Notice of the STRPS 2004 Annual General Meeting

The Notice of the 2004 Annual General Meeting which was distributed with
Tynedalesman No. 140, September 2004 issue appears below:-

South Tynedale Railway Preservation Society
Notice of Annual General Meeting

Notice is hereby given that the twenty-first Annual General Meeting of the South Tynedale Railway Preservation Society (limited by guarantee: company registration no. 1850832; registered charity no. 514939) will be held at the Masonic Hall, Alston, Cumbria, on Saturday 13th November 2004, commencing at 14.00 hours, to transact the following business:-

To receive apologies for absence.

To adopt the minutes of the 20th Annual General Meeting, held on 9th November 2003.

To receive the reports of the Chairman, Officers and Heads of Departments.

To receive the Treasurer�s report:-
(a) Statutory report and accounts for the year ended 31st March 2004.
(b) Financial summary for the six months ended 30th September 2004.

To elect Council of Management members.

To appoint Reporting Accountants and authoprise the Council of Management to agree their remuneration.

To consider the following matters relating to membership subscriptions:-
(a) Adoption of subscription rates for the ensuing year.
(b) Proposal that life membership should be available only after continuous membership for five years, payable by instalments over two years.

By order of the Council of Management.

S.G. Dyke, Company Secretary.

The Railway Station, Alston, Cumbria
10th September 2004

Notes:-

Agenda item 2: A copy of the minutes of the 2003 A.G.M. accompanies this notice, it is available on the Minutes of the 2003 Annual General Meeting page of this internet site.

Agenda item 3: A copy of the reports accompanies this notice, it is available on the Annual General Meeting 2004 Reports page of this internet site.

Agenda item 4(a): In accordance with the procedure adopted following discussion at the 2000 A.G.M., the full statutory report and accounts for the last financial year is not sent to all members but a summary financial report is issued. The full report and accounts will be supplied to any member on written request to the Treasurer:- (e-mail: [email protected])

Agenda item 7: The recommendation of the Council of Management appears in the Membership Secretary�s report. If the meeting approves the proposal relating to life membership, it will be implemented as a Rule made under Article 68. A General Meeting may alter or repeal such a Rule.

Members are reminded that the description of this year�s A.G.M. as the twenty-first relates only to meetings held since the incorporation of the Society in its present form as a company limited by guarantee. There were ten previous Annual General Meetings of the unincorporated Society.

Directions to the meeting venue

Members travelling by car are advised to park at Alston Station, from where it is only a few minutes� walk to the meeting venue. From the station approach, turn right and walk up the hill towards the town centre, then turn left at the junction beside the Town Hall. Go along the passageway which is the first opening on the left (opposite the Town Hall) and the Masonic Hall is straight ahead. No arrangements have been made for lunch, but there are various refreshment facilities nearby in the town.

Attendance and voting at the A.G.M.

Only paid-up members of the Society, or their proxies, may attend and vote at the Annual General Meeting. Junior associates (under 18 years of age) may attend the meeting but are not eligible to vote. Any member entitled to vote but unable to attend the meeting may appoint a proxy (who need not be a member of the Society, but must be at least 18 years of age) to attend and vote in his or her place. Any member wishing to appoint a proxy should apply in writing or by telephone to the Secretary for the necessary form, in time for it to be completed and returned at least 48 hours before the meeting.

Election of the Council of Management (Agenda item 5)

Chairman:
The three-year term of office of the present Chairman, Mr J. M. Sutton, ends at this A.G.M.. A retiring Chairman is not eligible for re-election to that post or for election as Deputy Chairman until a period of three years has elapsed.
The following nomination has been received for the post of Chairman:-

Mr. M. Le Marie - proposed by Mr. R. J. Harper.

Deputy Chairman:
The three-year term of office of the present Deputy Chairman, Mr. E. A. Blackburn, ends at this A.G.M.. A retiring Deputy Chairman is eligible for re-election. Mr Blackburn has indicated that he does not wish to stand for re-election to this post, but he is willing to serve as an Ordinary Member of Council.
The following nomination has been received for the post of Deputy Chairman:-

Mr. R. N. Graham - proposed by Dr. T. M. Bell.

Ordinary Members of Council:
At this A.G.M., Mr N. H. Cook, Mr. J. M. Ryan and Mr I. Ward retire by rotation and are eligible for re-election. Mr Ryan and Mr Ward have indicated that they do not wish to stand for re-election.

Mr M. Le Marie, who was appointed as a Council member during the year, retires at the A.G.M. and is eligible for re-election. As noted above, however, he has been nominated for the post of Chairman.

The retiring Chairman and Deputy Chairman are eligible for election as Ordinary Members of Council. As noted above, Mr E. A. Blackburn has indicated his willingness to stand for election.

