MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL MEETING OF GENERAL COUNCIL HELD AT THE UNIVERSITY OF READING 30TH MARCH–1ST APRIL 2007 ATTENDANCE LIST * denotes a member of Council (voter) PRESIDENT AVON AREA Chris Smith* Jill Fysh* Peter Gould* VICE-PRESIDENT Adrian Noyes Andrew Bennett* Geoff Eastwood* BERKSHIRE AREA Chris Hall* David Bailey Richard Lloyd Jones* Gerald Barnett Cath MacKay* Margaret Bowdery Alan Mattingly* Denise Buchan Malcolm Petyt* Fred Carter David Sharp* Phoebe Chandler Paddy Tipping* Elizabeth Cuff* Jane Kiely CHAIRMAN Greg McGill Kate Ashbrook* Dave Ramm Stuart Shurlock* VICE-CHAIRMAN Lesley Webb Kevin Matthews* BUCKS & W MIDDX AREA TREASURER John Esslemont* Denis Fuller* John Frankland John Wainwright* HONORARY SOLICITOR Jerry Pearlman* CAMBS & PETERBRO AREA Brian Foster* BOARD OF TRUSTEE MEMBER Des Coles* CORNWALL AREA Tom Fisher* Carol Craze Kate Gocher* Christine James* Gwendoline Goddard* Hazel Perham Alison Mitchell* Jane Sloan* Owen Plunkett* Terry Pollard* DERBYSHIRE AREA Brian Reader* Lynne France* Ian White* Frank Ogden* Rodney Whittaker* Ron Williams* DEVON AREA Eileen Linfoot* AGENDA COMMITTEE MEMBER Joan Long John Dowding* Eric Smith* Elizabeth Lawie* Ron Moore* Sylvia Popham* DORSET AREA INNER LONDON AREA Ron Davis* Phil Marson* Mike Heckford* Clare Wadd* Brian Panton Patricia White ISLE OF WIGHT AREA Carol Crawford* E YORKS/DERWENT AREA Miachel Marchant* Peter Ayling Chris Bush* KENT AREA Malcolm Dixon David Law Tom Halstead* Les Preston* Peter Skipp* ESSEX AREA Len Banister* LAKE DISTRICT AREA David Cullington* Brenda Iles Colin Jacob Tony Iles* Hazel Jarrold* Peter Jones* FORTH VALLEY, FIFE & TAYSIDE AREA LEICS & RUTLAND AREA Chic Nash* Anne Donegan Ken Storer* GLAMORGAN AREA Stan Warren* Ian Fraser Alex Marshall* LINCOLNSHIRE AREA Terry Squires* Stuart Parker* Colin Smith* GLOUCESTERSHIRE AREA Miriam Smith Jill Byrne Frances Cloke LOTHIAN & BORDERS AREA John Gerrard* Bridget Wilcox* Bernard Gill Mavis Rear* MANCHESTER & HIGH PEAK AREA Keith Pennyfather* GRAMPIAN AREA Anne MacDonald* MERSEYSIDE & WEST CHESHIRE AREA Jeanette Beasor* HAMPSHIRE AREA David Callan Clive Frankham* Gloria Thayer* Colin Hudman Vi Williams Brenda Parker Angela Potts* MID LANCASHIRE AREA George Williams David Kelly* Andrew Manzie* HEREFORDSHIRE AREA Arthur Lee* Phil Long* NORFOLK AREA Richard May* HERTS & N MIDDX AREA Ian Mitchell* David Allard* Annette Cotter* NORTHAMPTONSHIRE AREA David Dickson John Hadley* Justin Lumley Will Lovell* HIGHLAND & ISLANDS AREA NORTH & MID CHESHIRE AREA Ken Davidson* Christina Goddard* Vic Royce* John Lilley* NORTH EAST LANCS AREA SUFFOLK AREA Peter Aizlewood Dick Leech* Susan Appleton Gordon Leverett* Susan Baxendale Christine Harrison* SURREY AREA Allan Richards* Mike Arnold Keith Bagot NORTHUMBRIA AREA Graham Butler* Ken Hughes* Kate Colley* Mary Moore* Eric Fowler* Rachel Orange David Newman Peter Rogers NORTH WALES AREA Geraldine Thompson Max Grant* Damian Wheeler Gerald Moss* SUSSEX AREA NORTH YORKS/S DURHAM AREA Mike Charman* Jo Bird* Nigel Sloan* Simon Gotch* Chris Smith NOTTINGHAMSHIRE AREA WARWICKSHIRE AREA Jenny Fillingham Steven Wallsgrove* Rod Fillingham* Inese Wood* David Hunt* Sarah Matthews WEST RIDING AREA Chris Thompson Andrew Bibby* Michael Church OXFORDSHIRE AREA Keith Wadd* Patrick Lonergan* Derrick Watt Susan Maguire* Peter Stone WILTS & SWINDON AREA Joan Crosbee* POWYS AREA Philip Wilson* Harry Chandler* Robert Seabrook* WORCESTERSHIRE AREA Clive Bostle* SHROPSHIRE AREA Douglas Castle* Vivienne Hodges* William Hodges* CAMPING & CARAVANNING CLUB Jim Perry* SOMERSET AREA Sylvia Perry Gus Halfhide* Owen Star* OPEN SPACES SOCIETY Donald Lee* S YORKS/NE DERBY AREA Peter Haines* RAMBLERS' ASSOCIATION SERVICES John Harker* Peter Balchin* STAFFORDSHIRE AREA THE LONG DISTANCE WALKERS ASSOC Graham Evans* Paul Lawrence* Harry Scott* THE WOODCRAFT FOLK STRATHCLYDE, D&G AREA Richard Kirkwood* Hilary Graham* Barry Pottle* ULSTER FEDERATION OF RAMBLING YOUTH HOSTELS ASSOCIATION CLUBS John Templeton* Ronnie Carser* GUESTS STAFF AREA HELPERS John Andrews Gwen Campbell Alec Barnes Len Clark Andrew Chadwick Jill Betts Allyson Davies Kate Conto Pauline Binnie Tony Drake Justin Cooke Chris Bintcliffe Penny Farncombe Janet Davis Catherine Breen Jacquetta Fewster Jancy Davies Sheila Brown Kathryn Gregory Sophie Dawson Rob Cameron Arthur Howcroft Des de Moor Nicky Chambers George Laurence Kathleen Dolan Gail Cullen Helen Lloyd-Jones Martin Dowson Karen Durie Liz Page Lois Ford Juliet England Margaret Sharp Sarah Gardner Maggi Fletcher Des Garrahan Christine Fox 20’s-30’s Patrick Grady Nick Garrard James Binning David Joseph Jean Hall Amanda Bodey Martin Key Pam Hall Stephen Dodd Mike Mills Anne Harrison Karen Green Adrian Morris Dorothy Hart Andrew Greenall Beverley Penney Sue Hester Anna Grigson Sarah Perry