Minutes of the Southern Photographic Federation
Quarterly Meeting No.157
18th February 2004
Peter Symonds College.Winchester

1•  Apologies. J. Whitemore, T. Muston, J. Mitchell, S. Webb, Burghfield CC, Chichester CC, Farnborough CC, Petersfield PS, Steyning CC, Woolston CC and Worthing PS.

2•  Present. Alton CC, Andover Split Image PS, Basingstoke CC, Bognor Regis CC, Bournemouth PS, Disabled PS, E. Berkshire PS, Fareham & Portchester CC, Fordingbridge CC, GEMS PS, Gibraltar PS, Havant CC, Hayling CC, Highcliffe & Infinity CC, Jersey PC, Locksheath & Sarisbury CC, Marwell Zoo PG, Ordnance Sur. PS, Overton PC, Poole & Dist. CC, Prism PC, Salisbury CC, Southampton CC, Southern DI G, S. Reading CC, Spectrum, Viewfinders of Romsey CC, Winchester PS, Wonston & Worthys CC and Yately CC.

3•  Minutes of Meeting 156 ( held 1.12.03). Minutes approved and signed.

4•  Matters Arising.

ITEM 4 Monochrome FIAP Rule was drawn to members' attention. Final decision left to organiser's discretion. S. Fed. allows one colour. All toned prints are classed as monochrome.

ITEM 16 Yately Complaint – only one written complaint received.

5•  President's Report. January Exhibition had been very successful & many good comments received. Thanks were expressed to Bill Flood, Geoff Kelland & all volunteer helpers.
January saw first SPF Print Championship at Crossfield Hall. Won by Southampton CC, Bournemouth PS runner-up; these will represent the Federation at the PAGB Print Championships. Horndean won the plate competition, and the Isle of Wight won the Photographer's Trophy for the highest scoring small club. As Jeannie Sutherland & Norrie Phillips were not present a club representative collected their DPAGB certificates, and Barbara Lambert's CPAGB certificate. Details of next Distinctions Day will be on the web site, or contact Leo.
Revised SPF Diary available for collection. Deadlines included for dissemination.
AGM Nomination Forms to go out soon for Council. Volunteers required, especially for a Vice President.
Job Descriptions – Guidelines being drawn up; idea generally well received.

6•  Treasurer's Report. Current financial situation: Cash - £21.48. Current Account - £393.79. High Int. Deposit Account - £2874.58.
Public Liability Insurance – of the 67 member clubs, 51 have taken up the PAGB scheme, 3 have confirmed separate cover and 13 clubs have failed to prove cover. This will be reflected in next SPF Handbook. Clubs must have adequate cover and judges or presenters are advised to check before accepting a booking.
Print Championship – ran at a slight loss. Raffle profits to Ordnance Survey as a reward for organising and running the event.

7. Correspondence. Nothing reported.

8. Roll of Honour. Certificates were presented to Sheila Brough of Hayling, Richard Temlett of Salisbury and Keith Polwin of Basingstoke . A certificate for Robin Millard had been forwarded to Guernsey for presentation. Nominations forms available at meeting or may be sent by E.mail.

9. Competition Secretary - League. Third round has been completed. The fixture list is now finished; copies available at meeting. Semi-Finals – March 2004, Basingstoke on 18 th and Petersfield on 27th.

10. Print Championship. Many comments received on how well it ran. Thanks were expressed for the valuable contributions made by Maureen and David Toft. It was noted that there had been some criticism of judging standards; complainants were asked to accept the President's oral response, that the winners were rightly judged, as a reply to their letters. David Toft expressed thanks to John Wigley supplying for the projector system and to all entrants for getting the prints to the sorters in good time.
Request for volunteers for next year's event – no offers made. Discussion covered:- moving the event to another area, transferring digital work to slide format and on making available Guidelines on How To Organise. Required:- volunteer club to host 2005 Semi in N. area of Federation; Southampton CC to host in S area.

11. Exhibition Secretary's Report. Voucher for £20 drawn – winner of people's choice of best print was G. Pincot. Best Print Trophy won by Gordon Hawkins, Bournemouth , for Morning Mist. Over half the prints received at least one public vote; voting on the top 7 prints was very close. Bill expressed thanks to all stewards for their support. Clubs were reminded to apply early for next year due to limited number of places. Slide Rota – 5 clubs on list so far; Bill is trying to arrange the rota geographically to ease transfers. Invitations have been issued for next year. Asked how the club entry was judged, Bill answered that it was as a group of prints reflecting the work of the club.

