Annual Report of the Council for 2006

467 KENT ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY ANNUAL REPORT OF THE COUNCIL FOR 2006 The Council of the Society presents its report and statement of accounts for the year ending 31 December 2006. The Society is established to promote the study and publication of archaeology and history in all their branches, especially within the ancient county of Kent. The Society’s activities are carried out throughout the ancient county of Kent. It has no staff and its officers are only paid out-of-pocket expenses. It co-operates with its affiliated societies and the organizations to which it is affiliated or of which it is a member. In particular it co-operates with the Canterbury Archaeological Trust in promotion of education. Its activities are carried out by the Council, committees and officers. re v w Annual General Meeting: the Society’s annual general meeting was held at Canterbury on Saturday 20 May 2006 when the Council’s annual report and the accounts for 2005 were accepted and Messrs Reeves and Neylan were re-appointed auditors. The officers and members of the Council were elected; details are set out below under Legal and Administrative Information. Following the business meeting presentations were made on the work of the Victoria Local History project for Kent by Dr A. Hann, production of the Society’s Historical Atlas of Kent by Prof. D. Killingray and the painted wall plaster at the Abbey Farm Roman villa by G. Moody. Fieldwork: some members took part in the continuing excavations of the important site at Ringlemere (where the gold cup had been found) and a grant was made towards the cost of the work there. The committee continued to look at sites that might be suitable for future excavations including some at Sheldwich and Lyminge. However the main priority was to continue the post-excavation work on the Abbey Farm Roman villa site and produce reports for Archaeologia Cantiana. The resistivity meter and other equipment was loaned to other groups. ANNUAL REPORT 468 Publications: Volume cxxvi (2006) of Archaeologia Cantiana was published and maintained its usual high standard and good range of papers and book reviews. The Hadlow Manorial Survey was published on the Society’s website in advance of publication in print. Arrangements were made for Heritage Marketing & Publications Ltd to handle storage and marketing of the Society’s publications. Volumes 1 to 125 of Archaeologia Cantiana were digitised for distribution on a DVD and offered for sale to members. The Hasted Prize for the best Master’s or Doctoral thesis on a topic in Kentish history or archaeology was established for the first award to be made in 2007. Further grants were awarded from the Kent History Fund for local history publications. Churches: another series of visits to six churches was well supported by members and there was a ‘full house’ for the conference on the Manuscript Treasures of Lindisfarne and Canterbury. Historic Buildings: the new Historic Buildings Committee was established and started by considering its role and a programme of work. It started work on a leaflet to assist owners of historic buildings to research their history and carried out an inspection of a building at Shoreham that was reputed to be a detached kitchen but did not show any conclusive evidence of its use. It also assisted the Hon. Excursions Secretary with the day conference on historic buildings at Charing. Library and Collections: work continued on indexing the contents of the Torr notebooks on monumental inscriptions in Kent churches in the eighteenth century and material was provided to Bradbourne House for its new guide book. The Adult Leisure Learning courses (continuing courses discontinued by the WEA) in the Library were extended and proved popular. Articles on Kent history and other material continued to be placed on the Society’s websites including Kent Hundred Rolls, tithe schedules and wills. The www.archaeology.org.uk site had over 14,500 pages and was visited by nearly 2,000 people a day. Education: the Society continued to support Young Archaeologists Clubs and the work of the Canterbury Archaeological Trust’s Archaeology in Education Service by contributing to their running costs. The Education Service continued to promote interest in archaeology in schools, for example by extending its CAT Kits (containing samples of archaeological materials) to some schools in west Kent. It also supported the Folkestone People’s History Centre and 200 copies of the Society’s Historical Atlas of Kent were given to schools across the county. Place-names: the Committee continued to monitor work on research and publications on place-names and, in particular, support Dr Paul Cullen’s work on Volume 1 of Place-Names of Kent. ANNUAL REPORT 469 Membership: unfortunately the increase in the number of members reported for 2005 did not continue in 2006. Despite 66 new members joining during the year the total number of members dropped by 63 by the end of the year. Activities for members: a summer social visit to Boughton Monchelsea Place and a six day excursion to Northumbria were both popular events. The Newsletter continued to be produced four times a year and provide information about activities of the Society and others as well as news about archaeological