Additionally, the following nominations have been received for Ordinary Members of Council:-

Mr. J. M. Beckwith - proposed by Mr. I. Ward
Mr. J. R. Gillott - proposed by Dr. T. M. Bell
Mr. D. Wheeler - proposed by Mr. N. H. Cook

The �pen portraits� submitted by the above new nominees are circulated with this notice. Copies of these are published on the Annual General Meeting 2004 Reports page of this internet site. A �pen portrait� from Mr. Le Marie, who has not been elected previously at an A.G.M. is also circulated.

The closing date for nominations to the Council, as notified to members in the June 2004 issue of Tynedalesman, was 1st September 2004. As the number of people seeking election or re-election does not exceed the number of vacancies, a ballot is not essential and the candidates may be declared elected or re-elected unopposed. Any member (or a member�s proxy) attending the meeting may, however, request a ballot, in which case the members present (in person or proxy) may vote for or against the election of each candidate. The Council are empowered to fill any remaining vacancies.

The Council are responsible for appointing the Secretary, Treasurer and Membership Secretary (which are the officer posts specified in the Articles), also the Heads of Departments and any other officers considered necessary, and may resolve at any time to recind any officer appointment.

Informal Meeting

After completion of the A.G.M. business, there will be an interval for refreshments and then an informal meeting will follow for about one hour.

In accordance with a decision of the Council of Management, the A.G.M. is intended to deal only with the formal business that is required to be transacted at such a meeting, as set out on the agenda. Formal resolutions, unless referred to on the agenda, are not admissible at the A.G.M., but the informal meeting is intended as forum for discussion of any matters that members wish to raise. There is a procedure for convening an Extraordinary General Meeting in the event of it being felt necessary to consider subsequently a formal resolution on any matter.

Members are invited to give advance notification in writing to the Secretary of any items that they wish to raise at the informal meeting, so that relevant information can be made available for the meeting.

Annual General Meeting
Council of Management Elections
Closing Date for Nominations

As noted in Tynedalesman No. 138, this year�s A.G.M. is due to be held on Saturday 13th November. The formal notice of the meeting and other particulars will be circulated to members nearer to the date. Members are asked to note, however, that the closing date for nominations of members to serve on the Council of Management will be 1st September, in order to allow details of nominations received to be circulated in advance of the meeting.

Any paid-up member of the Society (other than a junior associate) may be proposed for election as Chairman*, Deputy Chairman* or Ordinary Member of Council, provided that he or she is not disqualified from serving as a company director or or charity trustee. Nominations must be submitted in writing, signed both by the proposer and by the person nominated (to confirm his or her willingness to be elected) and must be addressed to the Secretary, at the Society�s registered office (The Railway Station, Alston, Cumbria, CA9 3JB). Nominations in respect of the elections to be held at this year�s A.G.M. must arrive no later than 1st September 2004.

* The retiring Chairman is not permitted to serve as Chairman or Deputy Chairman during the following three years but is eligible for election as an Ordinary Member of Council.

* The retiring Deputy Chairman is eligible for re-election to that post, or for nomination to the post of Chairman, or for election as an Ordinary Member of Council.

The terms of office of the current Chairman (John Sutton) and Deputy Chairman (Alan Blackburn) will end at this year�s A.G.M.. Election to each of these posts is for a three-year term of office.

At present there are eight Ordinary Members of Council as follows: Robin Alderson, Norman Cook, Steven Dyke, Richard Graham, Jim Harper, Colin Mcintyre, Mike Ryan and Ivan Ward. The maximum permitted number of Ordinary Members of Council is twelve (unless a resolution to change this number is passed at a General Meeting). Norman Cook, Mike Ryan and Ivan Ward retire by rotation at this year�s A.G.M. and are eligible for re-election.

Prospective nominees should note that all of the members of the Council of Management have legal status and responsibilities of responsibilities of company directors and charity trustees. The Secretary, Treasurer, Membership Secretary and other officers are appointed by the Council of Management, who may also rescind any officer appointment at any time.

New nominees to the Council have the opportunity to submit a brief �pen portrait� of themselves for circulation to the membership in advance of the A.G.M. It is not necessary for this to be sent at the same time as a nomination, as the Secretary will contact those concerned after nominations have been received.

Any enquiries concerning the above should be directed to the Secretary.

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SOUTH TYNEDALE RAILWAY PRESERVATION SOCIETY
Registered Office: The Railway Station, Alston, Cumbria, CA9 3JB
Tel. 01434 381696.��Talking timetable tel. 01434 382828
Registered Charity No. 514939.

E-mail addresses - click on links below:-
South Tynedale Railway information - Send e-mail to South Tynedale Railway
STRPS membership information only - Send e-mail to Kathy Aveyard
Tynedalesman information only - Send e-mail to Tynedalesman compilers

Mission Statement for the South Tynedale Railway:-
�To provide satisfaction for our customers and volunteers
by operating a friendly, safe and efficient narrow-gauge railway.�

� South Tynedale Railway Preservation Society, March 2005.

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