Minutes of the 80th Annual General Meeting. held in the Chapter House of Coventry Cathedral, at 2.30 pm on Saturday 25 October 2014

Transcription

1 Minutes of the 80th Annual General Meeting 1.0 Opening Prayer held in the Chapter House of Coventry Cathedral, at 2.30 pm on Saturday 25 October 2014 The Chairman, Andrew Paine welcomed the Dean, the Very Reverend John Witcombe, and 76 other Members to the meeting, and invited Canon Margaret Sedgwick to lead in prayer. 2.0 Apologies The Secretary reported that 23 Members had sent their apologies. 3.0 Minutes of the 2013 AGM The Minutes of the last AGM, held on 29th September 2013 were agreed and signed as a fair record. 4.0 Matters Arising from the Minutes The Chairman introduced the new Officers who had been elected in the past year. 5.0 The Election of Officers and New Members of Council The Chairman explained the Constitutional position regarding the elections. This year the existing officers were all willing to stand again, but three Council members had come to the end of their term. In addition, there were two vacancies on Council. Short biographical details were given about the two people who had been nominated for Council. Hamish Blair, a Software Engineer from Kenilworth, first became involved in the Cathedral when Canon Paul Oestreicher invited a pastor from Dresden to forge links with Kenilworth Deanery. Jim Newton a retired Physics Teacher living in Coventry had been involved at St. Mary s Walsgrave and St. Barbara s Earlsdon. The existing Officers and the two new Council members were proposed en bloc by Barry Greener, Vice-President and seconded by Pauline Lawrence, and agreed unanimously. 6.0 The Honorary Treasurer s Report Deryck Horton gave his first Treasurer s Report, having taken up office part way through the year. He warmly thanked his predecessor Adrian Williams, who had undertaken the preparation of the Annual Report and Accounts for

2 The Accounts for 2013 had been distributed. The Income was 16,600 (Subscriptions & Donations 14,900, Fund-raising activities 1,600, Investment income 100) and outgoings spent, and promised, were 5,000 including the Transport of the Sculpture 500, Rewiring 3,600, Choral Scholarship 900. The year 2013 had finished with Assets of 67,600 (against the previous year s Assets of 56,000). In the first three quarters of 2014 Net Income had been 63,000 (Subscriptions & Donations 12,450 with 2,820 being claimed in gift aid, The Archbishop's Challenge 32,340 plus 6,880 Gift Aid, the Gala Concert 5960, and other Fund-Raising activities 2,450, Investment Income 100) while Disbursements spent, or allocated, had been 16,460 (Music Department 15,000, Crypt Fire Nozzle 1,000, trolley, tea and coffee brewer 462. Further expenditure had been committed: The Music Department 5,000, additional brewers 791, and repairs to the Tower Clock Chimes 3,480). Assets currently stand at 97,270, of which a further 20,000 is promised for the Choir and Music in He concluded by noting that the jump in the levels of income, and consequently of the assets, were clearly related to the huge success of the Archbishop's Challenge. It was a "one off", he said, which has taken our resources to a higher level and provides an even firmer basis on which to base our ambitions. 7.0 The Honorary Secretary s Report William Howard stated that Friends Council had met seven times since the last Annual General Meeting. Two new Council members had been elected at the beginning of the year and one more had been co-opted later as our Treasurer. The main items of consideration had been the Archbishop s Challenge for the 80 th Anniversary, how the gifts could be encouraged and how they were to be allocated. Since so many members had risen to the challenge, with gifts large and small, the total raised had been much more than we dared hope for, so it had been a happy and encouraging year, for which we praise God. The special events during the year included the 80 th Anniversary Dinner, the Gala Concert Prom for All, a Photographic Display and the Anniversaries Event which follows the AGM. After consultation with the Dean, Council had committed the Friends to give 5,000 a quarter for two years to keep the Cathedral Choir and Music financed, while new income streams were developed for the future, as part of the Cathedral s new financial basis. The Prom for All, which began as a celebration, which would hopefully break even and perhaps make a small profit, had been an astounding success raising nearly 6,000. It had been due to a lot of hard work by Paul Leddington Wright, other musicians and teachers, and members of Council. Council had also considered improving our lines of communication with the Cathedral, with Amici and Members generally. The Friends had welcomed former choir members, at a special Life Membership rate, in view of their past contribution, to the life and worship of the Cathedral. A special event for new Members was being considered. The Friends of Durham Cathedral, who had just finished celebrating their own 80 th anniversary, had been welcomed for a tour of the Cathedral and Tea. 2

