NEWSLETTER DECEMBER 2006
A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all Members
Dear Association Members old and new! Just a short message from your chairman
to wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
It's been a very busy year for the Association and we have an exciting 2007
coming up. In 2006 we experienced some difficult days with falling membership
numbers and the loss of a key committee member, June.
However, I think we are moving into better times with some new members
joining after the article in the Hampshire Chronicle and a positive AGM. We are
particularly pleased to welcome Gill Foster onto the Committee and thank her for
taking up the position of Membership Secretary.
Among the forthcoming events will be our annual Fête des Rois social,
followed by the annual exchange visit from our friends in Laon which this year
will include the La Villanelle choir. In July there will be a summer football
tournament between Winchester FC, Laon and Giessen.
Further information on all events is given later in the newsletter.
Joyeux Noël et Meilleurs Voeux pour l'année prochaine.
THE 14TH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
This is an edited report of the proceedings.
The 14th AGM was held on Friday 2Oth October 2006 and was attended by 23
members. The Deputy Mayor of Winchester Councillor Chris Pines was in the chair.
Chairman's Report
Hello and welcome to all of you. It's great to see so many of our members
tonight as well as some new faces. This is my third Chairman's report to the
Association and I am pleased to share with you the events of the past year and
my thoughts for the future.
We have had a busy and interesting year. Here are the highlights:
January: We saw in the new year with a lovely Fête des Rois dinner.
February: The Barn Dance. This was an attempt to make the Association
more of a social organisation by offering members a chance to meet more often.
Like the BBQ the summer before, it was not supported very well by members.
March: A great group of student teachers visited Winchester schools and
stayed in our homes. We had a fun bring and share supper in this hall.
April: Some of the committee had a meeting with the leader of the City
Council, Simon Eden and two of Winchester's Mayors to discuss how the city could
support our association.
May: Our visit to Laon. Full details on our wonderful trip were given in
the last Newsletter. Twenty four of us met our French friends for a weekend of
civic duties, receptions, horses, lunch and an art-filled chateau. Summer
holidays: Two meetings. One with the Hampshire Chronicle to publicise the
two Winchester Twinning Associations and a musical members meeting to gather
ideas on how to organise the forthcoming choir's visit from Laon.
September: A group of cyclists (led by Simon Eden from Winchester City
Council) took part in a charity bike ride to Laon. They were joined on the last
leg by a cyclist from Laon and were met at the Mairie for a reception.
So, on paper it looks like the Association is alive and kicking. But, is it
really? Our membership is less than we would like. Without a thriving membership
we cannot continue. Since the article appeared in the Chronicle, we have had
five phone calls and hopefully some new members will join. The committee is now
down to a handful of people who are willing and/ or able to give up their time
for meetings and who can take on projects between meetings. After many years of
sterling service, June has stepped down and Harry is temporarily doing three
jobs! I have been given time off from work to undertake Twinning business but I
have already used it all up and more! I'm hoping that someone else could make
some calls to France as well as me. Our friends from Laon are keener than ever
to set up new links and activities, yet we lack people in Winchester to respond
to them.
Future projects include: Fête des Rois in January: visit from 6th form college
students from Laon to local businesses: student teachers visit: in April a visit
from our friends in Laon and the Villanelle Choir: in July a football
tournament.
All these events will need people to liaise with French and Winchester contacts.
We are in urgent need of three things:
1. New members
2. More committee members
3. People to take on individual projects/events.
I do understand that we all have other work, family and social commitments but
we must take action now to keep the Association up and running.
Finally, I'd like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has been
involved with our events this year both those on the committee and those who
help as needed and when asked. I'm sure we can all work together to make things
even better in the future.
Treasurer's report
Harry Wright, the acting treasurer, reported a healthy balance and took
members through the detailed accounts prepared by the previous Treasurer. A
small increase in the bank balance despite a decrease in subscriptions was due
to members funding their own travel to Laon in May. The Committee decided to
maintain the current subscription rates for 2006/7. As the regular auditor had
decided not to continue it was agreed that the Committee should seek a suitably
qualified alternative.
Election of Officers and Committee: Members were elected or re-elected to
the Committee as follows: Thierry De Nitto (Chairman), Michael Smith
(Secretary), Harry Wright (Treasurer), Gill Foster (Membership Secretary), Celia
De Nitto, Bodil Cowan, Pam Wright, Philip Waterton (Alliance), Canon Michael St
John-Channell (Cathedral).
Harry Wright moved a vote of thanks to the Deputy Mayor for his attendance and
invited all members to share in the refreshments provided.
The meeting concluded with a showing of the Laon Tourist Office publicity DVD.
THE 2007 EXCHANGE VISIT FROM LAON WILL TAKE PLACE OVER THE WEEKEND OF APRIL
27th to 3Oth.
Now that the dates have been agreed planning for the weekend is underway.
It is expected that the programme will follow a similar pattern to previous
visits with the guests arriving on the Friday evening and leaving on the
following Monday morning.
This year we will also be welcoming the Laon Villenelle Choir who will be with
us for part of the weekend.
The Committee are looking at a possible programme to include the following
events.
On Saturday evening a concert by the visiting choir to include a performance of
a Vivaldi Gloria and Credo. Valerie Cork has kindly offered to organise a
supporting performance by her Trio. Singers under the direction of Reg Fletcher
will also be performing. The Reform Church in Jewry Street has been booked for
the evening.
On the Sunday an outing to Beaulieu and Bucklers Hard is being planned possibly
with a trip on the river.
A further update on the planning for the visit will be given at the Fete des
Rois evening on January 5th.
2006-2007 SUBSCRIPTIONS
There are still some subscriptions outstanding. The Membership Secretary will be
in touch in the New Year with those members who have not yet renewed.
Please feel free to contact Gill Foster (Tel:01962 851820) or alternatively send
your subscription cheque (£6 single, £8, family or £12 corporate) to her at 12
West End Terrace, Winchester SO22 5EN. Cheques should be made payable to
Winchester-Laon Twinning Association.
A message from your new Membership Secretary
I have been a member of the Association for two years now and at the AGM this
year decided it was time to offer something in addition to my annual
subscription- so I'm now your Membership Secretary. For me the biggest challenge
will be managing the computer records, but with a lesson or two I should be able
to keep them up to date.
A bit about me: I moved to Winchester from South London in 2004 and was pleased
to join the Twinning even though my French is rusty 'O' level circa 1961 topped
up with a bit of holiday vocabulary over the years. I have felt welcomed in the
Association and have enjoyed all the social activities I have taken part in. We
had a student teacher staying with us in the Spring and that was a great
success: not least because it meant that we got to know other Association
members better.
Gill Foster
French student teacher visit postponed
For the 2007 visit it had been hoped to bring forward the date to mid-February.
In the event it has proved difficult to match the students availability with our
local school time- tables and it was decided to postpone the visit for one year.
We all look forward to this popular and very worthwhile exchange being
reinstated in 2008.
DATES TO REMEMBER FOR 2007
Fête des Rois………..................................................…........………January
5th
Laon Exchange Visit ……..........................................................April
27th - 30th
La Villanelle Choir
Concert........................................................April 28th
Summer Football Tournament - Winchester FC v Laon v Giessen.....July
22nd
Newsletter published by the Winchester-Laon Twinning Association. Chairman: Mr T De Nitto, 88 Wavell Way, Stanmore, Winchester SO22 4EG.
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