AGM held on line

Meeting of April 7, 2020.

Online

This week’s 2020 Annual General Meeting of the Rotary Club of Kilrymont St Andrews will certainly be recorded as a momentous occasion in the Club’s history.

Like the rest of the UK – and much of the rest of the World – members were not permitted to gather at their regular meeting place. In reality, not permitted to gather at all!

As an alternative, Past President Isobel Clifford employed her hitherto unnoticed IT skills to set up an online conference call AGM utilising the Zoom video communications system. This allowed 33 of the members to come together in the ether.

President John Fernie conducted proceedings from his front room while the remainder used Ipads, laptops and mobile phones to join in the fun. Individual speakers were plucked from the screens full of faces to be highlighted full screen.

Despite the unusual circumstances the AGM was conducted successfully and fairly swiftly. Office bearers’ and committee conveners’ positions were ratified. There of course ensued a meaningful discussion on the Club’s proposed fund-raising efforts for the rest of the current session and plans leading into 2021. Virtually all of the Club’s proposals for 2020 are likely to be in abeyance as they rely mainly on group events which clearly cannot take place.

Instead, the members will be focussing their collective skills on coming up with innovative schemes in an attempt to make up the shortfall.

When all business had been concluded the meeting did not close in the normal manner. Oh no – it was merely switched off!