**Trustees’ Annual Report for the period** **From 1 January 2023 Period start date To 31 December 2023 Period end date** **Charity name: The Eckhart Society** ## **Charity registration number: 1042199** ## **Objectives and Activities** ||SORP
reference|| |---|---|---| |Summary of
the purposes
of the charity
as set out in
its governing
document|Para
1.17|To promote the understanding and appreciation of
Eckhart's writings and their importance for Christian
thought and practice. To facilitate scholarly research
into Eckhart's life and works. To promote the study of
Eckhart's teaching as a contribution to inter-religious
dialogue.
The Eckhart Society aims to make known or better
known the teachings of Meister Eckhart (c.1260-1328),
by fostering the work of scholars, students and disciples
of his teaching in further research and study.
The specific objectives and purpose of this organization
are a) to promote research, appreciation, and greater
understanding of the thought of Meister Eckhart out of a
Dominican tradition that engages ecumenical, inter-
religious and interdisciplinary studies and dialogue; b) to
provide events, activities, conferences fostering a
community of scholars and learners in the mission of
the Eckhart Society; to provide opportunities for
participants to engage in social, educational, and
spiritual growth and formation; to sponsor, host and/or
participate in events and activities that promote the
thought of Meister Eckhart and Medieval Mystical
Theology.| |Summary of
the main
activities in
relation to
those
purposes for
the public
benefit, in
particular,
the activities,
projects or|Para
1.17 and
1.19|The Society runs an Annual Conference, and publishes
two editions annually of its journalMedieval Mystical
Theology.In addition, it provides members with a
newsletter and a bulletin, and a Society website
(redesigned 2024). Projects have included publication
of the landmark Vladimir Lossky book on Meister
Eckhart (published 2024 -
https://www.jamesclarke.co/product/eckharts-apophatic-
theology-knowing-the-unknowable-god/), redesigning
the Society website, providing online seminars,
supporting members in creating Eckhart reading| |services
identified in
the
accounts.||groups, and hosting one-day events. Projects currently
planned include volumes of essays on Meister Eckhart,
and an international conference.| |---|---|---| |Statement
confirming
whether the
trustees
have had
regard to the
guidance
issued by
the Charity
Commission
on public
benefit|Para
1.18|The Trustees confirm they have regard to the guidance
issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit.
Our events and publications benefit our members and
the wider public who seek to know more about Meister
Eckhart and his philosophy.| ## **Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: ||SORP
reference|| |---|---|---| |Policy on grant making|Para 1.38|Not applicable| |Policy on social
investment including
program related
investment|Para 1.38|Not applicable| |Contribution made by
volunteers|Para 1.38|The aims of the Society are managed
by its Board of Trustees, who are all
volunteers (elected by vote of the
existing Board). Collectively the Board
has control of and responsibility for the
management of the affairs and property
of the Society. Our annual conference,
its papers, our newsletter, the
bookshop, our one-day and online
events, are all arranged and provided
by volunteers (largely Members of the
Society).| |Other||Not applicable| ## **Achievements and Performance** ||SORP
reference|| |---|---|---| |Summary of the main
achievements of the
charity, identifying the
difference the charity’s
work has made to the
circumstances of its
beneficiaries and any
wider benefits to society
as a whole.|Para 1.20|Since its formation in 1987 the Society
has continued to grow its membership
and foster knowledge and
understanding of the works of Meister
Eckhart. The Medieval Mystical
Theology (MMT) journal, which began
in 1992 as a self-produced booklet of
conference talks titled the ‘Eckhart
Review’, has grown into a twice-annual
peer-reviewed journal published by
Taylor & Francis, publishing essays
from international scholars and
academics. The Society has also
developed a Newsletter and a Bulletin,
publishing articles, poetry, book
reviews and news of the Society for our
membership. We have supported
members to form reading groups
worldwide, regularly answer queries on
Meister Eckhart’s work from a range of
readers and scholars, and host a range
of in-person and online events to cater
to our wider membership
encompassing the academic and the
general public. In 2024 we published
(via James Clarke) the first translation
in English of Vladimir Lossky’s
masterwork ‘Eckhart’s Apophatic
Theology’. We supported attempts by
the Master of the Dominican Order to
remove the shadow cast posthumously
over Eckhart’s reputation by
accusations of heretical writing (Pope
John Paul II went on to express his
admiration for Eckhart). Our annual
conference continues to attract new
members to the Society and enlarge
and encourage study of Eckhart’s work.
