Item

Action

1.

Welcome by Chair

2.

Apologies

Noted from the committee - Harry Robinson (Freckleton); John Willis (Mawdesley)

Noted from the membership – Ribchester; Adlington; Heskin; Kelbrook and Sough; Calder Vale; Chatburn

3.

Previous minutes and matter arising      

Correction to item 2 - Apologies. Should read Harry Robinson (Freckleton).

Members requested the Annex 1 to the 2015/16 minutes be recirculated to all.

Otherwise minutes from AGM 2015/16 agreed by all present. Proposed and seconded by two individual member halls. The membership then voted unanimously to accept.

Matters Arising:

Performing Rights – Marcus Hill has been unable to progress finding out anything more definitive about the fees paid by different organisations due to ill health. JD as Chair offered to pick this up and investigate and will put his findings on the website once known for members to access. Community Futures and ACRE are suggested as being approached in the first instance for guidance. Aughton Hall in particular are specifically requesting clarity as they have a current and ongoing issue with this. JD to communicate directly back to Aughton Hall representatives as soon as any information is gained.                              

NB

NB

JD

4.

Executive committee reports

Financial Report

The current Treasurer has given apologies to the meeting due to ill health and as such there is no financial report prepared to present. The membership accepted this position. No further questions were raised from the floor.

Chair’s Report

JD expressed his thanks to Nicola Bell for her efficiency in the role of Secretary; to John Willis as Treasurer; to Sian Middlebrough for support to the organisation with facilities provision; to Teresa Taylor for all contributions to the committee; and to Audrey Weatherill and Marcus Hill who have remained on the committee for a year after retiring from executive positions on the committee to impart their knowledge and experience of the organisation to newer committee members. At this point, the Chair explained that due to ill health, Marcus Hill and John Willis as Treasurer would be standing down from the committee, together with Audrey Weatherill who has given in excess of 20 years to the organisation and Nicola Bell as secretary who has increasing commitments to her young family. The Chair re-expressed his thanks to all for their efforts and contributions to the committee and organisation over the course of the 2016/17 year and highlighted to the membership the challenge for the remaining committee in approaching the new charity year of 2017/18.

5.

Election of Executive Committee 

Given the Chair’s report, JD highlighted to the committee that the positions of Treasurer and Secretary were now vacant and any nominations from the floor to join the committee and fulfil either role would be welcome. None were forthcoming.

JD explained that the Treasurer from his own village hall at Hambleton was prepared to take on the role however the membership expressed concern at not having ever physically met this person.

The possibility of joining with the Ribble Valley Community Halls organisation was also suggested with mixed response by the membership. Teresa Taylor (TT) to investigate this potential opportunity and feedback to the membership asap.

JD referenced the Annex 1 paper from the 2015/16 AGM relating to LAVCH joining Community Futures and a sub-organisation of Community Futures, maintaining some but by no means all autonomy and therefore losing independence for the membership alone to guide LAVCH in all matters. JD reiterated that if no members present were to step forward to the committee, this would be the only option to keep the LAVCH organisation functioning, as the three remaining committee members, whilst committed to the organisation, were not in a position to run the organisation and cover the roles of Treasurer and Secretary in additional to the time they already give.

A final option is to dissolve the LAVCH organisation at the financial year end, 31.3.2018. All member halls present were against this option in the first instance, unless no prior option came to fruition. It was noted at this point that only 20% of the membership was present at this meeting and such an important decision about the future of the organisation should be communicated out to all members and an EGM be calls for a broader consensus vote to be held once information on all options has be gathered and can be presented to the membership.

At this point, the Chair asked the remaining committee members is they were prepared to stay on in their current committee roles. John Davies (JD) himself as Chair, Teresa Taylor and Sian Middlebrough (SM) agreed. Individual member halls proposed and seconded their recurrent nominations and the membership unanimously voted them to remain in position for the following year. As an temporary measure until the afore mentioned EGM is held, JD asked TT if she would be prepared to undertake the role of interim Treasurer, only to be concerned with reviewing the current finances and taking the appropriate steps to change the bank mandate regarding signatories on the account. Any additional work would be welcome though not expected. TT accepted the request to undertake the caretaker role with these limited expectations; individual member halls proposed and seconded this interim appointment and all hall unanimously voted TT to the position.

TT

JD

6.

Committee Membership

Given the reduced membership of the committee, this agenda item was covered collectively with the executive appointments in item 5 above.

JD made a further call to the member halls present for nominations to support and join the committee , however none were forthcoming. The membership suggested at this call would be better made at the EGM when more member halls were hoped be in attendance, with volunteers anticipated to be found from this larger audience.

7.

Open Forum

No additional topics were raised at the open forum as the committee and membership were keen to understand the next steps for the organisation, given the prior discussions.

JD will revisit the option to join with Community Futures; TT will examine the possibility of joining with the Ribble Valley Village Hall Organisation and once all information is received, JD will call an EGM with a minimum of 28 days notice to all members via both an email to member hall key contacts and via the website re the date, time, venue of the meeting. He will also circulate all relevant information for review prior to attending the meeting. It is hope that Donna Carney, lead contact at Community Futures will be available to be present at the EGM to answer any member hall questions directly so a decisive vote can be made on the date of the EGM. All member halls present agreed to this proposal and it was agreed further discussion at the present time would not necessarily be beneficial.

JD

7.

Thanks and Close

JD noted thanks to SM, NB and Grimsargh Village Hall for hosting and facilitating the autumn meeting and AGM. JD expressed his hope to see the members present and more at the next and important meeting, the EGM re the future of the LAVCH organisation.  

Meeting closed 14.45