December Meeting / A.G.M.
Heather welcomed everyone to the meeting and presented the President's report for 2013 ...
"Contributions from our members helped our club to keep running for another year! A very special thank you to Peter Poortman who has produced our newsletters, organised our suppers, produced Poirieria 2013, continues to be our website convenor, organised and ran our Shell Show and organised our Shell Auction. We really do appreciate all your work Peter. Thank you to Michael Barlow our Secretary/Treasurer for sorting out subscriptions, counting the money and all the work involved with the Shell Auctions. Thank you to Luen Jones our Librarian who is constantly sorting books. Thank you to Patricia Langford for editing Poirieria. Thank you to Margaret Morley for holding the fort at meetings in my absences. Thank you to Martin Walker who did an outstanding job as auctioneer at our Shell Auction. Finally thank you to those who arrive early for meetings and put out the chairs and tables and pack them away again after the meeting and all members who contribute in some way."

Michael Barlow presented the Treasurers report which showed that the Club was in a healthy financial state, despite as small financial loss for the year. As a cost cutting initiative, members will now be given the option of receiving the monthly newsletters in softcopy format (PDF) rather than by post.

Club officers for 2014 were confirmed as unchanged from last year ...

After the formalities were completed, Heather gave us a slide-show presentation of her two and a half month trip to Australia last year.
The trip began in July with a flight to Rockhampton where she met up with Jenny Raven and drove to Yeppoon to visit their old friend Ena Coucom. They participated in the Keppel Bay Shell Show, then along with twin sister Alison travelled to Great Keppel Island. They hiked, swam, and shell collected there for one week before Jenny returned to NZ.
Heather and Alison travelled to Gladstone where they joined members of the Brisbane Shell Club for a one week collecting trip on the Great Barrier Reef. They visited Lady Musgrove Island, Bolt Reef, and Lamont Reef aboard the boat Western Voyager. The following week Heather visited friends, did some bird watching, and also attended a memorial service for Trevor Appleton.
Heather and Alison then hired a small camper van in Perth, and began a 7000km tour of Western Australia. In the first week they drove south through Margaret River, Augusta, Tree Tops, Albany, Hyde, Wave Rock, then back to Perth. The next four weeks were spent travelling north to Broome. Highlights were The Pinnacles, Rainbow Bird Park in Kalbarri National Park, Stromatolites at Monkey Mia, swimming with a Whale Shark at Exmouth, and a shell wash-up 1km inland (the result of hurricane Vance in 1999), 80 Mile Beach and Beagle Bay north of Broome.
Other memorable sights were termite mounds, road trains, and grey nomads. It was not a holiday that they would recommend for everyone, but they loved the remoteness, the driving, the coast, the birds, and the experience.
The evening concluded with our traditional Christmas supper.

The February meeting is CANCELLED because most of us will be away.
Next Meeting – Tuesday 11th March
Epsom Community Centre, 202 Gillies Avenue, Epsom at 7:30pm (doors open at 7pm)

The focus will be on landsnails. Please bring in a display from your collection.
Also bring in any new finds or additions to your collections, and any shells that you may need identified.

Subscriptions for 2014
These are now due as per the attached Statement/Invoice. Please respond to the questionaire on whether you would be happy to receive the newsletters in softcopy format (PDF) instead of printed format.
Contact our Treasurer Michael Barlow on (09) 623 3231 if you have any queries.

Poirieria Magazine
We welcome contributions to our club magazine "Poirieria".
Anything related to shells or collecting would be greatly appreciated - Eg. shelling trips/finds, personal observations/tips, scientific research, historic anecdotes, a notable washup, etc.
Please email articles to Peter Poortman at petermwp@gmail.com, or post to 26 Pendlebury Street, Green Bay, Auckland 0604.

Club Library
We have an extensive collection of books, magazines, and scientific publications available, as well as a biological microscope.

Other News
. Heather again did us proud by winning, among many other prizes, the coveted COA (Conchologists of America) award at the Keppel Bay Shell Show in Yeppoon last year. This award, for her amazing 'Shells with Stamps' display, honours the exhibit which best advances interest in shells and shell collecting.

. Long time club member Fiona Thompson had a stroke on Christmas Eve. Her left arm and shoulder were worst affected, and her speech is slightly slurred. However, she is in remarkably good spirits, and would be very happy to have visitors.

. Richard (Dick) Kilburn, one of South Africa's foremost malacologists, passed away somewhat suddenly on 26 July 2013 at the age of 71. An obituary and also a bibliography and listing of the taxa described by him and named in his honour are available on our website.

. Dick Petit, an accomplished malacologist and world authority on Cancellariidae, passed away on 31 Dec 2013. Dick was also renowned for his enormous grasp of malacology literature.

. Items of interest for the monthly newsletter are always welcome - email to petermwp@gmail.com, or post to Peter Poortman, 26 Pendlebury Street, Green Bay, Auckland 0604.

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