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The International President, Mr WC Cox, opened the Annual General Meeting (AGM) at Churchill College, Cambridge, at 11am on 12 July 2007 by extending a warm welcome to all present, welcoming Past Presidents, and inviting representatives from all of the Institution’s Branches to identify themselves.
1. Apologies for absence
Apologies for absence were received from Sir Ken Knight, Mr John Herrick, Mr Phil Toase, Mr Christopher Ide, Mr Ikenna Anumba, Mr Cyril Crossley, Mr Andy Goves and Mr Tom Jones.
2. Minutes of the 83rd Annual General Meeting
The minutes of the 83rd Annual General Meeting, held in Cardiff City Hall, Cardiff, South Wales, on 20 July 2006, as published in the September 2006 edition of Fire Prevention & Fire Engineers Journal, were accepted as a true and correct record and signed as such by the International President.
3. Results of the election to the Board of Directors
The chief executive officer (CEO) announced the results of the postal ballot for elections to the Board of Directors:
Professor David Charters 222 votes
Mr John Horswell 105 votes
The CEO announced that Mr Peter Holland was unanimously re-elected to the Board of Directors by the General Assembly.
Mr Paul Richardson had been elected unopposed as International President Elect 2007-2008.
The CEO announced that Professor David Charters, Mr Holland and Mr Richardson were elected to the Board and also confirmed the Board of Directors in office from 12 July 2007.
4. Results of the ballot of the Board of the Engineering Council Division (ECD)
The CEO announced that the number of vacancies for the ECD Board equalled the number of candidates and, in accordance with ECD rules, a ballot was not necessary. The following were therefore appointed to the Board of the ECD:
Chartered Engineer (2 vacancies)
Mr Eric Marchant Mr Colin Todd
Incorporated Engineer (1 vacancy)
Mr Patrick Hamblin
Engineering Technician (1 vacancy)
Mr Jack Goble
Mr WC Cox announced that Mr David Smith had stood down from the ECD Board after ten years and thanked him for his hard work and dedication, which contributed to the Institution gaining recognition by the Engineering Council (UK) in 1997.
5. Membership of the General Assembly
The CEO announced that Mr Holland had been reappointed as Leader of the General Assembly and Dr J Marsden had been reappointed as Vice Leader. The names of the General Assembly representatives were announced.
6. Annual Report of the Board for Year Ended 31 December 2006
Mr JP Judd introduced the Annual Report of the Board to 31 December 2006 and invited questions from members present. Mr W Osborn queried the grades described as non-corporate in the report as voting had been extended to all membership grades other than Student. The CEO confirmed that this was an error and would be amended for the future.
Mr Holland PROPOSED the adoption of the Annual Report, which was SECONDED by Mr Richardson. Members voted in support of the proposal and it was RESOLVED that the Annual Report of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2006 be adopted.
7. Financial Statements for Year Ended 31 December 2006
Mr Holland introduced the Financial Statements and drew members’ attention to the appointment of Mr Ken Rose as the Institution’s Treasurer. Mr Holland invited questions from the members present and none were forthcoming.
Mr Judd PROPOSED the adoption of the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2006, which was SECONDED by Mr W Stewart. Members voted in support of the proposal and it was RESOLVED that the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2006, as published and circulated, be adopted.
8. Appointment of auditor
Mr Holland PROPOSED the reappointment of Institution’s auditor, Messrs. W Osborne & Company, which was SECONDED by Mr C Partridge. Members voted in support of the proposal and it was RESOLVED that ‘Messrs. W Osborne & Company, Chartered Accountants and Registered Auditors of Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, be reappointed as auditors and that the Board of Directors be authorised to agree the auditors’ remuneration’.
9. Special Resolutions
The CEO reminded members present that the Special Resolution to amend the Graduate and Associate grades had been withdrawn, as outlined in the explanatory leaflet issued with the AGM documentation.
The CEO introduced the Special Resolution to introduce electronic voting as an alternative option to the existing postal ballot for elections, as detailed in the explanatory leaflet issued with the AGM documentation. Implementation required amendments to Article 24 and By Law 26.
The Special Resolution was PROPOSED by Dr Marsden and SECONDED by Mr Charles Chu. Members voted in support of the Special Resolution and it was RESOLVED that Articles 24 and By Law 26 be amended accordingly.
10. Valedictory address from retiring International President Mr WC Cox Med, BSc, CEng, MEI, FIFireE
Mr WC Cox delivered his valedictory address.
11. Installation of 2007-2008 International President, Mr Charles Chu FSDSM, CPM, BEng (Hons), CEng, FIFireE, FHKIE
Mr Cox installed Mr Chu and presented him with the Badge of Office and Letters Patent.
12. Presentation of Past President’s badge
Mr Chu presented Mr Cox with a Past President’s badge and thanked him for his year as International President.
13. Inaugural address from the International President
Mr Chu gave his inaugural address.
14. Presentation of awards and certificates
The CEO announced the presentation of awards and certificates:
Godiva awards for the 2007 Examinations
Mr A Rowe of Hale Products Europe presented awards for the best candidates in the Institution’s Graduate and Member Examinations at UK and non-UK centres.
Graduate:
Best non-UK Candidate – Mr Choi Tsz-Leung, Hong Kong Fire Services Department. Mr Choi Tsz-Leung was not present and the President of the Hong Kong Branch, Mr Andy Chan Chor-kam, accepted the award on his behalf.
Best UK candidate – Mr Ross Robinson, Strathclyde Fire and Rescue Service.
Member:
Best non-UK candidate – Mr Mangesh Rajaram Sawant, Airports Authority of India. Mr Sawant was not present and the award was accepted on his behalf by Mr Cox. There was no best overall UK candidate.
UCLAN Best Fire Engineering Graduate
The 2007 Best Fire Engineering Graduate Award was presented to Mr Neil Unsworth.
Bodycote warringtonfire Research Prize – Best Fire Safety Engineering Paper 2007
Mr John Pagan of Bodycote warringtonfire joined the International President to present the award to a team from the BRE Centre for Fire Safety Engineering at the School of Engineering and Electronics, University of Edinburgh. Cecilia Abecassis Empis accepted the award on behalf of the team.
2007 Graduate Lecture, sponsored by Marsh Limited
First prize of £1,000 to Mr Gareth Fitton of the University of Leeds; second prize of £600 to Mr David Snorrason of the University of Edinburgh; and prizes of £350 each to Mr Robert Ellingham of the University of Central Lancashire, Mr Stephen McAdam of Glasgow Caledonian University and Miss Gwen Rosario of the University of Leeds.
A tribute was paid to Mr Alan Parnell, a founder of the Graduate Lecture, who died on 9 June 2007.
Rasbash Lecture – 19 June 2007
Professor Geoff Cox, former technical director of the Fire Research Division of the Building Research Establishment, delivered the Rasbash Lecture and received the Rasbash Memorial Medal from Professor Dougal Drysdale.
Award of Companion
The International President presented a Companion certificate to Mr Peter Menzies, who was awarded the title by the Board of Directors on 29 January 2007.
15. Any other business
Mr Chu paid tribute to Life Fellow Mr Ronald Cox OBE, GM, CStJ, KFSM, FIFireE (Life), who died on 18 June 2007.
Mr Guy Keen gave a presentation on the World Firefighters Games 2008, to be held in Liverpool on 24 August to 2 September 2008, and invited all present to attend.
The International President presented books, sponsored by the Institution’s US Branch, to a delegation of representatives from Nigeria.
There being no other business, the International President declared the meeting closed.
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