
and the Camden Town Group”.
I think it is accurate to say that all our many different visits were popular and successful,
including to the stained glass studio at the Cathedral; a guided tour of the brilliantly refurbished
Wallace Collection and to the environs of Spitalfields, both in London; a coach trip to
Hertfordshire for Henry Moore’s house, studios and monumental statuary, perfectly displayed in
their garden setting. More locally, most enjoyable and enlightening tours - around Saltwood
Castle, and a walk led by Sandwich Guides around their glorious, ancient streets. Ann, Heather
and Philippa are bursting with ideas for the coming year, too. So, ‘Watch this space!’
Page 3
We have embraced new technology with enthusiasm, not only the excellent, user-friendly
website www.southcanterburydfas.org.uk under Robin Hendy’s care - which I earnestly invite
everyone to explore for its fund of information of our activities and for access to forms for every
purpose - but also by increasing use of email for all contacts, limiting prohibitive postal charges
(will everyone with email please ensure we have your address!) and this year, thanks to Maggi
Wilson’s newly acquired skill, we will make increasing use of “mail chimp” to send out
newsletters, advertising outings, subscription forms, etc.
Lecturers, premises and affiliation fees to National and Area NADFAS are expensive and
continue to rise. For the first time in a number of years we have been forced to make a modest
increase in subscriptions (to £39pp and £75 joint) and attendance fee (to £4). Having broached the
question of finance, I must mention the national situation of falling member rolls, which we share.
We depend for successful continuation on recruitment of new members to replace the inevitable,
steadily depleting numbers resigning through age and reluctance to come out in the evening, or for
other commitments – this is the only way, other than going down market in our venue, to control
our subscription charges. Within the last ten years, our numbers have fallen from the three
hundreds to below two hundred, which is not viable, if it continues in the long term. Our formula is
sound, our committee strong, skill and enthusiasm abound. Think, do you have friends you can
invite? We are producing a leaflet with full details for members with additional copies to hand
round to friends and to be displayed perhaps at other societies, to which you may belong.
This year, three very long serving, experienced committee members are retiring – although
still available with good advice – John Harris, Johanna Haynes and Sue Evans and we are most
grateful for all their past service. We do not, as yet, have a “Young Arts” replacement for Sue.
We have had very strong reinforcement from Maggi Wilson as our brilliant new Programme
Secretary and Membership Administration; Jon Mays, with John Hickling to assist, has tackled the
unenviable task of ensuring clarity and accuracy in our finances with laudable diligence. We are
hugely grateful to our solid and dependable rocks, Peter Hodges, our balanced and meticulous
Secretary, Robin Hendy, our creative Webmaster, Ian Craig-Mair, on whom we depend to keep the
whole audio-visual show on the road – an understudy would be most welcome, Ann Barnwell,
Heather Scott and our irrepressible Social Secretary, Philippa Davies, in organizing outings and
functions, Margaret Anderson, beavering away in Church Recording, with Jim Gibbons keeping us
posted with a stream of information of Arts Events at every meeting - everyone plays their part.
On Wednesday, 11th
November, our “Magical Supper” proved to be as enjoyable as we
hoped, friendly, relaxed and highly entertaining. The home cooked menu provided by the committee
and many other members was scrumptious and satisfying, washed down by wine ad libitum. From
the start, table by table through the meal and for half an hour afterwards, we were beguiled and
bewitched by the amazing skill and sleight of hand of Bertie Pearce, regularly voted as one of
NADFAS outstanding lecturers.
We look forward to seeing you all in 2016 at the AGM and lecture on 18th