#singbarbershop

The British Association of Barbershop Singers

��Autumn Members' Meeting

24th September 2023

#singbarbershop

Agenda

1. Welcome
2. To receive apologies for absence
3. To approve the minutes of the AGM held on 12th March 2023, available on the BABS website here.
4. To consider any matters arising from those minutes
5. To receive reports from the Chair and individual Board members of activities since March 2023

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Laurence Hasson

Chair

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Contents

• Introducing the team
• Our Mission, Goals and Objectives
• Activities since March 2023
• Serving on the Board
• How your club can help the Association
• Next steps

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#singbarbershop

Introducing the Team

BABS Board of Trustees:

• Laurence Hasson - Chair
• Shanna Wells - Vice Chair
• Liz Smith - Director of Finance
• Alistair Lamyman - Director of Administration
• Peter Bryant - Director of Membership
• Matt Thomas - Director of Events
• Simon Miskin - Director of Marketing and Communications
• Aurélie Gandour - Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging (DEI&B)
• Simon Arnott - Director of Music & Education

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Other noteworthy people:

• Stuart Lines - Membership Secretary
• Calvin Laverick - Minutes Secretary

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Mission, Goals and Objectives

Mission:

Our charitable mission is to further the education of the general public in any and all aspects of Barbershop Harmony and singing in the Barbershop Harmony style, through promoting it to all and encouraging participation.

Long-term Goals:

We will achieve our mission by:

• Building our skills and reputation
• Increasing participation
• Being an inclusive, diverse and equitable organisation

Objectives for 2023-2024

Our objectives are:

• Increasing our membership numbers
• Promoting diversity and inclusion in tangible, meaningful ways
• Ensuring our financial security, partially through exploring sources of external funding/sponsorship
• Empowering and educating our club leadership teams
• Increasing the engagement of individual members
• Continuing our calendar of in-person events

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Summary of Activities since March 2023

• Attended SABS convention in Calpe, April 2023
• Attended SAI R31 convention in Warwick, May 2023
• Attended BABS Sing2023 in Bournemouth, 1x surprise appearance on ITV News
• Attended BHS International Convention in Louisville, KY, including a meeting with BHS CEO Marty Monson
• Attended BABS Harmony College in Nottingham, August 2023
• 4x BABS Board Meetings
• 2x Budget meetings
• 2x D&I meetings
• 1x BinH meeting
• 2x Meetings with LABBS
• 2x Chairs Forums
• 9x 1:2:1s with BABS board members
• 2x Interviews for barbershop podcasts
• 2x HEX articles

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SAI R31 2023

SABS 2023

BABS 2023

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Sing2023 - Congratulations

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BHS International Convention in Louisville, KY

An enormous congratulation to all our groups who represented BABS fantastically at BHS this year: Meantime Chorus who placed 11th in the world with a new British record score of 85.9, Limelight quartet who placed 22nd and Trailblazers who placed 31st, and Breakfast Club who came 5th in the International Varsity Quartet finals, bringing home more international medals for BABS! Hot Ticket and InHouse from LABBS also represented British Barbershop superbly!

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Serving on the Board

• Please consider if you are able to volunteer as a Trustee, or please put us in touch with any of your peers who you feel could fulfil a Trustee role.
• If you are interested in joining the BABS board, please speak to any of the current board members.

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How your club can help the Association:

1. Engage with our activities and initiatives - They are all there to help you and to keep your members engaged and enthused.
2. Attend our events - The Association quickly becomes financially unviable if you don’t.
3. Consider how your club can actively be more inclusive to more diverse audiences. If you are not sure how, please get in touch with Aurelie and our DEI&B team.
4. Prioritise recruitment - Let’s keep our membership numbers on an upward trajectory.
5. Pass on communications from the board to your members!

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Next steps

I look forward to:

• Attending LABBS Convention in October 2023
• Attending Directors Academy in January 2024
• Sing2024 (BABS50) in Harrogate in May 2024
• Seeing our membership numbers continue to grow
• Attending more club shows
• Seeing our organisation become more inclusive and equitable

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Laurence Hasson

Chair

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Shanna Wells

Vice Chair

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Role & Projects

• Supporting Chair and Board
• Supporting Sing2024 Organisation
• Fundraising Campaign
• BABS Safeguarding Lead

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Fundraising

• BABS is a registered charity with the aim of promoting music education and the understanding of singing harmony in the barbershop style. Appointed Trustees manage the funds to ensure the interest in barbershop singing is maintained into the future.
• BABS has been seriously affected with lower income and membership since the pandemic and, even though BABS has never really used fundraising to ensure its financial stability, we must look at new ways of funding to ensure the survival of �our organisation for future generations of barbershoppers.

