The Annual General Meeting for the Southwell and District Agricultural Society took place on Monday 10th March at Southwell Rugby Club with over 50 society members in attendance.
Outgoing Chairman Pete White proudly handed over the reins of the society by presenting new Chairman Michael Hardstaff with the Chairman's Plate. Parting words from Mr White reassured the committee 'the future of our society is in safe hands'.
Full of emotion, Michael graciously received the Chairman's Plate and expressed his pride and gratitude of being presented with this incredibly sentimental award which he remembered seeing for the first time as a child displayed in his grandfather's house. The award was originally presented to Mr Frank S Jackson in the mid 1980s in appreciation of his services as Chairman of the society. Following the passing of Mr Jackson and his beloved wife, the family decided to re-introduce the Plate to the society with the wish that it be presented and passed on to each and every subsequent Chairman of the Southwell & District Agricultural Society. Mr Hardstaff expressed he 'only hopes he can live up to what generations of his own family before him have achieved'.
Outgoing Chairman Pete White began the meeting by thanking the hosts of the 2024 Southwell Ploughing Match and Show held at Oxton on Saturday 28th September by kind permission of the O'Donnell family. A gift of thanks was presented to Presidents Andrea and James O'Donnell for their continued support of the society and for once again providing a fabulous, picturesque site for the 2024 show. The O'Donnell family have kindly invited the society to host the Southwell Ploughing Match and Show at their Oxton site again in future years to come.
Mr White thanked his Vice-Chairman, Michael Hardstaff, for his continued support and wished him well as he takes over the reins as Chairman of the society. Calum Grant was also welcomed in as the new Vice-Chairman of the society. Special thanks were given to Sam Tooley, the society Secretary, who has completed her first full year in the position. Pete congratulated her on coordinating a successful 2024 show and said she has been a 'breath of fresh air' for the society with her 'can-do attitude'. Pete concluded by adding how proud and grateful he was to have led such a fantastic group of stewards and volunteers over the past two years which made his job as Chairman a genuine pleasure thanks to the high level of diligence and enthusiasm amongst the committee.
The Frank Reynolds Trophy is awarded each year at the AGM to an individual who has gone above and beyond for the benefit of the society and show over the past 12 months. This year John Jackson was presented the sentimental award for his outstanding contributions to the traffic management and show site build with particular mention of his passion for introducing the coloured-coded gate numbering system which was successfully introduced at the 2024 Oxton show. John said he was 'bowled over' by receiving this award and thanked the room of committee members for the 'great friendships' which have come with being a part of a 'great society'.
New Chairman Mr Hardstaff took to the hot seat for the remainder of the AGM to welcome annual reports from the Chief Stewards and Secretaries. Social Secretary Lottie Turner updated the committee on the society's success over the last 12 months with several well-attended social events throughout the year such as the Spring Luncheon, the Summer Party, and the Autumn Ball. Ladies' Secretary Alison Crabb praised the success of the horticulture, craft and produce section of the show which saw an increase of entries recorded at the 2024 show, as a result of an extended reach to competitors through various social media channels and the addition of the online entry system through the new show website. The charitable auction of produce which takes place at the end of the show day is always a valuable and well supported aspect of the horticulture and home produce section. At the Oxton show in 2024 a fantastic £1,100 was raised for Papyrus, a very worthwhile charity whose mission is to prevent young people from taking their own lives.
New Chairman Mr Hardstaff offered his appreciation to outgoing Chairman Pete White and presented him with a gift of thanks for his 'great leadership' and for 'steering the society ship from stormy seas to calmer waters'.
A gift was also presented to June White for her unsung support to the society and for upholding husband Pete during his time as Chairman of the society alongside her position as Chief Craft Marquee Steward, a role which she has fulfilled to a fantastic standard for a number of years.
Our Society Treasurer, Peter Lennard-Jones, stepped down from his role after years of tireless work introducing the society to the digital age! Peter's exceptional knowledge of IT and finance has been incredibly valuable during the noticeable transition from cash payments to card payments; he even played a huge part in the development of the new show website and online entry system. Peter will continue to be a part of the society committee and hopes to support other areas of the show in years to come.
County Chairman of Nottinghamshire Young Farmers Clubs, Jack Cooper, was present and thanked the society for their continued support of the local Young Farmers Clubs Federation. Jack expressed his support to new Chairman Mr Hardstaff and welcomes more opportunities for the two charitable organisations to work alongside each other for the benefit of the local farming community.
The committee stands stronger than ever with a fantastic array of skilled people from all industry backgrounds who offer tireless hours of their time for the benefit of the Southwell and District Agricultural Society and the annual peripatetic one day show. Preparations have already begun for the 2025 show. Over the past couple of weeks the grass seed has been drilled ready for the show field and horse rings while the Barley is establishing well as we patiently await the fields of stubble ready for autumn ploughing.
We hope you can join us for the 2025 Southwell Ploughing Match and Show, taking place on Saturday 27th September at Farnsfield, Nottinghamshire.
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