REPORT OF THE NRS COUNCIL – JULY 2023
The Position of Patron
Following the death of our Patron, HRH the late Duke of Edinburgh, members endorsed Council’s wish to maintain the Society’s continuous connection with the Royal Family. Our President has remained in contact with the Royal Household. Since the death of the Queen, we understand roles are being reallocated and we await further developments.
In Memoriam
Council members were saddened to hear of the sudden death of Mr Robin Brodhurst, previously a member of Council and Honorary Secretary for 12 years until 2018. Professor Roger Knight presented a eulogy on behalf of the Society at Robin’s Memorial Service. The Society is happy to report that it has recovered Robin’s research in preparation for the remaining two volumes of the AngloAmerican co-operation series he had been working on with Michael Simpson.
Meeting Arrangements
The NRS Council is again delighted to be able to welcome members to a physical meeting. Following the success of our hybrid event in 2022 and due to the increasing, welcome geographical spread of our membership the 2023 AGM will repeat last year’s format. We are very grateful to Dr Vriginia Preston who will host us at King’s College London. We are aware there were some technical issues last year, which we hope to have resolved and we welcome any feedback or suggestions for improvement members may have.
Society Overview
The Society has had another successful year in very difficult economic circumstances. The decision in 2022 to amend subscription rates with effect from renewals in 2023 appears timely although the full effect will not be felt until next year. Accordingly, achieving financial break-even in 2023 is unlikely to be possible due to widespread, significant and unavoidable cost increases. Membership numbers remain stable at about 800. The Website continues to expand, with both the Online Magazine and the Members’ Blog proving very popular. Members are always encouraged to contribute.
Highlights in the Year
This year’s Volume (No 170), Professor John Beeler’s third instalment of the Milne Papers: The Royal Navy and the American Civil War, 1862-1864, should have been distributed by the time of the meeting.
Full members continue to have unlimited online access to PDF versions of all regular NRS Volumes published to date. We are still hoping to digitize the two Occasional Publications. A major project to improve the searchability of our volume indexes received external funding from the Philip Nicholas Charitable Trust, for which we are very grateful. This challenging task is being led by Nicholas Blake who is available to brief and advise suitably qualified volunteers. About 150 volume indexes remain to be reviewed.
The pipeline of future Volumes remains very healthy. The 2024 slot has been allocated to Dr Jeremy Stocker’s Planning the Post War Fleet, 1944-1950, which will be the first NRS Volume to deal with a post-WWII topic. Several prospective authors are in discussion with the General Editor about a range of projects. They include: established authors looking to publish further volumes in series that have already started; new projects being suggested by authors already wellknown to us; and authors we will be dealing with for the first time to whom appropriate guidance will continue to be offered.
Future Publishing Arrangements
The Society’s agreement with Taylor & Francis (T&F), our publisher since 2016, formally expired in May. Council has appointed Boydell & Brewer (B&B) as our future publisher. T&F will publish the 2023 Volume and B&B will publish the 2024 and subsequent Volumes. Ongoing discussions with B&B concern issues such as distribution arrangements, book binding, metadata to facilitate volume identification, and the availability of Print on Demand and e-books. Members should note that in order to receive a hard copy volume, they MUST provide a valid e-mail address and destination phone number.
We feel the business model operated by B&B will be more appropriate to the needs of the Society and more flexible. We expect the cost of the annual volume with B&B to be consistent with that incurred through T&F. However, we are aware print and distribution costs are likely to continue to increase.
Changes to Council Membership
Appointments to Council are for four years so there is some rotation of membership at each AGM. The following proposals are commended to members for their approval.
This year, Nick Black stands down as Senior Vice-President and will rejoin Council. Nick has played a key role in developing the relationship with B&B and overseeing the changes to member subscriptions. He will be replaced by Dr Virginia Preston as Senior and Dr Philippa Hellawell as Vice-President. When she returns from maternity leave, Philippa will also assume the role of Chair of the Finance Committee from Virginia.