With a US conference and a Society-
produced volume of essays in planning,
we continue to expand our mission to
benefit society through Eckhart’s
spiritual and philosophical teachings.| ## **Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: |Achievements against
objectives set|Para 1.41|Not applicable| |---|---|---| |||| |---|---|---| |Performance of
fundraising activities
against objectives set|Para 1.41|Not applicable| |Investment performance
against objectives|Para 1.41|Not applicable| |Other||Not applicable| ## **Financial Review** |Review of the charity’s
financial position at the
end of the period|Para 1.21|The Society’s financial position showed
a surplus of £13,964 in 2023. We
received an exceptional donation of
£10,000 + £2,500 gift aid totalling
£12,500, to give an underlying surplus
of £1,464.
The income for 2023 stands at £32,042:
disregarding the £12,500 donations this
totals £19,542, which is much in line
with previous years.
The Society holds £20,543 in its COIF
deposit account. These reserves
safeguard the charity's future, being
approximately equivalent to one year's
turnover in a 'normal' year.| |---|---|---| |Statement explaining the
policy for holding reserves
stating why they are held|Para 1.22|The Society holds £20,543 in its COIF
deposit account. These reserves
safeguard the charity's future, being
approximately equivalent to one year's
turnover in a 'normal' year.
Reserves are held to guard against
unforeseen expenses given our
uncertain revenue due to aging
members, economic inflation, and
project costs.| |Amount of reserves held|Para 1.22|£20,543| |Reasons for holding zero
reserves|Para 1.22|Not applicable| |Details of fund materially
in deficit|Para 1.24|Not applicable| |Explanation of any
uncertainties about the
charity continuing as a
going concern|Para 1.23|Our plan is to continue to meet our
mission, and to expand the Society so
that more people can benefit from the
wisdom and solace of Meister Eckhart’s
teachings. We successfully secured
donations in 2023 that will support us in
our work furthering our mission, and we
will continue to plan to ensure the future
and longevity of the charity for
humanity’s benefit. Having published
the Lossky translation in 2024, and
seeing increasing demand for our MMT
journal, it is hoped that knowledge of
and membership of the Society will
increase the likelihood of its success as
a going concern.| ## **Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: |The charity’s principal
sources of funds
(including any
fundraising)|Para 1.47|Membership fees, member donations,
payments and donations for attending
events (including the online ‘Table
Talks’, and the annual conference),
bookshop sales, subscription to the
MMT journal.| |---|---|---| |Investment policy and
objectives including any
social investment policy
adopted|Para 1.46|Not applicable| |A description of the
principal risks facing the
charity|Para 1.46|Our principal risk is that the Society
should run out of money. As one of our
main income-generators is through
membership contributions, the Board of
Trustees is currently focussing our
attention on expanding Society
membership (one reason for increasing
the geographical scope of our events,
with our planned US conference) and
exploring avenues (such as creating an
Eckhart app, publishing a new series of
Eckhart essays, and co-organising an
international event with the German
Meister Eckhart Gesellschaft) that will
increase awareness of the Society and
expand membership numbers. We
continue to seek donations to the
charity from members and attendees at
our events.
Another risk to the Society would be if
the Board were to fall below 3 Trustees.
We currently stand at 11 and plan to
recruit additional Board members in
2024.| |Other||Not applicable| ## **Structure, Governance and Management** |Description of charity’s
trusts:||To advance the education of the public
in the writings and teachings of Meister
Eckhart.
The Trustees shall be responsible for
promoting the objects of the Trust and
for the conduct of the Trust and for the
management of the Trust Fund in such
manner as the Trustees shall in their
discretion think appropriate to promote
those objects.| |---|---|---| |Type of governing
document
(trust deed, royal charter)|Para 1.25|Trust Deed| |How is the charity
constituted?
