There have been some changes on the Executive Committee over the last few months. It was with enormous regret that we bid farewell on the Executive Committee to Jenny Hislop our Honorary Secretary who has gone ‘walkabout’, quite literally, in the Pyrenees prior to her return to her beloved Oxford in the Autumn. She was an excellent Secretary, gently but firmly cajoling us to produce our Working Party reports and points for discussion in good time before each meeting. She got to grips with the membership database, and in collaboration with Rachel Pitman, has kept abreast of membership renewal, new members and set in motion chasing up lapsed members. I add my personal thanks to that of the Executive Committee and the BSG membership for all her hard work, both as Secretary-Elect and then in her role as Honorary Secretary.

Wendy Martin, the Secretary-Elect, has gallantly stepped in early and is now not only Honorary Secretary of BSG, but co-editor of Generations Review on-line AND a member of the organising committee for the BSG annual conference in Reading in July 2010. She could not possibly have volunteered for these momentous tasks had not the members agreed at the last AGM to our seeking paid administrative support for the Executive Committee, in particular, the three principal officers. At the last Executive Committee meeting it was agreed that we would seek sponsorship for a full time administrator who would take over key aspects of the BSG administration including membership renewal, external enquiries, media enquiries and conference liaison. Seeking sponsorship and finding the right person to fill the post will take time, so we have come up with an interim plan. We will engage a temporary freelance consultant for 10 hours a week for six months in the first instance, renewable until the permanent administrator is in place. The tasks will include preparation for the Executive Committee meetings and minute taking. S/he will continue the work started by Jenny, of identifying and writing to lost members as well as overseeing the next renewal process, and welcoming new members. Hopefully the person will be in place by the Bristol 2008 conference and we will report our progress at the AGM.

Tony Maltby resigned from the Executive Committee in March. He has contributed greatly to the BSG Executive as Treasurer 1996-2002 and more recently on the Exec. I count him as a good friend and colleague and am delighted that he remains active within the Society, administering the prestigious Alan Walker Prize.

BSG Fellowships

In January I reported that I was approaching some of the luminaries of the BSG to become ‘Founding Fellows’ in 2008 and subsequently to make up a panel to award further BSG fellowships. I’m pleased to let you know that the following members have agreed to ‘start the ball rolling’ for the Society:

Dennis Bromley

Bill Bytheway

Eileen Fairhurst

Mary Gilhooly

Malcolm Johnson

Leonie Kellaher

Alan Lipman

Mary Marshall

Yvonne Neville

Chris Phillipson

Patrick Rabbitt

Anthea Tinker

Tony Warnes

It’s only when you read a list like this, that you realise what a wealth of wisdom and experience is in the membership of BSG. I plan to hold a short inauguration ceremony at Bristol 2008 and will of course encourage as many as possible to attend the conference.

BSG – ERA

I would like to pay special tribute to the outgoing and current Chairs of our student and emerging researchers group. I was a mature student, as are many in the field of postgraduate research into ageing, and I found the camaraderie and supportive atmosphere of BSG to be the most beneficial aspect of my membership. Kelly Fitzgerald and Karen Baker built on the foundations set by Ingrid Eyers and colleagues and took us to another level. Ian Sidney has taken us into another stratosphere with his excellent two day conference at Brunel University in May 2008, hosted by Mary Gilhooly, and attended by no less a person than Heinz Wolff. The BSG cup runneth over! A passion from my early days as Secretary was to imbue BSG with overt ‘student friendliness’, and after lots of hard work, support from many colleagues (especially Keele in the last year or so), I think we are there. So, congratulations to all involved and thank you for realising my dream.

Constitution

As agreed at the last AGM, we have amended the Constitution to reflect the recent changes in structure of the Executive Committee of the BSG. These have been agreed by the Executive Committee and copies will be tabled at the Bristol AGM for your information. Once agreed by the Charity Commissioners, they will be uploaded to the web site.

Farewell(ish)

This is my last report as President of the BSG and it seems fitting (if not ironic) that Bristol was the venue of my first conference as Honorary Secretary in 1997 and will be my last as President. It is also my home town, where I was born and grew up, and where my family continue to live. In the intervening 11 years, I have spent only one off the Executive Committee having been either co-opted or an officer. It has been a life changing experience for me and without the BSG, my academic career would not have been as fascinating and engaging. I have been privileged to get to know so many wonderful people in the field of gerontology both nationally and internationally.

However, my commitment to BSG will not end at the AGM on 5 September. As Past President I will be representing the Society as the international liaison member. I have been elected to the AGE UK platform as UK substitute member for AGE council in Brussels, and will attend the relevant meetings, and report back to the Executive Committee. I will be representing Judith at GSA in 2008 as she will be in Fremantle, forging new links and collaboration at the Australian Association of Gerontology. I recently met with Sarah Harper at the Oxford Institute of Ageing (OIA) with a view to setting up BSG and OIA links to tap into their expertise on global ageing issues, and in particular the AFRAN: the African Research and Ageing Network. OIA also have close links with the Far East, and although we are now enjoy a good profile in Europe and North America, there are serious gaps in our knowledge base about other regions. I hope to report more on this at the AGM.

And on that note, I hope to see as many of you as possible at the conference in Bristol where I hand the Presidency over to the very wise leadership and safe hands of Professor Judith Phillips.