Professor Nicholas Rodger together with Dr Alan James and Captain Kevin Rowlands have reached the end of their current terms as Council members. However, Nicholas has volunteered to stay on as a member of Publications Committee, chaired by Richard Harding, and Kevin has agreed to start a new four-year term ex officio as Head of the RN Strategic Studies Centre.
Council colleagues wish to express their appreciation to all these individuals. The changes provide an opportunity to welcome Bruno Pappalardo from the National Archives at Kew, Benjamin Redding from the University of East Anglia and Matthew Heaslip from the University of Portsmouth.
Council members and NRS Officers are always happy to deal with any queries any member may have.
Navy Records Soelèty Balance Sheet as at 31st Decembér 2022 Ac¢umulat8d fund Balance at 3181 December 2W21 SurplusllDefiotl fry the year 112,843 {1,7211 97,953 14.890 Balance at 31st Denthr 2022 £ 111,122 £ 112,843 Represenfrd by.. Bank balanc&s Balda Bk - CornmuThty account - High Interest account 14,997 22.179 33 37,209 28.171 1LWJ 39.701 Coutts Flxod A•••t Inv••tm•nts - at value 71.421 75,634 £ 111.122 £ 112,843 Note• to th• accounts for the y?r end 31•t D•rnb•r 2022 The princApal accounting Fol kh arg adopl•d in th• w•pw8ts'on ol tho SocieV8 accounts are as follows.. Basls of accountbn The financial s18tements have been prepare&J on 8 going concom ba81$ ufKIw the historKal cost ccvention and in pLcordarth ith ApF4i¢atA¢ Accounb"ng Standards. The investmenis have b60n indudad in Ihg a¢¢wnts at market value in accordart• with Thè Charrtw$ Act 2011. The Sooevs rule$ require a¢counts to be prepared wtiicti gNe a t and fair view of its $tsle of affairs at 31st December 2022 and of ts receipts and payments for the year tr*n èndgd. Thes& $t8t$ments are rffjuired to be examined by an independent examiner and copiès mad• aValbI& to rnèmbers. Tho Society is rfj$px)nb for keey"ThJ pro{ accounbng re¢ords which disdose th asonae a¢¢ura¢y lh& finarwl posrbm ofthe SoLaety and for saleguardirKJ its assets. Approved by the Counal on.. Prasidènt Treasurer
N•vy Rxord$ So¢lffji Ro¢¥lpts •nd Pynts Ae¢ount Ineludlng Unrèalls•d Galns and Lossès for tho Yoar •nd•d 31st Doc•mbor 2022 2022 2021 Re Sub$criptsons Paypal subscriptions- full Paypal subscriptions- student Paypal subscription8- onlir Stripe sub8cripts"on8 Glft ald Sales Donations Postsge r1Ved Dividènds and interest ROYae8 11,325 7.320 1.726 13,390 6,200 2,475 10.920 2,682 2,928 462 233 3.867 3,307 332 £ 39.530 42,832 General editorf$ $1# Upkeep ol membership reeords and •Jministralron lee Printing, publishing, distribub'on aThJ editorial exFenseB Online editor The Burfington Pathfjrshlp One off publi¢*on costs Sundry expenws 3.980 13.179 5.892 3,660 10,164 5,892 S,400 3,244 3,107 3.187 £ 37,038 36,867 2.492 5.965 nl •d Ins rth• Gainlllo$s) on change In rnarketyaI on imieslments 14.2131 8,925 £ 11.7211 14,&JO lusl defici
