If anyone would like to stand for the committee please let our co-ordinator Chris Simpson know on 01822 614917. We will be looking for at least two new committee members, and would be particularly glad to hear from anyone who has experience with websites and/ or social media.
The short formal proceedings will be followed by an evening of ppresentations and discussion on Local food production and the importance of efficient energy use (See Events/Meetings for more details).
AGENDA for the THIRD ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING of
TRANSITION TAVISTOCK to be held at
7.00 pm on 9th February 2012 at Tavistock Parish Rooms
1. Apologies
2. Minutes of AGM of 11.2.11
3. Matters Arising
4. Annual Report
5. Accounts
6. Election of Committee Members
7. Any Other Business
8. Date of next AGM
Followed by Local Food and efficient energy use - presentation and discussion.
Annual Report for 2011 AGM
Welcome to the second Annual General Meeting of Transition Tavistock. Transition is an international movement rooted in local communities like ours, seeking to meet the challenges of climate change and dwindling oil supplies by working together at a local level. As a community we will be better able to build resilience in the context of a rapidly altering global environment. This year it seems that these changes, and their effect on global economics, are becoming impossible to ignore.
It has been a busy year where things have not gone completely according to plan; but then adaptation is what Transition is all about.
The old ‘steering group’ became the new committee. We committee members have had our ups and downs over the last year. We are particularly sorry that Jackie Eady has had to step back for a while, having contributed a great deal to the development of Transition Tavistock. With the working groups gaining momentum, we are proposing a leaner Committee that will meet less often in the future, and this requires making some changes to the constitution.
During the year our energy and food groups have joined forces, partly due to their overlapping interests. This group is thriving, and the year’s achievements include organising a number of information stalls, and farm and smallholding visits; launching a pilot eco-team, winning second prize for the most beautifully decorated incredible edible Christmas tree, and building up a lively network of people sharing ideas around food and energy sustainability. Plans for the future will be shared this evening. They include a programme of ‘learning visits’ and a local organic potato growing scheme which you can get involved in financially or by working on the land.
A group focusing on waste is currently on hold, as the co-ordinator Bill Glassmire who was co-ordinating it has moved back to the USA. Many thanks are due to Bill for all his valuable work in establishing Transition Tavistock.
Green Drinks takes place on the second Tuesday of every month in the Market Inn. It provides an informal networking and meeting space for anyone interested in sustainability issues; no two sessions are the same!
Our information stalls at various local events, have provided a popular opportunity for exchanging information and our contacts list has increased to around 184. The almost monthly newsletter is delivered by e-mail; and by hand to our off-line community of interest.
We joined the international celebration for 10:10, with our own event. This recognised the achievement of the many individuals and organisations who joined the international campaign to reduce our carbon footprint by 10% in 2010. We took part in the national Big Lunch in the summer, and met neighbours who we hadn’t known before. Two of our members attended the inspiring international Transition Conference which took place in Devon last summer. We continue to work closely with WestDen, the local environmental organisation which was established well before Transition was a twinkle in Rob Hopkins’ eye.
Going forward into 2011, with your support, we will continue to raise awareness of urgent environmental issues. The Communication group is putting on a series of Spring Sessions, talks and films which all are welcome to attend, and to get involved in, whether it is making tea in the interval or putting together the next programme. Transition isn’t just about the challenges of the future, it is also about discovering possibilities and acting upon them, and after the film this evening there will be time for us to discuss our inspirations and concerns, and what we plan to do, over the coming year and the years to come.
Chris Simpson
11th February 2011
Transition Tavistock
Minutes of the 2nd Annual General Meeting
held at United Reformed Church, Tavistock on
11th February 2011 at 19.30 hours
Present: Chris Simpson (Chair), Max Laithwaite, Kate Royston (Treasurer)
1. Apologies: Sarah Berry (Secretary), Mark Prebble, Hilary Johnson, Rosie Yells, Jackie Eady
2. Minutes of the last meeting: the minutes were approved
3. Matters arising: there were no matters arising
4. Annual Report: Chris Simpson explained the aim of Transition Tavistock and spoke to the Report. Presentations were made by the Food and Energy Working Groups including plans for the coming year for noticeboards in the Pannier Market & supermarkets, increased person to person contact and encouragement of more local initiatives. A number of ideas were considered including local buying groups, edible traffic pacifiers, formal (vegetable) gardens in the Meadows and a potato growing scheme. Kit Harbottle proposed reviving the Transport Group. There was an opportunity to have a Transition stall at the annual Tavistock Steam Fair. Members reported on a number of initiatives including rain water harvesting & use of grey water; photovoltaic tiles; and testing of vertical wind turbines
5. Accounts: Kate Royston presented the Accounts that showed a balance carried forward of £182.22. Mike Dennis reported that the Tavistock Co-operative Group had recently donated £150. The Accounts were approved.
