[BAS Newsletter] BAS - long past and very near future

[Adrian Fowle (BAS Chairman)]

Sometime in 2004 I went from zero interest in art to wanting to create 
it. I bought a slim “how to paint” book and set to work. About a year 
later I plucked up courage to join Bromley Art Society. I imagined 
hordes of blue-rinsed ladies looking down their noses at my pathetic 
efforts, but of course I found the opposite. A warm reception, plenty of 
encouragement and patient help. Something I hope we still provide for 
newcomers.

In 2007 I created the society’s first website, a result of a much older 
hobby. I was co-opted on to the committee very soon afterwards – I 
should have seen that coming! - and I have remained there ever since. 
That’s nearly a quarter of my life. I became Chairman at the AGM on 5 
February 2016 when I succeeded Brenda Sayburn. That’s 10% of my life as 
your Chairman.

Much has changed. Our “Admin” has gradually moved on line. Brenda 
herself, and more recently Jan Wilson had to learn new ways of working 
to do this, and I pay tribute to their efforts. Thankfully I am no 
longer the only IT literate person on the committee and we have a better 
website, after some diversions, mainly due to Paul Stringfellow, Deborah 
Masters and Jules Pew. We have moved from traditional glass slides to 
digital projection with a camera for live events, thanks to the services 
over many years of David Goodier. Early in my chairmanship we faced a 
schism over our values, which we seem to have overcome. Many of you will 
remember our weekend exhibitions in BEECHE at High Elms which were the 
result of a more or less chance encounter I had with the head ranger. I 
always thought of them as “guerrilla exhibitions” because of the 
lightening way we set them up and then collapsed them, but I suppose 
“pop up exhibition” is what others would call them now.

Then there was Covid and we moved completely online. There was so much 
chat during one of Colin Barnett’s demonstrations that we created a new 
type of event “Art Matters” for online discussions via Zoom, which has 
been very popular. For better or worse, as your medically qualified 
chairman I was asked to pronounce on our Covid rules.

I remain a doctor working full time and of course Covid has kept me busy 
elsewhere. I have hugely enjoyed my time on the committee and as 
Chairman, and I am honoured to have had your confidence that long. It is 
time for me to step down now, so that someone with fresh ideas can take 
the society forward (and I might have time to paint something).

The committee has shrunk in recent years, which was not too bad during 
Covid, but won’t do as the Society seeks to resume its former life. 
There are too many jobs undertaken by the same very small core. I have 
noticed that in many societies, both amateur and professional, only 
about 10% of the members are willing to help run the society. This year 
marks our 75th anniversary, but we won’t make the 76th unless more of 
you step forward to help. It would really be a shame if it collapsed, 
because BAS has been such a vibrant and enterprising society throughout 
its existence.

The committee needs people with a range of talents, so all of you have 
something to offer. Without wishing to sound pompous about it, if I 
could find the time as a working doctor, surely many of you could also? 
Please don’t let BAS down. If you want to discuss it, you know where to 
find me.

With best wishes

-- 
*Adrian Fowle
Chairman, Bromley Art Society


*
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