Sain Clwyd Sound

Serving the visually impaired in North Wales. Y Cylchgrawn Sain i'r Deillion
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Chairman's Report 2009
<meta name="GENERATOR"/><style> <!-- @page { margin: 2cm } P { margin-bottom: 0.21cm } --> </style> <p align="center" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><font size="4" style="font-size: 16pt;"><u>CHAIRMAN’S REPORT 2009</u></font></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br/> </p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br/> </p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><font size="4" style="font-size: 16pt;">The challenge of my previous nine reports was to find fresh words to describe the status quo. But that was then. Now the challenge is to chart the way ahead, for the ‘wind of change’ is blowing through Sain Clwyd Sound. It started as a gentle zephyr last year but has steadily ascended the Beaufort Scale, so that my task this year is to map the direction of that wind, to outline the effects of its increasing strength and to reflect on its implications.</font></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br/> </p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><font size="4" style="font-size: 16pt;">So much has happened in 2008 that I’ve been searching for a plan of attack – a structure in which to place these changes – a set of pegs on which to hang them.</font></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br/> </p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><font size="4" style="font-size: 16pt;">However, the one constant in all this is our commitment to consistently deliver (pardon the split infinitive!) our monthly sound magazine that is Sain Clwyd Sound to the highest technical and creative standards within our capabilities.</font></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br/> </p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><font size="4" style="font-size: 16pt;">Back to the pegs. My rack has 3 pegs – the 3 P’s</font></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br/> </p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><font size="4" style="font-size: 16pt;">Peg 1 is Personnel, and I’m starting at the top.</font></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><font size="4" style="font-size: 16pt;">Our President in the past has provided us with a figurehead, but over the last two years, starting with Mr. Ron Parry and continuing now with Mr. Keith Evans, we have presidents who are keen to involve themselves actively in our work – attending committee meetings, chairing our AGM, providing items for our editions and promoting Sain Clwyd Sound in the outside world. Redefining the role of the President has been an immense advantage to us and on behalf of myself and the committee, I thank them for it and welcome Mr. Evans as the present incumbent.</font></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br/> </p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><font size="4" style="font-size: 16pt;">In his Presidential remarks last year, Mr. Ron Parry told us that we were not getting any younger. Age and health take their toll.</font></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <font size="4" style="font-size: 16pt;">2008 has seen the changeover in the Welsh Group, with the baton of Co-coordinator being passed from Mrs. Mai Court to Mr. Wyn Parry. Mr. Parry had already taken over the role of producing the welsh edition from Mr. John Blythin, and is the key person in introducing their CD edition. So he bears a heavy responsibility. We thank Mai and John for their many years of service to Sain Clwyd Sound.</font></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br/> </p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><font size="4" style="font-size: 16pt;">We are all standing on the shoulders of those who have gone before us, and this was brought home to us recently by the death of Eddie Hewins. As Technical Officer, Eddie oversaw the introduction of the compact cassette and recruited succeeding Technical Officers including our present one, Mr. Brian Fenn. So his legacy continues.</font></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br/> </p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><font size="4" style="font-size: 16pt;">My theme is change but on the peg of Personnel we must not forget all those whose hats and coats have not changed – from contributors to editors, from copiers to distributors, from administrators to technicians. You know who you are; we could not do without you and we thank you: particularly Mrs. Margaret Jones, our Secretary and Mr.Glyn Thomas, our Treasurer, and Mr. Brian West, our contributor ‘extraordinaire’.</font></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br/> </p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><font size="4" style="font-size: 16pt;">Peg number 2 on the rack of change is the P for Performance.</font></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><font size="4" style="font-size: 16pt;">We continue to deliver our editions on time and on budget but the changeover from cassette to CD has passed the halfway stage and is due to be completed by the end of the year. This has meant new disposable CDs and pouches, new equipment for their printing and copying, new procedures involving new skills – a much increased workload for editors and copiers, especially has we have been producing both cassette and CD formats throughout the year.</font></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br/> </p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><font size="4" style="font-size: 16pt;">Vital to this change has been the presence, expertise and efforts of Mr. Brian Fenn. We have relied upon him totally to guide us through it. Thank you Brian.</font></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br/> </p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><font size="4" style="font-size: 16pt;">However, once completed, the wind does not die down. Where next? At present, we compile the tape version first before copying it to CD, but the aim is to by-pass the cassette tape completely. Cassettes are being phased out generally and the CD gives better quality and accessibility. So items recorded digitally will be transferred directly to the computer and the edition can be compiled on the computer, prior to burning it to CD.