BCSS Macclesfield & East Cheshire Branch

Newsletter March 2005 - A.G.M.

The reports presented by office bearers at the AGM showed that the Branch is in a healthy state Printed versions of the reports by the Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, Show Secretary and Webmaster were distributed at the meeting. If there’s anyone who wasn’t there and would like copies then please get in touch with me. As reported on page one, Norman Williamson was appointed Honorary President for the next two years.

The main officials were prepared to serve for another year and were re-elected. Peter Davies will continue to look after our Branch library but will no longer sit on the Committee. Sarmid Al Kamil is finding the pressures of work and family life a bit much to allow him to do justice to overseeing Plant of the Month and Roger Hensman is now going to do this. It’s an excellent thing to find a relatively new member taking over a job. Sybil Wilbraham, who a number of years ago was our Vice Chairman, joined the Committee.

Sadly, her present health problems have caused Mrs Freddy Rawling to cease attending meetings and we have had to devise new arrangements for provision of the mid-evening cuppa. A rota based on the raffle sponsors is going to be tried.

An unexpectedly long time was spent discussing the sort of books we should buy for the Branch library - general or specialist reference. It had been agreed by the committee that we should buy a copy of the long awaited New Cactus Lexicon when it is published later this year.

It has long been the practice that members who sell plants at meetings pay 10% commission to the branch. Recently, other things such as cards and journals and books have been on sale so it was agreed to invite payment of 10% of the proceeds of any items sold by members at meetings.

It is intended to put some of the News Letter on our website and Webmaster, Mike Ashworth, invited submission of photographs and pieces of information that would be of interest.

By the time the tea break was over there wasn’t time to set up and look at any slides but Chris Hynes gave an interesting mini talk on the Anglo/Italian periodical Cactus and Co which is becoming an increasingly respected publication.

Alasdair Glen