work and local history in the county. Relations with other bodies: the Society appoints members or repres-entatives to a number of other organisations. Regular reports have also been received from the C.B.A. South-East and the Standing Conference on London Archaeology. The Society has regularly been represented at meetings of the Kent History Federation. re RE v IE w OF FINANCIAL ACTIvITIES AND AFFAIRS The accompanying financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2006 show the current state of the Society’s finances which its Council considers to be sound. They comply with the Council’s understanding of the current statutory requirements and the requirements of the Society’s rules. Investments: the trustees seek, in the management of their investments, a balance between income and capital growth. The Finance Committee oversees the management of the Society’s investments. The portfolio, managed by UBS Wealth Management (UK) Ltd, increased by 10.38% and now stands at £1,273,254. They currently yield 3.29%. The C.O.I.F. investments, which currently yield 2.88%, increased in value from £79,497 to £87,517. Reserves: the Council budgets each year to spend a sum considerably in excess of current income and tries to maintain reserves appropriate to allow this to continue. The Society relies on its officers and other members giving their time freely to organise its activities. Without those contributions it would have to spend a substantial sum on salaries. Allen Grove Local History Fund: the Society administers the Allen Grove Local History Fund which was given in the will of the late Allen Grove. Its objects are to promote research, preservation and enjoyment of local history. These objects are consistent with those of the Society. It is a restricted fund and is invested separately from the Society’s other ANNUAL REPORT 470 investments. In accordance with the terms of the legacy, decisions on how the fund is to be spent are taken by the Society’s officers. During the year four grants totalling £1,140 were awarded towards the costs of producing publications on local history and buying equipment. legal LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIve INFORMATION The Society is a charity registered with the Charity Commission under number 223382. It is an unincorporated association governed by its rules which are published in Archaeologia Cantiana from time to time and copies of which can be obtained from the Hon. General Secretary. It is also registered as a charity with the Inland Revenue which has made a direction under section 201 of the Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988 which permits certain members (generally those whose employment is related to the Society’s activities) to obtain income tax relief on their subscriptions to the Society; further details can be obtained from the Hon. General Secretary. The principal address of the Society is The Museum, St Faith’s Street, Maidstone, Kent, ME14 1LH. However, correspondence should be addressed to the relevant officer. The governing body of the Society is the Council whose members are its charity trustees and are elected by the members of the Society at its annual general meeting in May each year. During the period covered by this report they were: C. R. Pout President A. I. Moffat Hon. General Secretary R. G. Thomas Hon. Treasurer S. Broomfield Hon. Membership Secretary F. H. Panton Hon. Librarian & Vice President T. G. Lawson Hon. Editor J. Saynor Hon. Excursions Secretary M. C. W. Still Hon. Curator C. W. Chalklin V vice President E. Melling V vice President *** P.E. Oldham V vice President ** J. Whyman V vice President D. G. Anstey D. Bacchus M. Berg ** D.A.H. Cleggett *** E. P. Connell J. M. Gibson P. A. Harlow R. Higgs K.H. Kersey ** M.T. Lawrence *** R. F. Le Gear A. Richardson S.M. Sweetinburgh ** C.P. Ward S.H. Willis ** * Denotes re-elected at the AGM on the 20 May 2006; ** Newly elected at the AGM on 20 May 2006; *** Retired at the AGM on 20 May 2006. ANNUAL REPORT 471 The officers (other than the Vice Presidents) hold office for one year, the Vice Presidents hold office for seven years and the other members for four years. The Society’s main agents and advisers are: Bankers: National Westminster Bank plc, 3 High Street, Maidstone, Kent, ME14 1XU Auditors: Reeves & Neylan, 37 St Margaret’s Street, Canterbury, Kent, CT1 2TU Stockbrokers: UBS Wealth Management (UK) Ltd, 1 Curzon Street, London, W1J 5UB Stockbrokers’ nominee company holding the Society’s investments: Productive Nominees Ltd, 1 Curzon Street, London, W1J 5UB The Society’s activities are restricted by the terms of its objects set out elsewhere in this report. In particular its area of benefit is mainly (but not exclusively) the ancient county of Kent which is considered to be the administrative County of Kent, Medway Council and the London Boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Greenwich and part of Lewisham. The Society’s investment powers are those given by the general law; its rules do not give it any special investment powers. The Council has delegated some of its investment powers to UBS Wealth Management (UK) Ltd in accordance with a scheme made by the Charity Commissioners on 18 April 1994. A. I. Moffat, Hon. General Secretary on behalf of the Council 17 February 2007