Auckland Shell Club
(Conchology Section, Auckland Museum Institute)

 		Website: http://www.aucklandshellclub.net.nz/
President: Martin Walker, 137 Ireland Rd, Panmure, Auckland 1060. Ph: 570 1797 martini@xnet.co.nz

Newsletter - June 2015

Extraordinary General Meeting on 11/May/2015 
We had a successful meeting and adopted the new Constitution and Rules. The minutes of that meeting are appended way down below.
Your Committee is thinking about our website and input is welcomed. We are also exploring a couple of options as venues for hosting our, now less-regular, meetings. Both are quite central in location. Also exploring our future interactions with the Museum.
Don’t forget our upcoming Shell Auction, on Labour Weekend Saturday 24th October at the Albany Hall. Please send your lot lists (initial limit of 20 lots) to Peter at aucklandshellclub@gmail.com before the end of August.
If you want a Field Trip then please go ahead, research it, suggest it, and organise it with your Committee’s assistance.
This year’s AGM is booked for Thursday 10th December at 7 pm at Epsom Community Centre.
Our website’s News / Discussion Forum  is where we can share shell related information, or ask a question. Here are the items currently posted:    (heavily abridged, use the links to go to the website for the full version).
•	Identification of foreign bivalve required - 1 entry, on 14/May/2015 
•	Invitation to the 2016 Australian National Shell Show, Brisbane - 1 entry, on 14/May/2015 
•	E.G.M. 11/May/2015 - New Constitution and Rules - 1 entry, on 14/May/2015 
•	Peggy Town passed away on 7/Apr/2015 - 1 entry, on 2/May/2015 
•	NZ Post stamp issue - Native Seashells - 1 entry, on 17/Apr/2015 
•	Extraordinary General Meeting on 10/Feb/2015 - 1 entry, on 12/Feb/2015
The Market Place at the website is where you can list shell related items for sale or free or post your want-lists. Here are some snippets:   (heavily abridged, use the links to go to the website for the full version).
•	For Sale: Worldwide Shell Collection…… the lifetime collection of Mrs Betty Boyers. Mostly from the Pacific, but also a significant number of NZ shells……….
•	For Free: Small shell boxes. Various sizes ranging from 50x60mm, 100x60mm, 100x120mm, and some extra large ones too. ……... 
•	For Sale: Shell Show display cases. Various sizes. Black, with glass lids…………
•	For Sale: 4 x shell storage/display units as follows ... 1. 840 mm wide, 600mm deep, 700mm high unit with 5 trays with framed glass lids….etc etc
•	Wanted to Buy: The following NZ collected shells ... . Bursa verrucosa , . Tutufa bufo …….
Also to be found in our website:
•	Links - shell related websites for identification, reference, commerce, etc. 
•	Register of Largest NZ Shells - let us know if you have the largest NZ shell of any species….. 
•	Club Newsletters - monthly issues back to Feb/2000. 
•	Poirieria Magazine - list of contents back to Nov/1940. 
•	Committee Contact List 
•	Members Contact List 
And remember to tell any “somewhat interested” people you meet that our membership is now free, simply register by emailing your name, address, and phone number to aucklandshellclub@gmail.com. 
All the best for now, 
Martin.

                                                                       Auckland  Shell  Club
                               Conchology Section, Auckland Museum Institute.

Minutes of the Extrordinary General Meeting held at Epsom Community Centre on Monday 11th May 2015.

