Report: Extraordinary General Meeting, Thursday 7th April 2016, and Annual General Meeting, Thursday 21st April 2016

An Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) of the Society was held on Thursday 7th April 2016 to consider the recommendations of the Constitution Review Group. The review of the Constitution was launched at the 2015 Annual General Meeting with the members being invited to submit comments on its thirteen clauses. The group proposed revisions to all clauses and added a fourteenth on the duties of the President and Vice-President. Apart from the clause on the name of the Society, these were all accepted, although two clauses were referred back to the group for modification. The Society thanks the group (Dr David Graham, Mrs Rita Bennie, Mrs Elizabeth Coroon, Mr Les Jenkins) for its work over the past year

The Society's Annual General Meeting was held two weeks later on Thursday 21st April 2016. At this meeting, the President presented his report on the year's activities and a financial report in his other current role as acting Treasurer. The final version of the Constitution was also accepted by the members present, at which point the Office Bearers and Committee stood down on account of them having been elected for only one year at the 2015 AGM because of the Constitutional review. Mrs Mae Pitcairn, as Honorary President, then occupied the chair for the purpose of nominating a candidate for President. After the election of Dr Ivan Ruddock as President, he resumed as chairman of the meeting which subsequently elected the remainder of the Office Bearers and Committee, i.e. Vice-President: Dr David Graham; Secretary: Mr Don Martin; Treasurer: vacant; Committee: Mrs Rita Bennie, Mrs Elizabeth Coroon, Mrs Ianthe McAlpine, Mrs Valerie McClure, Mr Hugh Oliver. In addition, the existing Honorary Members - Mrs Mae Pitcairn (Honorary President) and Mrs Ros McMeekin (Honorary Vice-President) - were joined by Mr Bill McNeill due to him being the immediate past-President as stipulated by the new Constitution.

Ivan Ruddock