April AGM Kicks off the 2017 Events Programme

 

The Annual General Meeting of the Giulietta Register was held on 2 April 2017 at The Barns Hotel in Bedford, UK. It was fine weather and top-down enjoyment for the many members attending in their spiders. Sprints were also more numerous than in past years, including an inaugural outing for Stuart Passey's painstakingly restored and drop-dead gorgeous early low nose lightweight Sprint prototype.

The Chairman, Richard Wigley, and all members of the Committee were unanimously re-elected for another term, to the relief of others present. However, in accepting their re-election, Don MacLean, Editor of the Giuliettaletta, and Tony Ives, UK Events Organiser, announced that they would be stepping down during the coming year after serving in their respective capacities for several years. 

Peter Yaxley reported that membership numbers at 414 in 2016 were slightly up on the previous year, with most members still coming from the UK but membership in the USA was growing and now represented more than a quarter of the total. Other members were scattered across many countries - evidence of the global enthusiasm for these delightful cars. The new Treasurer, Stephanie McLellan, ran through the accounts for 2016 and the latest period. The accounts confirmed the club is financially sound and reserves are healthy. Costs are being well managed and no increase in the annual subscription were needed. The production and distribution of the Giuliettaletta remains the biggest cost item. Fees by PayPal were also a significant cost and the level of the charges was to be taken up with the company.  

A new project to create a digital archive of Giulietta and Giulia related material was outlined, by the newly appointed archivist, David Roberts. Digitalising all the issues of the Giuliettaletta has been completed by the firm commissioned to do the work and a fully searchable database has been created. It is planned to make this accessible to Register members via a members-only, password-protected website due to be launched in the next month or so. David will be seeking to borrow original and relevant material, including old photographs and advertisements, currently held in members' private collections, in order to add digital versions to the Register archive. More of this later.

There was discussion of the 2017 events programme, which is outlined under Events on this website. Proposals for a longer tour in 2019 starting in southern Germany and taking in the Croatian coast, ferry to southern Italy, then driving the length of Italy and eventually back to the UK, were received with great interest. It was suggested that longer trips of around two weeks, such as the Croatia proposal, could be held every five years.

The Chairman, Richard Wigley,  presented the Chairman's Cup (actually a splendid pair of engraved silver wine bottle coasters) to Brad Baum of California for his long and strong participation and support of the Register, including his help and hospitality to British and other European members visiting the USA west Coast. Sadly Brad was not present to collect the award in person. The Editor of the Giuliettaletta, Don MacLean, awarded the Elsie Smith Trophy, a polished, finned and heavy SS brake drum on a plinth and surmounted by three small model giuliettas, to a bemused Peter Bradnock.

Discussions and debate continued over a delicious lunch at The Barns Hotel.