(e.g unincorporated
association, CIO)|Para 1.25|Trust| |Trustee selection
methods including details
of any constitutional
provisions e.g. election to
post or name of any
person or body entitled to
appoint one or more
trustees|Para 1.25|The Trustees shall have power to
appoint a Custodian Trustee or a new
Custodian Trustee hereof and this
power notwithstanding any powers of
delegation herein contained shall not be
delegated by them. The Trustees shall
vote as a Board on new nominations
put forward by the Nominating
Committee (see below).| ## **Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: |Policies and procedures
adopted for the induction
and training of trustees|Para 1.51|shall
Committee
Nominating
The
meeting
Trustees
of
Board
a
at
submit
annual
the
to
prior
days
30
least
at
the
AGM)
(and
meeting
conference
the
for
persons
those
of
names
of
Board
the
of
offices
respective
be
also
shall
Nominations
Trustees.
Committee
Nominating
the
by
invited
election
The
AGM.
the
at
floor
the
from
meeting
subsequent
a
at
held
be
shall
Those
Trustees.
of
Board
the
of
of
term
a
serve
shall
elected
officers
commencing
renewable,
year
(1)
one
meeting
Trustees
of
Board
the
at
election.
their
following
the
of
Officers
eligible
be
shall
Committee
Executive
their
in
themselves
succeed
to
of
approval
the
with
offices
respective
Board.
the
also
shall
Committee
Nominating
The
persons
nominating
for
responsible
be
between
occur
which
vacancies
fill
to
of
those
including
meetings,
annual
in
sent
be
shall
Nominations
officers.| |---|---|---| |||of
Board
the
of
members
to
writing
to
prior
weeks
(2)
two
least
at
Trustees
election
the
which
at
meeting
next
the
elected
so
persons
The
held.
be
will
the
for
office
or
membership
hold
shall
which
of
respect
in
term
unexpired
occurred.
vacancy
such
The chair of the Nominating Committee
hair of the
C
may be the immediate past
oard. The Committee shall include
B
ard and three
o
B
hair of the
C
ice
V
the
additional members to be chosen by
oard. The Nominating Committee
B
the
shall proffer to the Board candidates
for office and/or candidates to serve as
The Committee should have
Trustees.
number of members at all times
an odd
to prevent a tie vote. The terms of the
including the
committee members,
hair, shall be determined by the
C
Board of Trustees.| |---|---|---| |The charity’s
organisational structure
and any wider network
with which the charity
works|Para 1.51|The charity consists of a Board of
Trustees (including Chair, Vice Chair,
Treasurer and Secretary), and a paid
Administrator (appointed by the Board)
to handle day-to-day admin for the
Society (including but not limited to:
correspondence, emails, processing
membership payments, claiming giftaid,
preparing the annual accounts,
bookkeeping, sending out the
Newsletter and notices to members,
dealing with/passing on queries,
assisting with organisation of the
Annual Conference and other events.
