ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING May 2016 RZSS Annual General Meeting 2014 1 01 Notice of Annual General Meeting 02 Draft minutes of the 102nd AGM 06 RZSS trustee nominations 08 Proposed membership and subscription rates NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING The 103rd Annual General Meeting of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) will be held in the Education Lecture Theatre at RZSS Edinburgh Zoo on Wednesday 25 May at 7pm. RZSS President, Mr John Spence CBE, will preside. Business a) Adoption of the minutes of the Annual General Meeting held on Wednesday 20 May 2015 b) Matters arising c) Presentation and adoption of the 103rd Annual Review d) Presentation and adoption of the financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2015 e) Re-appointment of the auditors f) Resolution on membership subscription rates g) Election of members to the executive board h) Chairman’s report of developments since 1 January i) Vote of thanks Note Admission to the Annual General Meeting will be strictly on the proof of payment of membership for 2016 and members are asked to have their membership cards for inspection on entering the Education Lecture Theatre. Please enter the Zoo through the members’ gate. Following the completion of the business section of the Annual General Meeting, there will be a short talk by John Spence CBE, outgoing President of RZSS. During this talk the board will convene to carry out its statutory business and then will rejoin the members for refreshments. Annual General Meeting 2016 01 DRAFT MINUTES Draft minutes of the 102nd Annual General Meeting of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, held in the Budongo Trail Lecture Theatre of RZSS Edinburgh Zoo on Wednesday 20 May 2015 at 7pm. Present Introduction c) Presentation and adoption of the 102nd Annual Review John Spence (President) The meeting commenced at Sandy Batho 7pm with a welcome from the Jeremy Peat (Chairman) was George Brechin President, John Spence, to the proud to report that 2014 had Kerry Falconer 102nd Annual General Meeting. been another good year, building John Fitzgerald on a hugely successful centenary Colin Galbraith (Vice Chair) John Spence confirmed that all year. JP thanked the staff and Karen Jervis members present had received volunteers of RZSS for all their Tessa McGregor a voting slip on arrival. There had hard work, focus, professionalism Tom Mitchell been four nominations received and achievements across Christine Patch for three board vacancies. the board in each and every Jeremy Peat (Chair) department. JP explained that Natalie Waran John Spence reported the sad 2014 had been a year where Roger Wheater death of two members of the the Society had returned to its Society – Dick Balharry MBE, roots, renewing our focus on And 87 members who was a conservationist, writer, the fundamental priorities of of the Society and wildlife photographer, and conservation, education and also Mrs Margaret Peggie (Patron). research. To this end we agreed a JS brought members’ attention re-branding of the Society which Apologies to a typographical error on page we see as flexible for the years 8 of the AGM pack. It should ahead but in line with our key Mary Bownes read “RZSS Trustee Nominations priorities. We have made major Peter Budd 2015” and not “RZSS Trustee progress in fostering external links Sheila & Richard Burtles Nominations 2014”. and relationships, having signed a Douglas Hutchison memorandum of understanding Stuart Monro In alphabetical order, the trustees with the University of Edinburgh Andrea Nolan present at the meeting introduced and another recently with Royal Peter & Anne Roberts themselves to the meeting. Botanic Garden Edinburgh and Iain Valentine National Museums Scotland. John Wotton We are also working closely Business with Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise, a) Adoption of the minutes of the as well as the Royal Society of Annual General Meeting held on Edinburgh, Our Dynamic Earth Tuesday 20 May 2014 and the Cairngorm National Park Authority. Such links not The minutes were proposed only demonstrate our status as by Tom Mitchell, seconded by a major Scottish conservation George Brechin and adopted organisation, they also help to by the meeting. demonstrate our engagement with the whole of Scotland. In addition to our two parks, b) Matters arising we have the Scottish Beaver There were no matters arising. Trial in Argyll, wildcat work in the Highlands, the Wild about Scotland bus just about everywhere, and of course, a keen interest in rewilding and telling the story wherever we can about Scotland, its wildlife and much more. 02 Annual General Meeting 2016 At RZSS Highland Wildlife Park the IT system at the Zoo and the Park. e) Re-appointment of the auditors team has worked exceptionally A third board member, Sandy long and hard against the weather Batho, Chair of the Nomination Tom Mitchell extended his to create the marvellous home & Remuneration Committee, gratitude and that of the board for Victoria, our new female is standing for