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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. </p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm">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. </p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm">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. </p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm">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. </p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm">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). </p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm">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. </p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm">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.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm">With best wishes</p>
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<div class="moz-signature">-- <br>
<b>Adrian Fowle<br>
Chairman, Bromley Art Society<br>
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