© Burnham-
Chairman’s end of year and AGM Report
This is our first AGM and it is also the completion of one year in the life of our club.
We have achieved quite a lot in the last year. To start us off John Brewer and myself put £500.00 each into the pot to give us a good start this enabled us to buy three small Axminster variable speed lathes and four complete sets of turning tools.
Although we have kept the joining fees and weekly subscription low the club has managed to pay back John’s £500 00 and still build up a small reserve.
Financially we are sound and have not raised this years joining fee or weekly subscription.
The raffle has helped our finances greatly so thanks to them that have donated prizes each month.
Another big saving was Mark Sanger making us a great looking Web site for free.
If we had a site like this made for us it would have cost quite a lot so thank you for that Mark it is very much appreciated.
We now have a Blog on our club Web site that I will keep updated with news and pics.
If members Email me good quality pics of themselves or their work I will add them to the gallery.
Our membership now stands at about thirty members as some have left and some new ones have joined. Members all seem to be happy with the way things are going and having hands on and demonstrations each month seems to be very popular.
We are very lucky to have three full time professional woodturners as members as this gives us a good pool of knowledge to pass on to our members and also means we are able to give quality demonstrations each month at no cost to the club.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank our committee members for their work during the last year Sue Meads as Secretary has kept the paperwork in good order and Cheryl Mountford who has kept the books as Treasurer.
John Brewer has been responsible for ordering and receiving goods from suppliers as and when we have needed them.
Dereck Smith took on the responsibility of the clubs library which has been very popular and helped the clubs finances so thank you Dereck.
Our two life members Mark Sanger and Martin Lawrence have been a big support and are always willing to do a demo so thank you Mark and Martin.
Although we have not been able to use the kitchen at the centre for the last few months due to improvements being carried out I would like to thank my Wife Sue and John’s wife Val for making the tea’s and coffees when it was available.
Thanks also to Ken Hindle and The Community Centre for accommodating us it has been a great venue.
Very generous discounts from Axminster and Crown tools helped us enormously when we set up our Club so a big thanks to both of them.
I think we have without a doubt the very best woodturning club in the area for several reasons. Firstly the enthusiasm of the members who never fail to join in and have a go.
My experience of most woodturning clubs is that the membership just want to sit down and be entertained but not ours everybody without exception all muck in and have a go.
Also ours is the least expensive club in the area. This is because we don’t waste money on expensive professional demonstrators we do our own demonstrating.
I hope I have not forgotten to thank anyone who has helped us in the last year if I have it is unintentional.
If the following year is as good as the last one I think we will all be very happy.
George Foweraker (Chairman)
AGM Report May 2011