Minutes of The Blake Society Annual General MeetingTuesday, 13 January 2009At the City of Westminster Archive’s Centre, 10 St Ann’s Street, London SW1P 2DEBetween 7.30pm and 10.00 pmMembers Present : Rosemary Antrobus, Mary Brown, Lynn Carter, John Dollar, Rachel Douglas, Valerie Doulton, Carol and Luis Garrido (joint secretaries), Robin Hatton-Gore, Tim Heath (Chair), Peter Hodgman (Treasurer) , Margaret McDonald, John McIntyre, Stephen Micalef, Adrian Peeler, Kevin Power, John Rowley, Andrew Solomon, David Sudlow, Antony Vinall, Christina Vinall, Peter Woodcock.Non-Members observing : Andrew Dehany, Jude Rawlins, Niall McDevitt, Philip Beckwith.The minutes do not cover comments by non-members. The Chairman began by saying that only members may vote or speak at the AGM. People observing were invited because immediately after the AGM we were going to have a talk by Robin Hamlyn on Blake’s Poetical Sketches.Philip Beckwith (P.B.) considers himself a founding member of the Blake Society and by implication an honorary life member. However no one has ever made an application on behalf of P.B. to be elected as a life honorary member, and since the Blake Society became a Registered Charity with a written Constitution, P.B. has not paid a membership fee. P.B.’s votes and comments were not recorded.Niall McDevitt (N.M.), an ex Committee Member (he was once co-opted but then withdrew) felt that he had the right to participate. Niall has not renewed his membership for the last two years and the Society’s constitution does not allow a non member to participate in the AGM deliberations. He was told not to participate and asked repeatedly to be silent. Niall never attempted to vote.1. Minutes of the last year’s AGMThe minutes are available to view on the Society’s website and an email notification drew the attention to the minutes being online. Valerie Doulton (V.D.) queried whether the minutes were accurate and complete as regards nominations for serving on the Committee. Peter Hodgman (P.H.) referred us to item 8 of the minutes where the matter is dealt with. Tim Heath (T.H.) expanded on this by saying that he had contacted the person in question about a putative nomination but that he had only been a member for a few months and so did not qualify under the 12 month rule. V.D. wondered whether the Committee had raised new conditions for serving on the committee, such as submission of Curriculum Vitae and a formal interview. T.H. explained that this is not the case. The Committee will eventually discuss member’s CVs in order that the Committee can see in what capacity they may be able to help the Society. The only conditions to serving on the Committee are to have been a paid up member for 12 continuous months immediately prior to election, and to nominate themselves in time, i.e. 14 days before the AGM so that we can see whether it will be necessary to organise a ballot. A ballot is needed once there are more than 10 nominations, according to the Society’s Constitution. The Constitution is available on the Blake Society’s website. P.H reminded us that the Committee also has the power of co-opting 2 additional members if a special Committee Meeting is called for this purpose. A formal Committee vote will take place to decide whether to co-opt additional members and if so, whether to co-opt in particular Stephen Micalef and Helen Elwes whose nominations arrived after the deadline.Last Year’s Minutes were approved by majority vote. 12 in favour, 1 Against. No stated abstentions.2. Apologies for AbsenceRichard Lines, Helen Elwes, Michael Loughnan, Andrew Broughton, Kate Kelly-Tanguay, Barbara Vellacott, Edward Beale, Claire Edwards, John Docherty, Josie McQuail3. Chairman’s ReportThe Society’s activities began slowly this year due to the success & excess of the Anniversary Year and the need to find a new Treasurer to present our Accounts. We try to improve the form and content of our events and this year was no exception. For the first time the Society issued one Programme covering the whole of the Year and printed it on the reverse of a poster of the frontispiece to Blake’s Milton – a gift to our members.In August at the traditional gathering in Bunhill Fields we discussed the progress of our plans to mark Blake’s grave. In September Dr David Whitmarsh-Knight gave a lecture on Jerusalem – ‘the grandest poem that this world contains’. Continuing in our series of events that follow in Blake’s footsteps we visited Stationers’ Hall where the indenture were signed for Blake’s apprenticeship as an Engraver. In October Barbara Vellacott led an interactive workshop that offered many new insights into Blake and in particular his work Milton. Our final event of the year was Richard Ramsbotham’s solo performance of Blake’s Milton with his professional company of lighting engineers and musicians held at the church in the Barbican where Milton was buried. This was the Society’s own contribution to the celebrations for the 400th anniversary of the birth of Milton and was organised as a joint event with the gracious assistance of the Temenos Academy.At the end of the December our Patron Adrian Mitchell died. Adrian engaged with the world in a beautiful way. A poet, dramatist and pacifist, he last spoke to the Society after the AGM that heralded the 250th anniversary year (the previous night he had spent in a police cell after protesting outside the Nuclear Submarine Base at Faslane).Members of the Society were present at the memorial service to two of our members: Jim Brown, the composer and Peter Cadogan, the chairman. The Society was also represented at the Blake Conference and Exhibition at the Whitworth Gallery