2024 NCA AGM Agenda and Reports

Agenda

Wednesday October 2nd 2024, 18:00, Lit & Phil Newcastle

1. Apologies for absence
Apologies have been received (as of September 23) from Nick James, Jenny Lewis, Andrew Young, and Gilbert Cockton .

2. Minutes of previous AGM, October 4, 2023
3. Matters arising
4. President’s Report
5. Hon. Secretary’s Report
6. Membership Secretary’s Report
7. Hon. Treasurer’s Report
8. Election of Officers and Executive Committee
9. Any other business

Prof. Heather Cordell, President
Em.Prof. Gilbert Cockton, Hon. Secretary

President's Report, Professor Heather Cordell 19.09.24

I am pleased to report that in the past year (since October 2023) we have continued our usual full programme of in-person events, all of which have been announced via email or through Cambridge University's Development and Alumni Relations office website: https://www.alumni.cam.ac.uk/group/northumbrian-cambridge-association (Note that we plan to discontinue/archive our own separate website in the near future). These events have included a concert trip to Abbamania, the Annual Christmas Lunch, the usual Festive Tea and Film at the Tyneside Cinema, an Annual Dinner, a trip to Hexham Races, several walks/excursions to places of interest and a late summer barbecue in the garden of the NCA President. Attendance at these events has – not surprisingly – been somewhat variable, with some attracting only a small select group of participants, and others (e.g. the Christmas Lunch and the Barbecue) attracting a larger crowd.

We have struggled to find new volunteers to join the Executive Committee, but I am pleased to say that Allan Colver has agreed to stand for election at this AGM as a general (ex-officio) member. The other current Committee members are all willing to continue for another year, but most (including the President, Secretary and Treasurer) would prefer to stand down within the next year or two. This brings the long-term viability of the society into question. We have a full program of events planned for 2025 – our 95th anniversary year! – but if we are unable to find replacements for the President, Secretary and Treasurer positions, we may need to consider winding down the society – or perhaps putting it into some kind of “hibernated” state (to be resurrected in the future if there is sufficient interest) during 2026. In that case we would need to discuss arrangements for disposal of the funds e.g. should they be shared out among the current NCA membership or passed on to Cambridge University's Development and Alumni Relations office?

One solution might be to try to attract more new younger members (as many of our current members have said that do not feel they have the energy/capacity to take on such roles – or indeed they may have already carried out these roles in the past, and do not feel inclined to take them on again). With this in mind, we are continuing to try to improve our Social Media presence on such platforms as Facebook, LinedIn and Twitter/X.

Another idea is to make these roles “joint” roles – to be held by several people simultaneously (to share out the load). If anyone would be willing to consider taking on one of these roles on a joint/shared basis, we would be very glad to hear from you.

Hon. Secretary's Report, Em.Prof. Gilbert Cockton 19.09.24

I have continued in this role, with welcome support from Heather Cordell who now takes the Executive Committee minutes. I had indicated my wish to step down from the Secretary role at the 2023 AGM to allow me to focus on events and communications. I hope that we can attract new committee members who will take on officers' roles. The Secretary role is not onerous.

I am very grateful to Ian Lawley, who took over the NCA newsletter a year ago. He has since edited both 2024 editions, despite ill health during preparation of the July edition.  Past newsletters can be found on Cambridge University's Development and Alumni Relations (CUDAR) website, along with our own soon-to-be-retired NCA website. I have continued to maintain this website, but with functions and content steadily moving to the CUDAR site. Once this transfer is complete, we can retire the NCA website and focus committee attention on other work, especially social media on Facebook and elsewhere.

I manage NCA email and postal communications. We have migrated almost all NCA members to email, with only four members now relying solely on postal communication. We will continue to send out material by post. We can move members away from email if their circumstances change in ways that make email difficult for them.

I organise the annual NCA reception for Freshers, with 39 signed up for 2024 (including past students, family and friends, and committee members). I also book the room for the AGM and liaise with the Lit & Phil for our meetings there. I was going to lead a walk in July but I was too ill on the day. Peter Cleland led his walk, so no one was disadvantaged.

Membership Secretary’s Report 19.09.24

As noted in last year’s report, the ‘database clean’ resulted in a significant reduction to the membership list – either due to non-response or to resignation for a range of reasons. One member resigned during the year, citing age and inability to attend events.

We are sad to report the deaths early in the year of Mick Bond (Jesus 1958-62), Stephen Lawson (Downing 1964-67), Christopher Moreland (Magdalene 1956-59) and Leonard Walker (Caius 1950-53), all of whom were longstanding members of the Association.

Current membership stands at 76, including seven Honorary members and one Associate member. Associate members are partners of deceased NCA members who have regularly attended our events, and to whom it is our policy to offer NCA membership and continued access to events. We have 70 members on our email list and six on the postal list.

We offer free Associate membership to students attending our Freshers’ Welcome Party, and now have over 90 students on our list. The hope is that they will maintain and spread an awareness of the Association’s existence and activities and may become full members should they return to the area in the future.

All current members are encouraged to look out for potential new recruits.

Hon. Treasurer’s Report 19.09.24

This report accompanies the financial statements for the year ended 31 July 2024 (link below). The accounts have not been ‘audited’ this year as our longstanding Honorary Auditor has stepped down. Although there is no statutory requirement for the financial statements to be reviewed, it is good practice to do so and our Constitution denotes the post of Honorary Auditor as an elected Officer.

In practice, the remit of the Honorary Auditor is to have an independent ‘eye’ carry out a brief review of the year-end figures and supporting documents: it is not an in-depth ‘audit’ or even an ‘independent examination’ in accounting or legal terms. It should not be an onerous task and we ask members to consider volunteering for this post.

Subscription income has reduced this year, following the updating of the membership database and a number of elderly members deciding not to renew, but is likely to remain stable at this level for the foreseeable future.

Bookings for events continue to hold up with an attendance of 20-25 and the Freshers’ welcome party was well supported with an outlay of £310.

The deficit of £312.07 on the 2023 AGM results from having to book a minimum number for catering, not ultimately matched by bookings, and rise in costs of venue hire. The Executive Committee has since decided to explore more flexible catering options and to hire only one room for this meeting.

There were small surpluses on the Annual Dinner and Christmas Lunch, and slightly larger ones on the Summer outing to Thornton Hall Gardens/Tees Cottage Pumping Station and the Summer BBQ, due to costs being less than originally anticipated. The apparent surplus on the Festive Tea is cancelled out by the deposit paid in the previous financial year. Other events either broke even or were paid for on an individual basis.

Deposits of £144.75 and £187.50 have been paid for the 2024 Christmas Lunch and Festive & Film respectively. Most administrative expenses are in line with earlier years, with a notable reduction in postage costs as most communications are now made electronically.

The outturn for the year is a deficit of £294.80; however the Association is in a sound financial position and can support this.

End of year financial statement (unaudited).