The administrator is also charged with
filling out the Charity Commission return
and keeping Society records up to date
with the CC.).| |Relationship with any
related parties|Para 1.51|Not applicable| |Other||Not applicable| ## **Reference and Administrative details** Charity name The Eckhart Society |Other name the charity
uses|n/a| |---|---| |Registered charity number|1042199| |Charity’s principal address|4 Turpins Green
MAIDENHEAD
Berkshire
SL6 4QE| ## **Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity** |1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20|**Trustee name**|**Office (if any)**|**Dates acted if**
**not for whole**
**year**|**Name of person (or**
**body) entitled to**
**appoint trustee (if any)**| |---|---|---|---|---| ||Dr. Rebecca Stephens|Chair||| ||Rev. Dr. Michael Demkovich|Vice Chair||| ||Dr. Joseph Milne|Treasurer||| ||Dr. Margaret Hamand|Secretary||| ||Dr. Marvin Anderson|||| ||Dr. Richard Bolton|||| ||Mr. Ronald Haynes|||| ||Dr. GregoryMurphyOP|||| ||Mr. Nicholas Quinn|||| ||Dr. Anastasia Wendlinder|||| ||Dr Duane Williams|||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| Corporate trustees – names of the directors at the date the report was approved **not applicable** **Director name** Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity ## **Not applicable: This charity does not own and/or lease land or property** |**Trustee name**|**Dates acted if not for**
**whole year**|| |---|---|---| |||| |||| |||| |||| |||| |||| ## **Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others** Description of the assets Not applicable held in this capacity Name and objects of the Not applicable charity on whose behalf the assets are held and how this falls within the custodian charity’s objects Details of arrangements Not applicable for safe custody and segregation of such assets from the charity’s own assets ## **Additional information (optional)** ## **Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information) - not applicable** **Type of Name Address adviser n/a** ## **Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)** **n/a** ## **Exemptions from disclosure** - Reason for non disclosure of key personnel details **n/a** ## **Other optional information** **n/a** **Declarations** **The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.** **Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees** **Signature(s)** Fr. Michael Demkovich **Full name(s)** Dr Rebecca Stephens **Position (eg Secretary,** Chair **Chair, etc) Date** 22 August 2024 ~~;~~ The Eckhart Society Income and Expenditure Account Year ended 31st December 2023 2022 2023 INCOME 3,594 Subscriptions Donations Members Online events Exceptional donation 4,813 385 84 265 10,000 385 126 Gift Aid 10,349 2,947 Annual Conference Income Expenditure 8,763 {7,754} 11,095 {9.7501 1.009 1.345 1.099 MMT royalties 1.574 Books 1,154 1128} Book /CD sales Book /CD purchases 412 14411 1.026 104 Interest received 7,343 {291 852 21,851 EXPENDITURE 3,007 Journal IMMT) 293 Printing 33 Stationery and photocopying 142 Telephone and post 3,097 Admin and accounting charges 219 Finance charges 913 Website 2,000 Miscellaneous 9,704 3,529 324 50 3,040 293 556 95 7,887 (2.361) Surplus/(Deficit) for the year 13.964 The Edthart Society Balance Sheet Year ended 31st Deomber 2023 2022 FIXED ASSErs Sound system . cost Less depreciation 2,170 12.1691 2,170 (2.169) CURRENf ASSETS Debtors COIF deposit account Lloyds de￿51t aCc￿nt Lloyds current account 2.010 10,543 41 550 20,543 2.105 1.996 14.282 25,194 CURRENT LIABILMES Creditors 15,371) 8.912 (2.7191 21476 LCUMUiATED FUND Balance at l January 2023 Surplus1ldeficit) for the year 8alance at 31 L￿cernber 2023 978 (2,361} (1.3831 13.964 {1,383J 12,581 8.056 MUSIC FUND 7,656 2,(XM) DEVELOPMENf FUND 239 RUDKIN BURSARY FUND 239 8,912 21476 Signed: Dr Joseph Milne Honorary TreasU￿r Date: Signed: Dr Rebecca Slephens Chairnian Date.. 1210812024 The Eckhart Society Notes to the Accounts The Music Fund is the balance remaining of funds transferred to the Society by the St Bartholemew the Great Music Trust on the trust's winding up some years ago. The Society undertook at the time to restrict the use of these funds to music provided at the Society's events. The Development Fund and the Rudkin Bursary Fund originated as donations from individual trustees. The titles of these funds indicates their intended, but not their restricted, use. THE ECKHART SOCIETY Independent Examiner's Report to the trustees of the Society I report on my examination of the accounts of The Eckhart Society for the year ended 31 December 2023. Responsibilities and basis of report As trustees of the Society you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 ("the Act"). I report in respect of my examination of the Society's accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act. Independent examiner's statement I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect: l. accounting records were not kept in respect of the Society as required by section 130 of the Act. or 2. the accounts do not accord with those records. or 3. the accounts do not comply with the applicable requirernents concerning the fonn and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a "true and fair view," which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination. I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Signed: Name: Christopher G Glover Relevant professional qualification: F.C.A. Address: l Hillside Cottages, New Road, Cookham, Berks. SL6 9HB Date:Ib September 2024