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BABS 50 For The 50

• As 2024 is our 50th anniversary, we felt this was the perfect opportunity to launch our new fundraising campaign, 'BABS 50 For The 50'.
• The BABS 50 For The 50 Campaign aims to raise £50,000 by inviting people to donate just £50. This money would then go towards our objectives for 2024 and beyond. The campaign will also run in parallel with other activities throughout 2024.

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BABS 50 For The 50 Donors

“I started singing barbershop in 2011. Since then, I have been lucky beyond belief in the opportunities I’ve received and the friends I’ve made. None of this would have been possible without BABS, and the work of its incredibly dedicated and talented team of volunteers. In BABS’s 50th year, instead of a coaching fee, I will be asking quartets and choruses to make a donation to BABS, so that its amazing work can endure and continue for another fifty years.”

Chris Langworthy

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BABS 50 For The 50 Donors

“Barbershop has been a musical thread running through my life for the past 44 years. It has given me enormous fun, enduring friendships, and many memorable experiences. There is a bright future for BABS, particularly as it embraces diversity and inclusion. But, like all voluntary and charitable organisations, BABS relies on people to give leadership and money to continue the work it does, both for the benefit of its members and the wider musical world. I am therefore very pleased to contribute to the ’50 for the 50’ fundraising campaign and I encourage others to do so.“

Roger Chantrelle

2022 John Grant BOTY

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BABS 50 For The 50

• There will be plenty of opportunity to get involved throughout the campaign and packs with how you can become involved, individually and via clubs/quartets, will be coming very soon.
• If would like to give more we would love to speak to you directly about major gift opportunities and special recognition. Please contact myself at shanna.wells@singbarbershop.com or supportus@singbarbershop.com.

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To donate visit www.singbarbershop.com/Appeal/Donate

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Other

• Investigating external grants and fundraising opportunities for BABS as a charity and at Club level
• Presenting at the Safeguarding Executive Academy on 30th September. If you have any safeguarding questions or concerns please contact me on shanna.wells@singbarbershop.com

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Shanna Wells

Vice Chair

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Liz Smith

Director of Finance

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Since March 2023

• Sing 2023
• FY2024 budget
• Harmony College 2023
• Advised Board in forecasting & keeping to budget
• Regular forecast updates
• Forecast discussion at Board meetings
• Constant communication with directors

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Changes for FY2024

• Increase in membership subscriptions
• Individual membership £60
• Youth membership £30

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Liz Smith

Director of Finance

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Matt Thomas

Director of Events

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Key Activities Since March 2023

Sing 2023: 26 – 29 May, Bournemouth

• 19 Quartets, 38 Choruses, 8 guests representing the best of UK Barbershop!
• +: Excellent weather; strong competition; optimism, enthusiasm and ideas for the 50th/
• +: Open Mic night a rousing community success.
• -: Refinement needed for our ticketing process and online convention resources.

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Harmony College 45: 25 – 27 August, Nottingham

• Freshly revamped curriculum, led by Simon Arnott
• Special Guest educator Anthony Colosimo
• “Game changing” “The Best BABS event I’ve ever been to”.
• Huge excitement for HC 2024

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Sing2024: Celebrating 50 years

• Headline Guests: Instant Classic, Music City Chorus �& the Best of British Barbershop
• Celebration of the best of British Barbershop
• Exhibiting 50 years of society history
• Looking forward to the future
• Educational Outreach
• Returning Favourites: BABS Fringe, Saturday Show, Open Mic Night
• More accessible and more value for money

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2024 and beyond:

After convention in Harrogate, we will be investigating new venues and locations to host competition.

Want To Get Involved?

We rely on our incredibly generous volunteers to deliver high quality events. The 50^th anniversary will be a particularly complex prospect so your time will be appreciated. Please get in contact with matthew.thomas@singbarbershop.com to get involved.

