A Report on the the 2019 General Meeting

The squally showers and incessant rain associated with the death throes of Hurricane Dorian, which had last week devastated the Bahamas, had a similar effect on
the attendance at this year’s AGM on Monday 9^th September. The meeting was poorly attended owing to a combination of illness and late summer holidays. Fortunately a quorum was achieved and the meeting took place. 


The meeting began by remembering members who had passed away during the year. It is no exaggeration that the loss of two such talented historians as Phylip Jones and William Willis was a massive blow. Phylip in particular was the motive force behind the establishment of the Society in the 1980s and had been the Society’s President for many years. Indeed it was often said at the annual meeting that only Fidel Castro competed in the role of “President for life”. William’s contribution to the archiving of the history of Resolven by the publishing of three volumes of pictorial histories will leave an invaluable legacy to future generations. 


There was some movement in the roles within the Society, Trefor Jones will now become Chairman in place of the long serving Mr Gwyn Thomas owing to illness, and the Secretary role will now be split between Mrs Catherine Graham and Mrs Jill Saunders. Mrs Julie Hicks will continue as the hard working Treasurer along with Transport Officers Mr David Woosnam and Mrs Val Davies. The general committee will now be composed of Mrs Mary Evans, Mrs Caryl Rees, Mrs Carole Jeffreys , David Jeffreys and Mrs Olwen Woosnam. The President’s role will remain vacant for now. 


The formal business concluded with a notice of motion from the Committee establishing the foundation of an annual Phylip Jones History prize for the local schools. 


Following the AGM, Trefor Jones read a further chapter from the fascinating autobiography of Joe Cookson. This year it revolved around the reasons that the family had come to the Resolven area from Aston, Birmingham in the Edwardian era. It revealed a world which had many parallels with today and also some notable changes in social attitudes.


To conclude , the History Society has been active in Resolven for over thirty years and remember it is yours, please support it.