I am standing for re-election as Secretary of FoTG.
I have served two years under the new Constitution which was adopted in 2021. I have opted to resign under the rotation protocol and seek re-election early, as otherwise there will be an unseemly pile-up next year of committee members seeking re-election.
I am 67 years old and a retired City solicitor.
I have lived in Chiswick for 23 years and when I first joined FoTG, lived across the Green on Sutton Lane North. I now live on Barrowgate Road.
As secretary, my role is not just passively taking notes of meetings, but ensuring that the group is run efficiently and in accordance with its rules. I was the main instigator behind and drafter of the 2021 Constitution and believe that I am well placed to continue guiding the group thought the proper processes.
Having said that, I believe that we face a problem with the demographic of our Committee and I advised my colleagues that if anyone put themselves forward who was substantially younger and more energetic than me, I would stand aside. Our membership has increased substantially this year and I have the sense that most of our new members are under the age of 50. There is a danger that our Committee is not representative of the membership and is unable to communicate with them in the way with which they are familiar.
We particularly need people with expertise and knowledge of social media and other more modern means of communication and I am afraid that is not something I can bring to the table.
