BDA AGM #24

Rudolf Steiner House

George Corrin in the Chair (D Clements unavoidably absent).

The Chair opened with tributes to Etta Wood and Dr Meir who had both passed on after rendering invaluable assistance to the Association.

Reading MR Clements Letter: more interest from the young in the spiritual aspects in proportion the increased mechanisation. Rising wages and salaries will continue as honorary workers and harder to find. Annual depreciation needed for the consultants car – £250/year. Deficit of £64 last year became a surplus of £289 this year due to increased subscription and insatiable desire for literature. But the subscription went up to build up a reserve for wages and rent. Conference in deficit mainly due to Miss Fyfe’s airfare but last tow years at least covers that. Agriculture Course cost £2731 to print (1000 hardback and 300 paperback copies) but £1060 already recouped and £540 still due from Steiner Press. Strong US demand. So Main Trust has balance of £2333, the R&D fund has £1549 and the Demeter Fund has £29.

The Secretary’s report: 102 new members joined, but 34 lost through resignation and death. Total at the end of the year is 687. Council never registered as an education charity although this has long been recognised by the Inland Revenue – but done now. Statutes agreed in February and registered as Charity 269036. Council met in Peredur in November and Hawkwood College in July. Conference at Hawkwood led by Miss Agnes Fyfe was a great success with record attendance. Aiming for a conference in Scotland. Design for a market garden scale stirring machine is available. George Corrin annual tour of the North and Scotland another great success with many talks. Council joined IFOAM despite no noticeable benefits. Dr Koepf attended the inaugural meeting. The Hon Sec (Mr Soper) attended the USBDA’s annual conference and visited Copake and Kimberton Hills Camphill villages. Also talked to the Landscape Group at Leeds University with Mssrs Brockman and Kaye

Brockman and Courtney stood down and re-elected. Shepherd, Anderson, Budd and Nottrot joined.

Conference 1976: discussion on theory and practice. A great eager ness to know more about the spiritual side of our work. Councils suggestion accepted that theme should be based on plant – insect – animal relationships, including west control.

Proposals for working weekends at Wynstones School hostel with a mx of 20 people.

Local groups forming.

A discussion on hand stirring and machine stirring.

Mary Haydon and Marion Swatton described the creation of a bio-dynamically based hostel for school children started from a dilapidated cottage and barn in 4 overgrown acres.