Page 18 - Out Birding Winter 2024

able to join the field events. A small group will be planning these events over the next few months. Entertainment for the Saturday evening is booked; everything is now in place for what promises to be a great GGT 14 Anniversary weekend.
8 Membership Secretary’s Report
Caroline Grey has reported that as at the end of July, we had 340 members, 35 of whom had joined in the previous 12 months. She noted that generally most people join having seen our advert in the RSPB magazine, or having heard of the Club through friends. Very few people join a􏰀er visi􏰁ng the Facebook page, so she thought perhaps more men􏰁on of paid membership should be promoted on that pla􏰂orm? Several people leave each year for health reasons or perhaps had not a􏰃ended an event and hence had not been able to engage with other members.
Caroline gave thanks to the majority of members who pay by standing order in Au- gust – although each year there are always members who need chasing for payment, fortunately this number reduces every year. She also noted that the news email system con􏰁nues to be used for general communica􏰁on with the membership, and thinks everyone appreciates knowing about any extra events around the country that they can a􏰃end.
9 Indoor Zoom Mee􏰁ngs 2024-2025
Jim Clark reported that we have an exci􏰁ng 􏰁metable of monthly Zoom talks from September 2024 to April 2025 when the winter days need brightening! Signing up for zoom talks is via the Membership Secretary: all members can par􏰁cipate. The talks all start at 7.30pm. Sign on from 7.15pm. Zoom sign on details are sent out a few days before each presenta􏰁on. Dates for the balance of 2024 are: 10 October, 14 November and 12 December, all Thursday evenings. Dates for 2025 will be in the GBC Annual Calendar and repeated in Out Birding.
These talks are good learning opportuni􏰁es for all GBC members: all speakers have been informa􏰁ve, enthusias􏰁c and entertaining. Jim suggested that more members tuning in would be appreciated to make the talks more economically viable for the Club. Talks can also be from GBC members. We also have some speakers who are professionals. If anyone has a sugges􏰁on for speakers, please let Jim Clark know.
10 Commi􏰃ee Members for 2025
By way of background Secretary Greg Hope noted that Commi􏰃ee had been review- ing our wri􏰃en GBC Cons􏰁tu􏰁on and will likely re-issue with some up-da􏰁ng at a future point. The Cons􏰁tu􏰁on requires that all Commi􏰃ee Members serve a term in office of two years (commencing 1 January) and can therea􏰀er be re-elected if no other candidates are proposed. The Commi􏰃ee regularly seeks nomina􏰁ons for addi􏰁onal members, with limited success. There are currently no new nomina􏰁ons for 2025. Therefore, it is proposed that the exis􏰁ng Commi􏰃ee Members shall con􏰁nue in their respec􏰁ve roles, as follows:
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