in Manchester.The new website of the Society is beginning to reveal its potential. We are now publishing reports of our events to share with members who live outside London or who are unable to attend our meetings.Since the launch of our own Annual Lecture in 2005 we have now held 3 successful lectures that have drawn large audiences; this year however we thought we would try to seek another medium to reach new audiences. It was time to launch the Blake Prize. This has been canvassed before and everyone agrees it is a challenge to formulate a prize in such a way that a present day Blake might be a contender. So instead of an Annual Lecture we set out to invite a panel of a Nobel Prize Winner, a Templeton Prize Winner, an Oscar and a Booker to discuss how to set up such a prize. Alas our Nobel Laureate Harold Pinter became ill and died before this could take place.4. Treasurer’s ReportPeter Hodgman circulated copies of the Society’s Accounts for the year ending 31 October 2008, which he said followed the Charity Commission’s format for small charities, Ref CC16a. The accounts had been carefully checked by Adrian Peeler, the external examiner, before being approved by the Trustees. PH said that receipts and payments were both down relative to the previous year, which was an exceptional one because of the 250th anniversary of Blake’s birth. Receipts and payments in 2007-08 were still substantially higher than in the year before the anniversary (2005-06). The Society spent £6,740 in 2007-08, £358 more than its income, but we still ended the year with a cash balance of just under £5,000.PH invited questions on the accounts.Question from Rachel Douglas : How do the membership receipts help us calculate the amount of the drop in membership? L.G. replied that it is hard to calculate because whenever people renewed their membership in 2007 this being the year of Blake’s 250th anniversary, they often paid an amount in excess of their membership fee. During 2007 some people who used to pay only £10 sent in an extra amount with their subscription, and all these amounts were recorded as membership subscription, unless sent separately from the membership subscription.V.D. Who are the Trustees? T.H. answered that the members of the Executive Committee are the Trustees, and their names are listed in the minutes of the AGM in which they were elected.V.D. stated that she had received documents raising questions of malpractice within the Society. P.H. advised her to submit her documents and questions in writing. V.D. said she would.T.H. thanked P.H. for preparing the accounts, and Adrian Peeler for examining the accounts.The accounts were received by majority vote. 11 votes for, no votes against, 2 stated abstentions from V.D. and Rosemary Antrobus (R.A.)5. Secretary’s ReportL.G. This year we implemented a suggestion from last year’s AGM of offering the facility of paying subscription by Standing Order. Thirty six members are now paying by Standing Order. In the beginning of 2008, payments were also being processed through the Society’s website, making it easy for new members to join the Society. However for some time this facility stopped working because PayPal made some changes to the software. The problem was very recently fixed, since when five new people have already joined the Society using the PayPal facility on the Society’s website. This facility also processes debit and credit card payments. Payment online also represents an easy way of subscription renewal for existing members. At the moment we are upgrading the Society’s facilities for bulk emailing. Anti-spam concerns make it difficult for the Society to send bulk emails to all members unless we upgrade this facility. The Society aims to contact a greater number of people in future by email. Everyday we are receiving email contact details from people interested about Blake events, via our website. In order to email back these people we need to be able to deliver emails in bulk. This year we have communicated less often by letter partly to reduce costs, and partly to reduce the administrative burden of processing large amounts of letters. At the end of 2008 the Society currently has 182 paid up members, and 118 members whose subscription are due for renewal, making it a total of 300 members. There was only a very slight drop in numbers of membership this year, notwithstanding that this is the year after Blake’s 250th anniversary, and that there has been a big change in the financial climate globally. The sudden change in PayPal procedures also caused a loss of membership from people joining the society through the Blake website, though this problem has now been fixed.V.D. would like to see lapsed members encouraged to rejoin. R.A. would like to receive AGM minutes by post as she does not have a computer, and the same to be sent to those members who don’t have an email address, since it is only a small number of people it wouldn’t be a great burden. L.G. replied that in total we would have to send about 70 letters each time we send an email as we correspond not only with paid up members but also with members whose membership is due for renewal, and thus the number of people for whom we don’t have an email address is in the order of 70 members. It was concluded that the Committee would give thought to this matter.6 & 7. Election of the Honorary Officers and Committee Members for 2009Honorary Officers:Chairman: Tim HeathTreasurer: Peter HodgmanSecretary: Luis Garrido and Carol GarridoCommittee Members:Andrew Solomon, Kate Kelly-Tanguay, Kevin Power, John Rowley, Richard Lines, Prof. Josephine McQuail.Dr. Angus Whitehead did not nominate himself