5th Meeting of RAGWAG

Dear Group

Thank you all for your contributions and for a constructive meeting.

Present: AB, BK, AMF, RC, AH, GM.

Apologies: AW

Herewith actions agreed:

- AGM 12 May would not be the place for substantive debate on R&G; this should be set for a subsequent GM in, say, October, allowing the new Board to endorse any proposed changes of substance. Action: GM to programme

- The AGM should, however, be used to set the tone for the Society's activities over the next year. The Annual Report should be frank about the challenges faced - SCC service review, finances, SCC relationship - but very positive about what the Society offers members, the achievements of the year, and the targets set for the forthcoming year. Action: BK to include in draft section of 2011 Report.

- Disappointing outcome at Frome suggested need to rejig the structure of future GMs to encourage better attendance and lively debate. Action: AMF to bring ideas to next meeting.

- Establishment of "D&P" and "M&M" Committees seen as important and immediate step for Board approval. The first task of the D&P should be to answer the question 'Where do we want the Society to go?' Action: GM to put proposals to Board, based on AB and AH drafts respectively.

- AMF's paper noted for future discussion. Revised arrangements for Trustees covering, inter alia, period of office and position of Subject Committee chairs seen as complex and important and in need of detailed examination before paper submitted to Board. Action: AMF to bring paper to next meeting.

- GM paper on concept of Advisory Panel to replace the Advisory Council still in draft. Seen as another area in need of detailed examination, particularly in relation to the routine administrative functions of the Advisory Council and the debate about the location of the scrutiny function. Action: GM to bring paper to next meeting.

- Important to keep ideas flowing on the Website. Action: BK to continue posting R&G material.

- Noted that the SCC Heritage Service Delivery review is likely to present the Board with some major challenges.

- Noted that the Audit function could take place at a number of levels: the F&GP could monitor financial performance; the D&P the effectiveness of its advice to the Board; the M&M the effect on member recruitment; and the proposed Advisory Panel the comparative performance and reputation of the Society as a whole in the wider world.

- Noted that RC/BK's paper on Executive Power, Scrutiny and Strategy would inform both AMF's paper on Trustees and GM's paper on the Advisory Panel.

- Noted that AW's 'swot' appeared to have been absorbed in to AH's M&M work but that his concerns about the F&GP cannot be discussed in his absence.

- Noted that, once R&G initiatives complete, a 're-launch' of the Society would be appropriate. Currently there is widespread ignorance, both internally and externally, of what the Society does and of what it owns. AH (through the M&M group) is looking at where in the 'leisure' market we sit and what should be targeted.

Next Meeting: 12.15 Monday 2 April at the Hankridge Arms.

G

4th Meeting of RAGWAG

Subject: RAGWAG Hankridge 13 February - actions and next meeting

Dear Group

Apologies for delay. Thank you all for your contributions.

Present: AB, BK, AMF, RC, AH, GM.

Apologies: AW

Herewith actions agreed:

- Unlikely that Ragwag would have time to make recommendations to "improve the day-to-day management of the Society's business".

- Need to concentrate on what will be put to AGM 15 May, noting that Board meeting 22 March will be last opportunity before then to pass proposals through Board. Board meeting on 19 April too late to endorse papers for the AGM.

- Turn out at Frome disappointing and old ground covered. But general support for ragwag work-in-progress. Point made strongly that scrutiny should be independent of the proposed D&P Committee.

- Papers for 22 March Board to include:

(i) establishment of "D&P" Committee (Board can approve) - AB to draft paper and terms of reference;
(ii) draft Annual Report 2011 (Board can approve) - BK to draft section on strategy, priorities and targets for 2012; refer back to para 9 of 2010 Report;
(iii)revised arrangements for Trustees (AGM to approve change to 2006 Constitution) - AMF to draft paper covering, inter alia, period of office and position of Subject Committee chairs.
(iv)an Advisory Panel to replace the Advisory Council (AGM to approve change to 2006 Constitution) - GM to draft paper (but note that the location of the scrutiny function has not yet been determined).