• Social Media Team
• Logistics, courier and reception teams
• Event Delivery Support

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Matt Thomas

Director of Events

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Simon Miskin

Director of Marketing

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Since March 2023

• Sing2023, 26^th May to 28th May 2023, Bournemouth �Full Marketing and Design

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In the run up to Sing2023, I solely accomplished various marketing tasks, including a social media campaign, bi-weekly Bulletins, and the launch of a comprehensive PDF convention program. Additionally, I successfully designed and printed all signage and in-venue advertising materials.

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Whilst at convention, I was also successful in arranging the much needed media publicity

With ITV local news covering convention opening.

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Myself and our social media volunteers also carried out full social media coverage backstage and in the auditorium.

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• Harmony College 2023 25th to 27^th August 2022, Nottingham�
• Pre Harmony college marketing included the now successful inclusion of 4 Bulletins, printing and production of the college passes and the event signage.

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• HEX May & July 2023 Issues

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• Various Sing2023 & Harmony College Promotional items including Bulletins and Official Program, convention signage and venue advertising. Social Media campaign throughout.

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• SingSeptember, Back To College edition. September 2022 (In progress)

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• Continual marketing includes Social media, advertising, planning, communications, �website, app

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Marketing Next Steps

• Sing2024/BABS50
• Planning already underway, not only for BABS50 Convention but also for our anniversary year with lots of other celebratory items planned throughout 2024.

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After a successful inclusion this year, I plan an even larger and comprehensive program to not only tie in with convention but also our 50th anniversary celebrations. Also offering advertising opportunities and the resulting income.

Immediate plans include registration launch and continued liaison and meetings

with the BABS50 team

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• Continuing with SingSeptember, Back To College edition.

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• HEX September Issue

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• In November, the launch of our now annual BABS Advent Calendar

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• Continued Social media, advertising, planning, communications, website, app

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Looking Forward

Other items already on our marketing agenda;

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• Continued ways of increasing advertising opportunities and income opportunities (with minimal outlay) This was highlighted with an advertising ’swap’ deal with BHS with both organisations advertising at said event with no expenditure

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• In 2024 when our current contract finishes we’ll be exploring new website plans with a view at reducing costs as well as gaining other benefits.

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• We’re looking to adding volunteers to our team, especially social media team members and Editorial assistance with various publications, including HEX.

A great start

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Simon Miskin

Director of Marketing

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Simon Arnott

Director of Music & Education

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Since March 2023

• Educational Outreach
• Education sessions at Sing2023
• Harmony College 45

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Harmony College

• Education: Highly Successful

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Best harmony college I’ve ever been to. Thank you so much!

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All in all - a terrific value for money event, crammed with good stuff

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I cannot thank you enough for the opportunity and have come home exhausted but enthused to continue on my path of barbershop improvement and share my learning.

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I think the weekend was a roaring success and fundamentally I feel like this model just works so well for allowing everybody to get some of everything out of the weekend and offers a much more rounded experience for everyone

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The choice of learning was impressive - and the delivery of the classes was excellent. Good material, well delivered. As a comparative newby, I’ve come away knowing more than I expected AND I’ve enjoyed some well-coached singing too.

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Harmony College

Next year:

• Reduce financial risk to BABS
• More affordable for members
• Continue to develop a varied programme for all attendees

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A large variety of wants/needs across lots of members; this is difficult to achieve in one weekend and keep affordable.

Clubs may want to look at their educational offering for their members and communities. After the keynote at HC, we have a lot of faculty and attendees that would love to be resources. Get in touch with me if you have any events you would like to run and I will happily offer advice or put you in touch with the right people.

