2020 AGM

It was planned to hold the 2020 AGM at the British Congress, but the Coronavirus outbreak means that this was not possible. As it is unlikely we will be able to hold a face-to-face AGM before September at the earliest, we are going to hold an on-line AGM on Tuesday July 7th at 20:00. The arrangements will lie within the spirit of our constitution, although they will perforce not meet its letter.

Here are the documents for the AGM:

• Agenda
• Minutes of 2019 AGM
• President's Report
• Treasurer's Report , including the audited accounts.
• Secretary's Report
• Membership Secretary's Report

How the meeting will operate

If you intend to come, you should download Zoom (in the unlikely event that you have not already done so). You do not need to register.

You will get an email from Colin Williams (with the moniker "Newsletter") a couple of days before the meeting, reminding you about it. It will include the information given below. If you intend to come to the virtual meeting, it will be helpful if you could let Colin know by replying. If your Zoom handle if you have one differs from your real name, please also let Colin know.

If you want a quick practice run in using Zoom before the meeting please let Colin know and he will set one up for you, subject to availability.

Colin (who will be taking over from Jonathan as BGA Secretary) will be "running" the meeting behind the scenes. Toby will chair it, and Jonathan will take the minutes. Shortly before the meeting, Colin will send you an email with meeting details. This will include a link; just click on it and follow the instructions.

The exact position of the Zoom controls on the screen may vary depending on the device you are using, but the following should be possible on all devices.

Please click on the "participants" icon: this will show a list of participants. If you wish to speak, please use the "raise hand" control and you will see a raised hand beside your name. This may be a separate button or may be accessed by right-clicking on your name in the participants list. Toby will then invite you to speak. Please only shout out if you feel that this mechanism is not working.

It is up to you whether you enable/disable your voice and video channel. Colin has the power to mute your audio, but will only do so in the event that it is causing disruption. Please try to use a location with a minimum of background noise. If you are comfortable doing it then please keep yourself 'muted' until such time as you wish to speak.

We will have (at least) two votes, one on the acceptance of the Accounts, and one on the Constitutional Amendment. When we get to that point Colin will put up a voting form on your screen, and you will then have 1 minute to cast your vote. Counting will be done by the Zoom software; the result will be displayed immediately after the vote.

Finally, this is obviously the first time we have had to hold the AGM in this manner, so please be patient if we experience some teething problems.