The Feilding and District Art Society Incorporated
104 Manchester Street, Feilding
Charity Services: CC34427
Agenda of the
Annual General Meeting
Thursday 16 May 2024 at 5.30pm at The Feilding Art Centre
Chairman: Graham Christensen Secretary: Eris Newson
Meeting Open: 5.30pm
Attendance: Corinne Andrew, Lynda Williams, Michael Ford, John Whittaker, Stanley Foote, Ruth Champion, Robyn Parkinson, Trish Scragg, Leanne Wallace, Bev Waugh, Doreen Robertson, Mary Lewis, Melissa Haywood, Gael Gamble, Lois Price, Caroln Moore, Vonnie Sterritt.
Apologies: Karen Carter and Penelope Elder
Motion: That the Apologies be accepted
Moved: Chairman Seconded: Corinne Andrew Carried
NB: An important item that will be further discussed in the Financial Report and in the Chairmans Report to be presented here – the exciting opportunity that will secure the future of our art centre - SR Barrow bequest.
Chair summarised the background of the bequest from Sidney Ray Barrow, (a member around 2003/2004?)
No discussion at this point – to be referred to in the Treasurers Report and a complete summary in Chairman’s Report with questions taken at the end of the Chair Report.
Approval of Minutes of the previous Annual General Meeting held 31 May 2023.
Amendment to be made – adding Melissa Haywood to the list of attendees.
Motion: That the minutes of the previous meeting (being the AGM of 21 May 2023) be approved and adopted as a true and correct record with the changes mentioned above.
Moved: Chairman Seconded: Irene Whittaker Carried
Matters Arising:
Motion: “That matters arising have been addressed.”
Moved: Chairman Seconded: Irene Whittaker Carried
Correspondence:
Inward:
1. 25 October 2023 – from FitzherbertRowe Lawyers, Trust Account Statement showing $1,194,798.93 for distribution to the Feilding and District Art Society.
2. 22 March 2024 - – from FitzherbertRowe Lawyers, Trust Account Statement showing a balance of $2145.77 final distribution amount to the Feilding and District Art Society.
Outward: none
Motion: That Inward Correspondence has been addressed.
Moved: Chairman Seconded: Robyn Parkinson Carried
Financial Report: Performance report for the year ended 31st March 2024 presented by our Treasurer and Accountant, Stuart Campbell: Please refer to attached document.
Discussion on Financial Report:
Financial Statement includes a 1.2 million dollar bequest.
Decision to set up a charitable trust - Feilding And District Art Society Trust
1 million for charitable purposes
Funds will be available for Educational, study, trips, assisting with art careers etc
Fund invested with Craigs
Potential %5 per year, $50,000
$200,000.00 of the funds put aside for ongoing maintenance
Trustees are the current members of executive committee
Art Society will also be able to apply for funds
“will it be available for public”? – no criteria but currently no restriction – main criteria is that it is for the visual arts
Protection of the capital - reinvestment of funds to keep the 1 million above inflation – always holding its value -surplus is what will be available for distribution.
Total revenue $1.374 million compared to 128 thousand the year before,
Extra interest $16,000 accumulated from the bequest while it was in our accounts.
$32,000 loss last year
$261,000.00 in account ($200,000.00 of that on term deposit)
$60,000 grant money in the last year
Delay discussion on SR Barrow bequest to end of Chairmans Report.
Motion: That the Financial Report be accepted as presented.
Moved: Stuart Campbell Seconded: Ruth Champion Carried
Chairman’s Annual Report: Presented by Chairman Graham Christensen – Please refer to report attached.
Motion: That the Chairman’s report be accepted as presented
Moved: Chairman Seconded: Doreen Robertson Carried
Discussion on the report from the floor including SR Barrow bequest.
“Can you define the roles for Centre Coordinator and Art Centre Manager”
Graham noted that Centre Coordinator of 20 hours per week position, will be answerable to the Manager.
Eris asked to define the roles – “ the coordinator role will depend to a certain extent on the skills of the employee. The Coordinator role will be responsible for Members, Shop, volunteers and running of the ground floor, filling in where necessary, cash book, stats of visitor numbers, inventory, shop sales etc.
Not likely to take over any of the desk duty role
The Manager will be responsible for Exhibitions, Events and projects like EXPO, Funding, and accounting.
Annual Report from the Centre Manager: Presented by Eris Newson – please refer to report attached.
Motion: That the Centre Managers report be accepted as presented
Moved: Chairman Seconded: Corinne Andrew Carried
No Discussion on the report from the floor.
Auditing of Accounts:
That there be no audit carried out. It is in the Constitution that we audit each year, and to negate that we need to put a motion as we did last year – unless you have a burning desire to have an audit. One of the very few cases where a negative motion is ever put at a meeting.
