The Gazette 1980

GAZETTE

JULY-AUGUST

Half-yearly General Meeting of the Society

held at the headquarters of the Society, Blackhall Place, Dublin 7,

on Friday, 2nd May, 1980

The meeting was called to order by the President Mr.

Walter Beatty, at 10 a.m. precisely. The list of members

present is recorded in the Attendance Book. The Director

General, Mr. James J. Ivers, was also in attendance.

WELCOME

Mrs. Moya Quinlan,

Senior Vice-President of the

Society and President of the Dublin Solicitors Bar

Association, warmly welcomed the delegates in Irish and

in English.

NOTICE OF MEETING

The notice convening the Meeting, having been

circulated, was taken as read.

MINUTES

The Minutes of the Annual General Meeting held at

Blackhall Place, Dublin, on the 25th November 1979,

having also been duly circulated were likewise taken as

read at the suggestion of the President, Mr. Walter

Beatty.

PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS

The President of the Society,

Mr. Walter Beatty,

then

delivered his presidential address, which is reported at

page 73 of this issue of the Gazette.

SUPERANNUATION SCHEME — PROGRESS

REPORT

The Progress Report was read by

Mr. Maurice

Curran,

Chairman Finance Committee. The details are at

page 74 in the Gazette.

AMENDMENTS TO THE SOCIETY'S BYE LAWS

In the absence of Mr. A. Smyth, on his nomination,

Mr. John

Buckley

proposed and

Mrs. Moya Quinlan

seconded a motion that Bye Law 28 be amended to read

as follows:—

"The President and Vice-Presidents, with such other

number not to be less than seven, of members of the

Society (but not of the Council), as may be determined by

the Council from time to time to be nominated by the

Chairman of the previous Meeting, together with the

Director General, shall be Scrutineers of the Ballot (three

forming a quorum), and have charge of the Ballot boxes,

which, after the close of the Poll are to be sealed by the

Scrutineers of the Ballot, and remain sealed until the

scrutiny shall commence."

Introducing the motion The President indicated that

the Council had nominated the following Scrutineers:—

Messrs. P. D.M. Prentice, J. R. C. Green and P. C.

Moore.

The amendment was passed unanimously.

Mr. John F. Buckley

then proposed and

Mrs. Moya

Quinlan

seconded an amendment of Bye Law 33 as

follows:—

That Bye Law 33 be amended by the insertion of the

words "and standing committee meetings" after the

words "council meetings" in the said Bye Law and that

Schedule 'C' to the Bye Laws be amended by the addition

of the following columns

Maximum number of

attendances at standing committee meetings during past

year.

(When this column is blank the candidate is not a

member of out-going council).

Actual Number of

attendances at Standing Committee Meetings during past

year.

(When this column is blank the candidate is not a

member of out-going council).

Mr. Buckley in proposing the motion said that its

object was to give a credit to those members of the

Society who are actually doing the most work. The

Council meetings were generally held in an afternoon and

because of improvement in procedures and methods now

rarely occupied more than one and a half to two hours.

The actual day to day working of the Society was carried

out by Standing Committees meeting frequently during

the year and it was right that Council members attending

those meetings should get credit for their attendance. The

Council Meetings owed their great efficiency to the work

of the Standing Committees.

Mrs. Moya Quinlan

supported the motion.

Mr.

Laurence K. Shields

said Standing Committee meetings

took place on days other than many Council Meetings

and to that effect most of the work of sub-committees

was carried out by a few members who got no

recognition for their work. Most of the work fell on the

shoulders of some members only.

Mr. Frank D.

Daly,

opposed the motion. He agreed that the Dublin members

carry a greater burden but that was due in the main to

their availability. If members from Cork, Donegal, and

Kerry, for example were to attend, they would have to give

up a complete day and while they were quite willing to do

their share they were at an obvious disadvantage. He feared

that if the motion were carried in its present form it would

result in the polarisation of the profession as between Dublin

members and Country members.

Mr. David Pigot

said that

he basically agreed with the motion but he thought Mr.

Daly's point was valid. The practicality of the matter was

that the Standing Committee meetings could not be confined

to Council days. There were also to be considered other

committees which did not function as Standing Committees,

for example, those dealing with accountancy regulations,

conveyancing matters and so forth. Mr. Brendan Allen, also

opposed the motion.