We are grateful to the President and Officers of the Shipley Conservative Club for hosting this Annual General Meeting and providing an excellent and warming hot buffet supper for all those who attended.

 

The Chairman, Derek Gamble, opened the meeting and introduced the two guests, Philip Davies, Conservative MP for Shipley, and Philip Smith, the Secretary of the Association of Conservativ e Clubs (ACC), who would be addressing the meeting after the formal business of the AGM was completed. The Chairman gave a brief report on the activities of the Yorkshire Region Conservativ e Clubs Council over the past year, which included the organisation of the annual conference for Conservative Clubs in Yorkshire held at the Gomersal Park Hotel in November last year, and a number of direct support contacts with clubs in the region which were undertaken as local representation of the Association of Conservative Clubs. Some of the problems were due to the current economic climate and social change which was adversely affecting most clubs, and others were due to difficulties encountered in managing staff. Most of these problems were either resolved or in the process of being resolved, some with financial aid from the Association of Conservative Clubs and also practical management aid and support through our link with Heineken (formerley Courage & John Smith's North). The Chairman also presented the accounts of income and expenditure incurred by the YRCCC, copies of which were distributed at the meeting. The major cost was that for the Annual Conference, and Year Book, totalling around £3600. The other significant expenditure was on the travelling expenses for the two members of the ACC executive council for the regular meetings held in London which had been paid for from the balances held in the local account - hence the significant reduction in the amount of cash held in the YRCCC bank account. However, other expenses are relatively small, and the ACC has graciously provided funding for the conference and other expenses as necessary.

 

Although, all clubs in the region had been notified of the date of the AGM and asked to nominate persons for positions on the Yorkshire Region Conservative Clubs Executive Council, or even volunteer someone, no nominations were in fact received. Fortunately, those in office during the previous year had agreed to continue in office. The meeting was asked to approve the following officers for the period 2011/2012:

Chairman - Derek Gamble, Secretary - John Tempest, Vice-Chairman - Paul Kitchingman, Treasurer - Geoff Cullerton, Representative for North Yorkshire - (vacant), Representative for West Yorkshire - Colin Hustler, Representative for South Yorkshire - Sir Irvine Patnick, OBE. Derek Gamble and Colin Husttler would continue to represent the Yorkshire Region on the executive council of the Association of Conservative Clubs. Christopher Clapham and Eddie Ward would continue as co-opted members to the YRCCC.

 

The formal business being now completed, the Chairman asked Philip Davies, MP for Shipley, to address the meeting. Philip Davies described the situation of the Conservatives being back in Government after 15 years of Labour rule, but this time in partnership with the Liberal Democrats. The major problems were that of the huge debt being built up due to excess of public spending over income from tax and revenue and the debts incurred due to the collapse of the banking system, which would require some hard decisions in sorting out. The main things that the electorate needed to concentrate on in the next few weeks were the local elections and the referendum on the proposed reform of the parliamentary electoral system under the Alternative Vote system. We were told that unless the Alternative Vote was rejected, you would never see a Government under the sole control of the Conservative Party ever again.

 

Philip Smith was then invited to address the members.

 

The meeting was then formally closed, and the steak pie supper was then brought out.

 

[Photos still to add].