3 Council had approved grants for the purchase of some coffee trolleys and dispensers, and for repairing the chiming mechanism on the old Cathedral clock. The Friends, led by Ted Hiscocks and Richard Chamberlain-Brothers, had also published a new book on the Cathedral s Stained Glass, which had been launched in September. 8.0 The Membership Secretary s Report Gill Brooke reported that during the year 53 new members had been enrolled bringing the total to 648 Members, at the end of September. Of these, 121 are CLOs who have now been renamed Parish Partners, and are Associate Members. It was good that 72% of members are able to Gift Aid. She urged Members to encourage others to join the Friends. It was very encouraging that 12 new members had joined, as a direct result of the Prom for All Concert, at the end of September. 9.0 The Chairman s Report Andrew Paine pointed that in our Anniversary Year, the Friends had a new slogan, Support, Preserve, Enjoy which summed up what we stand for, and are about. The Friends are the Cathedral Supporters Club and a strong Cathedral needs a strong Supporters Club. Coventry is no ordinary Cathedral. As the Dean of Winchester wrote recently: the consecration of Coventry Cathedral in 1962 was followed by a renaissance of Cathedrals in the life of Church England In his sermon, at the installation of Stephen Fleming, new Canon Treasurer, the Bishop of Coventry had put his finger on the unique role of Coventry Cathedral. Our Cathedral, the Bishop had said, offer us two great treasures. It enables us first, to see the face of God and secondly, it helps us to understand the power of God s forgiveness. But we have to be prepared in order to see God, to struggle with the starkness of its art and architecture and to find forgiveness, to wrestle with the implications of reconciliation, with those from whom we are estranged. The bombing and destruction of the old Cathedral, distinguished Coventry from all other cathedrals - indeed from all other British institutions. Many British buildings had been destroyed as a result of bombing. But in no other, was the tragedy immediately transformed into the Christian message of reconciliation (by our founder Provost Dick Howard) and in no other did the destruction find such powerful architectural expression as the harrowing route from the ruins, to see the face of God in Glory above the altar, before turning to see the world through God s eyes (as Rowan Williams put it). We are custodians of a very precious heritage - both architectural and spiritual. Building a strong Friends association was vital, to building a secure future for the Cathedral. Preservation can mean either preserving in aspic from the past, or preserving life for future. The purpose of the Friends was about maintaining, protecting, safeguarding the fabric and furnishings, but it was also about sustaining the mission and ministry of the Cathedral for tomorrow. So this year the Friends had made grants to rewire the historic Cappers Room and the evocative Haigh Chapel, to replace the chiming mechanism on the Tower Clock (which strikes the hours on Hilltop at heart of the 3