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Directors Weekend

Your clubs/front line directors should have received an email outlining:

• 20-21st January
• Guest Educator: Theo Hicks
• 2 places for each BABS/LABBS club: frontline/assistant directors only
• Theme: The Listening Director

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• BABS/LABBS covering the educational elements of the weekend
• Clubs will need to cover their MDs’ expenses (hotel/food)

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Simon Arnott

Director of Music and Education

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Aurélie Gandour

Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging

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What’s DEI&B

Diversity

Equity

Inclusion

Belonging

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The DEI&B Team

Jill Foskett

Josh Rees

John Beesley

Sue Wilbraham

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Acting on feedback from our LGBTQIA+ members

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Clubs DEI&B Representatives

• We’re asking all clubs to appoint a DEI&B representative
• New job description
• Forums to exchange experiences and ideas
• Training sessions
• Making Music on 25th September: “Access and inclusion for music groups – making a start”

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Aurélie Gandour

Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging

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Peter Bryant

Director of Membership

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Membership Numbers Update

• 1,845 full members
• 57 active clubs
• Average age: 63
• 74 youth members
• 155 LABBS/SAI dual members

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Long Service Awards

• All members who are due to receive Long Service Awards this year have been contacted
• We are currently resupplying our stocks for this and next year’s presentations
• We will be presenting eight 50-year pins at Sing2024

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Executive Academy

• Since March we have delivered an Executive Academy session on Recruitment, presented by Laurie Searle (Guildford BHC)
• The materials have since been emailed out
• We have two further sessions in the schedule:
• 30th September: Safeguarding with Shanna Wells
• 4th November: Presentation by Sean Egan (outgoing chair of Central London BHC)
• I would like to add 4 further sessions for the next financial year
• If you or anyone you know has expertise to share, please reach out to me!
• If there’s anything you would like us to run a session on, also get�in touch

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Barbershopper of the Year 2023

• John Grant National Barbershopper of the Year & Joe Berry Young Barbershopper of the Year awards
• Presented to people who have made a significant contribution in the barbershop community this year
• Timeline:
• Nomination forms will be sent out on 1st November 2023
• Nominations will close on 31st December 2023
• Presentations will be made at Sing2024
• We love reading your nominations!

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Digital Services

• Currently conducting a review into the various digital services we use to run the organisation
• We have some opportunities to make cost savings, and reduce burdens on volunteers through automation and integration
• We are also looking at ways we can use digital platforms to improve how we communicate with and between members
• Also high on the list of priorities is ensuring we are doing everything we can to give members control over their personal data

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Annual Club Check-ins

• I would like to ensure that BABS has direct contact with every club at least once a year
• I will therefore be scheduling annual check-ins with every club
• They will be 30-minute video calls with me or another Board member
• These will be a great opportunity for me to hear about your successes and challenges, as well as being a great way to get some valuable facetime with a Board member
• These will be non-optional as I feel it’s extremely important to ensure everyone has equal access to this opportunity
• Communication will go out soon with further details on how you can book your time-slot

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British Barbershop Calendar

• Joint venture with LABBS and Sweet Adelines Region 31
• Aims to be a “source of truth” for barbershop events happening around the UK
• The calendar is available to view on the BABS website
• Anyone can submit an event for inclusion in the calendar by filling in a form
• Submissions will require approval before they appear publicly

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Peter Bryant

Director of Membership

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Alistair Lamyman

Director of Administration

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Since March 2023

• Digitisation of forms such as Grant Application Form and AMM Attendance Form.
• Helped deliver a Chair’s Forum Presentation called Making the Most of Making Music which I am always happy to share or present to your club.
• Conducting a review of central BABS policies
• Distributed a number of grants to allow people to attend Harmony College.

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I had a great time at HC45. It was fun, musically rewarding and informative. I was impressed both by the range of content, the opportunities for everyone to sing, diversity and inclusion in practice, and the skills and knowledge of the faculty, some of whom were 50 years younger than me!

My attendance at HC began in the early 1980s but I’d not been for a number of years due to grandparent responsibilities as well as the cost involved. I was therefore delighted to find out that, as the 2022 John Grant BOTY, I would receive a grant from BABS to cover my attendance at HC. I am very grateful to BABS for enabling me to participate and come away a better barbershopper..

“Firstly I would like to thank all involved in putting on a fabulous weekend of Barbershop singing and such an informative plethora of learning opportunities all delivered enthusiastically by the guest speakers and seasoned barber shoppers. ��Without being awarded a grant there would have been no chance of me attending. Due to my wife’s long COVID and now being out of work our financial situation is not the most healthy. So I am very appreciative of your consideration and decision to offer me a grant.��It was a fabulous immersive weekend of barber shop and I have come away with a renewed vigor for barbershop and so many ideas on how to improve buzzing around my head that I am eager to share.”

