Ann McDonald – Club Vice President

At our AGM on 18th May, we made a slight deviation from the Club rules, which I believe will be excused due to the reasons.  A nomination had been received from Iain McGowan, Pete Bamforth, Janey Devine and John Bradshaw which the Club’s Management Committee considered and has wholeheartedly agreed to.  That is the conferring of Vice President status to Ann McDonald.  This is in recognition of her long and very active contribution to Club life, as past Chair, past Chair of the Selection Committee and her ongoing organising role with selection, and her significant contribution to the PAGB Group.  The meeting had heard just some of the successes of that group, and it is to Ann’s credit that she reinvigorated the group in which she not only provides her own insightful thoughts on images, but secures the input from other highly capable Club Members.  Only last autumn she was also instrumental in arranging for the Club to host – for the very first time – a PAGB Awards for Photographic Merit day, arranged and masterminded by Ann to considerable applause. Not least of course is Ann’s skill as a photographer and the role her images have played in securing and maintaining the Club’s good position in southern counties league and national inter-club competitions.  It should also be noted that Ann is the first female Club member to be so honoured – and it is was an honour for me as Chair as to make the announcement to which was made at the AGM as, by means of stealth, we discovered that Ann will not be at the Preview of the Club Annual Exhibition where these announcements are due to be made.  As there is no cup, medal or certificate to mark a the conferring of Vice Presidency, John Bradshaw, just elected as Club President, presented Ann with flowers to mark the occasion. Well done and well deserved Ann!

Club President John Bradshaw and Vice President Ann McDonald