This, the forty-first Annual General Meeting, would prove to be our final one at Caxton Hall.
We know that it was a popular event and that three hundred and twenty-eight people, both members of the Society and visitors,, attended. Sadly we were unable to hire the larger hall, so they were a bit squeezed in to the York Hall, especially as it is recorded that this was the highest attendance ever recorded.
The A.G.M. itself mentioned the recent auction of duplicate items from the Representative Collection, after the decision to sell them off and raise funds, the final auction of which took place after the business of the A.G,M. was done. The total amount raised through all the sales was over £3,000. It had actually been collected by Jim Woolley, starting before he moved from Lancashire to South Africa, continuing out there, and being donated to the Society after his death.
This led to a question by Frank Wadsworth about the future of the Society`s Carton Collection of cigarette packets, and the response that it had already been discussed and would be reviewed later
Council Changes
Five new council members were taken aboard, reflecting the fact that the Society`s membership had swelled to eight hundred and twenty five over the last few years. These new councillors were Maurice Large, as Editor, Terry Davies as Membership Secretary, Kathy Hart as Librarian, Len Matthews the London Branch Secretary and Dr. Mike Pratt, who had been involved with mounting the parts of the Representative Collection which were being retaned.
However, three councillors resigned, for they had reached the age of seventy - these being Dorothy Bagnall, Edward Wharton-Tigar, and Joe Blake - though they were re-elected as Councillors Emeritus. Dorothy Bagnall, who could not attend the A.G.M., was given Life Membership and also elected Vice President of the Society. Whilst A. E. Arnold, another absentee, was also given Life Membership
The Cartophilic Cup
This was awarded to John Walton, with Michael Reeve in second place and Martin Murray in third.