Ian Hunt Jeanette Grose Jo Smith Andy Knee Cath Guest Eugene Suggett Cliff Lambert Robert Hill Fiona Syme Les Maple Dan Hooke Helen Todd Margaret Marshall Rachel Hooke Frances Warneford Ian Montague Mike Knapp Simon Waters John Moules Caroline Mcdonagh Ruth Wembridge Sonia Nash Tim Miller John Wightman Fiona Newcombe Dominic Moran Mariusz Wilczynski Kathryn Parker Paul Rhodes Paul Wilkinson Mary Price Bernie Roche Sharon Woods Nick Price Nancy Sydenham Kevin Priestley Abigail Williams Lynton Prior Mandy Willoughby Janet Readings Neil Selby Graham Smith Jenny Smith Avril Stapleton Sara Stewart Heather Stratford Russell Summers Sylvia Sussman Jean Paul Tanner Paul Townson Thelma Townson David Turner Mary Walker Sue Walker 1 WELCOME BY JANE KIELY, BERKSHIRE AREA CHAIRMAN 1.1 Jane said that in the year of the celebration of the 75th Anniversary of the mass trespass on Kinder Scout, Berkshire Area was proud to welcome General Council to Berkshire for the first time. She admitted that Berkshire was not the first place you would think of to come for a walk and that it was a far cry from the Peak District, but the slides on display showed just what Berkshire did have to offer. 1.2 Jane asked why people would come to Berkshire to walk. It wasn‘t in ―walk‖ as one of the top three areas to walk in and there wasn‘t a lot of mountain, moor, heath or down, so there wasn‘t much access land under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act. However it contained some quintessentially English countryside, open spaces and very few walkers. It also contained the Ridgeway which was not only a National Trail but a National Treasure. It was, however, the least used of all the National Trails but it was hoped that more people would start using it now the surface was acceptable and the four-wheel drives had been regulated. 1.3 Jane remembered coming to General Council many years ago when Berkshire had asked for a fringe meeting to discuss the problems of four-wheel drives destroying roads used as public paths and byways. At that stage no-one at Central Office knew what the problem was, or even that there was a problem, and they were given a very small room—74 people crammed into it— and they realised they had a big, national problem. It was thanks in part to the Green Lanes Environmental Action Movement (GLEAM), which started in Berkshire, and many others, including the RA, that there was now some protection of these green lanes through the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act. 1.4 Jane said that other Berkshire highlights included the highest chalk hill in England, Walbury Hill, near Coombe Gibbett, on the Wessex Ridgeway, the Test Way, and Windsor Castle and Windsor Great Park with some of the finest trees in the country. Dave Ramm and the East Berkshire Group had produced numerous books and the Group has been able to set up an Endowment Trust with the RA centrally, utilising profit from the ―Walking for Pleasure‖ series of books. 1.5 Jane went on to describe the Area‘s recent achievements. It had risen to the RA Challenge to walk all the paths in Berkshire, and so far over 95% had been walked. It was felt to be a good challenge and everyone who took part enjoyed finding new paths, which hopefully would be incorporated into new walks. The Area was also very proud that Margaret Bowdery, one of the stalwart footpath secretaries in Berkshire, was awarded the MBE last year, celebrating her years of dedication to getting the rights of way usable in east Berkshire. West Berkshire Group had won the RA prize for being the ―Best Group‖ in the country for the breadth of the work undertaken, from members going out once a fortnight, parish by parish, to waymark, clear stiles and paths, with a group of people known affectionately as post pushers, to a group being formed called ROAR made up of people with learning difficulties, and West Berks members going out clearing paths and litter picking each week. 1.6 Jane finished by wishing everyone a great Council, whether first-timers or old hands. She thanked all the university staff who had been so helpful during the preparations and she also thanked Jo Smith from RA Central Office who had been a tower of strength in helping to arrange the weekend. 2 APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE 2.1 Apologies for absence were received from David Grosz and Maxwell Ayamba. 3 WELCOME TO GUESTS 3.1 The Chairman welcomed all guests to Council, in particular, Len Clark who had last year celebrated his ninetieth birthday, George Laurence QC, and Allyson Davies, the consultant helping with the recruitment of the new Chief Executive. 3.2 The Chairman also congratulated Paddy Tipping on his appointment as Deputy Leader of the House of Commons, and Malcolm Petyt on his election as Vice- Chairman of the Yorkshire Dales