Cymdeithas Rheilffordd Llyn Tegid
Bala Lake Railway Society
Summary Report from the Committee Meeting held at 7.30 on 22nd April 2023.
Present at this meeting were: Dave Fildes, Cathy and Martin Houghton, Chris Jackson, Peter Miller, Hilary Moorhouse, Bob Newton, Mat Peacock, Dave Scotson, Francis Stapleton, Tim Williams. Apologies were received from Nick Talbot.
The first subject discussed was the Planning Meeting on 19th April, which refused permission to the Railway to build the Extension. All present were naturally very disappointed, to say the least. A detailed discussion of that Meeting was led by people who had attended it in person or online, and based on the official letter announcing the decision to the Railway. Since resubmission of the application is possible, detailed discussion of this topic is best avoided in a publicly-visible document, but more detail will be available through the Members’ Area in due course, when the full minutes of this meeting have been approved.
It was decided to issue a statement of support and to respond with all possible vigour to any requests for help from the Trust and the Company. The meeting was also in favour of concentrating this year’s fundraising activities on supporting the continuing work to bring about the Extension. Tim Williams will discuss this in his Chairman’s Report in the next issue of the Express; the issue will also contain Julian Birley’s press release.
The AGM and Members’ Day timetables have been finalised as far as the Society is concerned and final approval from the Company is awaited. Volunteers have kindly come forward to run a Society stall on both days. Catering for the AGM is being arranged and there will be an evening meal in The Eagles on the Saturday – for more information, contact Mat Peacock at secretary@bala-lake-railway.co.uk. Also, please contact him if you want copies of the AGM papers in advance or to add something to the Agenda. Mat Peacock raised the question of volunteering and several offers were gratefully received, meaning that there will definitely be a Society stand on both days. Dave Rutt has kindly offered to manage the electronic side of the AGM and new and better microphones have been obtained. These plus various network upgrades at Llanuwchllyn Station should make it easier for people attending via Zoom to get a good connection.
The Committee will be proposing at the AGM that we move to three-yearly terms of elected office, which will mean dividing up the elected posts into three groups. If the proposal is accepted then people will be elected for different lengths of term in 2023 and 2024, with the conversion to three-year terms complete in 2025. It was also decided to suggest to the AGM a clarification to the procedure for nominating the President and Vice-President.
Details of who is standing for election in 2023 will be made available in a separate post on this site.
The ‘Code of Conduct’ was then discussed. The Chairman suggested that the Committee should ask for more time on this from the AGM, given that agreement had still not been reached. This would be done on the basis that there had been a shorter-than-usual period between the 2022 and 2023 AGMs. This proposal was formally voted upon and all present were in favour.
There was a discussion on possible candidates for awards. The Secretary noted after the Meeting that the current Constitution allows the Committee to make awards (Honorary Membership for non-members / free Life Membership for existing members) on its own authority. It is also proposed to commemorate the centenary of George Barnes’ birth, possibly with a special train.
