Monthly Meeting - 'Confidence and Resilience' and our AGM
Tuesday 12 May 2020
At our final meeting of 2019/2020 season, with another great turnout of members and friends, we conducted our AGM business, shared the financial balance sheet for all to see, heard a review of the year, revealed the SurveyMonkey results of the election voting and had an opportunity to hear from our speaker for the evening – a busy meeting by any standards but all using our new Zoom skills!
Christine Bauer's Treasurers Report covered the positive financial position with the receipts exceeding the outgoings (even though we had missed 2 meetings worth of raffle money and visitors donations) as we had a bumper year for fundraising and donations. Anne Artis's Presidents Report highlighted the excellent meetings we had in the hall from September to March, including our Craft Day in November and Christmas night out in December. Technology has allowed us to keep connected in April and May; and also supported the process of running the AGM. We were joined by Alan Russell, who independently had collated the online and postal votes and confirmed the elected members for 2020-2021
President – Anne Artis
Committee – Liz Black, Norma Brewster, Pamela Deans, Sheena Gibson, Helen Little, Allison McLeod, Heather Millar, Janice Oman
Everyone who was voted for was delighted to accept their nomination! 😉
Our speaker, and Ruskie Member, Ann Brown began by commenting that this event had been scheduled since September – which feels like a lifetime ago as the whole world has changed in the last 2 months! Rather than talk “at” us she guided us through an exercise to increase our confidence and resilience in current times, to help us feel differently and overcome any negative feelings or challenges we may have. By relaxing and focusing on what we would rather have, recalling a preferable memory and exploring the detail of that to powerfully re-experience it and finishing with a physical connection (tapping toes and grounding heels on the floor) then we are able to relive the positive experience in the present. Members and guests shared personal examples from a cherished family day out, to taking the time to “play” in the present. This technique is something we can all try in the future when facing a difficult circumstance.
Anne Artis closed the meeting sharing a traditional Sanskrit blessing which is particularly relevant in turbulent times:
Look to this day
For yesterday is but a memory
And tomorrow is only a vision.
But today well lived
makes every yesterday a memory of happiness
and every tomorrow a vision of hope.
Look well, therefore, to this day.
