Minutes of First General Meeting of “Friends of Leith Hall”
Held on the 5 December 2009 at Rannes Hall, Kennethmont

PRESENT

Tina Low
(This list is not exhaustive but contains the names of those who signed the Attendance Sheet)

The meeting commenced with Dawn Ranson welcoming everyone and thanking them for their attendance. There were sixty two people present at the meeting. 

Dawn put the question to the room whether there were any objections to considering this meeting to be the first general meeting of the Friends of Leith Hall and as part of that process appointing an interim Chair to go through the draft constitution with the group so that they could agree any amendments and following this to then appoint an elected committee. Dawn proposed Steve Callaghan as the Interim Chair. This proposal was seconded by Stewart Petrie and agreed by the room.

The Way Forward

Steve Callaghan, Group Manager, North Scotland, National Trust for Scotland introduced himself and gave a brief summary of the situation with regard to the future of Leith Hall. Steve explained that since the last meeting he has been working on a project proposal to put to the NTS’ management team which will assist to reopen Leith Hall in the future. This has meant looking at the flats within the Mansion House, outlying buildings on the estate (including those in need of renovation) and looking at the grounds in order to find a way of building up an endowment fund to make Leith Hall Mansion House sustainable and not reliant upon the variability of income generated by visitor numbers. Steve reported that he had met with the new Executive Director in charge of properties (Peter Selman) to discuss the plans and that he had received positive feedback (although no decisions have been taken) from both Mr Selman and the Chief Executive, Kate Mavor who are both keen to see Leith Hall reopened to the public if at all viable financially.

Amendments to the Friends of Leith Hall Constitution

Section 1 

It was agreed that the second Paragraph should be amended to read the following:

“Leith Hall” refers to the gardens, grounds, mansion house and outbuildings given as a free and absolute gift for the benefit and enjoyment of the Nation to the National Trust for Scotland by the Honourable Louisa Henrietta Valdivia O’Neil Leith Hay of Rannes and Leith Hall and also the collection of memorabilia and archival documentation, gifted and bequeathed at various points by the Leith Hay family, and acquired by the National Trust for Scotland as part of the Leith Hay Collection since the property was gifted to the Nation.

Following this amendment Section 1 (Name) was agreed by the meeting.

Section 2 (Aims and Objectives)

It was agreed that 2.6 should be amended to include another paragraph which reads:

2.6 The Friends will represent the interests of the community to the National Trust for Scotland in its future planning.

The original paragraph marked as Point 2.6 will then become Point 2.7.

2.7 The Committee of the Friends shall apply to become a Registered Scottish Charity at the earliest practical opportunity.
Following these amendments Section 2 was then agreed by the meeting.

Section 3 (Membership and Subscriptions)

It was agreed that Point 3.2 should be amended to read the following:

3.2 Categories of membership and associated levels of subscription will be determined by the Committee.
Following these amendments Section 3 was then agreed by the meeting.

Section 4 (Financial Arrangements)

The following amendments were suggested and agreed:

4.2 A bank account will be opened in the name of “The Friends of Leith Hall” and there will be two signatories required from within the Office Bearers of the Committee.

4.7 Funds raised will be used exclusively to carry out the Aims and Objectives as set out in point 2 of this document. These will also include operating costs of the Friends and promotional / networking events.

Section 4 was then agreed by the meeting.

Section 5 (Committee)

The meeting agreed that the Chair of the Friends should serve for no more than 3 (three) consecutive years before stepping down. Therefore Section 5.2(c) was amended to read:

(c) all Officers and Committee members shall be eligible for re-election each year, excepting only that no person shall serve as Chair of the Committee for more than 3 (three) consecutive years; and

It was suggested that another two points should be added to Section 5 as set out below:

7. Observers will be welcome at all committee meetings.

8. Minutes of the meetings will be available via the internet and the committee will agree the best/most cost effective way to make the information available to all.

Section 5 was then agreed by the meeting.

Section 6 (General Meetings)

The following amendments were made:

There shall be an Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the membership of the Friends which shall take place in the Spring of each year on a date determined by the Committee, and which shall include the formal business of the Friends, namely:-

Typing errors were then discovered in the numbering and this was amended to read as follows (numbering is in italics in this section where amendments have been made):

(e) electing a new Committee and Officers to serve until the next Annual General Meeting.

(4) The Committee shall call a General Meeting of the membership at any other time that it deems it appropriate to do so, by giving not less than 14 days’ notice, and the agenda for such a meeting shall be circulated to the membership not less than four (4) days before the date of the meeting. A quorum at such meetings shall be not fewer than 10% of the current membership of the Friends or 15 persons, whichever is the lesser.

(5) An Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) shall be called:-

Notice of an EGM stating the purpose for which it is called, shall be given not more than seven (7) days after such a decision by the Committee, or after such a request has been received, and the EGM shall take place not less than 7 (seven) and not more than 14 (fourteen) days after such notice has been issued. An EGM shall conduct no other business than that stated as the purpose of the EGM. A quorum at an EGM shall be not fewer than 20% of the current membership of the Friends, or 15 people, whichever is the lesser.

Section 6 was then agreed by the meeting.

Section 7 (Dissolution)

The following amendment was suggested and agreed:

If the resolution for dissolution be carried, that any funds of the Friends remaining after outstanding liabilities have been met be disbursed to such appropriate local cause or causes as the meeting shall decide subject to the appropriate legislation being followed should the friends have become a registered charity at that point.

Section 7 was then agreed by the meeting.

ELECTION OF COMMITTEE OF THE FRIENDS OF LEITH HALL

The four Officer Bearer Roles were filled as followed:

Chair: Dawn Ranson (Proposed by the Room, Seconded by Steve Callaghan) – agreed by Meeting

Vice Chair: Stewart Petrie ( Proposed by Dawn Ranson, Seconded by Ellis Alan, Agreed by the Meeting)

Secretary: Tina Low (Proposed by Dawn Ranson, Seconded by Steve Callaghan – agreed by the Meeting)

Treasurer: Grainne Patton (Proposed by Dawn Ranson, Seconded by Steve Callaghan – agreed by the Meeting.

Members of the Committee elected were:

Margaret Shand Dinah Rennie
Tony Hunter Richard Kite
Nigel Maddison David Gordon

It was also suggested that people not able to attend today should be given the opportunity to become part of the committee and therefore two positions were left vacant. Further nominations for the following people were put forward. It was agreed that these two spaces could be co-opted by the committee.

Linda Durward (Former Guide of Leith Hall House)
Stephen Reeves (Ranger, NTS)
Carys Thorn, (Local Resident)
James Grant (Local Resident)

Dawn and Steve thanked everyone for attending and thanked the Committee at Rannes Hall in Kennethmont and Stewart Petrie, in particular for all their support and help with the provision of the Hall. 

Dawn and Steve then ended the meeting, thanking everyone once again for their suggestions, advice and support.