After a brief introduction by Chairman, Roger Radcliffe, when he welcomed 45 Members of St Agnes Museum Trust to its 35th AGM at the Methodist Church Hall on Wednesday 20 February 2019, Treasurer, David Teagle, got the evening’s business underway with his Treasurer’s Report. He reported a surplus of £3194 and thanked Shop Managers, Mike & Lynn Furness, for the contribution the shop had made to Museum funds, with a profit of £3142. There had been an increase in donations and visitor numbers. He warned of the possibility of repairs to the roof which would deplete the surplus.
Honorary Curator, Clare Murton, said the collection now contained 10,008 items, with 13,000 photos taken of those items. There had been many requests for help, including from those born at Rosemundy Home, and from evacuees. She reported that the Museum had again been awarded Accreditation by the Arts Council, showing that the collection was cared for to the highest standard. The Museum’s two sculptures, busts of Passmore Edwards and John Opie, would now appear on the Art UK website. She listed some of the 64 items to have been accessioned this year, including an American gold watch, lantern slides of Goonbell Meeting House, 2 Erica Suttill paintings and a bottle of red wine from Bondai Beach Surf Life Saving Club. There would be a new display of Tony Giles paintings in 2019.
Membership Secretary, Mary Wilson, reported 192 Members, – 54 Single, 72 Family and 66 Life, – and thanked all the volunteers responsible for delivering the Newsletters and Journals.
The Chairman thanked all volunteers for their hard work, together with the Local Improvements Committee and the Parish Council.
The Officers, Chairman, Roger Radcliffe, Vice-Chairman, Clive Benney, Treasurer, David Teagle, and Secretary, Laura Coggins, were all re-elected. Committee Members, Isobel Burrows, Mike Furness, Colin Harris, Philip Mitchell, Clare Murton, Steve Roberts, Peter Thomas and Liz Thompson were unanimously re-elected en bloc. Claire Morgan was reappointed as Auditor. An amendment to the Constitution offered free non-voting Membership to the Under-18s.
After a tea interval, Members enjoyed the film “Cornish Tommies” about St Agnes Veteran, Henry Jennings. In the absence through illness of the producer, Tim Smithies, Clare Murton introduced the film which featured Museum volunteers, Philip Mitchell and Joan Bunt.