Events

Reports from the 2007 AGM

At the AGM the executive elected to run the Association for the next 12 months are:

• Greg Chambers (President)
• Bill Prior (Secretary)
• Peter Elder (Treasurer)
• Rebecca Knol (Editor)
• Tony Phillips (Archivist & New Fellows Greetings)
• Gillian Weiss (General)
• Loris Glass (General)
• Elizabeth Koch (General)
• Chris Morris (General & Selection Committee Representative)
• Graeme Adcock (General)

The following report was submitted by the President

President’s Report

 I have the privilege as being president of working with some good friends and incredibly hard working people who all give their time freely to make up the state committee. In some respects though our position allows us some special privileges, to keep more in touch individually with many other fellows including all new fellows, state committees and regional boards. Our committee meetings also allow us to come together socially as a group more often, usually at either a breakfast or evening meeting over a meal.   
The report of the president each year is only as good as the people you have who form the committee.

Last year the committee decided to embrace the concept of holding the 2008 Churchill Fellows Gathering. Most of us can appreciate the time and effort that goes into organising such an event.
This task has been taken up by a sub committee made up of Gillian Weiss, Graeme Adcock and Bill Prior. All have put in substantial time over the last few months to start what we know will be a wonderful three day event on the long weekend of October next year.
Gillian has agreed to be our conference convenor, this will be a partially
Funded position thanks to the generosity of the Churchill Trust, who have agreed to help us fund the organising of the gathering, generously with a total sum of $18000.00
Included in this financial generosity we are able to establish our own website, which will showcase new fellows each year starting with the 2008 fellows.
It will also allow us a registration point for next years gathering.

This year our AGM/dinner has been organised by Loris Glass, Chris Morris and Gillian Weiss.

Peter Elder continues to do a job which I believe he will have for life, that of treasurer.
Rebecca Knol as you all know is the Editor of the Churchill Chatter, if any of you have ever been editor you know how frustrating it can be at times and I know that she
has had her fair share of frustrations. I would urge you all to support her with articles especially new fellows when you return from your overseas trips.

This year the committee decided to hold our information evening for new fellows before the AGM. It gave us as a committee a chance to meet most of the new fellows socially and be able to give them helpful advice from past fellows experience.
Tony Phillips is largely responsible for compiling this information and while most of us have travelled overseas pre receiving a Churchill there is a valuable information package which all new fellows receive specific to the Churchill Fellowship.
Regrettably Tony and Sue are unable be with us tonight as they have business commitments in Perth.
Elizabeth Koch is also include and a valued member of our committee.

Early in July this year I read with interest as I`m sure some of you did  that Churchill has been cut from a list of key historical figures recommended for teaching in English secondary schools.
 A spokesperson said and I quote,

“Of course, good teachers will be teaching the history of Churchill as part of the history of Britain, the two are indivisible”.

Churchill’s grandson Nicholas Soames, also a Conservative MP described the move as madness.
After reading this I described the move slightly more colourfully, I as we all do have much to thank Sir Winston Churchill for.

And finally I would like to announce some really good news.
Ever since I have been on the committee we have talked about having a member of our committee on the South Australian selection panel for new fellows.
Over the course of the last few months and thanks to Robin Layton I am pleased to inform you all tonight that our new committee representative on the selection panel will be Chris Morris.

 
Thank you all very much for your support tonight please support us next year by coming in October and now I’d like to hand over to Robyn for our lengthy AGM proceedings.

Greg Chambers
President
Churchill Fellows Association SA