Lorn Archaeological and Historical Society
The aim of the Society is to foster interest in the archaeology and history of the area and help to increase our knowledge of the past.
www.lahsoc.org.uk lahsoc@gmail.com
LAHS AGM 12th November 2022
Minutes
- Welcome
- Apologies for absence (+any from the floor) : Joan and Peter Kemp, Varinia Thompson, Jane Everall, Juli Anderson, Jim and Linda Battison, Diarmid Campbell, Mairi Ross
- Minutes from previous AGM 2021 held FRIDAY 19h NOVEMBER, 2021 via Zoom approved, previously circulated.
Proposed by Seymour Adams Seconded by Jill Bowis
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- Matters arising – None.
- Report from the new committee :
LAHS AGM 2022 Chair / Secretary / Treasurers combined report
Thank you for all of you who have come out to support the revival of Lorn Archaeological and Historical Society after the demise of the previous committee, so many of whom had retired or just got too busy with other activities.
I will keep this as brief as I can.
The biggest thanks is to those who have stepped up to volunteer and have worked so hard in the last 2 months, locally and from further afield, to reclaim and renew the society and create this winters programme, offer support and help in so many ways with the past journals, future journals, the website and the 60th anniversary of the society.
Evidence from other organisations in the heritage world in Scotland and locally suggests there is a strong interest in our heritage, we few here hope that we have arrange a flavour of our local fascinating history this winter and that, with more help the 60th Anniversary of LAHS will not be its last.
After the hiatus of the last 2 + years it has been a busy time in the last 2 months getting sorted, working out what needs to be done, renewing old connections and deciding how to proceed.
Many thanks to our previous secretary Joan Kemp who kept great records, and we have big shoes to fill. ~
Things are coming on :
We have just about sorted out the bank account access, everyone knows these things never quite go smoothly.
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- We have £1917. In the bank
- And £112.60 in Paypal account.
- The last year saw payments for the website of £47.99 and paypal fees from membership payments of £5.37
- As our new Treasurer is an accountant, new to the society, we are taking her review of the information we have got as our audited accounts.
- We are not rich, but can afford to continue, pay our dues and hopefully will have new members joining to swell the coffers, donations are very welcome.
- If we are doing activities next year these will have to either be self financing by members for each or look for grants to help.
- We hope you enjoy the speakers we have arranged for you this winter, we have inherited a list of potential future talks, but very much welcome ideas for topics and people. We want to reflect your interests.
- many of past records of the society are now in one place at Kintaline Farm, if any past member find anything that can be added they will be gratefully received, including photos of past events, digs etc that can be scanned and returned.
- The 2019 Historic Argyll Journal will be back in Waterstones soon, and maybe even a collection in the Oban Library, as they only have 3 currently.
We have a new volunteer to scan and prepare these for inclusion on the website to add to the existing but limited list. These journals contain fascinating articles from the last 60 years. And will create a valuable research resource. Each edition also goes to the main national libraries across the UK
And the best news is we have a new Journal Editor who will be working to bring together future publications.
- There are spare printed journals, for sale at each meeting, at Kintaline farm, and will be on the revamped website.
- We will join the British Local History Association which will give us the insurance for events and activities, and be part of the national local history environment, and the Scottish Local History Forum .. which will bring benefits to members to be shared later.
- There is also the affiliation to the Council for Scottish Archaeology and to the Council for British Archaeology to renew. LAHs is a member of CHARTS and the Argyll and Bute Museums and Heritage forum
Any other partnerships are always of interest. - The old website has been updated with dates, the new committee, the new season talks and various other details. It is old and tired, Alistair Taylor has volunteered to give it a complete revamp so we are looking forward to ideas as to what you might like to see on there. See the ideas on the boards and add your own, contact us with further ideas.
- The facebook page continues to grow, now around 500 people, sharing items of local heritage interest and there will be an instagram page soon too.
Our membership from 2020 is around 50, healthy but we welcome more, you do not need to join to participate in the winter talks, we ask a £3 donation per talk, but summer events may be different with insurance requirements etc.
The 2020 membership will include the coming year. There are several bank and paypal payments from 2020 to 2022 that we need to follow up, and ask if people want a refund or donate the payments towards the 60th Anniversary celebrations. Please let us know.
We hope to generate some new members benefits .. any ideas.
What do you want to happen next year ? 2024 .. what can you do for LAHS ?
Please email us, write on the boards at the talks each month, tell one of us .. committee have stickers on us 🙂
Can you volunteer to help., the more of us there are the better the workload gets shared.
2 important roles are
- 60th Anniversary : what do you want ? a party .. or other event ??
- Summer activities : Do you want to see summer activities again ? what, where, when,
A reminder to old and information to new members : we have quite an extensive library collected by the Society : Alison Blackwood is our librarian, based in Oban.
The catalogue is printed on the table, and on the website.
Donations of more books are welcome.
You can use the contact form on the website or ask at meetings and books can be brought in.
Members will be emailed about upcoming events, and we welcome new additions to the mailing list – if you are not sure if you are on, please add your email to the sheet on the table. The talks are also on Facebook and on Eventbrite ..signing up for the latter will give you a couple of gentle reminders and you will get any additional information. Article Sponsored Find something for everyone in our collection of colourful, bright and stylish socks. Buy individually or in bundles to add color to your sock drawer!
Happy to answer any questions
Adopt Accounts
- accounts approved : Any questions ? No
Proposed by Colum Scott
Seconded by Martin Petrie
Elections of Officebearers and Committee.
Elected en bloc
Chair : Jill Bowis
Secretary : Florence Medard
Treasurer : Varinia Thomson
Committee : Heather McLean (membership sec)
Jamie MacGregor
Alistair Taylor (website)
Proposed by Duncan Campbell
Seconded by Janet Turner
More volunteers
Juli Anderson (Journal Editor), Cherry Loughridge (Past Journals scanning) and Alison Blackwood (Librarian) will also help.
No new names put forward.
Appointment of New Honorary members : in recognition and grateful thanks for their many years service to the society
Michael Turner
Ian Walter
Diarmid Campbell
Joan Kemp
Seymour Adams
-Thanks-
Membership :
Members Benefits : Dunollie has very generously offered paid members of the society a discount on the coming seasons MacDougall Society talks. Arrangements to be circulated.
Can you think of other benefits we could investigate ? suggestions always welcome.
- AOCB
We need to know from you ideas for summer activities :
what you would like to see on the new website :
and what to do for the 60th anniversary celebration.
Any notes
We expect to keep using Rockfield as location for the rest of Winter talk. (question raised by Martin Petrie)
Affiliation question raised by Alison Blackwood.
Michael Turner asked about our current insurance cover – we are using our Historical Society membership which includes insurance ( including public liability) for summer activities at much cheaper rate than previous.
Display boards – we need new ones and to track down some from the past. Need to do an inventory of what equipment LAHS is currently in possession of, mentioned by Alison Blackwood, already on the agenda for the new committee. If anyone has a spare laptop they would be willing to let LAHS use that would be useful. Date of next years AGM (Saturday 11th November 2023)
We are looking for ideas for 60th anniversary of LAHS.
Meeting closed