January 2017 Court meeting and lunch at Stationers Hall - agenda and discussions held

Whilst I have plenty of experience of chairing meetings in a range of organisations there is nothing quite like a Court Meeting to make the pulse race!

This is in no small part because members of the Court are, or have been highly successful individuals in their own right, often holding very senior positions. So being faced with 35 of them, (if all present), is daunting to say the least.

My first Court meeting on 11th January had a very full and varied agenda which included; the introduction of our new Clerk Fiona Sedgwick who commences on March 1st, the agreement to invite both the Recorder of London to become a Liveryman given his status in the City and also Philip Grant in recognition of his 10 years of service as our Learned Clerk.

Each Committee Chairmen reported on key issues discussed during the December Committee meetings. For example; the decision to pursue the re-establishment of Apprenticeships for people working in the needle industry in conjunction with City and Guilds during the Industry Committee, the recommendation of the Membership Committee that the three individuals interviewed be brought into the Livery, and from the Charity Committee that the donation schedule and guidelines for charity liaison Liverymen be adopted. In addition the Charitable Fund Accounts for the year ended 30th September and The General Fund Accounts for the same period were agreed.

At each Court meeting our Almoner draws our attention to those Liverymen who have been unwell since we last met. We were pleased to note that all were making good progress.

It is our tradition to award our Past Master with their Past Masters badge and certificate at the first Court meeting of the year. I was delighted to give Martyn Chase his given the success of his year.

Our meeting concluded with the clothing of a new Liveryman Dr Mark Downs, we look forward to getting to know him during events in the future.

Dame Elizabeth Fradd - Master

The Court meeting was followed by lunch at which the guest speaker was Barbara Gelb OBE, Chief Executive of Together for Short Lives.