Page 6 - Simply Vegetables Autumn 2020

I hope you are all staying safe and well
as these unprecedented times continue, although we can go out more, we still have no shows or events to go to. When
I got back into the car after many weeks,
I had to think what to do whereas under normal circumstances I would be filling up with petrol on a regular basis and clocking up the miles. The only miles I am doing now are on foot I think I
need new shoes, up and
down, round and round the
garden. My trial D.T. Brown
Falco turnips have finished,
but I have sowed some
more which should be ready
for the National Show, now
that I know that they took
approx. 10 to 11 weeks to
grow. Unfortunately, my
Marshall Mimi Tomatoes
were not ready for the first
Branch Show, the Southern at the New Forest but they would be ready for the rest of the Branch Shows if, of course, they were happening.
With still no face to face meetings it was time for us to embrace technology I opened a free account with Zoom, a video call for more than three people for a 40-minute time frame. I booked an on-line Zoom training session after several attempts as what I didn’t realise was that I had booked the course in the American time zone not
London GMT, but got there in the end. I then did some practice runs with the Trustees who were less familiar with this sort of thing to support them. The first Zoom meeting we decided to hold was the Awards Review. (The five Branch Chairs, Chair, Vice-Chair, and General Secretary.) The NVS awards meeting normally takes place just before
the July general Trustees meeting but we did it on separate occasion
pay by Direct Debit will have received all the relevant information. Here, I would like to say a massive thank you to Neil Hope for the years he served as National Membership registrar, and who was the original instigator of implementing Direct Debits. Neil has thankfully continued to support the Smart Debit system right up to handover to the new system with GoCardless, for many months after standing down as National Membership Registrar.
Another big thankyou is to Emily Plumb who has been our Webmaster since 2014. Emily advised that she wishes to stand down from this role, but like Neil, is happy to support with transition and handover as required. Thankyou Emily.
You read in the last SV magazine that
the Branches had agreed for the Nationals to go to Dundee in 2021, because of 2020 being cancelled, but unfortunately Dundee Council have advised us that they were unable to commit to accommodating us in 2021, therefore it has been agreed that we revert back to the original National Show Rota, meaning the National Show 2021 will be held in Wales. Where and when is still to be finalised by Jim Thompson and his Welsh Branch Committee, hopefully we will be able to confirm more in the January edition of SV. I am disappointed not only for myself not having a trip to Scotland but for the Scottish Branch missing out on holding a National Show as I always look forward to a trip to Scotland.
So, what’s next, I hear? Well, the Trustees are continuing to work on the development plan and action plan, linking up via Zoom
to discuss and review it on a more regular basis. Certain activities under the banner
of standardisation are also continuing well, for example, I now have stock of the NVS Carrier bags for branches and DA’s depicting the new round NVS logos & social media details. With the impact of the Coronavirus, a key consideration is for us to re-visit communication as a priority and how this affects the way we now do things and the need for change whist keeping everyone safe.
More on this to follow, meanwhile, enjoy your veg, stay safe and feel free to contact me or any of the Trustees and officers should you have any ideas you wish to share.
Lady Chair’s Report
SANDRA HALL, NATIONAL LADY CHAIR
The only miles I am doing now are on foot I think I need new shoes, up and down, round and round the garden.
in advance of the general meeting, so the results could be known by all the Trustees first. The following week
we, all 15, logged on to the video call for our July general meeting unfortunately with still no haircut though. The only disadvantage was we had to log in several times because of the length of the free time frame. We were
Joined by Medwyn, our President and also the new Midland’s Branch representative Patrick Lawrence, was welcomed, as Nick Anderson, Midlands Branch Chair, had resigned a couple of weeks before. I would like to thank Nick for his time as both the Midlands branch Chair and Trustee rep and wish him well.
After I had sorted out a 12 month
zoom subscription, we had a strategic development plan meeting without being cut off part way through which was much better.
I think we could become addicted to this.
The new membership software database and website are on schedule to go live, I want to say a big thank you to Ian Stocks and Fiona for
the endless time and effort they have put into this to be able to go live on schedule and hopefully those of you who
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6 Simply Vegetables