Minutes of the
THE BRITISH SOCIETY OF CRIMINOLOGY
Annual General Meeting
University of Liverpool
11th July 2014

Present:

Loraine Gelsthorpe (President), Andrew Williams (Treasurer), Allan Brimicombe (Company Secretary), Andrew Millie (Chair, Publications Committee), Mark Simpson (Chair, Conference Committee), Nic Groombridge (Prizes Committee Chair), Anthea Hucklesby (Chair, Women, Crime and Criminal Justice Network), Charlotte Harris (BSC Executive Director), Rachel Morris (Co-Chair, Postgraduate Committee), Anna Sergi (Co-Chair, Postgraduate Committee), Stephen Parrott, Louise Westmarland, Pam Davies (Chair Victims Network), Lesley Simmonds, Serena Wright, Barry Goldson (Chair, Youth Criminology/Youth Justice Network), Pat Mungoo, Andrew Henley, Adam Snow, Ian Mahoney, Paul Norris, Peter Squires, Jude Towers, Amanda Holt, Linnéa Osterman, Sandra Browning, Azrini Wahidin (Chair Professional Affairs and Ethics Committee), Else Marie Knudsen, Kirsty McGregor

ORDINARY BUSINESS

1.  Apologies for absence

Mandy Ross (Membership Secretary), Megan O’Neill (Chair Policing Network)

2.  Report of the Directors for the year 2013

The Report of the Directors, available three weeks previously online to members and sent by post to those without internet access as per the constitution, and also available at the meeting, was approved.

3.   President’s Review of 2013/4

President Loraine Gelsthorpe drew attention to the continued work and success of the BSC – including the regional groups and specialist networks which had held many events throughout the year; the conference and postgraduate committees which had worked together with the local organising committees to hold the annual conference; and the ethics committee which continued to provide advice to individual and organisational enquirers.  The Society has 811 members and is ‘alive and kicking’ but Professor Gelsthorpe wants it to kick a bit harder this year. The Society’s journal Criminology & Criminal Justice continues to thrive and had achieved an impact factor of in 0.755 in 2012; and a number of EC members had been involved in the Criminology educational benchmarking exercise. There is a current call out for a new editorial team for CCJ – Prof. Gelsthorpe stated that the Leeds team would be a very hard act to follow; their work has been excellent.  Professor Gelsthorpe thanked the two paid members of staff Executive Director Charlotte Harris and Membership Secretary Mandy Ross – for their invaluable contribution to the continued success and viability of the Society as well as the Executive Committee members for their continued work.   Following discussions last year a survey has been developed to ask BSC members/conference delegates their views on the conference; a second survey will be circulated via email to ask for views on the BSC particularly regarding printed journals.

Professor Gelsthorpe also explained that the EC had been having discussions regarding the admission of UG members to the Society and the conference. On the one hand this was seen as a way of capacity building, but on the other there are concerns regarding the potential changing tenor and nature of the conference to teaching rather than research. These discussions were ongoing.

The regional groups/specialist networks continue to draw in membership and foster engagement; they are very active. The Postgraduate committee has gone from strength to strength with increased membership and attendance at this year’s PG pre-conference meeting. In terms of prizes, there had been several applicants for many of the prizes but none for the Brian Williams prize which would not be awarded this year. There has been involvement with the Academy of Social Sciences and continued discussions with the ESRC following members’ correspondence regarding feedback on grant applications.

4.    Treasurer’s Report for January 2012 to December 2012 (including standing order refund policy)

The Treasurer Andrew Williams thanked Charlotte Harris for preparing the accounts and Directors’ Report and reassured members that the Society was in a healthy financial position with no immediate need to increase the subscription rates, although the Society would continue to work hard to maintain and develop its income streams.  The Treasurer reminded members that three years ago at the 2011 AGM it had been agreed not to refund any further standing order payments made before 2010.  This would now be extended up to 2012.  The Society continues to receive many outdated standing order payments which as of 2009 no longer attract member benefits.  The Society cannot stop these payments; it has to be done by the account holder.  Repeated efforts have been made to contact payers and a large number of payments have been discontinued but members are asked to check their bank accounts and cancel any such standing order payment. The amounts received ranged from very small pence amounts to the larger sum of £65. The treasurer urged those present to pass on the message to their contacts asking members to check their accounts. The conference monies for the 2013 conference at Wolverhampton were down; despite this the society is still running in keeping with our plans/expenditure. The treasurer then proposed that the society was to invest reserves to receive interest. Bath Building society offers an ethical and high interest rate account. Allan Brimicombe proposed the motion with Louise Westmarland seconding it that the BSC open a savings account with the Bath Building Society. There was no opposition, the motion passed unanimously.

