Autumn Gathering

After meeting on Zoom last year, we are returning to Unstone Grange for this year's Autumn Gathering, and we welcome the chance to talk face to face. The dates of the meeting are Friday October 29 late afternoon to Sunday October 31 after lunch.

The meeting will include a brief review of this year's events, reports from taskholders and local groups, and consideration / approval of proposals for events in 2022. We will also be urgently seeking replacements for members of the Maintenance Group, who have already served more than their normal terms

There will also be plenty of time for socialising, chats and walks, so that the weekend becomes a mini-event; this enables us to come together in community rather than just attending a meeting.

The cost of this weekend is subsidised by ECC and will be £65 for waged members, and £35 for concessions. The Bookings Organiser is Jon Homer.

The formal AGM of ECC Ltd will also take place during this weekend; this is when we approve previous minutes and the treasurer's report, elect members to the Maintenance Group and other posts, and deal with any motions submitted for discussion.

New blood for the Maintenance Group

Jimmy, David and Jon have now served on the Maintenance Group for well over the period normally allowed in the ECC Guidelines, and are intending to stand down at the AG in October. We feel it is high time for others to take on the roles, though we could be available to support new recruits at first.

The commitment is not a very onerous one. The present group of three has normally met two or three times in person (when possible) or on Zoom, to  follow up recommendations from the previous AG, to keep up with any matters arising between AGs, and where necessary making decisions if action is urgently required. ECC members attending the AG form the real decision-making body.

We have identified the areas presently covered by the MG as follows:

Jimmy MacSweeney is the  Treasurer, mainly responsible for preparing the annual accounts, agreeing budgets with event organisers, overseeing payments for bookings on events - this has been made far simpler than before due to the online bookings system and prevalence of bank transfers, and dealing with any other payments.

David Wray is the Company Secretary, and he is responsible for filing the necessary returns with Companies House. This simple task is a requirement as ECC is registered as a limited company. He also acts as Point of First Contact, dealing with correspondence by email or letter and some phone enquiries.

Jon Homer is responsible for maintaining contact with local groups; acting as a central point for questions from event organisers, compiling the newsletter with details of events and any other contributions from members; these newsletters are normally sent out 3 or 4 times in a year.
 
If you'd like to put your name forward for one of these roles, please contact us to discuss this further. (Jimmy ***** ******, David ***** ******, Jon ***** ******)

Other taskholders supporting the MG are Duncan Weaver, who manages the website and holds the ECC archive, and Dave Edwards who looks after the database and the ECC groups on social media. Holders of these posts do not have a stipulated maximum term, but it is possible for members to stand for election to them at the AG.

Unstone Grange

Unstone Grange, in the village of Unstone near Sheffield, has hosted many ECC events over the years. The resident community will be welcoming us back for our AG. We will have exclusive use of the roomy, relaxed main house, set in its 5 acres of organic gardens, and with pleasant local walks within easy reach. Millthorpe, the village where Edward Carpenter lived for 40 years, is also only a few miles away.
unstonegrange.co.uk