BCA Office Crystallography Meetings BCA AGMs AGM Agenda 2001 History BCA Site Map BCA Membership Past Meetings AGM Minutes 2001 Statutes Contacts

Minutes of the BCA Annual General Meeting 2001 Held on Monday 9 April in the Palmer Building, Reading University at 4.00 p.m. with the President, Professor Chris Gilmore, in the Chair.

A short silence was observed in memory of Arnold Beevers.

1. The agenda was approved.
2. There were apologies for absence from Michael Woolfson and Chick Wilson.
3. The minutes of the previous AGM (held at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh on 5 April 2000) had been published in the December 2000 issue of Crystallography News. They were approved and signed by the President. There were no matters arising from them.
4. The Secretary's Report to Council, which had been published in the March 2001 issue of Crystallography News, was accepted.
5. The proposed amendments to the Statutes and By-Laws had been published in the December, 2000 issue of Crystallography News. Frank Allen explained that this was a tidying up process which would:
   1. recognise that Joint Membership with the Royal Society of Chemistry is no longer appropriate,
   2. change the name of Sponsors to Corporate Members,
   3. clarify the status of the original Founder Members, and
   4. formalise the category of Honorary Members.

   The acceptance of the amendments was proposed by Anne Bloomer, seconded by Paul Raithby and carried unanimously.

6. Gill Houston of Northern Networking reported on their activities since they had been appointed to run the administrative side of the BCA. There were 909 members and the membership database has been transferred. There were 8 Corporate Members. In collaboration with the new Newsletter Editor the Newsletter was now in an A4 format. Northern networking had played a major role in the organisation of the current Spring Meeting. The number of delegates was 266 which was a little low and members should encourage colleagues and students to register next year.
7. The Treasurer reported that the 2000 accounts showed major changes to the BCA funds. The BCA had received a donation of £75,000 from IUCr99 and the fixed interest investments start to mature over the next few years. Council would be considering the best way to invest our surplus funds. Financial administration of the Physics Crystallography Group has been transferred to the Institute of Physics. The administration of the Bursary Fund has been overhauled. The Heriot-Watt Spring Meeting made a loss of £5248. The Newsletter made a profit of £2714, which helped to defray some of the £5625 cost of the additional IUCr Colour Supplement. Charges for nine months from Northern Networking are included as well as the costs of the handover from Stephanie Harris to Northern Networking. A Bad Debt of £540 from X-ray Associates has been written off. The Treasurer encouraged members to sign a Gift Aid Declaration. He proposed that in future a summary of the accounts would be printed in Crystallography News and full copies would be available on request. The accounts were prepared by R. A. Young of The Young Company, Huntingdon.

The Treasurer for IUCr99 (Sheila Gould) handed the President a cheque for �31,000 payable to the BCA as a final payment from the profits of the Congress.

8. The Acceptance of Accounts was proposed by Harry Powell and seconded by Michael Glazer. The accounts were accepted nem con.

9. Election of Officers and Ordinary Members of Council:
   • For Vice-President - Prof. Bill Clegg had been proposed by Mrs Kate Crennell and seconded by Dr Frank Allen; Prof. Paul Fewster had been proposed by Dr Chick Wilson and seconded by Prof. John Finney and Dr Pam Thomas.

     After a secret ballot (tellers Jeremy Cockcroft and Harry Powell) Paul Fewster was declared duly elected.

   • For Secretary - Dr Christine Cardin had been proposed by Dr Hilary Muirhead and seconded by Mr David Taylor. As hers was the only nomination, she was declared duly elected.
   • There were no Vacancies for Ordinary Members of Council.

   The President thanked Frank Allen (retiring Vice-President), Hilary Muirhead (retiring Secretary) and Kate Crennell (retiring Newsletter Editor) for their work on behalf of the BCA.

10. Appointment of Examining Accountant for 2001. Mr R. A. Young of The Young Company, Huntingdon was appointed as Examining Accountant. He was proposed by Mike Glazer, seconded by Paul Fewster.
11. Under Any Other Business:
    • The President reminded members that that some information was sent out by e-mail. If they were not receiving these e-mail messages and wished to do so they should check with the registration desk.
    • Judith Howard said that one reason for low attendance at this meeting was the high registration fee and the low level of student bursaries. Elspeth Garman also made the point that in order to boost attendance bursaries must be increased. The Treasurer replied that the bursary level of £50 per student was tried as an experiment this year. Only 50 students had applied for bursaries.

The meeting closed at 4.50 p.m.

Hilary Muirhead: April, 2001

Note: date error in printed minute item 10 in Crystallography News.