Chairman's statement 2013

Post date: Apr 19, 2014 2:23:51 PM

Abernethy Horticultural Society

From the Chairman

Welcome all and thank you for coming along to support this year’s AGM. We have a fairly packed agenda which reflects the wide variety of activities we are currently undertaking.

The past year has seen a full and enjoyable programme of talks, events and visits. September’s Garden Day was our biggest yet and the fund-raising Dancing Feet Ceilidh was an innovation everyone enjoyed. Our Annual Trip – last year to Drummond Castle – despite the unseasonably cold weather was a hit both horticulturally and for the delicious cream tea afterwards!

Our membership has grown over the year and attendance at monthly meetings has been increasingly lively and sociable. There is never a shortage of questions for our speakers and members seem both to learn something useful and enjoy the experience.

Thanks to various fund-raising activities our finances are healthy. One significant purchase this year was our digital projector which has already been very well used.

We have continued to maintain and care for Nurse Peattie’s Garden as a resource for the whole village to enjoy and have started a major new project : the Fruit Tree Trail. There will be presentations on the possible future developments of these two in the second half of this evening where your input will be invited.

When the Society was reformed a few years ago the intention was to keep it informal and steer away from too much paperwork reserving our energies for garden-related activities. This year, however, with growing funds and a wider range of activities underway it was decided we should have a Constitution to underpin and clarify our objectives and ensure accountability to our members. We shall come to discussion of this later.

The other area where we have come to realise a developing and active society should put in some serious spadework is in communication and collaboration with other village organisations.

- We were very grateful for collaboration with the SWRI in promoting Garden Day and in particular for boosting entries to our produce competitions and providing a judge. Thanks to Evelyn Scobie in particular.

- We have set up our own website.

- We have publicised events in the Courier for the first time and our work with Abernethy primary school in the initial plantings for the Fruit Tree Trail was featured in the newspaper.

But it is not just about letting our members know what we are doing but making sure the whole village is aware of proposals that might affect them. In addition to our regular column in the Crier we are beginning to work more closely with the Community Council. We aim to develop and improve communication and consultation in the coming year.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank this year’s Committee for its very hard work. In particular: Rachel Battilana and Caroline Boyle who put together a wonderful programme of events – and there are still several to come before June including our Annual Trip, Susan Pettigrew who has been not only the inspiration behind the Fruit Tree Trail but the moving force in its creation and in the development of our website, Caroline our secretary has dealt with all our bureaucratic paperwork and was the driving force behind Garden Day, Bill Christie and Jane Sanderson have supported all of these events and contributed their ideas, enthusiasm and local knowledge. Margaret Donaldson our Treasurer has kept us all very successfully in the black and re-organised and updated our membership records. We are also very lucky in the village to have a wealth of horticultural expertise and knowledgeable people willing to offer their help and time in particular I should like to thank Les Bisset, Les McIntosh and Keir Allen.

In order to take advantage of their register of speakers, public liability insurance and other benefits for the Society, the Committee is considering membership of the Scottish Gardeners Forum. Benefits will be publicised to the membership.

We are a small Committee and without the support of all of you - our members - we could not do half the things we have achieved together this year. I should like to thank you all very much and hope you will continue your membership for many years to come.

Finally, I have decided to step down as Chairman after two years. I have loved my role and getting to know so many people in the village. I will continue my involvement particularly with Nurse Peattie’s Garden but feel it is time for a change. Thank you all for your help and support during my time as Chairman.

Ian Lamond

12^th March 2014