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(For reasons of confidentiality, names of living persons have been removed from the web version of the minutes, by use of slight rewording or of substitution of XXXX for a name.)
Present: President (in the Chair), School Head, Vice-Chair, Hon.
Secretary, Hon. Treasurer, News
Editor, News Distribution, Representative to the Governors, Current Staff Represetative and 28 others.
(The meeting started
at 14:20)
Apologies for absence were received from 18 members. (Their names were on display.)
Minutes of the previous meeting held on Sunday 3 October 2004 were approved by the meeting.
Matters arising from previous meeting
The report at the AGM 2004 of the death of xxxx xxxx (xxxx, sec 29) had been incorrect.
The Silver Tassie had moved to St George's Hill, and been renamed "The Tassie". The Westonbirt team had played well on 30 June 2005 and been runners-up.
President's Report The President thanked all those that had been members of the Executive Committee during her years of office, and the Headmistress, the Staff Representative to the Association and xxxx xxxx, whose efforts and support had substantially increased the profile of the Association within the School.
The year had been uneventful. The President's greatest regret was that there was still no real knowledge of what members wanted from the Association. Younger members did not come to meetings, and many of them lost touch.
The Vice-Chair had aided the President in selection of those to whom to award the Memorial Bursary. As usual, the choice had been difficult. Equal awards had been made to three girls, who had shown maturity of approach, and should be able to make a difference in the Sixth Form. (A suggestion was made that award winners should be asked to come to AGMs later to describe what they had done in the VIth form and that this should be suggested to future candidates as part of the undertaking.) The President had talked to the leavers in the Summer about the Association; as usual they had been well prepared by the Current Staff Representative. She had also been involved with the Legacy leaflet, and urged those who could, to offer support.
Reviewing her whole term of office, the President said that the biggest change had been moving the database to the School, and expanding it from an address-list to a networking resource. She gave major credit to the work of xxxx xxxx. Now that xxxx had a wider role in the School, it was hoped that someone else could be found to work for the Association on the database, and then the planned updates could commence.
The big news for the School was the completion of the swimming pool and sports hall, which the Old Girls were warmly urged to try out that afternoon.
The President had hoped to continue close contact with the school as part of the Governing Body. However, over the past months she had felt the burden of her increasing work and family commitments, all in other directions than Westonbirt, and she had therefore, regretfully, resigned her position as Governor.
She announced the election by the General Committee of xxxx xxxx, and of xxxx xxxx (sec 52) as Representative from the Association to the Governing Body.
(The meeting thanked the President for her Presidency, including appreciative remarks made from the floor.)
Hon. Secretary's Report
Deaths reported since the last meeting: Mrs Harvey-Webb (staff, hon. mem.); Mrs Irving Bell (staff, non-member); Mrs (Audrey) Shaw (staff, hon. mem.); Miss M W S Todd (staff, hon. mem.); Diana Bell (de Jersey, 1); Ailsa de Mille (Oglivy), 1); June Shackleton (Rickards, 8); Molly Tomlinson (Busi, 10); Jean Barr (Bradbrook, 16); Audrey Falk (Corcos,16); Anne Martyn (Scott, 16); Jillian Rawlings (Frearson, 19); Eve Phillips (Neale, 34); Jane Westwater (Clifford, 39). (Section 1 no longer has active members.)
(A member expressed disappointment that there had not been more in the Association News about Miss Todd. It was explained that the news of Miss Todd's death had come after reports had been submitted to the Editor. It was hoped that those that had known her would send in their memories.)
Section Representatives:
sec 7 (in place of xxxx xxxx) and sec 4, xxxx xxxx
(sec 41); sec 10 (in place of xxxx xxxx) and sec 11 (in
place of xxxx xxxx & xxxx xxxx), xxxx xxxx
(sec 52); sec 42 (in place of xxxx xxxx), xxxx xxxx;
sec 58 (in place of xxxx xxxx), xxxx xxxx; sec 59,
xxxx xxxx (sec 58); sec 73 (in place of xxxx xxxx
and xxxx xxxx), xxxx xxxx. xxxx xxxx
(sec 64) had become xxxx xxxx. xxxx xxxx was the first
representative for section 74, cohort of 2005.
