## **NOTIFICATION OF AGM 2023** South Bucks U3A Annual General Meeting 2:00 pm on Tuesday 20th June 2023 at the Beacon Centre, Holtspur Way, Beaconsfield, HP9 1RJ ## **AGENDA** 1. Apologies 2. Attendance at Meeting _(Quorum for voting purposes)_ 3. To Receive and Approve the Minutes of the 2022 Annual General Meeting _(see item i)_ 4. Chairman’s Report _(See item ii)_ 5. Treasurer’s Report _(see item iii)_ 6. Receive and Adopt the Examined Reports 7. Appointment of Examiner for 2023/2024 8. Election of New Committee Members – Patricia Buckland, Doreen Seimon 9. Proposed Motions – AGREE to Increase in Annual Subscription from 1st July 2024 to £28. – ADOPTION of revised Constitution as in Clauses 15 & 16 _(see item i_ v _)_ 10. Any Other Business – as previously advised to the Secretary (secretary@sbu3a.org.uk) _**The AGM will be followed by this month’s speaker Emily Yarrow on ‘The Life and Trials of the Professional Singer’.**_ _(Item i)_ ## **MINUTES OF SOUTH BUCKS AGM HELD ON 20th SEPTEMBER 2022 AT THE BEACON CENTRE, BEACONSFIELD, BUCKS** **1. Apologies** – were received from 10 members. **2. Attendance at Meeting** – Nicky Smith (NS), Secretary confirmed that the 56 members attending ensured that the meeting met the 12.5% quorate requirement. **3. 2021 AGM minutes** – These having been circulated with the 2022 AGM Agenda were referred by John Evans (JE) the Chairman to the meeting for approval. There were no objections therefore JE would sign and date these. He added his thanks not only for the Committee’s hard work during the previous year, but also made special mention of Annie BurkItt’s contribution in producing the sbu3a’s Newsletters and bulletins. **4. Chair’s report** – JE referred to his report circulated with the 2022 AGM Agenda & the members had no questions. **5. Treasurer’s report** – Alan Cairns (AC) referred to his report circulated with the 2022 AGM Agenda & the members had no questions. **6. Receive & adopt the examined accounts** – AC referred to the accounts circulated with the 2022 AGM Agenda, thanking Richard Worland (RW) for examining them. With no objections, the examined accounts were adopted, with Colin O’Rourke proposing this, and Christine Philips seconding. **7. Examiner appointment for 2021/22** – RW has kindly agreed to continue as examiner. His appointment was agreed with thanks. **8. Election of committee members** – the meeting was informed that 3 nominations for new committee members had been received, nominated & seconded from Joseph Rogers, Keith Searing, and as a late addition not showing on the agenda, Fiona Wright. With no objections, the above were elected for a 3 year period. _cont . . ._ _cont . . ._ 1 **9. Proposed Motion – to Amend the Constitution as notified in the Agenda.** – NS explained that back in April 2021, the parent u3a organisation advised that all constitutions should be amended to cover the move during COVID to electronic means of holding meetings. The software being using included WhatsApp, Facetime and ZOOM. NS advised that there had not been sufficient time for the Committee to address this fully prior to last year’s AGM. The u3a had provided Precedent Clauses for inclusion in Constitutions and it is these that were amalgamated into the Draft that had accompanied the AGM Agenda paperwork previously circulated to members and which was being set before the meeting for approval. In addition, as it had been 4 years since the last revision, the Committee had looked at the Constitution document as a whole and a further 2 amendments had been proposed, namely – standardising all officers’ periods of service to the same ## a _nd_ – changing the quorum required for AGM and Extraordinary Meetings from 12.5% to 10%. Having put this to the meeting, there was a show of hands showing 100% approval of the amendments. **10. AOB** - There being no questions, JE concluded the meeting by thanking everyone for attending. ____________________________________________ ## _(Item ii)_ ## **Chairman’s Report – Achievements and Performance** (for AGM records) Another AGM, another chair (constitutionally I am an item of furniture I gather). I’m still coming to grips with all the myriad things that John Evans coped with so seamlessly. We thank him for his efforts and wish him a swift return to health. I am in desperate need of a mentor… The committee ensures that the running of the u3a is like a swan – serene on the surface with their sterling efforts paddling efficiently and effectively underneath. We are losing two powerhouses from the engine room – Alan is finally succeeding in putting down his quill pen from being treasurer for – forever it seems, having been press-ganged into continuing. We welcome Doreen who has fortuitously stepped into breach. We have as yet no takers for the role of Secretary, where Nicky’s stepping down after 5 years on the committee, 3 years as secretary is going to leave a serious hole in our team. We have welcomed Fiona who has been inveigled into the group coordinator role, and Patricia, who is playing her way in with limited availability. Kay is mastering the complexities of the membership database and communications superbly. We ideally need up to 3 more committee members to train up – and to train us! We have 421 Members, 39 groups and 44 convenors (several of who have enthusiastically taken on more than one group and others more sensibly have managed to share the fun and involvement with others). We thank Christine Dale-Lace and John Pearce for leading the Informal Bridge group, and applaud Christine Miller for ensuring that it continues to run. There are currently 7 committee members and not least several active ancillary but essential helpers who oil the wheels, providing tea and tech support for us. Roughly 13% of you are actively involved in making our u3a the success it is and for the benefit us all. That is what the u3a ethos is. Please challenge yourselves: is anything that you can do to provide fun, interest and learning opportunities to others by introducing new skills and enthusiasm into the mix? If you have an interest or skill that is currently dormant, revive it by telling the rest of us about it by offering to speak at a meeting (group or general), or even