- AH to help pull together the Membership and Marketing Group, building on his paper at Frome and the Nettlecombe workshop.

- RC and BK to complete and circulate their paper on Executive Power, Scrutiny and Strategy.

- AW's 'swot' and his concerns about the F&GP were not covered.

Next Meeting As AMF is on holiday until 8 March and the Board papers need to go out 14 March, I suggest 12.15 Friday 9 March at the Hankridge Arms to allow time for drafting/re-drafting. Please circulate your papers for 9 March as far in advance as possible.

Please confirm that the meeting fixture works for you.

G

3rd Meeting of the SANHS Reform and Governance Working Group

AGENDA FOR DISCUSSION OF: SANHS ROLE, ACTION & PERCEPTION

 – DRAFT PAPER FOR GM 11 FEBRUARY. 

<!   SANHS ROLE

<!   SANHS has been the champion of heritage matters in Somerset for 163 years.  Among other things SANHS:

                Owns Taunton Castle – the home of the revitalised Museum of Somerset

                                                                -  Castle House; recent recipient of grants for 

                                                                    restoration

                                                                -  Wyndham Hall: central Taunton meeting venue

                Is responsible for nationally important collections related to the county and its residents

                Owns the foremost library on Somerset’s heritage

                Provides grants and donations for research projects

                Publishes papers and books on Somerset’s heritage

                Has many of the county’s foremost archaeologists and historians as members

                Members enjoy:

                                                Informative meetings related to their areas of special interest*

                                                Seminars with nationally respected contributors*

                                                Social events and contact with other wise and knowledgeable 

                                                members*

                                                Participation in the running of the society

                                                Newsletters

                                                Involvement through an active, informed website*

                                                Being guardians for the Castle Estate and the collections for 

                                                people of  Somerset

                                                                                                                                                                *Also open to visitors

<!   SANHS has had considerable success recently with the reopening of the Museum of Somerset, plans to refurbish Castle House, involvement in plans for the centre of Taunton, a sell-out archaeological symposium and a relaunched website and communications policy.

<!  The Trustee Board is determined that SANHS pre-eminent position at the hub of Somerset heritage activity should continue and be strengthened so that more people interested in Somerset’s heritage will gain more benefits from their involvement with SANHS.

B     PLAN OF ACTION

The following action plan should guide the Society during the next year:

<!   1.  Engage the Society fully with significant heritage issues in the county and beyond.

Partner and initiate projects

Foster preservation

Champion good practice

<!   2.    Champion heritage issues throughout the education, research, specialist society, museum, library, corporate and public authority areas of the county.

-  Be directly involved in these bodies’ activities

<!   3.   Develop access to its collections, estate, events, publications and deliberations (e.g. using the internet etc.)

<!   4.     Support research.

<!   5.     Organise the Society so that
a.                  a.  The Trustee Board continually manages and reviews the Society’s priorities and activities
                  to keep it to the fore of the heritage sector.

<!          b.    It informs and involves members and the wider community in its activities and development.

<!          c.    Its specialist interest groups reflect the concerns of its members and the community.

C     EXPLAINING SANHS

Proponents [including Trustee Board members (including chairmen), the office manager and the website] need to be fluent in illustrating all the points in A1 and A2 so that they can justify the assertion that “SANHS champions Somerset’s heritage” in conversation and in formal presentations.  This “cause” becomes SANHS “cocktail party statement”.  It answers the question “what does SANHS do?” and evokes interest.  It is not intended to be a mission statement, an aim, an objective or a slogan but is a means of engaging interest and opening communication.

