D R A F T
Minutes
Perkins Long Service Club, 63rd Annual General Meeting
Held on Wednesday 2nd April 2025
at Paston and Gunthorpe Community Centre, Peterborough
Present: 9 PLSC Committee Members (Adrian Talbot, Garth Perry, Bob Gregory-Smith, Anna Errico, Alan Wells, Michelle Wyld, Eric King, Cliff Gillis and Beverley Spridgeon)
Plus 17 Members
1. Safety Briefing:
The meeting opened at 7.30 pm by Adrian Talbot giving a safety briefing.
2. Apologies for Absence:
David Foster, John Strange, Martin Garfield. Dave Robinson, Mike Richards, Geoff Cole, Nigel Burroughs.
3. Minutes of the 62nd AGM:
The minutes from the 62nd AGM were circulated as read, and proposed by John Skeels and seconded by Mike Hutchins, and were accepted unanimously by the members with no matters arising.
4. Matter arising from the 62nd AGM:
None.
5. Membership Report (Anna Errico):
A full list of the members who had passed away since the last AGM were read out by Anna Errico and a minute’s silence was observed. The members who sadly passed away from 1st January 2024 to 31st December 2024 were:
Gilbert Johnson
Gordon Popple
Anthony Hilliam
Francesco Valerio
G M Carter
H T Broughton
B C Dalhousie
W J Roan
Frank Carroll
Trevor Chapman
Mick Stevenson
Brian Meadows
John Maplethorpe
David Walton
E C Hope
Raymond Lawrence
Iian Taylor
Bob Martin
Bryan Boyden
John Gibson
Also the following members have passed away from 1st January 2025 up until 2nd April:
George Brown
Denis Reed
Christopher Rabbett
Geoff Wright
Geoff Measures
Bill Peacock
We ended 2024 with 490 members, which was 2 more than the previous year.
The full membership report can be found on the PLSC website.
6. President’s Report (Adrian Talbot)
The President thanked everyone for attending this AGM, and reminded everyone that this is his second year of office.
Adrian thanked those Committee members who attended the recruitment drives on the Perkins site during the past year.
The Events and Activities team have been hard at work providing a full and varied programme, which is being very well supported. Adrian thanked those team members responsible.
Many companies today, including Caterpillar, are changing their policies, hence we have two motions to propose to the Committee later this evening.
The President thanked the Committee for their continued support, and also thanked Laurence Dobney for auditing our accounts.
The annual dinner has increased this year to £17.50, and Adrian reminded everyone of the closing date which is 15th April.
7. Treasurer’s Report (Bob Gregory-Smith for Nigel Burroughs)
The financial policy of the club is to break even on trips with an expected number of guests (usually about 30). Any profit from the trips is then used to offset the club’s main cost which is the subsidy on the annual dinner. The subscriptions are then used to cover the administration costs.
In 2024 the policy was generally successfully continued (thanks to the hard work of the events team) and the Club posted a loss of £1,303 compared to last year’s loss of £409. However, costs have generally risen in areas outside the trips, and the net cost to the Club of the dinner (about £2,000) outweighed the surplus on trips by a considerable margin last year.
On behalf of the Treasurer, Bob also thanked Laurence Dobney for auditing the accounts.
Bob Gregory-Smith proposed that the accounts were accepted and John Skeels seconded this, and they were accepted unanimously by the members.
8. Conservation Report (Garth Perry)
The conservation group have continued to support Swaddywell Pit and Deeping Lakes monthly between September 2024 and March 2025.
Garth thanked the 4/5 regular volunteers. Two people expressed an interest at last year’s AGM to join the group, but didn’t follow through.
All volunteers are welcome and Garth’s contact details are in the programme if anyone is interested in volunteering.
9. Webmaster’s Report (read by Adrian Talbot on behalf of David Foster)
The website continues to work well and seems to be liked by users.
This year the website seems to have come into its own for members to book their places on 2025 events. Each event has its own page on the website and from there the Booking Form can be viewed and either be printed or completed electronically after downloading it.
Also the complete 2025 programme booklet has been loaded as one document, and can be viewed on the website and also downloaded as a single document.
The full Webmaster’s report can be found on the PLSC website.
10. Report on the 2024/2025 Events Programme (Bob Gregory-Smith)
Last year the Activities Group organised two holidays, five day trips, the Annual Dinner, the Christmas Social and a factory tour. We had planned to have quarterly company briefings, but for various reasons these did not happen.
The holidays continue to prove very popular, and the most popular day trips last year were to a musical in Milton Keynes and a theatre trip to Cromer.
The annual dinner was well attended.