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Alistair Lamyman

Director of Administration

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Agenda

6. To receive the budget for the year commencing 1 October 2023.

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Budget FY2024

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Budget FY2024 Summary

• Budgeted surplus of £31,389
• Focus for 2024:
• Preserve, and increase reserves, diminished over the past two years due to lower membership levels, and reduced participation in events
• Increase membership income
• Renewed drive for external funding from grants and appeals
• Budget costs are BABS business as usual, but also include provision for professional fees for advice regarding the proposed merger

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Agenda

7. To set the annual subscription payable by each category of member for the year commencing 1 October 2023, based on a standard member subscription of £60pa, and a youth subscription of £30pa.

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Agenda

• To receive an update on Sing2024

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Sing2024 Contest

To commemorate all of our members at the 50th Anniversary Convention:

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Chorus Contest

• There will be one Chorus Contest
• All choruses belonging to BABS Clubs (any gender) will be invited
• After a period only open to BABS clubs registering for contest, any leftover spaces will be open to other UK choruses
• There will be a cap on competitors due to the time constraints of the weekend. (50 choruses)
• 1 set of medals (special commemorative 50th anniversary design!);�1 set of division winners
• Will take place over Saturday and Sunday morning

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Sing2024 Contest

Quartet Contest

• There will be three Quartet Contests: Youth, Senior & BABS Open Quartet
• All BABS Quartets (any gender) will be invited (As always, Youth do not need to be BABS registered to only compete in the Youth Contest)
• After a period only open to BABS registered quartets registering for contest, any leftover spaces will be open to other UK quartets
• There will be a cap on competitors due to the time constraints of the weekend. (40 quartets)
• Medals for each contest as normal

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Sing2024 Contest

The following is staying exactly the same:

• Highest scoring chorus (must be a BABS club) will receive our nomination to the BHS International Chorus Contest
• The 10 lowest scoring choruses will receive educational outreach

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This is not a permanent change. We will be consulting members after Sing 2024 to gather feedback.

For this pilot, we have decided that the open contest will exclude past champions of other UK Contests. That is to say, for the Quartet Contest, all past champion quartets from BABS, LABBS, SAI R31 or BinH, will not be eligible to enter, and for the chorus contest, the most recent champions from BABS, SAI R31, and LABBS, will not be eligible to enter.

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Sing2024 Contest

Chances for Feedback:

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Virtual Town Halls

Friday 29th (7pm)

Monday 2nd (7pm)

Saturday 7th (10am)

Saturday 14th (7pm)�(You will receive links)

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Feedback Form

https://forms.gle/i9XoheBLD3T6VFC87

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Email�opencontests@singbarbershop.com

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Agenda

9. To receive a motion from:
1. Don Amos (via Peter Cookson) �

“BABS has faced significant challenges in the past few years as a result of the pandemic. As we approach the 50th anniversary we have concerns about the financing of any commemorative events. Has the Board considered applying an “exceptional” uplift to subs of say £5 or £10 for a limited period to fund the expenditure rather than relying on a general invitation for members to make donations which has an unpredictable outcome?”

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Agenda

• To receive a motion from:
• Constitutional Amendment

To approve the following resolution of the Board

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That Clauses (6)(a) and (6)(b) which currently read

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(a) The subscription period for a BABS Club member's subscription to the Charity whether paid directly or via that individual's BABS club) shall run concurrently with the Charity's financial year. The annual subscription level shall be fixed by ordinary resolution each year at the Annual General Meeting.

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(b) Proposed changes to the rate of subscriptions shall be notified by The

Administration Director to club secretaries at least twenty eight days before

the relevant Annual General Meeting.

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Be amended, subject to the agreement of the Charities Commission, to substitute� the phrase ‘Annual General Meeting’ with ‘Autumn Member’s Meeting’.

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Agenda

• To note that Aurélie Gandour has been co-opted to the Board as Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging. Aurélie will serve until formally elected by Council, along with the majority of other Trustees at the AGM in March 2024

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• To confirm the date of the next AGM on Sunday 17 March 2024 and the next AMM on Sunday 22 September 2024.

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• To close the meeting

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The British Association of Barbershop Singers

��Autumn Members' Meeting

24 September 2023

#singbarbershop