Page 7 - Simply Vegetables Spring 2025

News from the Trustees
MICHELLE NIXON
The Trustees’ final meeting of 2024 was
held on the 12th November, and the first
meeting for 2025 was held on the 14th
January. The new National Treasurer, Ian
Mackenzie, is settling into his role, and
we are very happy to welcome a new
Social Media Officer, Faisal Ali.
The main purpose of the November
meeting was to review plans for the 2025
National Championships, to be hosted by
Scottish Branch at Ayr Racecourse on the
15th and 16th of August. Some changes
have been agreed for this
year.
Firstly, it was confirmed
that the requirement for
the long beetroot class
will remain a dish of
three, as this had been
successful in 2024. Also,
a new class, for a dish of
five globe beetroot, will be
introduced in 2025. Details
are given elsewhere in this
magazine, and obviously
will be included in the
schedule in due course.
Next, our Society’s President, Medwyn
Williams, proposed adding an award for
“Reserve Best in Show”. At the moment,
only “Best in Show” is acknowledged. This
means it isn’t always clear to exhibitors
that their entry was in the running for most
meritorious exhibit. It was agreed that the
new award will be introduced from 2025, as
a rosette with an accompanying certificate
or prize card.
Scottish Branch has confirmed that
the Interbranch Competition for a trug
of vegetables will continue at Ayr. The
trugs were kindly loaned last year by
the Thomas Smith Trug Company. The
Trustees have now agreed to obtain five
trugs which can be made available for
every National Championships. This will
enable the Interbranch Competition to
continue to be held annually, without
additional costs to the host branch. Chris
Spree, our Sponsorship Officer, is currently
researching the best way to obtain these
trugs.
There was
a lengthy
discussion of the
proposal to allow
individuals to
exhibit at shows
where they are
also judging
Finally, there was a
lengthy discussion of
the proposal to allow
individuals to exhibit
at shows where they
are also judging. It was
agreed that this should
be trialled at the 2025
National, for one year
only. The eight judges
will each be permitted a
maximum of two exhibits,
limited to classes they are
not judging. If a judge’s
exhibit is put forward for
best in show, or reserve best in show,
then that judge will be excluded
from discussions on those awards.
The trial will be reviewed following the
2025 National, and if agreed to have been
successful, the new system will potentially
be adopted permanently from 2026. It
was noted that the 2025 National host,
Scottish Branch, has run this system
successfully at Branch Championships
for the last five years. They are therefore
well-placed for a trial at National level.
The January meeting covered various
administrative subjects. These included
a discussion on insurance coverage for
the Society’s trophies, and checking
inventories and photographic records of
trophies at both national and branch level.
The Branches and District Associations
will be asked to confirm their inventories,
as well as providing details of engraved
names and dates. Members are reminded
that while an NVS trophy is in their care,
it is not covered under the Society’s
insurance but needs to be covered with
their own house contents.
On finance, it was agreed that the
capitation fee for 2025 would be set at £3.
This figure continues the steady reduction
from £6 in 2019 to £4 in 2024. The purpose
of the reduction is to make more funds
available to the Branches.
The Society’s audited annual accounts
will be published in the summer edition of
Simply Vegetables, along with the agenda
for this year’s AGM, which will be held
on 15th August in conjunction with the
National Championships at Ayr.
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Simply Vegetables 7