AGM 2025 Highland Branch SOC MINUTES
Tuesday 8 April 2025 7.30pm Culloden Library, Keppoch Road, Inverness
Present: 26 members of the SOC Highland Branch
1. Opening of the meeting: Alister Clunas, Chairperson of the Highland Branch, welcomed all to the 2025 AGM.
2. Apologies were received from Pete Gordon, Alex and Liz Joss, Alice Taylor, Sue Seright and Hugh Fearn.
3. Minutes of 2024 AGM circulated in Mailchimp and taken as read
Adopted: Proposer: Al McNee Seconder: Caroline Pearson
4. Matters Arising: a. Online banking has now been set up.
b. Indoor meeting zooms – from survey preferences – Nov, Dec, Jan and Feb to be zooms IF speakers are willing.
5. Chairperson’s Report: Alister Clunas
I would like to thank all the members of the Branch committee. We were pleased that Andy Douse and Sue Sykes joined the committee during the year. In particular I would like to single out Mary Galloway who is a very efficient Secretary and Carol Miller who is our well organised Treasurer. I am grateful that these office bearers are continuing in their respective roles.
I had planned that this would be my final year as Chair as I have served three years but I have been persuaded to stay on for an extra year.
My thanks go to John Poyner, the Highland Bird Recorder; Pete Gordon who is Chair of the Records Committee and represents Highland on the SOC Council. Alex Joss has stood down as the editor of the Highland Bird Report. Alex edited the report from 2008 to 2023. Our thanks go to Alex for the huge amount of work he has undertaken to produce the Highland Bird Reports over the years. (The Committee have sent Alex an Eden Court gift voucher to show our appreciation).
I am grateful to Pete Gordon for stepping in to complete the 2023 Highland Bird Report and to Andy Douse for taking over the role longer term.
Thanks also to all those members who lead outings.
I would also like to pay tribute to those who update the sightings page daily on highlandbirds.scot currently Steve Broyd, Mike Crutch and Sue Sykes, plus occasional guest appearances by Pete Gordon.
I have to record two prominent members who passed away during the year. George Gibson who had been a member of Highland SOC for a number of years and John Chester who was known as the “Bird Man” on Eigg for many years. I knew him briefly when he and I were storm bound in Seahouses for a few days waiting to go to the Farne Islands as Assistant Watchers as they were called in those days.
Just a quick plug to send records in to Bird Track or direct to the Recorder.
Thanks to all of you who attend meetings and outings and support the Highland Branch of SOC.
Finally apologies to anyone whom I may have inadvertently missed!
6. Secretary’s report: Mary Galloway
This season has seen a full programme of outdoor and indoor events. Numbers at indoor meetings have increased. To encourage new members, the indoor events have been advertised in the Spotlight magazine and to the Highland birds Whats App group and this policy seems to be working.
SOC HQ has continued to provide monthly zooms Scotland-wide which have been very well supported plus speakers to Highland branch in October, November, February and March – half of which were Zoom which included Caithness and Orkney branches.
Blogs of outings including some great photos are posted on our highlandbirds.scot website. It is encouraging to now have four young members, with parents, regularly taking part in our outings and putting some of us to shame. Young eyes!
My thanks go to all the leaders who have spared their time and shared their expertise on our outdoor events.
In March the Highland Branch hosted the annual BTO/SOC Spring Conference, Millburn Academy, Inverness. All 200 places were taken. On Saturday 15th there was a full programme of speakers, and on Sunday 16th five outings were scheduled – choices being Black Isle, Strathdearn, Speyside, The High Road from Inverness and Merkinch Nature Reserve. MNR was led by two of our youngsters for young birders. Raffle prizes included, amongst other things, a very generous bird outing for 4 persons with Highland Nature (John Poyner); and a pair of binoculars from Ffordes, Beauly with a discount of any sale in the next three months. The raffle of £613 was credited to our account, which we intend spending on young birders – how and when yet to be decided. The committee will have a meeting with our young members later in the year to agree on a plan. Our thanks go to all who donated prizes for the raffle.
Finally, I have been Secretary since 2020 and intend standing down at the next AGM. Caroline Pearson has agreed to be Shadow Secretary this year with the intention of taking over in April 2026. My sincere thanks go to her.
Membership to date is 280 – 2 less than last year.
7. Treasurer’s Report: Carol Miller
A copy of the audited, signed accounts was circulated at the meeting. Carol outlined the income and expenditure highlighting the bank balance of £2900.03 – slightly less than last year £3091.56 – due mainly because of website fee which is paid every two years (no charge for next or previous year; the rental of the venue was slightly higher as 5 meetings held (last year 4): catering increase due to hosting a meal for visiting speakers; leaving gift for Wendy Hicks at SOC HQ; bank charges now in force (anyone knowing of a way round this is asked to contact Carol). The branch should soon be in receipt of £613 from the recent raffle at the SOC/BTO Spring conference. The committee are hoping to use this money to fund something for young birders in the area. The income from HBR is slightly reduced due to the later publication.
Carol thanked John Carruthers for auditing the accounts. There were no questions arising
