Our AGM was held on 12 April 2008 in Edinburgh. Sadly, apart for the Board, only 2 members turned up for the meeting. Can I please put out huge request now for our members to attend next year’s AGM? Apart from giving the Campaign a mandate and showing us your support, your presence is essential from a legal point of view. A minimum number of attendees is required to make the AGM quorate – if we are not quorate, the AGM has to be reconvened at another date, with all of the financial implications which that involves – we still have to pay for the venue! This year we had the exact number of people to make the AGM quorate, so it was a close call!
After a resume of the year’s activities from the Convenor, the election of office bearers was held. The Board continues to be the same as last year with the addition of Emma Tait as a new Director. Emma joined us last year to give us much needed administrative support. She was warmly welcomed onto the Board.
The composition of the Board for 2008/2009 is therefore:-
Moira Adams – Convenor
Anne Cannon
Gill Farmer
Marie Flinn - Treasurer
Geraldine Long (formally Docherty)
Alice Montgomery
Jan Stirrat
Bettina Strang
Emma Tait – Membership Secretary
Although this looks like one of the healthiest Boards (numerically!) that we have had for a long time, the numbers can be deceiving. Some directors have been campaigners for more years than they care to remember; some have moved on either in their personal lives or in their careers; some, for various reasons, are unable to give as much time to the campaign as they would wish; some are happy to remain on the Board but would like to relinquish some of their responsibilities. For various reasons, some of the above board members may resign from the Board in 2009.
Therefore, we desperately need more support from our members. SBCC has undoubtedly been a very successful campaigning group over its fifteen years existence and has been the only independent voice on breast cancer issues for the women of Scotland. It would be a great pity to lose this.
We have been very fortunate over the years to have enjoyed tremendous financial support from both large organisations in Scotland and from the public – and for this we are truly grateful. However, the Campaign cannot survive on money alone. We need physical help.
If you have any skills at all which you could offer, please get in touch. Your help can be as much or as little as you can spare. You can be as involved as much or as little as you want.
For example, we meet once a month (not in July, August or December) for a two hour meeting. You may want to just attend these meetings and express a view on what is being discussed – that can be anything from suggestions for the Scottish Cancer Plan to what shade of pink our tee shirts should be!
You may have a particular issue about which you feel strongly. You can take that issue to government personally and with the support of the Campaign, increasing your knowledge, your competency, your advocacy skills and ultimately your confidence by attending conferences and going on training courses. Or you can take the issue to a Board meeting and let someone else do the campaigning.
One particular skill which is lacking at present on the Board is book-keeping. Our accounts are very simple and our financial activities fairly small, making the job about a couple of hours a month maximum. At present, our Treasurer, Marie Flinn, is doing an excellent job with no formal training in accounts but she would like to be relieved of this duty. Someone with experience in Excel spreadsheets and simple accounting would be ideal.
Please note also that it is not compulsory for you to become a Director to help with the Campaign – that would be your own personal choice. So please give some thought to helping with the Campaign. Get in touch with either Moira or Jan on the usual telephone numbers, e-mail addresses.