Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Deputy Edward Lord, Judge Hugh Stubbs, Raymond Layard and Brigadier David Ross.

The Chairman, Mr Herbage, Alderman Redcliffe and Mr Seaton declared that they were all members of the City Livery Club.

The minutes of the previous meeting held on 12 September 2012 were approved and agreed as a correct record.

Election of Auditors (page 4) – The Assistant Town Clerk reminded the Committee that there had been a possibility, in June 2012, that there might have been a contest regarding the Election of Auditors. This had promoted Officers to review the qualifications required by a candidate standing for election and to possibly review this going forward.

The Assistant Town Clerk went on to report that a paper recommending several changes was approved by this Committee in September of last year and, subsequently, by Common Hall in October. Members were informed that it was hoped, at this point, that a new Act of Common Council bringing these changes into effect would be in place for Common Hall 2013 however, due to the workload of the City’s legal team, this was not now going to be possible.

The Assistant Town Clerk assured the Committee that this was still very much a work in progress but that it would not be advisable to hastily draft this important piece of legislation. He added that, Common Hall had now made clear what it would like to see going forward and that this could, therefore, be trialled in 2013.

Members were informed that the Chamberlain was content with the current arrangements and that the City had now adopted a different, more transparent approach to publishing its City’s Cash accounts. It was hoped that the new legislation would come into effect in 2014.

Opportunity for the Private Secretary, the Town Clerk and the General Purposes Committee of Aldermen to update the Livery Committee on current issues.

The Private Secretary and Alderman Sir Michael Savory updated the Committee on current issues.

William Chapman – Private Secretary

New Year Honours List

The Private Secretary referred to the late Lord Mayor, Alderman Sir David Wootton’s knighthood awarded in the 2013 New Year’s Honours. He also gave mention to the Swordbearer (Lt. Col. Richard Martin’s) MBE. He stated that Mansion House were delighted to learn of both awards.

New Swordbearer / Senior Programme Manager

The Private Secretary reported that the newly appointed Swordbearer, James North, was currently accompanying the Lord Mayor on several visits but hoped to be a frequently attender at future Livery Committee meetings.

Chamber Organ

The Private Secretary reported that Mansion House were to present the Queen with a Chamber Organ as a gift to mark the anniversary of her Coronation. Members were informed that the organ would be taken to Westminster Abbey in late 2013 but it was hoped that good use would be made of it until this time. The Private Secretary reported that the organ was now therefore available for use at Livery Dinners and functions to be held at the Mansion House in the coming months.

Lord Mayor’s Annual Address to the Livery

The Private Secretary reported that Mansion House were now planning to continue to give the Livery adequate notice of the date for this address each year as had been done in 2012.

Livery Masters’ Dinner

The Private Secretary encouraged Members to contact the Mansion House speechwriters if they had any creative content for the Lord Mayor’s speech at this year’s Dinner in March.

LMLT /RLM

The Private Secretary reported that Mansion House had encountered some problems over the past 6 months with regards to either a Lord Mayor Locum Tenens (LMLT) or Representative Lord Mayor (RLM) attending various Livery events

The Chairman of each of the Working Groups to report on the work of their group since the last meeting:-

(A)  Communications        -    Sheriff Nigel Pullman (Report attached)

(B)  Livery Companies       -    John Spanner to be heard

(C) Livery Skills Council     -    Ian Seaton to be heard

(D) Livery Schools Link     -    Paul Herbage to be heard

(A) COMMUNICATIONS

The Chairman of the Livery Communications Working Group reported that the next City Briefing was scheduled to take place next week at the Guildhall. He encouraged those on the Committee to continue to do all that they could to promote these events going forward and to nominate suitable attendees from their own companies.

He went on to report that both the Clerks’ Briefing and the Wardens’ & Court Assistants’ City Course had been a great success last year and that both of these events would now be moving to the Guildhall for 2013 and beyond.

The Chairman also reported on the After Dinner Speaking Course for Future Masters which was scheduled for next week and was now in its second year. He was pleased to report that this was, once again, fully subscribed. It was suggested that the Chairman might, in the future, consider repeating the Course twice yearly. A Member also suggested that a short, ten minute, slot on public speaking might usefully be included within future City Briefing sessions.

Finally, the Chairman of the Communications Working Group, referred to a recent piece by an IT Liverymen detailing the kind of things that new Liverymen might like to know. He stated that he had found this to be a very interesting and comprehensive piece of work and hoped that it would be more widely circulate once it had been finalised. In response to questions, a Member, who had had early sight of this document stated that, once finalised, it would be web based and it was hoped that Clerks would then publish and promote this as widely as possible.

