AGM Minutes - 21st April 2012

Minutes of the Annual General Meeting held at GMCRO, Marshall Street, Manchester, on 21st April 2012

The President, Thomas Woodcock Esq CVO DL FSA, Garter King of Arms, took the chair to commence the meeting at 1 p.m.

Present: Council members Alan Kenwright (Hon General Editor), Jacquie Crosby, Tom O’Brien, Jackie Roberts (Hon Treasurer and Membership Secretary), Colin Rogers, Rev Thomas Steel, Neil Hudson (Minute Secretary), Douglas Wilson, Simon Oliver, Kevin Bolton and other members Jill Drabble, Robert Stansfield, Jennifer Holt.

The President opened the Meeting by warmly welcoming Jacquie Crosby and Kevin Bolton as new members of Council.

1. Apologies: John Dalton, Dr John Perkins, Phil Stringer and Ken Taylor.

2. The Minutes of the AGM held 9 April 2011 were approved after the correction of typographical errors in items 5 and 9 of the Minutes.

3. Matters arising:
Item 6: Neil Hudson reported that he had been in touch with English Parish Registers who had agreed to take off their website all LPRS published registers. As such, he felt it unnecessary to contact either Parish Chest or Genfair. He reported that he had been unable to check that EPR had undertaken the promised changes to their website. Item closed.

• Item 6: Alan Kenwright reported that other priorities, together with technical difficulties had led to delays in the progress made by Find my Past, who were still interested in going ahead with the project. Kevin Bolton reported that FmP were already partners with GMCRO and suggested that he give FmP ‘a nudge’ to try to move this matter on. This was agreed. Action: Kevin Bolton
• Item 6: Jackie Roberts reported that The Genealogist had not responded to her enquiries regarding their using our digitalised registers. Item closed.

  4. Honorary Treasurer and Membership Secretary’s report: Membership had decreased during the year ending 31 December 2011 by 35, from 433 to 398. There were 6 resignations and a further 34 who were removed from membership in February 2011 for non-payment of subscriptions. Five new members were welcomed, the same as last year. By the end of 2011 we had 398 members, thirty five fewer than at the end of 2010. The number was made up of 312 private members and 86 institutional members (7 overseas genealogical societies, 13 American libraries, 3 other overseas libraries, 51 British libraries, 12 family history societies.) From the start of 2012, a further 30 members had yet to renew their subscriptions (18 individuals and 12 institutions). The most serious loss is the 7 subscriptions from Lancashire County Council.

  Treasurer’s report: The accounts for the year to 31 December 2011 were presented which had after internal audit been scrutinized by the Independent Examiner. At the end of 2011 our account with Santander held £23,489.32, but payment for volume 174 (Salford – a 2011 volume) of £5746 was made in January 2012. The CAF Gold Account stood at £11,185.81 at the end of 2011. Income during the year was £18,471.12 and expenditure £9637.88. For 2011, we offered 3 year’s subscriptions for £75 which was taken up by 9 individuals. There was discussion about Santander remaining as bankers with questions being raised about our interest capital being invested more efficiently. It was agreed that the Hon. Treasurer would investigate other potential options and take appropriate action after due consultation. Action: Jackie Roberts. Alan Kenwright reported that storage costs were rising rapidly and stated that Neil Hudson and himself were examining ways of reducing our stock levels of volumes. There was further discussion regarding how we were to attract new members, with a variety of suggestions being made. It was agreed that volunteers would be sought for a Publicity Officer through the Newsletter. Action: Neil Hudson. Neil Hudson enquired what was to happen to the old volumes being held by LCC Libraries. It was suggested that these were being removed from shelves which Jacquie Crosby was unable to confirm or deny, but that she would investigate the potential for the Society to purchase volumes to fill the gaps in our library of published volumes. Action: Jacquie Crosby. Alan Kenwright agreed to provide Jacquie Crosby with a supply of LPRS pencils, leaflets and DVD graphics. Action: Alan Kenwright.
  The accounts were accepted and the thanks of the meeting were expressed by the President for the Hon. Treasurer’s hard work and the careful exposition.

  5. Honorary General Editor’s Report: Alan Kenwright presented his report in writing . Members have received for 2011, two volumes 173 (Lowton 1733-1837) and 174 (Salford 1635-1837), and the completed MIND DVD. He thanked Tom O’Brien for his hard work in digitalising many of our previously published volumes for inclusion in the DVD, which includes all volumes up to 173. Alan reported that he intends to put future updates onto the LPRS website to enable individual downloaded updates.
  Action: Alan Kenwright, Neil Hudson (Newsletter item) There was discussion on the publishing activities of OPC, with the Hon. Gen. Editor asking if he should take notice of their (and other organizations’) publications.

  The meeting agreed that Alan Kenwright should continue publishing activities as normal. Tom Steel noted that Aughton was had been omitted from the listing of volumes in progress, and it was agreed that this be rectified. Action: Alan Kenwright. Regarding the publication of future volumes, the tentative publication order was agreed as Wigan 1711-40 (175), Lonsdale (176), Dalton (177) and Leigh (CD NC7) for 2012; Hindley/Haigh/Abram (178), Wigan 1741- (179) and possibly a Liverpool volume for 2013. As usual, the publication order and timing will be at the discretion of the Hon. Gen. Editor. The question of the publication of a Preston register to coincide with the 2012 Preston Guild was discussed, and despite considerable work having been undertaken on the registers of the Parish Church by Dr John Perkins, it was recognized that this could not be completed in time due to missing and illegible registers. As an alternative, the baptismal and burial registers of Holy Trinity 1815-41 on a CD-Rom were agreed as suitable.
  Action: Alan Kenwright. Colin Rogers reported that Manchester Collegiate registers had been digitised 1666-85 except that the burials transcript for the period 1678-85 were missing. Jill Drabble reported that Prescot 1796-1837 was underway, and that she hoped to complete the transcription
  in the near future. The report was accepted and the thanks of the meeting were expressed by the President for the Hon. General Editor’s hard work and the careful exposition.

  6. LPRS Website: Jackie Roberts suggested that the website be looked at with a view to refreshing it. She agreed to talk to Phil Stringer, and to proceed on the outcome of those discussions. Action: Jackie Roberts.

  7. Election of Officers: It was proposed by Colin Rogers, seconded by Jennifer Holt, and agreed unanimously that the present Officers be re-elected en bloc.

  8. Election of Council Members: It was proposed by Tom O’Brien, seconded by Jennifer Holt, and agreed unanimously that the existing Council Members be re-elected en bloc.

  9. Nomination of Independent Examiner: The Hon. Treasurer reported that the appointment of an Independent Examiner was not strictly necessary. Nevertheless, it was agreed unanimously that David Smethers be asked to continue, along with Douglas Wilson as Auditor. Both had previously agreed to do so.

  10. Any other business:
  Tom Steel raised the difficulties in finding Lancashire Marriage Allegations and Bonds on the Find my Past website. He agreed to provide a suitable note for a Newsletter item to Neil Hudson.
  Action: Tom Steel.
  Neil Hudson warmly thanked Alan Kenwright, Jackie Roberts, Shaun Moorcroft and Malcolm Parr for their valuable help during his absence from home during the previous eleven weeks.

  11. The meeting gave a warm vote of thanks to the Kevin Bolton and GMCRO for the use of the Record Office premises.

  12. Date and time of the next meeting was agreed as Saturday 21 April at 1pm, venue to be confirmed.

  Neil Hudson

  Minute Secretary