AGM Minutes

held through zoom Sunday 28th February 2021

14 members were present with 3 apologies

Minutes taken by: ES

Minutes will be sent to Reading Interfaith Group members and be available to view on the website.

1. Acting Chair’s welcome and Apologies

SG welcomed those present at the Zoom meeting and continued the meeting agenda items by sharing the apologies for absence. Then she asked everyone to switch to a second zoom meeting (kindly provided by JF) at 3.15pm which doesn’t have any time limit. ES shared the details of the new Zoom meeting with the attendees.

• Report by the Acting Chair on activity and finances

SG went through the details of her report to AGM. She mainly expressed her objectives for 2021 as below and explained each of them with action items.

• We need to be honest about where the group is now.
• We need to operate within a legal framework.
• We need to re-connect with our supporters.
• We need to clearly communicate our aims. 
• We need to fix ourselves firmly in the wider community.

She also mentioned her expectations from the role of a RIFG member.
Please find the details of Chair’s report in a separate document.

DJ said that everyone is very grateful to Sarah for her great effort, especially on establishing the new website and newsletter.

SG also went through the financial statement for 2020 which has no income and expenditure. CB had agreed to be a second signatory for the bank account. SG mentioned the expenses on website hosting, National Interfaith Network subscription fee, a potential Autumn 2021 event and Zoom upgrade. She also asked if there is anyone interested in the treasurer role for RIFG which is currently vacant.

Please find the details of the financial statement in a separate document.

• Election of the trustees for 2021

SG announced each candidate and asked help from the members to organise the voting process. JF kindly accepted this responsibility. After the trustee candidates temporarily left the meeting the voting has started. CM proposed to vote for all 4 trustee candidates simultaneously and AW seconded this proposition. Members voted for all 4 trustees to be elected as continuing trustees with unanimous agreement from all present.

JF asked members if anyone would like to be a volunteer as an additional trustee. The meeting welcomed an offer from the floor and voted to include him among our trustees.

• The proposal and election of the chair of trustees for 2021

DJ proposed SG as the chair of trustees for 2021 and CB seconded his proposition. After voting, SG is elected as the chair of trustees for 2021 with unanimous agreement from all present. 

• The adoption of the Constitution

Before the adoption of the constitution, CB proposed to go through the constitution document. SG kindly went through the outline of the constitution and asked members for any review comment.

TR said the removal of the membership part of the constitution should not be too broad, it should be explained with more detail. 

CM proposed to discuss this part should be referred for the trustees to decide reflecting the views of the meeting. AW seconded him.

TR also expressed the importance of recognition and respect for the differences between different faiths and it should be good to mention it in the first part of the constitution. SG supported this suggestion. CB suggested we confer with the National Interfaith Network.

The constitution was passed subject to trustees agreeing an amendment to reflect the views of the meeting.

• Any Other Business

RD offered to ask his contacts in Dusseldorf about the possibility of forming an Interfaith Network. This was much appreciated and accepted by the Meeting.

• Closing Remarks

SG kindly asked for closing remarks from the members. Each member thanked her and other members for the meeting and promised to pray for the success of the organisation.