ACNH. 29/01/12

APPENDIX I TO “SANHS ROLE, ACTION & PERCEPTION PAPER”

 This appendix is to provide support and illustration for the points of the main agenda

<!    D           ILLUSTRATION OF CURRENT ACTIVITIES  in the areas covered by section B (that
                      SANHS will build on in future) are:

   B1 Engagement

                        Initiatives: Castle House restoration

                        Partnerships: Museum & Castle (SCC)

                                                        Castle House: Vivat Trust/SCC/National Lottery

                        Preservation: Castle House, Castle, architect selection

                        Good Practice: Castle House, Protection of Collections

        B2 Champion heritage Issues

       

                        Involvement with Taunton Centre Redevelopment consortium

                        Scrutiny of applications for Listed Building Consent from CBA (HBC/D.Dawson)

        B3 Develop Access to Collections etc.

                        Improved web publicity

                        Wider notice of meetings & policy of open access

                        Programme of General Meetings

                        Improved indexing of library/planned web availability

                        Society’s newsletter and operational meeting agendas & minutes on website

                        Castle House access arrangements

        B4 Support for Research

                        Grant funding for research projects from endowment funds

        B5 Society Organisation

         a.       Management

               Trustee Board roles revised in past year

               Board now supported by Finance & General Purposes Committee

                          Board sets up ad hoc groups to report on/action current topics e.g. 

                          Membership Meeting, RAGWG

                          Ongoing dialogue with SCC on operation of partnership agreements

          b.      Communication

              Website (see above)

              Newsletter

              Proceedings

              General Meetings

              Ordinary members on ad hoc groups

              Ordinary members supported in their research

          c.      Topicality

              SIG Chairmen have seat in Trustee Board meetings

              Special interest groups (SIGs) continuously in touch with membership

                         Ordinary members on SIG committees

E     ACCOUNTABILITY

      The Trustee Board will monitor the Society’s progress towards achieving its plan of action;  however it would welcome feedback from members on its performance both via the Society’s website and at general meetings such as this.  In particular tell us where you consider that any aspect of Somerset’s heritage is not receiving the attention or respect it merits.

ACNH. 29/01/12

2nd Meeting of SANHS Reform and Governance Working Group

We will press on with our agenda in the SHC at 1:30 pm tomorrow.

I guess that our draft agenda for tomorrow might be:-
1. Actions from 22 Dec Meeting
2. ToRs
3. Mission/Cause/Purposeful Activity of SANHS
4. Strategic Objectives and Priorities
5. What are our actions necessary to champion Cause, Objectives
and Priorities?
6. Spring Newsletter and website
7. Next Board meeting 26 Jan and General meeting 11 Feb.
8. AGM 12 May
9. Our next meetings wks beginning 30 Jan; 13 Feb; 12 Mar; 2
Apr.

SANHS Reform Group

1st Meeting of the SANHS Reform Group in a roadside Inn along the A38. 

 

To give some order to Tuesday evening, our Agenda might cover:

1. Introductions

2. Brief review of work to date
3. Draft Group TOR - which we need to debate/agree
4. Identify material available - we should all have seen:
- 2006 Constitution
- 2002 Rules
- Advisory Council paper 25 March 2011
- Draft minutes of 2 April Advisory Council meeting
- General Meeting paper 1 October
- Draft minutes of General Meeting 22 October
5. Consider other material - I have seen:
-  GL email 16 Nov which I am forwarding separately
-  BK draft organisational diagram
-  AB draft strategy paper
-   BK draft audit and strategy papers
-   A Reform Worksheet for the Society - live document which needs updating
6. Work programme/timetable
7. Next meeting

Reform and Governance

SANHS REFORM AND GOVERNANCE - ROLE OF THE ADVISORY COUNCIL

 1.                  Background

Members will be aware from recent meetings and statements made by the Chairman and officers at the AGM on 14 May 2011 that a review of the Society's governance has been under way for several months.   Out of a variety of discussions, workshops and meetings reviewing the 2006 Constitution and the 2002 Rules of the Society has come to a broad consensus in favour of:

1.1       Principles

-  keeping things simple, encouraging flexibility and removing layers of governance

-  adopting a structure which captures grassroots views and responds to members

-  finding a way to provide scrutiny and advice on future direction

-  building on our partnering relationship with the SCC (and other organisations)

-  recognising that we have limited resources with which to manage and operate the Society

1.2       Trustee Board

-  bringing Committee chairs on to the Board with full participatory rights but no vote

-  allocating functional responsibilities to individual Trustees

-  limiting the period for which a Trustee can hold office consecutively to 6 or 7 years

 

1.3       Committees

-  re-instating the Finance and General Purposes Committee where Chairs of Committees or their representatives, have vote

1.4       General Meetings

-  holding regular General Meetings with a 'fun' element to gain member feedback and discuss specific issues

1.5       Advisory Council

-  reaching a decision on the need for and role of the Council

1.6       Constitution and Charitable Objects

-  making minor changes (eg to cover heritage assets, etc) to the wording of our charitable objects

2.         Changes already made by the Board

At their meeting on 23 June the Board were able to approve and subsequently implement four of these measures which did not require a change to the Society's 2006 Constitution:

  (1)  Committee Chairs to attend all Board Meetings

  (2)  Trustees to have specific individual Functional Responsibilities

  (3)  The Finance and General Purposes Committee to be re-established, and

  (4)  A programme of General Meetings to be arranged, incorporating a noted speaker or an entertaining field trip.

3.         The Advisory Council

No firm recommendation has yet been made on "the need for and role of the Advisory Council" nor on the related issue of how "to provide scrutiny and advice on future direction."  This paper aims to provoke discussion at the Bath General Meeting on these two questions.  Any proposed changes to the 2006 Constitution relating to the Advisory Council which result from this discussion would need to be presented at next year's AGM for approval.

Under current arrangements the Advisory Council - comprising our President and Vice-Presidents, members of the Board, the Holding Trustees, Honorary officers of the Society, key SCC Heritage Service officers, and up to 10 co-opted SANHS members - advise the Trustees on matters of substance, priority and future direction.  The Council is chaired by the Chairman of the Society and the Agenda is normally set by the Trustees.  Meetings are held usually twice a year but have tended to be poorly attended and, although the Council has voting powers, its decisions and recommendations are not binding on the Board of Trustees.

Recent actions by the Board have led to some of the Advisory Council's business being conducted in other regular Society fora.  Firstly, the terms of reference for the freshly re-instated F&GP  include an oversight function with a requirement to report to the Board on performance and risk.  It may be thought that this fulfils one of the functions - scrutiny - required of an Advisory Council?  Secondly, regular meeting have been set up by the Society's Executive Officers with Somerset County Council Heritage officers to monitor areas of joint working and the conduct of the 'partnership' between SANHS and the SCC.  Thirdly, the introduction of regular General Meetings with a standing Agenda item of "Points from the floor", combined with the launch of the new SANHS website blog facility, facilitates interaction between the membership and the Board.

As stated earlier, none of the meetings over the past months have come to any conclusion on 'the need for and role of the Advisory Council'.  That said, there has been no support for continuing the Advisory Council in its present form.  While some progress has been made in adopting the principles set out at the beginning of this paper, the question on how to provide advice on future direction has not been addressed fully.  It is apparent that the Advisory Council has failed to meet this challenge in the past and the Society is currently without any strategic direction or set of priorities which can be used to determine priorities for resource allocation.  A small Working Group to draw up a strategic plan is being considered which would bring proposals to the November Board.

3.         Points for discussion

 The meeting is invited to consider, inter alia, the following questions:
 

·         How should strategic direction be provided?

·         Are the arrangements as now instituted sufficient to achieve independent oversight of the Society's activities?

·         Will the revised arrangements create an effective link between the membership and the Board?

·         Should the Advisory Council be abolished?