Indwndent Examlnerfs Report to the Trt••$ olthè Navy Records Soclety I report on tre e1)unts ol the s fof the yèar endÈd 31st Drnber 2022. lch are set out on Ihe pages attached. Re8p8ctlv• rogponslbllltleg of tru8t••s and •xamln•r As the club's trustees you a rssponsible ft>r preparatn of the thunts". you wnsidei that the audrt requiremènt of sécb.on 144 01 thè Charib"e$ Act 2011 Ilhe Act) does not apply. It IS rny responsibility to state. on the basis of prixedU$ specifi&Y in the General Difections gNen by thè Charity Commissicfflers ether parbcJJlar matters have come to my attenbon. Bas18 ol •xamIn• •tat•m•nt My examinats.on was Carr OLtt in acdance the General Directions given ty thè Charity Commissioners. An examinath.on irtlLNJes a miew ofthe accountsng rèco¥ds kèpt by the charity and a compariscn ol the a¢counts presented those rerds. It 0180 indL¥Je$ conwdefabon ol any unusual Items dis¢lo$ures in lh& a¢ownts, and 8eeknng 8xplan8tK)n$ from Y a8 tnjstees eonceming any Such matters. The pr¢xedures undertaken do r1 provhle all Ihe eviden that ¥w)uld be required in an audL and c4Jnsequenly I do not eXW8ss an audit ¢)pIn1 on th& vithv by tr accounts. Indepondent •xamln•rf• unquillfied •tst•rn•Tht In nnectIon my •x¥mlnation, Th) maft•r has to my attenkn: vthich gve8 rne aSOnable cause lo beIve that in any fflateri SpeCt the requIremts . to kgep 8ix¢4inliry record$ in acrIanc wlh sec*"rm 130 oftrte Acl". and . to pr$par¥ axwnts whth 8¢¢tyd th& 4ntird rectyds and tts c¢fflply the 0¢¢ounlin9 r•quirem•nts ol th¢ kl h8ve not been met. or 121 lo which in my opinion. attention Bh0d be drwwn in order to enatAe a woper understsnding of Ihe accounts to te reathed. Narne.. M Robinson FCA Relevant professional qualffication or boty.. Chartered Accountsnt Address.. 223 South Coast Road, Peacehaven, East Sussex, BN10 8LB 2g/v/LJ
Navy R•eords So¢l•ty Stat•m•nt of Inv•stm•nts at 31st D袕mber 2022 Cost at maet value Market value 31.12.2022 •t 31.12.2022 at 31.12.2021 4,860.176 M & G Charifund Inrx)me Unlts 6.491 71.421 75.634 6.491 £ 71.421 75,634 Market Value M&G 18 16 14 12 io M&G 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
Navy Record8 So¢loty Balarxe Slwt4$ at 31st Da¢•M2022 BaLgnc8 at 31st Dec¢mbw2021 SurWLk8llDefititl fDrthe year 112,843 {1.721} 97,953 14,890 £ 111.122 £ 112.843 Balk baLgnces B8rdasB Bank 14,997 22.179 . HJh Interest acumt - InLrme aGGount 28.171 100 39.701 37.209 Fixed In¥•5tm - at vabjè 7tA21 75,634 £ 111.122 £ 11243 Notes to the accounts forthe yearrt(d 31st Dec•mbw 2022 The accounting rKths whth ale adopted in the preparation oflhe soc$ a¢>yJJnts a as follows: Ba$is of accou The have prepared a gothg (tjncem basis under th& htstoriLal costconvrt¥)n and in wrfh Appjiowp AcuunlirvJ Stanrfarth. The Invgsts¥nts have been ind&ed i• the acujunts at mathetvalu8 in ac¢ordanc8vlh The Chairk8s Art2011. 8tat•m•nt of Soc18 The Soctys tule5 requKe a¢(x)unts lo be prepared gwe rtf21rvl8W ofts Slate ofaffairs at 31st Decewthr 2022 and of recwpts and p8wwI15 forlhe yearthen end8d. These slatements ar& reouffed to b& exanlned by an independeth exaTniner 8nd COPT85 rrde wthLabl6 lo rnembers. Th8 Society is sPDnS1tle alsolLV keepin9 properaccwftting rdS wlwth dtsck)se wilh reasonab18 accuracy Ihe fina81 pwbon Df lh8 Swty and forsafegu8rding Its Presideftt Trea5u¥er