(B) LIVERY COMPANIES

The Chairman of the Livery Companies Working Group reported that he had recently been in contact with Phillip Grant, the Secretary of the Fellowship of Clerks,

The City Livery Club will be celebrating its centenary in 2013/14 when the President is likely to be Alderman Neil Redcliffe. The Club have drawn up a proposal that, as part of the celebration, they should launch the ‘City Livery Club Centenary Award’ which would be an annual award for an outstanding Liveryman.

The attached paper gives details of the proposal in which the City Livery Club are seeking the approval of the Livery Committee and our support on the judging panel.

The Committee considered a paper regarding the City Livery Club Centenary Award.

The Chairman reported that this was a new award introduced to celebrate the City Livery Club’s Centenary in 2014. He clarified that they were not seeking financial support from the Livery Committee but were seeking its participation in terms of judging.

A Member, who was also likely to be President of the City Livery Club during its centenary year in 2014. He stated that the Club were now looking to the future and were keen to put something of value in place and raise the profile of the Livery movement, the City Livery Club and the excellent work of individual Liverymen. He went on to inform the Committee that a Centenary dinner would be held at the Guildhall in June 2014 and it was hoped that the first award could be presented at this event.

The Chairman highlighted that nominations for the award could come from Livery Companies or from individuals.

The Committee stated that they were happy to endorse the award as detailed and to agree to the Chairman of the Livery Committee or a nominated representative sitting on the judging panel.

The Town Clerk to advise that the terms for which the following Members were appointed on the Committee are due to expire in June 2013:-

Alderman Neil Redcliffe

Deputy Robin Eve

Deputy Edward Lord

Raymond Blaber

Richard Lewis

Brigadier Robert Pridham

Brigadier David Ross

The Members listed above, with the exception of Deputy Robin Eve are eligible for reappointment.

The Town Clerk advised Members that the terms for which the following Members were appointed to the Committee were due to expire in June 2013:

                                    Alderman Neil Redcliffe

                                    Deputy Robin Eve

                                    Deputy Edward Lord

                                    Raymond Blaber

                                    Richard Lewis

                                    Brigadier Robert Pridham

                                    Brigadier David Ross

The Town Clerk advised that, all of the Members listed, with the exception of Deputy Robin Eve, were eligible for reappointment for a final three year term.

Members were informed that the Town Clerk would be writing to all of the nominating bodies at the end of this month to inform them of the terms of each of these members. Any appointments or re-appointments to the Committee would then be made at Common Hall in June in the usual way.

To consider a report of the Chairman.

The Chairman of the Livery Committee reported on events since the last meeting. He began by adding his own congratulations to those who had received an Honour in Her Majesty’s New Year Awards (the late Lord Mayor - Alderman Sir David Wootton, His Honour Judge Peter Beaumont QC CBE – The Recorder of London, Michael Henderson-Begg CC MBE and Lt Col. Richard Martin MBE).

The Chairman went on to comment on the arrangements for the Election of Lord Mayor at Common Hall in October. He reported that the new arrangements that had been introduced in 2012 in an attempt to shorten the proceedings had been very well received. He added that he had, however, received some comments regarding the overcrowding of the cloakroom area in the Guildhall Art Gallery after the event. The Town Clerk undertook to feed these comments back to the Remembrancer and to look at what improvements might be made in future years.

The Chairman reported on several recent exhibitions including the Turners’ Company ‘Wizardy in Wood’ exhibit in October 2012 and the Worshipful Company of Bowyers Exhibition which was currently being held in the Guildhall Library. The Chairman reported that the Bowyers Exhibit was intended to be a prototype for other Companies to hold similar exhibitions in this space in the future. He highlighted that the Gardeners’ were now planning to exhibit here from May-July 2013, the Basketmakers’ in September 2013 and the Needlemakers’ from February – April 2014.

Members were reminded of the successful ‘Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Mark’ exhibition held in the Guildhall Art Gallery last summer. The Chairman stated that Geoffrey Bond had now contacted him to say that the Company formed for this project was now to be maintained under the strapline ‘Treasures of the Livery Companies’. Members were informed

To consider any other business that the Chairman considers urgent.

June Committee Meeting

The Chairman reported that he had invited Mr Peter Taylor of the Goldsmiths’ Company to address the Committee on the new Goldsmith’s Centre at today’s meeting but he had, unfortunately, been unable to attend. However, Mr Taylor had now suggested that the Livery Committee visit the Centre in the near future.

The Chairman suggested that the next Livery Committee be held at the Centre on Wednesday 12 June 2013. The Town Clerk undertook to make the necessary arrangements and to contact members in due course.

Alderman Sir Michael Savory

The Chairman reported that this would be Alderman Savory’s last Livery Committee meeting. He reported on the Alderman’s long civic career and his role as former Lord Mayor. He went on to thank Sir Michael for his many years of distinguished service to the Livery Committee and, on behalf of the Committee, wished him a very long and happy retirement.

Alderman Savory thanked the Chairman for his kind words and highlighted how much he had enjoyed his time on the Livery Committee.