Page 16 - Out Birding Issue 109 Winter 2022

Minutes of the Gay BirdersÕ Club Annual General Meeting
Held over Zoom on Saturday 24th September 2022 at 10.00 AM
Present (17): Mike Pollard (Chair), Liz Armstrong, Pat Cro􏰀on, Caroline Grey, Eva March & Sue Crane, Andy Webb, Richard Lazenby, Greg Hope, Frances Hurley, Sue Wharam, Dorothy Heaphy, Jo Rowlands, Helen Pilkington, Mark Taylor & Simon Danna􏰁 and Tony Garner.
1 Apologies for absence
Apologies (12) were received from Jim Clark, John Hudson, Carol Goulden, Andy Marshall, Rachael Dixey, Mark Thorley, Julie Fish, Moira Garland, Doreen Cage, Pam Barnes, George MIlne and Eirwen Wild.
2 Minutes of 2021 AGM
Minutes of the 2021 AGM were approved.
3 Ma􏰁ers arising
There were no ma􏰁ers arising.
4 Chair’s Report
Mike Pollard reported that a􏰀er two years of ‘strange 􏰂mes’ - contending with the impact of Coronavirus on our ac􏰂vi􏰂es - 2022 is definitely feeling like a return to normality for GBC, with our field events calendar published again, events almost back up to pre-pandemic levels and our much-delayed Grand Get Together Portland finally coming to frui􏰂on, and very successfully so. Having steered our club through this challenging period it is 􏰂me for me to take a break from the commi􏰁ee a􏰀er four years as your Chair. It has been a rewarding experience and I have been very apprecia􏰂ve of the support and enthusiasm provided by fellow commi􏰁ee members and I’m sure this will con􏰂nue for our new Chair.
John Hudson has also decided to step down from the commi􏰁ee, a􏰀er many years' service - from the very early days of GBC - and of course John served for many years as our Treasurer. Thank you, John, for your big contribu􏰂on to running the club.
The club is in a very sound posi􏰂on financially and there is now an opportunity to invest in making further improvements in how we run the club, keeping us up to date and offering the best value to members. A working group has been established to develop improvements to our ‘digital pla􏰃orm’ so expect more developments on that front over coming months. One of the first innova􏰂ons has been the publica- 􏰂on of Out Birding in a page-turning digital format; I hope you have enjoyed this version. If you have any sugges􏰂ons for improvements - or ideas for new ini􏰂a􏰂ves - now is a great 􏰂me to put them forward for considera􏰂on.
Our Conserva􏰂on Fund was replenished by the generosity of GGT par􏰂cipants ena- bling us to support several good causes including contribu􏰂ons to a new hide at
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