Northleach Decorative & Fine Arts Society

NDFAS

A Member Society of NADFAS

Privacy

Website designed by Property Promotion © www.property-promotion.co.uk

Report of the Committee to the Members for the year to 31st December 2007

The Committee is pleased to report on a year which has been both successful for the Society and enjoyable for the membership. There has been a wide range of activities consistent with the purposes for which NADFAS was founded forty years ago. We hope that the Committee have fully carried out their intention to ensure that the interest of all of our Members is engaged by at least some of the activities arranged, in addition of course to the regular programme of lectures, which forms the core of our activity.

The Society is fortunate to be able to draw on the NADFAS Directory of Lecturers for its lectures and Special Interest Days. It is rare to find a lecturer listed in the Directory who is not an authority in his or her chosen field and who does not possess excellent skills in putting over their knowledge. This and some of the other more general services that we receive from NADFAS makes it well worthwhile to be “a member society of NADFAS” and to pay the affiliation fees at their current level.

Our programme of nine monthly lectures covered a wide range of subjects connected with the decorative and fine arts all of them well illustrated with slides. We go to some lengths to ensure that this programme is varied and covers as many disciplines as we reasonably can.

During the year, visits were arranged to Worcester Porcelain, to the Wallace Collection and to Wightwick Manor and Chillington Hall, all of which were well subscribed to and much enjoyed. We had a special interest day on silver which was enjoyed by a lively audience, many of whom enjoyed producing their own pieces for examination and comment.

In October a group of about thirty of our Members visited St Petersburg. This was a very busy visit but according to reports was very much enjoyed and appreciated.

We had two important social events during the year. The first was to Ditchley Park in the summer where we had an excellent lunch and an opportunity to view the house. The other was our now traditional visit to Chavenage for our Christmas lunch, at which we had the opportunity to hear some light music played by Paul Maguire.

We continue to support Young Arts and again made a donation to Northleach Church of England Primary School who used it towards their project in producing an artistic interpretation of selected music. For this project we were pleased to be able to provide the school with materials and canvases, which are now hanging in the school hall. We think that support for Young Arts forms an important part of what we do and are looking for further ways to develop this interest.

Our Church Recorders Group continues to thrive under John Shapley. They have now completed their work on St Mary’s Bibury. Discussions about the next church are now well advanced and it is likely that work will start in the first half of 2008.

The Committee believe that the finances of the Society are sound, as will be reported at the Annual General Meeting by the Treasurer. We have sufficient cash in hand to meet current expenses with a little to spare for future developments.

At the time of this report there are two hundred and thirty five members and another sixty people are waiting to join us.

The Society is a member of the West Mercia Area of NADFAS and plays its part in its activities. Northleach DFAS has been represented at the National AGM and at Area meetings and training days.

The new committee was elected to take over from 1st August 2007, and also at that time Brigid Cleaver stood down as Chairman of the Society. The Committee pays tribute to her for her untiring work on behalf of the Society and for her insight and knowledge in matters relating to the decorative and fine arts.

The Committee also pay tribute to the many helpers who do a considerable amount to help us in other ways. These include our President and Vice Presidents and our Founder who give us so much support behind the scenes. There is also the army of coffee providers, sound system and projector workers and those who just come along and help when they see the opportunity.

We try to run a Society which has the accent on friendliness and where members can keenly look forward to our meetings. The Committee are most grateful to the membership for their support and hope that we can all continue to enjoy our membership of a happy and stimulating society.