AGM OF THE FRIENDS OF THE DOROTHY NEAL WHITE COLLECTION 2008
MINUTES of the ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 2008 of the Friends of the Dorothy Neal White Collection
The Auditorium, National Library of New Zealand 6:00pm, Wednesday 28th May 2008
MINUTES
(Last year’s minutes Minutes of the 2007 meeting)
(Last year’s minutes Minutes of the 2009 meeting)
1.Apologies
Susan, Beverley and Hugh Price, Penny Carnaby, Maria Heenan, Roger Swanson, Mary Hall, Janet Blake, Fay Far, Tania Connelly, Norina Lewis, Dorothy Mitchell, Marjorie Pattie
2.The Minutes of the Annual General Meeting 2007 were accepted.
David Retter / Audrey Cooper
3. Matters arising
The inaugural Susan Price Scholarship was awarded to Angelina Sbroma who is studying time-slip stories in twentieth century children’s literature.
4. President’s Report
The President, Emma MacDonald, presented her Report for the year 2007/2008, outlining the activities of both the Friends and the research librarian. In conclusion, Emma thanked the National Library for continuing to allow the Society to hold meetings free-of-charge in the building and the members of the Society for continuing interest in the Collections and our various meetings and performances. Emma also noted that thanks were due all the committee members for their continuing energy and commitment, catering skills and support for the Research Librarian and gave special thanks to the Research Librarian, for stellar support to both the collection and the committee.
Emma MacDonald / Joan McCracken
The report was adopted with acclaim.
5. Matters arising from the President’s Report.
Carrick Lewis congratulated the Committee on its activities throughout the year, singling out the quality of the Newsletters for special praise.
David Retter asked that future reports include collection statistics for previous years, for comparison.
6. Treasurer’s Financial Report 2007/2008
Trevor Mowbray, the Treasurer, presented the Financial Report, noting that many subscriptions and donations to the Scholarship fund had already been received and that membership continued at much the same level as in recent years. Trevor thinks the level of support for the Scholarship Fund is because we have kept the subscription level at $20 for a number of years.
An additional expense in 2007/2008 was the cost of publishing Notes-Books-Authors 10 – approximately $300.
In previous years, Susan Price has made a donation of $100 to the Scholarship Fund. This year, Susan decided that it made greater financial sense to make a larger donation ($10,000) that could be invested and the income used to support the Scholarship. The Committee and Friends acknowledge this very generous donation.
Through the good offices of Barbara Mabbett, the NZ Trained Teachers Association (now in recess) has offered $3,000 to the Scholarship Fund. Trevor will negotiate the transfer of the donation and it will be included in the 2008/2009 financial report.
Sheila Williams asked if the Friends are registered with the Charities Commission. Trevor responded that our constitution and the aims of the organisation fit the Commission’s aims and objects criteria. He has prepared the application, but is waiting for the election of the new Committee before submitting it as the names and details of the entire Committee are required. In future years, only the changes to the President, Treasurer and Secretary are required to be notified.
Joan McCracken moved that we retain the subscription at $20 and that the report be accepted.
Joan McCracken / Emma MacDonald
7. Friends of the Dorothy Neal White Collection Scholarship / Research Grant report
Joan McCracken outlined the background and process involved in reviewing the Friends of the Dorothy Neal White Collection Scholarship. Carrick Lewis noted that it is appropriate to extend the eligibility criteria to make the grant available nationally, as the Friends of the Dorothy Neal White Collection Association is a national body. Joan noted that the redevelopment of the National Library building may impact on the availability of the collections between 2009 and 2011, but that we should proceed with our recommendations until we know what the effect will be.
Joan put the recommendation of the Friends Committee to bring the management of the grant under the committee’s control, enabling the research grant [as it will be known in future] to be extended to students outside Wellington. Those present were unanimous in endorsing the recommendation. Emma MacDonald thanked the Scholarship Committee for all the work that had gone into making the recommendation and preparing the documentation.
Joan will contact the Victoria University Foundation about the change to the grant.
8. Friends of the Dorothy Neal White Collection website report
Eight of the ten Notes – Books – Authors are now available of the website. A major missing work is NBA 7 Dorothy Neal White: a tribute published in 1998 – and we would like the opinion of members about whether or not this should be added. The most recently published NBA, Andrew Francis’ Willingly to war will not be added until next year.
Information about the Society and its activities has been updated – for instance there is a feature on the bookplate project at present.
The Webmaster, Jeff Hunt, would welcome additional ideas and information for the site.
9. Election of officers for the 2008/2009 Committee
Nominations:
Patron: Margaret Mahy
President: David Retter
Treasurer: Trevor Mowbray
Correspondence Secretary: Barbara Robertson
Note-taker: Lynne Jackett
Newsletter: Joan McCracken
Committee: Janet Blake, Tania Connelly, Audrey Cooper, Alison Grant, Emma MacDonald, and Mary Hutton.
There being no additional nominations received, the nominees were elected with acclaim.
10. General business
Lynne Jackett presented Emma MacDonald with a small posy in thanks for her contribution as President over the last three years.
The meeting closed at 6.40 pm.
The meeting was followed by the presentation of the 2008 Scholarship to Bea Turner. Bea’s doctoral research topic is Innocence and ignorance: the great Victorian fantasy and the control of experience. Bea gave a brief outline of her subject and thanked the Friends for the Scholarship, and Lynne Jackett for her expert help researching the collection. She undertook to let other students know about the magnificent children’s literature collections held by the National Library and encourage greater use.
The evening ended with a special screening of Hutu and Kawa find an island, the dvd of a play, adapted by Lynne Jackett from the story by Avis Acres and performed by staff of the National Library.