6. Amendments to the Constitution: Max explained the rationale for proposed changes to the Constitution in order to make the workings of Transition Tavistock more efficient. Max confirmed that the Committee would still have to authorise any payments. The following amendments were proposed and the wording unanimously agreed as follows:
10.3 Each Working Group has the right to have a voting Representative on the Committee, who shall belong to the Organisation. If the Representative is unable to attend they may nominate as their proxy any Working Group member.
10.4 Each Working Group may choose any member of the Group to be its Representative. Further, any Working Group Representative may also serve as an elected or co-opted Committee member
11.4.2 The quorum for decisions shall be at least three committee members, who may cast their votes electronically.
11.5.1 The Committee shall make decisions by a consensus method:
(a) Firstly, to adopt any proposition, the Committee meeting shall attempt to agree a statement which is acceptable to all Committee members voting at the meeting.
7. Election of Committee Members
Nominations having been made in accordance with the Constitution the following Executive Officers were unanimously elected: Co-ordinator: Chris Simpson; Treasurer: Mike Dennis; Secretary: Sarah Berry
8. Any Other Business
It was reported that four events would be held in the coming months including talks about the development of Maristow ‘secret’ garden;
9. Date of next Annual General Meeting:
It was agreed to hold the next Annual General Meeting on 9th February 2012.
ANNUAL REPORT 2009/10
On 7th December 2008 Sarah Berry and Mozza Brewer (with lots of practical support from Westden) arranged a public meeting at Café Liaison in Tavistock. The film Power of the Community was shown and Sarah talked about the Transition Movement and asked for volunteers to set up a Steering Group to establish Transition Tavistock. By the time of the first Steering Group meeting on 12th January 2009 ten volunteers had come forward and that is the number in the Steering Group today, although there have been a few departures and new arrivals over the year. For most of the year the members of the Steering Group have been Sarah Berry, Jackie Eady, Adam Fleet, Lucianne Fleet, Bill Glassmire, Kit Harbottle, Mark Prebble, Kate Royston, and Chis Simpson. They have been joined by Mozza Brewer when she’s been in this country; and Max Laithwaite has recently taken over from Geri Laithwaite.
Meeting about once a fortnight, the Steering Group has worked very hard during the year to lay the foundations for Transition Tavistock. We have composed a mission statement, designed a logo (which has been sewn onto a fine banner for display), designed a website, opened an email account, after many hours’ labour drawn up a Constitution, opened a bank account, and got Transition Tavistock registered as an official Transition Initiative with the global Transition Network.
Those rather dry fundamentals have taken most of our time and energy but we were keen to get them done and dusted so that there was a firm foundation on which Working Groups could build once they got started. This resolve was reinforced by reports from other Transition initiatives who had launched into exciting practical projects, only to have them brought up short by a lack of organisational basics.
However, as well as working hard the Steering Group has found time to do some celebrating together, enjoying a hot and summery picnic in May and a warmly communal supper in December.
Meanwhile, we have also managed to start reaching out to the community and currently have 110 people who have asked to be kept up to date with Transition Tavistock’s activities. At a Tavistock and Villages Initiative meeting and at the AGM of Westden, we have talked about the Transition Movement and our aims and ambitions. We also had an information stall at a Saturday Tavistock Farmers’ Market in May and were at the Acoustic Café Summer Festival and The Big Lunch, both in July. In September we showed the film The Age of Stupid to an audience of about 70 and followed it by a discussion.
November saw us arranging a very successful “Open Space” discussion forum one Sunday afternoon. This well attended event was facilitated by Lel Chapman and looked at the question "Sustainable Tavistock & Villages - How do we achieve this?". A lot of great ideas were generated around six themes raised by those who attended the meeting: Energy, Waste, Food, Communication, Community and Transport. Following that meeting Working Groups on these themes have been formed through which we are embarking on a more practical and active phase. There will be more information about the Working Groups later in the evening. If you are not yet a member of one and would like to add your ideas and energy to their plans and actions, do please join one tonight.
Tonight’s AGM marks the end of the Steering Group’s work. All members of the Steering Group will step down and a new Executive Committee needs to be elected. It’s job will be to act as a co-ordinating body for the various Working Groups. The election of the Executive Committee is the next item on tonight’s agenda but before we go on to that I would like to say a most sincere thank you to all the members of the Steering Group who have put so much effort into getting Transition Tavistock off the ground. Also we would all like to thank Westden for their continuing practical help, and we especially want to thank everyone in this room for coming along tonight and for your vital support. Your ideas, your energies, your actions. and those of our other supporters who couldn’t make it tonight, are the life-blood of Transition Tavistock and they are what are needed to help this community face the challenges of Climate Change and Peak Oil.
Sarah Berry 17th February 2010
