Honorary Membership Awards.

At the 2014 AGM of the Loch Lomond Angling Improvement Association changes were made to the constitution in relation to the granting of honorary memberships.  Following the AGM this generated queries relating to individuals who had in the past been awarded honorary memberships but were not included on the current Association list of honorary members.

In addition to the above a formal request was tabled by a current member, supported by other members, asking that a commitment made by myself on behalf of the group I represented at the EGM of 2009 should be implemented.  This commitment was to award Mr Angus MacRitchie, fishery manager, and Mr Michael Brady, Chairman of the Association, honorary memberships should our group be elected.  I can confirm this commitment was agreed by our group before the EGM and was made in front of over 200 members on the night of the EGM.  According to the member making this request this was unfinished business that predated the amendments that were made to the constitution in 2014 and if settled would allow a line to be drawn on the past, which several members including myself had called for at the last AGM.

As a result of this request a discussion was held at the committee meeting on 24 April 2014 as to whether this commitment should be honoured.  This was not an easy matter to address and there were differing views expressed and following a show of hands a majority of committee members voted to honour this commitment.  Given the strong links between the group in 2009 and the committee elected in 2012 (all the office bearers were from that group) I personally think this was the right decision under the circumstances, however, like any other decision the committee makes members are at liberty to challenge this decision should they wish.

As a direct result of this vote the treasurer has resigned from the committee.  His duties will be picked up by other committee members in the interim prior to a new treasurer being appointed in due course.  The issues surrounding the other honorary members have also been resolved.

Malcolm MacCormick

Chairman