We did not have to cancel any trips last year, although we did have low attendance at the Newmarket Nights event.
This year we have planned six day trips and three holidays.
We have an extra holiday to Liverpool and the Isle of Man, although we do not have an exclusive coach.
We still continue to gauge how many people are interested in a trip, so we do urge you to sign up early, so we have visibility of whether or not the trip is viable.
Vicky Reeves and James Gardiner will be conducting a business review in September, mainly online, although we will look at dialling in from a local venue if there is enough interest.
Next year we will not be sending out hard copy booklets, only to those without email address and others who have specifically requested to have a hard copy. This will save the Club money and also help sustainability.
Bob thanked the events Committee, particularly Garth, who does such a good job with support by the rest of the events Committee.
The full Events report can be found on the PLSC website.
11. Election of Officers
Adrian Talbot proposed that the following positions are accepted in a block, rather than to vote on each one separately.
11.1 Vice-President – Vacant
11.2 General Secretary – Beverley Spridgeon
11.3 Membership Secretary – Anna Errico
11.4 Treasurer – Nigel Burroughs
11.5 Entertainment and Activity Group – Bob Gregory-Smith
11.6 Webmaster – David Foster
11.7 Conservation Secretary – Garth Perry
11.8 Past President – Garth Perry
The election of the above was proposed by Mike Hutchins and second by John Skeels, and all members were in favour.
12. Election of Executive Committee:
Executive Committee nominees; Michelle Wyld, Al Wells, Cliff Gillis and Eric King, were proposed by Barrie Allen and seconded by John Baxter, and all members were in favour.
13. Appointment of Auditor:
It was proposed by Tony Dyer and seconded by David Boulton and all members were in favour of Laurence Dobney remaining as the Club’s Auditor.
14. Proposed Rule Changes
14.1 - Change to Purpose of the Club
That Rule 2 be amended to read: “The purpose of the Club is to form an association of the longer serving members of the Company to engage with employees – past and present – aligning to the company’s code of conduct and values. We recognize employee service and successes, arrange club activities to celebrate friendships and stay connected.”
John Baxter suggested that we amend “form an association” to “maintain an association”. This was proposed by John Baxter and the members agreed with this.
Following the above amendment, the Proposed Rule Change 2 was proposed by Neil Russell and seconded by Cliff Gillis as accepted, and the rest of the members agreed.
14.2 - Change to Length of Service
That Rule 3.1 be amended to read: “Membership of the Club shall be open to any current or former employee of Perkins, or of Caterpillar who has been based at Peterborough for a part of his or her employment, and who has a total of 10 years of service with the Company. The service does not have to be continuous.
An invitation shall be extended to all employees on completion of 10 years of service with the Company to become members of the Club. The duration of service to be determined by Company Records.
An invitation shall be extended to all employees on completion of 10 years of service with the Company to become members of the Club. The duration of service to be determined by Company Records.
Membership shall entitle the member to participate in all activities of the Club, and to accept nomination to serve on the Executive Committee or as a Club Official.
Members who reach the age of 80 shall be awarded Honorary Life Membership of the Club and are excused further membership payments. Under exceptional circumstances the Executive Committee may grant Honorary Life Membership to others.”
David Boulton asked if we go to 10 years what difference do we expect it to make to the total membership? Adrian said that when we reduced the number from 20 to 15 we gained 70 new members, and we don’t know how much difference it will make if we make this change to 10 years. David said that if we get too many members handling the high number of membership may get out of hand. Adrian said he doesn’t think it would be a problem, and today we have more technology available to us to help cope with a higher number of members if we need to.
Alan Wells asked for “his/her employment” be changed to “their” and this was agreed by the Committee.
The revised rule 3.1 as amended that the AGM, was proposed by Maciej Bedkowski and seconded by Anna Errico, and accepted by the rest of the members.
Proposed Motion by a member. Proposed by Daren Barrs and seconded by John Barrs:
“That at the Annual Dinner we have a toast to our Company’s Founder, Frank Perkins, as without him, none of us would be present at a Long Service Dinner”
Several conversations took place, which resulted in Daren accepted to change the words Company’s Founder to Club’s Founder, as this would probably be more acceptable to the Company. In the discussion it was suggested that in order not to have additional toasts at the dinner, this toast could be incorporated into the existing toast made by the President to become a toast to the Club’s Founder, Frank Perkins, the Company and Guests.
Therefore the members agreed unanimously with the amended motion.
16. AOB
John Baxter asked if the Committee intend to publish the 6 Sigma report on strategy, and Adrian said it is his intention to publish to the members at a later date.
The meeting finished at 20.54.
Issued by: Beverley Spridgeon
2nd April 2025