starting a new group (with a friend or two to help ideally). If you do share an interest with any of the groups, offer to help the convenor. Many hands make light work. Calling all you ex managers, administrators, organisers, creators – keep your hand in and brain working by joining us and adding your enthusiasm and ideas to our committee. The team is muddling along reasonably well, but more skills and hands on the wheel are needed to meet our charity mandate, particularly a secretary (on-the-job training provided!). It is not a job for life – there is a 3 year maximum stint for committee posts, but any commitment that you are able to make will be welcomed. We suggest 1 year chunks – you will hopefully find it interesting and fulfilling and wish to continue. Our aim is that any role (including and especially conveners) has a backup deputy who can learn, help, support and take over when needed. Friends and partners are encouraged to share any role. Try it and unveil previously hidden talents! If there is anything you think we should be doing, come and tell us – and ideally help us provide it! The u3a is what YOU make it. _Keith Searing – Chair_ ____________________________________________ 2 _(Item iii)_ ## **Financial Review** Firstly, I would like to thank Richard Worland, who is stepping down as our Examiner / Auditor for his many years of service in this role and for the advice and support he has given to South Bucks U3A. ## We are a not-for-profit organisation. Our main source of funds is our member’s annual subscriptions and, as a registered charity, we also receive Gift Aid repayment on a proportion of these subscriptions. We do not normally receive any grants or donations from sources other than our members. Our funds are held in current and deposit accounts regulated by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme. We do not have any other investments. Reserves are needed to ensure continuity of the U3A in the event of a sudden drop in income, to cope with unexpected and unplanned increases in expenditure, to replace assets, to cover future equipment demands, and to deal with emergency situations. They provide a contingency for expenditure over and above day-to-day commitments and other planned outgoings. Our aim is to maintain reserves sufficient to cover 4 – 8 months of future operating costs after setting aside £2,000 for capital purchases, and an amount to cover the specific liability for Affiliation Fees due to the Third Age Trust. The remaining general reserves may include previously received funds ring-fenced for activities for specific groups. ## **Treasurers Report** Our accounts and balance sheet for the year show a loss (-£157) was recorded on total income of £33,775. The accumulated reserves carried forward therefore now total £22,053. After deducting £2,000 for capital spending, £1,664 for future Affiliation Fees and £3,330 for ring-fenced group activity funds per our reserves policy, ‘free’ reserves of £15,059 are available for future operating costs. Operating costs in the year ended 31st March 2023 were £15,226 which includes Affiliation Fees (£1,776) and capital depreciation costs (£0), the day to day costs were £13,450. Our free reserves are therefore above our target reserves policy of 4 to 8 months of operating expenditure. This is consistent with our target reserves policy. We are currently holding £3,330 cash on behalf of groups for their planned future activities. _(see pages 4 and 5 for Financial Statements)_ 3 _N.B. The ‘Profit & Loss’ Account is presented on a cash accounting basis, together with a Balance Sheet. Assets are written off in the year of acquisition. There was no Capital Expenditure this year. Affiliation Fees of £1,776 are based on £4 per member and on the maximum membership during the prior year, and payable to the Third Age Trust for National Office services._ _Funds collected by convenors and excursion organisers are not held in a separate bank account, but expenditure of these monies for groups’ activities is administered by the Treasurer and overseen by the Committee. Funds collected by any individual group are only made available for use by that group for a specific activity consistent with our constitution. Minor surpluses/deficits arising from past activities and pre-payments for future activities £3,330 are shown in the income statement separately as Group Activity Income and Expenditure which conform to updated requirements from the Charity Commissioner and the Third Age Trust._ 4 Soth Bu￿9 U Ji Yw*JPThd 12 l*w2¥ Y•vtyJPwiDd12 iltsr IJJX H￿¢V￿rI4¢91>291l 6K8397 IOPT239 PMCUM >)c• zrfj 22.2LV43B ,(02 a2093S (1565 114XOI) 21707J7 aty2WJ a102 212Q)36 South u3a Bucks sbu3a.org.uk (Item iv) ## Proposed changes to the Constitution to allow for voting by proxy ## (as requested by the Third Age Trust) Under Clause 16 ON LINE AND HYBRID MEETINGS, Sub-clause (iii) …present ‘in person or by proxy’ is added to allow voting by proxy. Under Clause 16 ON LINE AND HYBRID MEETINGS , a new Sub clause (iv) is added to cover voting by proxy. “Where a general meeting is held solely in person members physically present in person or by proxy will count towards the quorum of the relevant meeting.” Subsequent sub-clauses are renumbered. Under Clause 16, Sub-clause (v) (old sub-clause iv) a correction ‘to be’ is added. Under Clause 15, new Sub-clause (iii) is added with the Proxy Notice requirements. “A member may appoint any other member as a proxy to attend a general meeting and vote on his or her behalf. Proxies may only be appointed by a Proxy Notice in writing which identifies the person appointed to be that member's proxy and the general meeting in relation to which that person is appointed. This can be done by an email from the registered email address of the absent member, be sent to the secretary a week prior to the meeting and copied to the proxy member’s registered email. The Trustees may indicate in the meeting calling notice if there is any change to the submission and validation of proxy notices.” Subsequent sub-clauses will be renumbered. _–_ For you r reference, a complete copy of our existing constitution can be viewed here: sbu3a.org.uk/legal/sbu3a-constitution-20 22 .pdf sbu3a.org.uk 6