Refer to the new Constitution.
Motion: That there be no audit carried out in the 2024/25 financial year.
Moved: Chairman Seconded: Robyn Parkinson Carried
Presentation of the new Constitution:
Chairperson discussed the background and main changes required. The presentation of the revised Constitution as required by the Incorporated Societies Act 2022 and approval required at a General Meeting. Constitution was presented via screen for all members to view and was discussed clause by clause.
With one change to section 6.0 a) to add the voting and associated members rights to the dual Membership.
Motion “That the presented (with changes requested by the meeting) Constitution be accepted.”
Mover: Chairman Seconder: Vonnie Sterritt Carried
Discussion:
Clarification of clause 4. In regards to Eris’s role as officer (Secretary) being paid as Manager – this is a role change, Eris has obtained from voting due to a conflict of interest since taking the role as manager, and steps down as secretary at this AGM.
Clarification of Membership 6.c
“or recognised agent” being the Centre Manager. The form is passed on to the centre manager if there is a reason to deny a membership then this will be escalated to the to the committee.
Applicants must sign the form to agree to be a member.
Noted that the voting of members is not clarified – All Members have voting rights – to be clarified in the constitution – this is agreed for the committee to make this adjustment.
Addition to 23.0 SOCIETY’S PUBLICATIONS
Any publication of the Society shall be under the general control of the Committee and those who they delegate responsibility.
Appointment of Patron: Micheal Ford appointed to continue as Patron with gratitude.
Presentation: Life Membership presentation to Vonnie Sterritt
Vonnie Sterritt has been a member of the Feilding and District Art Society for about 16 years.
For that period of time, she has continually played an active role in the Art Centre.
Her specialty has of course been in the arts whereby she regularly exhibits at the Centre and over time has entered in many of our award exhibitions. It was quickly realised how invaluable her role as a judge was, and in 2009 (soon after she became a member), Vonnie was invited for the first time to judge the Art Awards exhibition for our Art Centre - and has regularly been invited to judge ever since – right up the current exhibition. In 2013 we held a Visual Art Evening at the Art centre and Vonnie was one of the guest artists demonstrating.
But beside judging at the Centre her other forte has been as a member of the Manawatu Art Expo Committee on which she, along with the other Committee members, has passionately dedicated her time to growing and developing the Expo. She has regularly been on the scrutineers panel for the Expo, as well as assisting with the hanging of art for other exhibitors.
She has been our Guest Artist at Expo more than once and has demonstrated her painting skills in her own bay at Expo for a number of years – and in doing so has attracted a crowd whenever she has brush in hand. In 2017 at the Opening dinner – Vonnie spoke on “Art Development over the Decades in PN.”
Vonnie, whom many of you will know is recognised both nationally and internationally as an artist, specialises in Manawatu and New Zealand iconic landscape painting, with critical acclaim describing her work as ‘vibrant and powerful’. Not only having a great career as an art teacher, she has, in more recent years, taught a number of our own members who have benefitted from her art classes and workshops that she held in her studio on Main Street. And a number of her past students are here in this room.
Vonnie – it gives me great pleasure to award you Life Membership of the Feilding and District Art Society.
Presentation from Stuart
Election of Committee for 2024/2025:
Eris Newson’s nomination removed due to enough members stepping forward and conflict of interest.
Graham thanked for her contribution as Secretary to the Committee.
Nominees: Graham Christensen, Robyn Parkinson, Ruth Champion, Stanley Foote, Lynda Williams and Corine Andrews.
Motion:
That the nominations of (list names of those received) be approved as members of the Committee for year 2024/2025.
Moved: Graham Christensen Seconded: John Whittaker Carried
Notification of Committee Meeting: That a Committee Meeting will be held immediately following closure of AGM for election of Chairman, Secretary, and Treasurer.
General Business:
Gael Gamble – the lift to be discussed – responded that that will be discussed by the committee this year in regards to the spending on the building.
Membership query – Is there a decrease due to membership due to fee increase - Not a noticeable one yet.
EXPO hanging fee increase – request for reason – to be investigated and response given later – Vonnie noted that hanging fees were aligned with other like organisations and events.
177 Members – why only 12 members volunteer on the desk.
Eris noted that some volunteers are not members
It has always been expected that members volunteer when they have an exhibition
Eris noted; We need to encourage members to be involved more, especially if they have an exhibition on. However the focus should be more that we are supporting an organisation that serves a community of Artists, rather than just selling other peoples or our own Art.
Graham note that Centre coordinator job description will be to work with desk volunteers and this should improve in the next 12 months
Irene collating the history of the Art Centre – looking for photos and newspaper clippings.
Close of Meeting: 7.10pm