4 City), to purchase new beverage brewers (and a trolley) to improve our welcome and hospitality on Sunday mornings, and we have committed 40,000 (our largest ever grant) to the Cathedral to preserve our choir and music over the next two years. It was also about keeping faith with our founder s intentions. The Friends Constitution of 1934 stated preserve the Cathedral for posterity with its beauties unimpaired and enriched. The original Constitution of the Friends also included this aim: to bind together all those who love Coventry Cathedral, and to bring others to appreciate and enjoy it. Nobody needed reminding of the value of friendship, or that the more we know and understand about something, the more we come to love, value and enjoy it. Similarly, we can all gained enjoyment by sharing a gift, by introducing someone to a new experience. That s why in January 2015 the Friends, will be publishing a calendar of activities and events for the coming year opportunities to enjoy each other s company, to invite others and to learn more about the Cathedral. The Friends had been an important part of the Cathedral Community for 80 years. We had given generous support for exhibitions, publications and festivals, made grants to preserve the spire, the organ and the vestments, and had enjoyed the privilege of belonging to the Cathedral and getting to know a steady stream of new Friends. This has been a significant year. We had raised a simply staggering 52,500 for the Cathedral in response to the Archbishop s Challenge. That included a gloriously generous anonymous gift of 25,000, plus 6,000 from the inspiring Prom for All Concert that filled Cathedral with joyful music and over 800 people The donations, large and small, had come from open gardens, a coffee morning, a legacy, birthday presents, fees from taking a funeral and for playing at a wedding, being sponsored to introduce the organ recitals, catering for Puddings are Us and for a special celebration, giving up alcohol for Lent and giving up having one s hair cut professionally. We had published a Christmas card, a postcard of St Michael s in 1934 and a stunning book on the Stained Glass of the new Cathedral. We had enjoyed a thoroughly convivial and memorable 80th Birthday Meal. We had also produced two bumper Newsletters and a topical monthly e-bulletin. It had been a really Happy Birthday, but what about Many Happy Returns? The big challenge for 2015, he said, was to increase our membership, and to strengthen our Council. Growth is not a strategy - it s the result of a strategy. Over the next five years, between the 75th Anniversary of the Blitz next year and Centenary of the Diocese in 2019, Coventry Cathedral will be in the news. A 10% net, year on year, increase in Members would take us to over 850 Members by the Centenary, which would really be something to celebrate for our 85 birthday in 2019! He concluded, by thanking members for all their support and generosity, for helping to preserve our great Cathedral, so that others can enjoy it, now and in the future. 4

5 10.0 The Dean s Report The Dean gave Members a presentation on the past year of events and changes at the Cathedral. Last autumn, Canon Tim Pullen s departure had left only two Canons, for the next eight months. The Cathedral had been faced with a budget deficit of 280,000 for The Homeless Statue had arrived for a six months. The old bookshop had re-opened, later to offer Fair Trade goods and refreshments (though not yet making a profit). In December Jonathan Evans the acting General Manager, who had been overseeing the Budget Plan was taken ill and been forced to resign. In January the Friends had agreed to sponsor the Choir and Music for two years, and there had been two staff redundancies. February had seen the visit from the Irish State President and work beginning on the North Walls of the old Cathedral. In March the Dean s wife, Ricarda been able to move to Coventry, and begin a Chaplaincy in Nuneaton. In April CW8 was formed promoting the eight most important tourist sites on Coventry and Warwickshire, including Coventry Cathedral and The Royal Shakespeare Theatre. Canon Dr. David Stone had became Sub-Dean. In May, the Choir had been on a successful tour to the Netherlands, there had been a celebration of the 20th anniversary of women in the priesthood, the Reverend Kathryn Fleming had become the Canon Pastor, the Dean had been able to initiate a reconciliation between the Football Club and the Ricoh Stadium, and the Friends had celebrated their 80th Anniversary with a Dinner. In June, Coventry was the base for a reconciliation meeting between African and American bishops. July included a youth pilgrimage at the Cross of Nails Centre at Dresden, and Mostar had become a new ICON member. In August, there was a WW1 commemoration and a textile exhibition. In September, the Coventry Football Club had returned to the Ricoh stadium, the Reverend Dr. Sarah Hills had become the new Canon for Reconciliation, and the Prom for All had filled the Cathedral. October seen a Pet Service, the installation of a new Canon Treasurer, the Reverend Stephen Fielding, the completion of the repairs to the North Wall of the Ruins, and there an abseil for Christian Aid which had raised nearly 20, Any Other Business Barry Greener asked if consideration could be given to photographing the carved statues on the old St. Michael s Tower as a record for posterity. Rose Bentley asked for more information about forthcoming Cathedral events. Ann Tuesley asked about obtaining Cathedral Matters by . David Williams, Brenda Stokes and Canon Ted Hiscocks were warmly thanked for their hard work and exceptional contribution as Council Members The Closing Prayer The Dean closed the meeting with prayer at 4.00 pm 5