re-election. and the Society management polar bear, and also for our snow to Henderson Loggie for leopards and the Amur leopards JP also mentioned that our their hard work and support. coming soon. So far as visitor President, John Spence, has Henderson Loggie tendered and facilities are concerned, the new indicated that this will be his last were successful five years ago. kitchen is now in operation, as is year in office. He will preside over Normally a further tender exercise the Oystercatcher Café and the the 2016 AGM and by then we would have taken place in 2015; new toilet block. A new IT system will have found a replacement. however, due to changes in is being rolled out across the Zoo accounting standards and FRS102 and the Park, and is largely in being introduced this year, we place at the Zoo. d) Presentation and adoption of felt that it was less disruptive the financial statements for the to permit a year of transition. Generally our external wings year ended 31 December 2014 Therefore TM explained that a continue to spread. RZSS is active tendering process for auditors at Budongo, in the Pantanal, John Spence invited Dr Tom will take place in 2016. South East Asia and more Mitchell (Honorary Treasurer generally combatting the illegal and Chair of the Audit & Risk Tom Mitchell proposed that wildlife trade. Management Committee) to Henderson Loggie be re- present the financial statements. appointed for one year and Back at the Zoo, the rejuvenation TM took the opportunity to thank Christine Patch seconded this of the front entrance was James Stewart and the Finance proposal, which was agreed. critical and now it sits alongside team for the work they had the splendid plaza and the undertaken during the year. meerkat enclosure. We also saw f) Resolution on membership developments on the big cat TM reported that performance subscription rates front and whilst we were sad to in 2014 was strong, reflecting see the departure of the much the high level of donations and Tom Mitchell reported that the loved jaguars, animal welfare legacies during the year. The constitution requires any change had to come first. visitor numbers at both sites to members’ subscriptions to were in line with expectations, be laid before the AGM. It was Among new arrivals to the although below the 2013 explained that we were seeking management team were level. However, we did not agreement to increase the rates Deborah Newman (Head of experience the extent of post of subscription with effect from Business Operations and Visitor panda slump that many other quarter one 2016. Proposed Experience), Chris Fancy (Head of zoos have experienced. Income increases were from 1.6% to Communications and Partnership) increased by 2% to £15.8 million, a cap of 3.3%. and Leigh Morris (Director of even though 2013 included Community Conservation). the centenary dinner and the The meeting was also asked Leigh Morris will present while European Association of Zoos for agreement for the board the votes are being counted. and Aquariums conference. TM to approve specified reductions explained that the target for 2015 in the membership rates from JP explained that two highly is to sustain the visitor numbers time to time. respected trustees are standing achieved in 2014, but concluded down at this AGM. Colin Galbraith that the weather and animal The increases and discount has served as Vice Chair for three births both play significant parts. proposals were both proposed years and also chaired most ably by Tom Mitchell, seconded by and effectively the Scientific Tom Mitchell proposed the George Brechin, and agreed Advisory Committee. Christine adoption of the accounts, by the meeting. Patch has been on the board Roger West seconded and for eight years and added much this was agreed. value over that time with her wise counsel on marketing, business matters and, most recently, as the board’s eye on the critical ‘IVES’ project to re-jig the whole of our Annual General Meeting 2016 03 DRAFT MINUTES g) Election of members to the h) Chief Executive’s report of The Budongo Conservation Field executive board developments since 1 January Station will celebrate ten years of RZSS involvement in September, John Spence explained there John Spence introduced Chris and we are delighted that Velu the were three trustee positions to be West to the meeting to give a chimp was born in its namesake filled by election and confirmed report on recent developments – the Budongo Trail – last June. that one current board member within the Society. CDW took had been nominated and was the opportunity to thank staff, There were also exciting eligible for re-election. In total, volunteers and supporters and developments at the Highland four nominations had been he paraphrased Winston Churchill Wildlife Park with the arrival of received and biographical details by stating that we know we have Victoria the female polar bear, and supporting statements had a long way to go, but this is the who we plan to introduce to been published in the papers end of the beginning and not one of our males early next for the meeting.