PAGB Exhibition Secretary's Report. Exchanges between 10 clubs had gone well. Next exhibition will be 2004 Print; President will collect contributions on Finals Day and at May AGM. NB this is a free national exhibition open via clubs or as individual club members. The President hoped for some Award Winners from S. Fed. this year!

12. Publicity Secretary's Report. David Kessel reported that due to family problems, Marrutt , Peak Imaging, Sigma, Nikon, Fotospeed & Micro-quiz have not been chased up & have not replied to earlier approaches. Consequently, plans for sponsorship for Crosfield Hall in March fell through! To pick up the idea for April if possible. Have linked most of all the above firms to advertising for Handbook 2004. Following up all contacts, inc. two leads from Jack Whitemore.
Assembled & displayed a “Please Support Our Advertisers” notice at Salisbury. One of our Salisbury sponsors, Conqueror Fine Papers, has supplied free Parchment paper for the S. Fed. Roll of Honour. We should ask S. Fed. members with appropriate business links, actively to support all our sponsors.
Adverts in Exposure to be A5/6 PDF files.

13. Newsletter Secretary's Report. Third Newsletter Trevor has completed; no adverse feedback, so assumes everything going well. This month sent by e-mail. Will have same format each month with direct button to website; extra notices may be included in e-mail. Pictures may soon be included. Items for Editor – use Handbook address or e-mail to website. Please include advance notice of club events! Trevor expressed his thanks to all contributors but also called for more contributions.

14. Handbook Secretary's Report

15. SPF Handbook . Ernie called for a volunteer successor to take over SPF Handbook. Deadline for 2004 copy is 3rd. July. Most copy had been received by this date last year. Please use e-mail and please check all spellings carefully. Ian Biggs, Highcliffe & Infinity, expressed thanks for Ernie's hard work.

16•  Webmaster
Peter outlined latest figures to show that the site is being very well visited. He commented that few entries had been received for the Photo Competition, so far. Via the web site, Bournemouth had received 2 new members.

17•  PAGB Executive Member's Report.
J. S. Lancaster Medal for Meritorious Service – 4 nominations. Announcement to be made at AGM.
APAGB – 7 names proposed.
Leo reported the sad death of Paul Gomery & the serious illness of Derry Wilman, Surrey.
PAGB Handbook – no recording of photographic honours until next edition in 2005. Computer updates will only cover omissions.
Inter Club Slide Championships – 10 th . July at Warwick . Tickets now on sale & posters sent to clubs. Tickets £5 each. Each Federation to notify the President of representative clubs, plus e-mail addresses, by 30th. April, at latest. Print Championships at usual venue on 25th. October.
PAGB Distinctions – closing date for applications for Harlow to be 24 th . February. April 2005 awards to be held in Belfast and November 2005 in the Chilterns. Imbalance of rota may result in revised Federation allocations for 2006. Digital applications under review to solve problems of random order and accuracy of calibration.
PAGB Council – many long-standing members to retire to allow injection of new blood.
PAGB Judges' Panel – Leo Rich has been added.
Rod Wheelans is President Elect. Would like to visit S. Federation; early booking required.
RPS – now to be known as The RPS. Permanent collection being put on CD in Powerpoint. RPS Collection now available at Bradford ; may be on web in 18 months time. Regional Centres – Smethwick then Edinburgh and West Country. New premises to be in Bath . New Director General is Mrs. Judith O'Brien. New Journal to include a three-month events' sheet as a pull-out.

17•  Judging Workshop
Good number of judges and candidates booked for March 14 th . Room available for observers at £4 per person.

18. Any Other Business
Ernie reported that the digital projector for GEMS Digital Projection Challenge on 30.1.04, proved too powerful; general support was insufficient for £200 donation from sponsor.
S. Birmingham Exhibition 2004 – closing date March.
The suggestion was made that members on the Federation Roll of Honour could be considered as candidates for the Federation Residency.

Meeting closed at 9.33.

AGM on May 20 th 2004 at 19.45 at Peter Symonds College Winchester