</font></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br/> </p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><font size="4" style="font-size: 16pt;">How will this be achieved? Through the combined training efforts of Mr. Brian Fenn and the University of Glyndwr – a contact made by Mr. Keith Evans and developed to the point at which a course on sound broadcasting, designed to meet our particular needs, and delivered in Welsh and English, is scheduled to start in a month’s time.</font></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br/> </p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><font size="4" style="font-size: 16pt;">If we can achieve this, our P for Performance will have been pushed to a higher level.</font></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br/> </p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><font size="4" style="font-size: 16pt;">Peg 3 on the Panoply of change is Profile (and perhaps, Promotion)</font></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br/> </p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><font size="4" style="font-size: 16pt;">Previous years have seen Sain Clwyd Sound on the street in Mold, outside local supermarkets, or promoted by talks given by Winifred and Brian West and at coffee mornings – we have added an English group event at St.Deiniol’s Library in Hawarden to the regular welsh gathering at Bethesda Chapel in Mold. Not forgetting our website, designed by Brian.</font></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br/> </p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><font size="4" style="font-size: 16pt;">However, this year we are one of the Charities chosen by the Chairman of Flintshire County Council, Mr.Quentin Dodd, leading to a presence on the Bridge in Shire Hall, and at the Charity Dinner at Deeside College – resulting in encouraging interest shown in our work.</font></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br/> </p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><font size="4" style="font-size: 16pt;">We again won the Mold Rotary Club Quiz at Beaufort Park Hotel – publicizing our name and boosting our finances! Mold Rotary Club have been our main sponsor this year – not forgetting Clwb y Parc in Denbigh and the Llanarmon Show – a change in the raising of money prompted by the increased costs of disposable CDs and extra equipment. We are grateful for their continued support, and our association with them has spread to us recording their ‘Youth Speaks’ Competition.</font></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br/> </p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><font size="4" style="font-size: 16pt;">Radiating out from Mold, we are planning to make our items available to Calon.FM – the radio station based at Glyndwr University and serving the Wrexham and South-East part of our area – and we have started to supply our CDs to Hospital Radio in Bangor.</font></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br/> </p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><font size="4" style="font-size: 16pt;">Sain Clwyd Sound is spreading its wings in this digital age. Hopefully, more people will know who we are, what we do, enjoy our work, and, who knows, want to help.</font></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br/> </p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><font size="4" style="font-size: 16pt;">So there you have it. I’ve reached the end of the peg rack – I’ve set out the stall – I’ve mapped out my view of the landscape – I’ve mixed the metaphors! My message is that we really have no choice but to run before this prevailing wind of change – tacking into it is not an option.</font></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><font size="4" style="font-size: 16pt;">So, take down your gabardines from the pegs, don your sou’westers, set your spinnakers and prepare to goose wing towards the marker buoy. Let’s hope we reach it without jibing or capsizing and round it into calmer waters beyond.</font></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br/> </p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><font size="4" style="font-size: 16pt;">I’ll close by wishing us all ‘Bon Voyage’, and remind you of the words of another President – ‘We can do it!’</font></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br/> </p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br/> </p> </div> </div> </td> <td style="width: 1%;" class="MS_WH_ZoneSpacing"> </td></tr> </tbody></table> </div> </div> </td> </tr></table> </td> </tr> <tr> <td id="IWS_WH_Elem_Footer" colspan="2" class="MS_MasterFooter"> <div class="MSC_FooterFrame"> <span id="IWS_WH_Elem_FooterLinks"> </span> <div id="IWS_WH_Elem_FooterText" class="MSC_FooterText"> All rights reserved </div> </div> </td> </tr> <tr id="ctl00_IWS_WH_Elem_Logo"> <td id="ctl00_IWS_WH_Elem_BottomAd" class="MS_MasterBottomAD" style="padding-top:2px"> <div title="Microsoft Office Live Small Business - Get a free website and more" style="text-align:left;float:right;padding:4px;font-family:Tahoma;"><a href="http://officelive.com/logo" style="text-decoration:none;color:black;"> <span style="font-size:9px;margin-left:2px">Powered by</span><br /><img src="/_layouts/wh/images/icons/Office_icon_12x12.gif" alt="Microsoft Office Live Small Business - Get a free website and more" border="0" style="margin:2px;vertical-align:middle;" /><span style="font-size:11px;">Microsoft Office Live</span></a><span style="padding-left:4px;padding-right:4px">|</span><a href="http://www.officelive.com/free-website"><span style="font-size:11px;">Create a free website</span></a></div> </td> </tr> </table> </form> <!-- BEGIN TRACKING CODE --> <script type="text/javascript" language="JavaScript"> var FCProAccountId = "N05FCQAAAAAAAAEA"; var ServerName = "sainclwydsound-org.sitereports.officelive.com"; </script> <script type="text/javascript" language="JavaScript" src="http://sainclwydsound-org.sitereports.officelive.com/js/restats_static.js"> </script> <noscript> <img src="http://sainclwydsound-org.sitereports.officelive.com/FCPISAPI/ISAPIExtn.dll/i/N05FCQAAAAAAAAEA/0" /> </noscript> <!-- END TRACKING CODE --> <!-- CXNID=5426436&Code=C2 --> </body> </html>