Dear member,
Once again the current lecture programme is drawing to a close and there is just one more lecture to look forward to and then the AGM on June 21st. The May 17 lecture is entitled Maternal Nutrition & the Foetus and it will be given by Professor Michael Crawford from Imperial College.
I think it safe to say that it has been another successful year for the Society and our thanks to our Programme Secretary for providing such a varied and interesting programme. The final meeting of the session is the ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING which will take place on Thursday June 21st with the usual wine & cheese and possibly a scientific entertainment. There is a small charge of £3, and the Society as usual provides the wine. Any contributions of food will be gratefully accepted and the expenses may be re-claimed.
At the Council meeting on April 5th, Doug Daniels expressed his wish to resign as President, having held the position for 10 years. He pointed out that at 78, he was beginning to feel his age and that Council should look for a younger replacement. Fortunately Simon Lang FRAS was willing to take on the job. As the Secretary had received no other nominations or volunteers, Julia Daniels proposed Simon and this was agreed by all present. The retiring President wishes to thank all Council members for their support during the last decade and wishes Simon all the best for his presidency.
The AGM agenda will include reports from officers and section leaders and the election of officers and 5 ordinary members of Council. Council proposes the following:
| Secretary | Dr. Julie Atkinson |
| Treasurer & Membership Secretary | John Tennant |
| Programme Secretary | Jim Brightwell |
| Ordinary Members (Max 5) | David Brandt, Dr. Kevin Devine, Jonquil Florentin, David Markham, Anne Watson. |
Council invites further nominations for the above posts. Such nominees should be duly proposed and seconded and should have agreed to serve if elected.
Under the revised Constitution, Council will replace one ordinary member, from those who have served longest each year. At the Council meeting on April 5th Martin Williams retired, being the longest serving ordinary member of Council. Council proposed Jonquil Florentin to replace Martin Williams. Jonquil was proposed by Simon Lang and seconded by Julia Daniels with all in favour.
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It has been pointed out that when it comes to the election of auditors for the Society's accounts we should not appoint candidates who are currently serving members of Council.
The current wording is: The Council shall present to each Annual General Meeting a report of the Society's activities during the preceding year, including a statement of accounts duly audited by two members of the Society, who shall be appointed at the previous AGM.
The proposed change will say: including a statement of accounts duly examined by one examiner chosen from two members of the Society but independent of the Society's governing Council, who shall be appointed at the previous Annual General Meeting.
The Council shall have the power to employ, if it thinks fit, the services of a professional auditor.
The proposed changes are underlined.
oOo
New legislation will soon be in force in an attempt to protect against illegal distribution of personal data. This will affect societies like ours, who keep records of addresses, e-mail addresses, web sites etc. necessary for archival purposes and to contact speakers, members, publish lecture programmes and maintain a website.
For our part we confirm that no personal details concerning our members will be provided to any outside organisation without prior consent. We will remove any personal details such as telephone numbers or home addresses if requested by members. This means that they will no longer be able to receive newsletters or programme cards by post, but they could be obtained at lecture meetings. You may at some point, be asked to sign a document consenting to your contact details being kept by the Society.
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Members are invited to attend a Memorial Service to commemorate the life and work of Professor Heinz Wolff, our past President from 1968 – 1987.
The Service will be held at Brunel University of London, Uxbridge UB8 3PN, on Monday 30th April 2018 from 14.45 – 16.00 BST. Admission is free, but in order to attend you must register using their web-site.
Once registered, you will be able to download tickets from their web-site. If you require any additional information, please contact the Office Manager.
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Last updated 07-May-2018