PESGB changes to PESGB Limited

At the EGM on the 14th of November 2000 the motion to convert the PESGB from a charity to a new company, PESGB Ltd, with charitable limited status was passed. The legal formalities will now be completed. What will it mean to the average member? Very little; the superb membership benefits you receive will continue to be providing as they have always been. What does it mean to the PESGB as an organisation a lot; It will provide the platform for continued and sustained growth. It also means that PESGB will function as a charitable limited company as the Charity Commissioners and our accountants recommended. It means that the PESGB office will be more autonomous and less reliant on the council members for day to day decisions. For other reasons and benefits see the notes elsewhere in this newsletter. For your Council it represents the end of a journey that started in 1998, it has been long and hard but we got there.

Executive Director appointed in November

As you know, our Administrative Director, Karen Whitehead left the society in June after 15 years of terrific and valued service. This unexpected development presented the council with a problem of how to fill such a major vacancy. The whole council meet fortnightly at one stage and thought long and hard about how to replace Karen and came to the conclusion that with the plans to change to PESGB Limited it was the correct time to change the roles and responsibilities within the office. We advertised the newly specified job in July, held the interviews in late September and early October. We received application from a very high calibre field of candidates; the interviews were very closely fought. There always has to be a winner and I am glad to report that the interview panel picked Gail Williamson and she accepted the post. We welcomed Gail Williamson as Executive Director of PESGB Ltd on the 13th of November. Gail joined at an interesting and busy time. She attended her first council meeting and also the EGM on the 14th, will work throughout during PETEX, and has the Presidents Evening to run , before she gets to Christmas. I wish her well in her new post, I know I can count on your support of her as she begins to put her mark on the society. Gail inherits the PESGB office staff, who are unique, hard working and have unbounded enthusiasm . My especial thanks to Justina who ran the office with such an unerring hand when we were so short staffed , and to Julie who stayed and helped her and added her own
brand of common sense and humour to the mix that is the PESGB office. Thank you also to Louise who has been temping with us for the past six months for all your hard work.

Council 2000 changes to Council 2001 

My thanks to the council 2000 members , it has been an interesting and challenging time. Thank you for all the hard work, for your humour and forbearance. Thank you also for all the enthusiasm you brought to your roles. I wish those who are continuing a successful second year. To those retiring from Council with me it has been a pleasure serving with you, thank you for all your efforts and enjoy the rest. I can say little about the incoming council, except to congratulate Duncan McKay on his re-election for a second two-year term as Newsletter editor. Duncan has been instrumental in the new Newsletter production process which you all have seen since the September 2000 edition , thank you for standing again and congratulations on being unopposed. My personal thanks to Chris Zgoda who was co-opted elected to council in Sept 2000 to take over the Secretary role when Annette left due to the safe arrival of her baby girl. This is the second time in my three years on Council that Chris has allowed himself to be persuaded to fill an unexpected vacancy by being co-opted.

PETEX 2000 will become PETEX 2002

I am writing this late on the evening of the 14th November! I am looking forward to PETEX with great enthusiasm and wish to record a big thank you to Spencer Winter and hi s PETEX 2000 “Treasures From the Depths “, committee, some of whom are veterans on several PETEX events. Thanks here also go to Marian Scutt and Ronnie Stevens who came on board as PETEX employees in June to run the PETEX administration , you did a superb job. You all did the seemingly impossible and look like topping PETEX 1998. Well done and thank you again , you are delivering on the PETEX tradition of “High Quality” , “Great Value” , “Low Cost”, and “Good Fun”. For those few members who did not attend , and as a memory of the event for those who did attend , a full report will be in the January newsletter. Looking forward to PETEX 2002 we have to start the whole process again soon, any volunteers apply to the office if you think you can better PETEX 2000.

Richard hands over to lain

This is my last month as PESGB President, I have enjoyed my time as your President, it has been a challenging and fulfilling year. For me it brings to an end three years on council , I have enjoyed them all. I leave the PESGB much changed ; the changes are the result of a lot of hard work by successive councils . In my time on council we have changed offices ; become a Charitable Limited Company; employed a new Executive Director; installed a new IT system; constantly revamped the web site; membership has broken through the 5000 level and stayed above it despite the oil price and the downturns; and two PETEX have happened. I wish lain well in his year as President; he inherits the PESGB in a sound financial state, and an exciting time in its development. lain has been a constant source of strength to me in my term for which I thank him , I trust his President Elect is as hard working and supportive to lain as he has been to me. What challenges does he face? Well there is the membership database to sort out , the web site to revise again, and the membership to grow and educate. The consequential changes on becoming PESGB Ltd , and the next Barbican conference to plan as part of PGC Ltd. To name just a few of the challenges that lie ahead. I wish lain well as he leads the PESGB through its 36th year.