5.  Receipt and adoption of Statement of Accounts and Balance Sheet for the period January 2013 to December 2013

The Statement of Accounts and Balance Sheet for the period January 2013 to December 2013, available online to members three weeks prior to the AGM and sent to those without internet access, were received and adopted.

6.  Elections

Earlier in the year nominations were requested for the position of President; none were received. Therefore the clause in the constitution (para 24.5) to allow for Professor Gelsthorpe to continue as President for one year would come in to play.    The EC had proposed that Professor Gelsthorpe continue in role for a further year and she had agreed to do this.    This proposal was supported unanimously. The EC now have a search group to look for president-elect. The President confirmed that there were no contested posts and therefore the following people were confirmed as elected:

Harriet Pierpoint- Chair of Regional Networks and Specialist Networks to continue for 3 years

Anthea Hucklesby- re-elected chair of Women’s network for a further 3 years.

SPECIAL BUSINESS

7. Minutes of the last AGM  5th July 2013

These had either been sent or an email link given to all members and were accepted as an accurate record.

8.  Matters arising

There were no matters arising.

9.  Conference Matters

The Conference Committee chair Mark Simpson commented that the conference at Wolverhampton generated less income than recent conferences.   This reduction in income was the driving force for the survey to gather delegates’ views on how we can shape future conferences. Mark thanked Barry Goldson and Sandra Walklate for their work and for and their team’s hard work in organising this year’s conference. He noted that there is a flyer in delegate bags for the Plymouth conference. Once the survey results have been collated and analysed and discussed amongst the conference committee, a tender for 2016 will be circulated.

10.  BSC office and administration

There were no further matters discussed.

11. Regional groups and specialist networks

Azrini Wahidin reported that there will be a re-launch of West Midlands regional network. Peter Squires reported that the Southern regional network is hosting an event ‘Global Crime’ on September 11th 2014- all invited.  Nic Groombridge reported that the South East regional network was going swimmingly. Pamela Davies reported on behalf of colleagues not present that the North East regional network will be reinvigorated following collaboration between Durham, Teesside and Northumbria University. Pamela Davies also reported that the launch of the Victims Network which had taken place at the conference had been very successful. Anthea Hucklesby commented that the focus of the Women’s Network had been and will continue to be the setting up of the oral history project of women’s involvement in criminology and criminal justice – there will be an August/September start for interviews. Allan Brimicombe reported that the Crime and Justice Statistics network will be having their annual conference at the Home Office on the 26th September. Barry Goldson stated that the Youth Criminology/Youth Justice network had been quiet over the last year; he wants to invite colleagues to submit ideas for events etc and offers to host them. Professor Gelsthorpe commented that the Society is keen to see the development of a critical criminology and/or human rights network. Allan Brimicombe raised the point that it is great that networks are responding to calls for consultation.   Finally, Prof. Gelsthorpe stated that the Society had responded to the HEA’s call for comments regarding the use of metrics and the ESRC’s call for comments regarding its strategy.

12.  Any other business

The postgraduate bursary holders – Adam Snow, Ian Mahoney, Andrew Henley, Linnéa Ӧsterman, Kirsty McGregor, Else Marie Knudsen – introduced themselves and Postgraduate Committee co-chair Rachel Morris thanked the sponsors Hart publishing, the Home Office, Ministry of Justice, the Howard League for Penal Reform, the Higher Education Academy (Helen Jones), University of Liverpool and the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies for their support of the Society scheme. Helen Johnson and Liliana Manzano were also bursary winners who were unable to make the AGM (there were 8 winners in total).

13.  Date and venue of the next AGM

Plymouth University:  time and date to be confirmed but within the window of 30 June-3 July 2015.