Reunions: At the 2005 Reunion Day there were celebrations of "50 years on" and also of "60 years on".
Hon. Treasurer's Report The Treasurer presented the examined accounts. The current balance was £19,906, including Association News pre-payments, £1,082 held by the school towards future database costs, £2,000 allocated to the database and not yet passed to the school (who had had £3,000 so far). The cost of the News had been within the price charged. The Treasurer asked for a volunteer to succeed her, by 2007 (if not before).
The accounts were accepted by the meeting.
The meeting agreed that the signatories to the Association's accounts should be, as before, the President, the Secretary, and the Treasurer (any two of the three to sign).
The meeting agreed (with a vote of thanks) their appreciation to the Examiner of the accounts.
Hon. Editor's Report The Editor thanked her predecessor for a smooth hand-over, the Vice-Chair for help with proof-reading, the Secretary for chasing up reports, xxxx xxxx for her help talking to the printer and constructing the cover and centre pages, and all those that had sent in reports. E-mailed contributions made her job much quicker, though she was happy to copy-type the 1 in 4 reports submitted by those that did not have such a facility. She had found the timings of production in 2005 had been very difficult. In 2006 requests for news would be sent out, and news collected, earlier. Members were asked to avoid delays.
Head's Report
The Head thanked the President for all she had done for the school.
The school had 227 pupils, with a target for September 2006 of
237. About a third were day pupils. The higher the form, the
greater the proportion from overseas (the Far East, Germany and
Spain), with an average across the school of 25%. Parents, knowing
that there was no intention to increase this ratio, appreciated
this contact with other cultures, which had advantages for all
the girls. Querns had 80 pupils, with a target for September
2006 of 100. Targets were now formally listed by the Governors,
and included the previously held intention that all girls should
reach at least one grade above initial expectation. Some of the
Querns teaching was now provided by Westonbirt staff, for economic
reasons and to further links between the schools. In 2005, only
one new pupil came from Querns, but all current year 6 were coming
to taster days this year. The A2 results were not as good as
last year, partly because of ability, and partly application.
AS results had been satisfactory. The new Director of Music
felt that the glass-house was unsuitable for music, because of
risk of damp. As a whole, the school was keen on sport (one of
the advantages of a small school was the increased chance of being
in a team) and the new Head of Sport was a world class Duathlete.
A survey commissioned by the school had concluded that Westonbirt
was doing the right thing, but should continue striving to do
it better. The niche was "the whole person", offering
academic studies, music and sport in a lovely environment. Some
parents had described it as "the best-kept secret in the
world" - members should advertise it to friends!
Representative to the Governing Body's
Report
The
Association's Representative described the composition and subcommittees
of the Governing Body, recent changes, and the Old Girl members.
The past year had seen much work on the development of school
facilities, and the 5-year strategic plan, linked to a revised
marketing plan.
There were plans to replace the silk hangings in the Library. Another need was renovation of the Camellia House.
AROPS: The conference report was on display. The Secretary had attended the AGM.
Date / venue / format for the 2005 Reunion DayThe Reunion Day would be Sunday 1 October 2005 at the School, by kind permission of the Headmistress. The Executive Committee would appreciate suggestions.
The list of AGM attendees on the web had been appreciated, and would occur again in 2006.
Any Other Business
Honorary Membership The General Committee had agreed to offer Honorary Membership to xxxx xxxx, PE and Sixth form Housemistress, who had left Westonbirt after nearly 20 years.
Reunion Day suggestions:
xxxx xxxx could be asked if she was willing to give a recital some time.
A "family" day, with husbands, and (for the 10-years-gone) a crèche, might be appreciated.
Water fountain. Some girls had mentioned to the section 25 representative that they would like a water-cooler at the sports-hall. It was agreed that if the price was reasonable, the Association should provide this.
The meeting ended at 15.05pm.
The Vice-Chair, on behalf of the Association, thanked the retiring President for all she had done for the Association and the School. Her turning the database from an address-list into a network of information would be remembered in years to come because of the benefits it brought, but that was only one aspect of her thorough involvement over the past 8 years. The meeting applauded to show their appreciation of all that she had done, and she was presented with an acer from the Arboretum.
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