Packington Village History Group PVHG – Chair’s Report to Annual General Meeting AGM, 26 January 2021
The January AGM has had to be postponed, it became a successful Zoom trial. PVHG will now meet virtually for our AGM on Zoom on Tuesday 23rd February 2021. Here is the report from the chair:
Robin Boucher writes:
I ended my report to last year’s AGM with the words ”Roll on 2020” – I must be more careful what I wish for!
Following that well-attended January AGM, we met in February 2020 when we scrutinised Adrian Mongredien’s survey of Anglo-Saxon and Viking Packington. (Thanks to Adrian for all the work he did on this, now available here as a FREE download on our website). After this the Covid curtain fell and we have been unable to meet since.
This does not mean that nothing has happened. We have received and responded to occasional enquiries from residents of the village and further afield, we have sold a couple of our publications, and I have added 27 items to our archive. The group’s website pvhg.uk continues to flourish (thank you Robert). However, it has not been possible to further the group’s development in any meaningful way.
As we start 2021, Yvonne Eaton has declared her wish to stand down as our secretary and treasurer. I believe Yvonne has been involved with the group since it started around 1988: our archive includes examples of her work as secretary from thirty years ago. More recently she hosted numerous group meetings at her own home and when the archive was rendered homeless in 2017 she and her husband kindly agreed to provide temporary accommodation for it. I have found her an invaluable source of information and support while I have been group chair. A very big thankyou, Yvonne, for all you have done.
Obviously we now need to fill the roles of secretary and treasurer, which can be undertaken either separately or together. I have asked Yvonne to draw up a list of the tasks involved as a kind of “job description.” I would be pleased to hear from anyone associated with the group who would consider taking up either or both roles.
Looking ahead, for the time being Government rules and Covid risks prevent us from meeting in the normal way. At present it is far from clear how long this will continue. I am happy to try virtual meetings through Zoom, as some members have advocated, as a short-term measure. I recognise this will not appeal to all of the group’s members and friends and we will need to consider the position more fully if nothing changes in the first half of the year.
With regard to subscriptions, clearly members who paid up in January last year had very little to show for their investment. Putting that alongside Covid uncertainty, I propose to waive payments for this year. The treasurer’s report shows a robust financial position and we should be able to meet all foreseeable expenditure.
Finally, I am willing to continue to serve as chair for the coming year, if that is the wish of group members.
Robin Boucher
28th January 2021
