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No.46
- January 2001 | Contex
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FROM THE
CHAIR - ROSE
BAILLIE
THOUGHTS
FOR THE NEW YEAR
Personally
I find composing the ‘From the Chair’ section of each January edition
of Context, packed as it is with the highlights of the COLAS
year, more than usually challenging. However having seen the varied
programme of lectures already arranged for 2001, I am sure the omens
are good for another successful year. So having wished everyone a Happy
New Year we must pass on to two topics for members’ particular attention.
Subscriptions
The first is our financial position: at first sight this looks
exceptionally healthy, chiefly because we are still holding in trust
the wonderful donation made by Mrs Sheila Gould in memory of her brother
Stuart Waller, that is destined for the development of the London
Archaeological Archive and Research Centre, based on the Museum
of London’s premises at Eagle Wharf Road. Another large portion of
our reserves is made up of grants specifically giving to support our
archaeological fieldwork on the Thames foreshore. When extraneous factors
are taken out of the equation we are left with our running expenses
exceeding our income from subscriptions by a mere 4% or £85 in the
last financial year.
Any voluntary
organisation such as ours has to strike a balance between spending
where necessary to keep the Society running effectively and keeping
something in hand for contingencies. With these considerations in
mind the Committee has decided that a modest increase in subscription
rates is in order. It is important to remember that any changes agreed
at the AGM will not come into effect until November 2001 and not
produce an increased income until the financial year 2001/2, by which
time it is quite likely that some increased costs will have eaten
into our slim safety margin.
More
money for the foreshore
While
we were all in a-whirl getting our Christmas Social off the ground,
members may not have noticed that we had a visit from Santa Claus,
cunning disguised as our esteemed Vice President Gus Milne, bearing
a gift, not in his sack but modestly lurking inside a Christmas card.
Nothing less than a cheque for £3000 from the UCL/Institute of Archaeology
managed London Archaeological Research Facility! This most generous
grant is to support of our work on the Thames foreshore, and will greatly
assist towards the publication of some of our results. This is the
third time LARF has made COLAS a valuable grant. Thank you Gus
for your continued mediations on our behalf.
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