A total of 75 members of BPS attended the extraordinary meeting, either in the BPS Clubhouse, or by Zoom.

 

Apologies were received from Gordon Stirrat and Nigel Owen.

The Council’s report on ‘BPS Finances, Budget & Membership Fees’ had been circulated to BPS members on Wednesday 10^th April 2024.

 

The BPS Chair Ralph Snook welcomed members to the meeting and thanked them for attending. In introducing the report Ralph Snook pointed out to members that as the Society, unlike many camera clubs, owned its own premises there was a need to maintain the building both in the short and long term. The cost of this had to be met by the income BPS received. An analysis of the BPS financial situation had shown that BPS had not only been making a financial loss for some years, but also that the present membership subscription fee was not enough to meet the annual running costs of BPS. The Council believed that BPS should financially ‘break-even’ within four years and that, in order to achieve this, it was necessary for membership subscriptions to increase immediately. The recommended proposal option one was that the first step in raising the subscriptions should be a £20 rise in the annual subscription rate for all members. This would come into effect in 2024/5. The BPS Council will continue to explore other ways of increasing the BPS income and how to reduce costs. Members were thanked for the ideas already sent to the Treasurer and were encouraged to come up with others.

 

The meeting was advised that the second option was immediately to raise the annual membership subscription to £145 for regular members, with large rises also for other categories of membership subscription. The meeting was told that these large rises would be needed in the worst-case position that other sources of income could not be found, and/or costs reduced.

 

The BPS Treasurer, Graham Pears, told the meeting that the annual income to BPS had halved since 2019. This was mainly due to a fall in annual income from the Bristol Salon: from about £9000 in 2018 to the present figure of £3-4000. There had also been a loss of income from hiring the building to other organisations, such as Wex and the Bristol Astronomical Society. There was, in addition, an expenditure of £16,000 for new equipment, including that needed for Zoom as well as an expenditure of £17,500 on repairing the building’s roof. The meeting was advised that there was a need to ensure that the financial reserves of BPS were able to meet the costs of maintaining the building, in both the short and long term. Graham concluded by arguing that, in his opinion, option two was not a good idea and that the membership should support option one and work hard to fill the financial gap.

 

This part of the meeting began with a member pointing out that the proposed increase in the annual subscription fee by £20 was asking members to pay an increase of about 40p a week for what was a great programme. This view was supported by other members.

 

In response to a question about the projected income of £1,600 for studio hire set out in the report, the Treasurer told the meeting that, as with all figures provided, now, and in the future, this should be understood as being a ‘direction of travel’ and not a definitive prediction.

 

Replying to another question about a reference to BPS having an exhibition sometime in the future members were informed that referred to the possibility of BPS running a second annual salon. This would be sponsored by BPE (British Photographic Exhibitions). The meeting was told that approval had now been given by BPE for BPS to run this new salon. This would, hopefully, bring in a new substantial income stream to the Society.

 

It was suggested by one member that the costs of the Bristol Salon could be reduced by replacing the printed Salon results brochure by just publishing the Salon results on-line. Ralph Snook told the meeting that this had been tried once before. The outcome was a huge amount of negative feedback. The high-quality printed brochure is valued by Salon participants. The costs of producing the brochure are reduced by being designed/published ‘in-house’ and members ‘stuffing’ the brochures into the envelopes. The ‘judging’ costs of the Salon have also been reduced. Further ways of reducing the cost, including postage to overseas Salon participants, are being explored.

 

A member told the meeting that he had a lot of respect for the work of the BPS Council. However, he was taken aback by the sudden proposal to increase the annual membership to £145. He proposed that there is a need to improve communication between the Council and members. He suggested that, in future, members are kept informed of important items that are being discussed/decided by the Council – perhaps a summary could be circulated.

 

In response, the BPS Treasurer, Graham Pears told the meeting that it had taken a long time to go through a detailed analysis of the BPS financial situation. Having recently retired he had had more time to carry out this analysis.

 

The chair, Ralph Snook, also responded to the members’ comments and the proposal to improve communication between members and the Council. He said that he would go along with this proposal. He reiterated that something needed to be done immediately to improve the financial position of BPS.

 

Members were then asked to vote on the following resolution:

 

In order for the Bristol Photographic Society to achieve an annual financial break-even point (excluding atypical events) within 4 years (31st March 2028):

 

Option One:

All Annual Membership Subscriptions will increase in 2024/5 by £20, and by a similar amount in the following three financial years, unless the BPS Council decides that in any of those three subsequent years that there should be no rise (or the rise be smaller) due to there being a reduction in annual BPS expenditure and/or increased income.

 

Option Two:

To increase the Annual Member Subscriptions in 2024/5 (and for subsequent years) to £100 for distant and long-time members, to £135 each for joint members and to £145 for regular members.

1 member voted for this option.

 

5 members abstained from voting on the two options.

 

Option one was therefore carried.

 

In response to a question, members were informed that the increase of £20 in all categories of membership subscription would come into effect when the individual paid their next annual subscription.

There being no other business the extraordinary meeting was closed by the BPS chair, Ralph Snook.

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