The meeting commenced at 7.40pm
1.  President  Martin Walker welcomed members.
2. Present:      Martin Walker, Lyn Gumm, Michael Barlow, Heather Smith, Peter Poortman, Rosa Tyson
                         Margaret Morley, Eugene Wong-Doe, Alan Peterson, Nick Britton, Jocelyn & Gordon Nicholson
                         Glenys & Kelvin Stace, (Kelvin non-voting) Andrew Spurgeon, Betty Headford, Nancy Smith,
16 members were present, the quorum is 15, therefore the meeting was quorate.
3. Apologies:  Geoff Foreman, Phillip Howe,  Leo Sim, Jenny Raven, Kris Wood, Selwyn Bracegirdle,
                          Derrick & Ann Crosby, Bruce Hayward, Tony & Jenny Enderby, Hamish Spencer, Eric Scott,
                          Connor Seakins, Neville Hudson, Wilma Blom, Doug & Judith Snook, Luen Jones, Norm Potter
                          Mike Eagle.
4. Minutes of the last meeting held at Auckland Museum Tuesday 10th February 2015 were accepted as read.  Proposed Glenys Stace, seconded Heather Smith.
5. Martin gave a summary of the changes which have been made to the Constitution and Rules, and asked for any last-minute commentary, it not being possible to alter the remit about to be put.
Peter Poortman voiced his one concern that if members are required to confirm their membership on-line each year we may lose many members. Discussion followed with ideas on how members might be encouraged to make this annual contact.
Rosa Tyson inquired about the club library and the books which have been part of it.  Heather Smith explained that at the last club meeting, the books had been sorted into 3 categories: Wilma Blom was given the material she deemed useful for the Auckland Museum Library, another portion will be auctioned at the club’s auction in October, and the remainder were given to members present at the meeting.
6. Martin proposed that the remit regarding a new Constitution and Rules, be put:
Remit 2015/1: That we adopt the new Constitution and Rules as circulated with this Notice of EGM. 
Moved: M.Walker Seconded: H.Smith	Carried unanimously.
Glenys Stace proposed a vote of thanks to Martin Walker and the working group for the time and work put 
into writing the new Constitution and rules, seconded Alan Peterson. Carried.
7. Before the EGM closed members were invited to comment on the new format and future of the club. 
Martin Walker:  Good website important but looks forward to still having physical meetings when we can organise them. Also field trips.
Rosa Tyson:  Encourage new members to join Committee. Have a Liaison Officer w.r.t the Museum Institute to gain members through the Institute and  The Circle (which is a fundraising body at the Museum). Rosa suggested the possibility that some of our funds may be needed for on-going work on our website. Glenys Stace disapproved of this suggestion.
Margaret Morley: Sad to see Poirieria disappear and maybe it can continue in some form, even on-line. Michael Barlow thought that articles could be posted on-line but a moderator would be needed to vet articles.
Eugene Wong-Doe: Would like to see meetings and get togethers.
Alan Peterson:  Likes physical meetings and discussions.
Nick Britton:  Likes field trips, but the club’s moving in the right direction.
Michael Barlow:  W ould like to see the club hold at least 2 meetings per year.  Field trips.
Jocelyn Nicholson:  Enjoys coming to meetings, would miss this.
Gordon Nicholson: Good linkage with public happens through Museum displays and open days. Field trips.
Glenys Stace:  Ask Tom Trnski to  give presentation on Minerva Reef and Kermadecs. Web-site must be interactive. Face Book to keep in touch with non-members e.g. Wade Doak, Roger Grace, Tony Ayling. Suggests using some of our money for a research fund, visiting scholar fund or similar. Maybe call it “The Powell Fund’. Daytime meetings or evening meetings might be possible in the Member’s Lounge at the Museum. Check Geoscene for examples cf. online Poirieria. Auckland Museum might be able to house our Archives. 
Heather Smith: Would like the club to look at the continuation of holding shell shows.  She mentioned that Australia hold shows on even years and N.Z on uneven.  In NZ Auckland hold a show every 4 years with the next in 2017.  Wellington hold theirs on the other uneven years. Can we do it in 2017? Enderby’s might talk re their forthcoming trip to Galapagos?
Peter Poortman: Happy with new Constitution. Peter feels the existing website is adequate and that he is happy to administer it in that form. But if it becomes an ‘interactive’ site and have members logins he is not prepared to be Website Administrator for this type of site. The member’s forum already exists on the current website and he encourages all members to use it. The suggestions & hopes of members were fine but volunteers are required to implement them.
Andrew Spurgeon:  Field trips.
Betty Headford: Field trips. Post ideas on web-site of trips. Archive & photos to be kept. Suggestions it should be kept at the Museum.  Betty does not wish to continue with the Archivist job.
Nancy Smith:  Pleased to see our ‘official’ name has been retained. Written records should be maintained as they will be what people look back on in later years.
Lynette Gumm:  Continue holding auctions.  Visiting member’s collections. Field trips (Matheson’s Bay?)

The Extraordinary General Meeting closed at 8.42pm.
Signed President.                                                                                       Date.

After a few minutes break we heard from Martin regarding his fascination with the Neritidae family (with a tray of non-Nerita Neritidae to show), then from Margaret regarding a recent Geology Field Club trip to East Cape area (with a tray of interesting mollusc fossils she collected there), and then Heather reported on the successful Whangarei Shell Club Show of just two days earlier, at which 14 ASC members attended.
The meeting was over and we were treated to a lovely and most enthusiastically enjoyed supper prepared by Lyn.