as a Committee member this year but remains an Editor of the Blake Journal with Paige Morgan as Assistant Editor. Together they have many years of experience of the Society, but are not current Committee members. Angus is resident in Singapore and Paige in Seattle, USA.R.A. asked the nominated members who were present to stand before proceeding to vote. The nominated members obliged and T.H. introduced them by name and position to which they were being nominated.The Honorary Officers and the Committee members were approved by majority vote. 13 in favour and one stated abstention from V.D.8. Approval to raise funds for extraordinary purposes to include a new gravestone in Bunhill FieldsT.H. referred to the minutes of the last AGM where it was agreed to mark the location of the grave of William Blake. L.G. informed the AGM that the City of London has now approved in general the Blake Society proposal for marking the location of William Blake’s grave. The City of London has now undertaken to seek any Ministerial consent that might be needed to implement the project. In due time the City of London will be assisting the Blake Society in obtaining planning permission from Islington Council. These decisions of the City of London are recorded in their minutes of the Open Spaces Committee of 28th July 2008, which are available on the City of London’s website. Carol Garrido read a small excerpt of the above mentioned minutes. L.G. explained that the City of London will not pay for Blake’s memorial because it would raise a precedent for the City having to pay for memorials to many other notable people also buried at Bunhill Fields. It is the Society’s responsibility to raise the funds from individuals, private and public organisations, etc. Society members are free to contribute, but not expected to bear the main burden. This year the Society has been making enquiries with the Charity Commission to ensure that whatever we do is within the rules and regulations of the Commission. The Charity Commission confirmed that raising funds to mark the location of Blake’s grave is within the aims of the Blake Society. The amount required for this project is in the region of £120,000. John Dollar (J.D.) asked how did we arrive at this figure. L.G. answered that this was the estimate advised by the Kindersley Workshop. The work in question would involve two phases: 1. a flat stone to mark the actual location of William Blake’s grave, 2. the engraving of one of Blake’s poems on the paving stones, over a distance of 25 yards. This is a very large and expensive stone carving project, thus the high cost. J.D. asked who would run the contract? L.G. answered, the Kindersley workshop and the City of London. T.H. clarified that the contract would not be entered into without the money being in place. The Committee members are aware that they may become personally responsible for liabilities incurred through the actions of the Committee. R.A. asked do we really want to mark the grave of William Blake? T.H. answered that this was discussed and voted for last year. V.D. stated that she would abstain on this vote until she is satisfied about the financial propriety of the Society. John McIntyre observed that we could instead use money to help underprivileged people, and that Blake would like a humble memorial. L.G. replied that Blake’s flat gravestone could not be humbler, without ornaments, plain and simple, and with Blake’s name and a few extra words. R.A. thought that this money could be spent in some other ways. Rachel Douglas noted that we don’t have the money yet and that it was more likely that we would be able to raise this level of money to mark Blake’s grave than for other specific projects.(At this point V.D. interjected her personal view that Philip Beckwith should be acknowledged as a founding member, and that she would like her opinion to be minuted.)Before voting, T.H. referred the AGM again to the wording of this agenda item, so that we knew what we were voting for.This motion to approve the raising of funds for extraordinary purposes (to include a new gravestone in Bunhill fields) was passed by majority. 14 in favour, 4 against, 1 abstention from V.D.10. Any other BusinessConcern about the Blake Journal from Adrian Peeler. T.H responded that though Angus Whitehead had not stood again for the Committee, the Journal will continue under the editorship of Angus and Paige.R.A. suggested more outreach to the public to create more members. T.H. replied that though we have in the past sent email requests for members to volunteer to act as Publicity Officer no member has come forward.V.D. asked how the two new members had joined the Committee and whether they had been personally invited. L.G. replied that they had nominated themselves. Like all members of the Society, they received two emails inviting members of the Society to nominate themselves. Their email replies with their nominations reached the Society in good time. Also, their membership subscriptions are in order and they have been a member for a full year prior to applying.Part 2 of the Evening: Robin Hamlyn on Blake’s Poetical SketchesAlas this Talk could not be given because the slide projector could not be made to work. Robin Hamlyn promised to deliver the lecture to the Society on another occasion. We thank him very much for his presence and his renewed offer of speaking to the Society with his research on the subject of Blake’s Poetical Sketches. Robin let us know in advance that his lecture will contain extra information not covered by the preface to the facsimile edition of William Blake’s Poetical Sketches, in addition to the slides to be shown.