AGM - 8th February 2018 - Chair's Report

The key agenda item this year was the members' endorsement of our Risk Assessment Document (which is now available for your reference, via secretary Cate.)

As club funds are in a healthy state the committee this year will look at ways to redistribute some of these funds directly back to members in forms of their choice e.g. garden visit vouchers (Lowther Castle Guided Walks).

We have a current membership of 120 and a short waiting list of 7.

Sadly the 'Joint Gardening Clubs' of Cumbria will no longer hold an annual plant sale in May on Rickerby's forecourt.

Indeed there is also feedback indicting that some of our county clubs are closing for reasons of not only reduced membership numbers but due to lack of members volunteering to take on committee roles.

So aren't we so lucky to have a thriving club!

So this is an excellent time therefore to say special thanks to each committee member; without whose commitment, simply there would be no club.

• Joan & Ruth: our Speaker Organisers - a real before / during/ after support for the speakers.
  
  
• Janice (with Jude's help): – those wonderful day trips & fabulous holidays, many more please...
  
  
• Jude: a real multitasker – helping Janice, organising our plant sales & writing great reviews for both the Cumberland News & Focus on Eden

• Denise & Alice: our raffle ladies who are also first to welcome us all on club nights.
  Enjoy your retirement from these posts
  
  
  
  
  
• ADMIN Team: we'd be completely lost with out these ladies Lesley/Cate (secretaries) & Helen /Anne (exchequers)

After twelve years of commitment both Lesley and Helen are retiring

 We will miss you

• Caroline: it's great to be able to share the chairman's role & have someone to run ideas/thoughts past.

And there are also SO MANY club members to thank too

e.g. Our wonderful Bakers / servers

(& especially to Marilyn for her wonderful selection of home bakes for tonight's meeting)

Tidy Uppers on club nights

Plant Sale propagators / splitters

You know who you are – many, many thanks.

Daylight is now lengthening. So here's to a wonderful 2018 season in the garden.

Trish Rodgers

Chairman