GNAS Annual General Meeting

The GNAS Annual General Meeting was held on Saturday, 17 April 2010 at Lilleshall. The following is just a brief report on the main activity; more detail will be published by GNAS in due course.

Election of President

Our congratulations go to Trish Lovell (Bowmen of Woodstock, Kent) who succeeds Tom Williamson and will serve for a period of 3 years.

Election of the Board of Directors

The following directors were elected, either at the meeting, or in the case of the non-executive national directors, by the corresponding home nation prior to the meeting:

Executive Directors:
ChairmanDavid Harrison
(Bowmen of Walker, Newcastle)
Succeeds Lynne Evans, who had completed the maximum permitted consecutive period.
Marketing and DevelopmentBob McGonigle
(Midlothian)
Elected to serve a further term, following his interim appointment during last year to replace Bev Detoeuf, who resigned in July 2009.
OperationsAnn Shepherd
(New Century Bowmen, Cheshire)
Succeeds Jan Howells, who had completed the maximum permitted consecutive period.
Finance and General Purposesvacant ***Succeeds John Poyner, who was co-opted as an interim replacement for Stephen Glover, who resigned in November 2009 for personal reasons.
Non-Executive Directors:
Englandto be advisedSucceeds Kath Fitzpatrick, who had completed the maximum permitted consecutive period.
Northern IrelandIan McGibbonContinues in post.
ScotlandMuriel KirkwoodSucceeds Derek Sangster, who was appointed as an interim replacement for Bob McGonigle, who resigned to move to M&D.
WalesAndrew Tizzard-VarcoeSucceeds Jean Howells, who had completed the maximum permitted consecutive period.

(*** - John Poyner was once again co-opted at the board meeting, held the following day; he will serve on a temporary basis until a replacement can be found.)

The remaining Executive director is the Chief Executive (David Sherratt), who is employed by the society.

There are therefore at least four and possibly as many as six new faces on the Board of Directors during the coming year.

Special Business

Ian McGibbon (Director, Northern Ireland) presented an explanation of the proposed changes to the GNAS Memorandum and Articles of Association (Constitution), dividing them into three categories:

  • Housekeeping - tidying up to make them easier to understand, but no substantive changes;
  • Companies Act 2006 - some useful changes allowed by the new Act, but not mandatory;
  • Governance - changes required to comply with the terms of SportEngland funding.

All of the proposed changes were either defeated or failed to gain the required 75% majority.

The two proposed changes to the Laws of the Association were passed on a simple majority.

Awards

Of particular local interest was the award to Pauline Swift (who in her youth was a Kent archer before moving to Surrey) of the GNAS Plaquette for her services to archery over more years than she would care for us to publicise here!