AGM

The 95th AGM took place at 2.30pm on Saturday 2nd November 2024 at Meadowbank Sports Centre, Edinburgh.

You can watch the recording of the AGM on our Youtube channel:

Motion Results

The chair noted an omission in the printed agenda: the confirmation of Lizzie Conder as Treasurer. A motion was proposed to add this confirmation as item 8A on the agenda, seconded by Gary Co (chair-elect). The motion was put to a vote and passed unanimously.

TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS

The motion to adopt the Treasurer's Report and Financial Statements for the year ending 31st March 2024.passed unanimously.

Appointment of Auditors
The appointment of Alexander Sloan Chartered Accountants as auditors for the year ending 31st March 2025 was passed unanimously by a show of hands.

Membership subscription
The motion of increasing in the basic membership subscription to £29, effective from July 1, 2025.was passed.

“The Management Board proposed that for the year from 1st July 2025, the basic full annual subscription shall be increased to £29 per annum, with other membership subscriptions based pro-rata on this amount”

Amendments to RSCDS Articles of Association*

The first part of Motion 7.2 proposed changes to the terms of office for management board members, allowing more continuous service. The second part adjusted the roles of the Chair and Chair-elect to enhance continuity and effectiveness in leadership.

The motion passed with a significant majority (75% required).

Amendments to the wording of RSCDS Rules and Procedures*

This motion, aligned with Motion 7.2, made corresponding adjustments to the society’s rules and procedures. The motion passed unanimously.

The AGM 2025 will take place in Glasgow, Kelvin Hall from Friday 7th November to Sunday 9th November.

Following the release of the video presentation on RSCDS Expenses and Income, we have been engaging with branches to address any further questions. Jon Berridge, the Society's Chief Operating Officer has conducted five Zoom sessions over the last two weeks, speaking with more than 60 branch committee members from over 40 branches worldwide.

Jon Berridge writes:

"In my presentation on income and expenditure, I talked about how the RSCDS is doing compared to similar organisations. The organisations we looked at are listed below. Information was taken from annual reports filed with the Charity Commission and compared with RSCDS annual reports for the same period.

Comparable organisations were selected based on the following criteria. They are non-profits, based in the UK with similar income and expenditure to the RSCDS. They are almost all in the culture, arts and heritage sector. They deliver a range of programmes and events that generate income. Many generate a portion of their income from members or subscribers.

The purpose of this exercise was to understand if our income and expenditure is in line with similar organisations. It does not tell us anything about membership value, engagement, organisational structures etc. That will be the focus of the next piece of analysis! "

The table below shows how the RSCDS compares with the average comparable non-profit.

The table in the attachment shows how the RSCDS compares with the average comparable non-profit:

Comparables Table

List of comparable organisations.

One Dance UK, British Ballet Organisation Limited, English Folk Dance and Song Society, Orchestras Live, The British Music Experience, The Dickens House, Swindon Dance, Calderdale Music, London International Festival Of Theatre, Newham Music Trust, Open Up Music, The Freud Museum London, Welsh Dance Theatre Trust, National Federation of Music Societies, Phoenix Dance, Yorkshire Dance Trust, Music in Hospitals and Care, Foundation for Community Dance, British Beekeepers Association, The Poetry Society.

If your members are interested in the governance of the Society, please feel free to share the above video with them.

Here what the participants had to say about the meetings and a word from Jon Berridge.

"I offer my time and experience because I love this organization and the opportunity to support and encourage Scottish country dancing. But, fundamentally, we are sustaining a cultural treasure and a mission, and that requires funding, staffing, expenditures, and a viable organization. "
San Diego Branch

" I just want to say thanks. The meeting made a big difference to me and has probably changed my view of how the society is run."
Oxfordshire Branch

" I’d like to thank the Chairs, Treasurers, Secretaries and other branch administrations who joined one of the Zoom calls. We covered a broad range of topics and there were a number of excellent suggestions that I will be following up on. I found these sessions incredibly useful and feedback from attendees has been really positive, so we will be running these on a regular basis going forward. Details and dates will be shared in the next branch mailing."
Jon Berridge, COO, jon.berridge@rscds.org

RSCDS Impact Report 2024