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EMDG Chairman's ReportWe welcome reports, photos or comments on any of our meetings. Please email to East Midlands Dowsing Group.
The year has seen a marked increase in the number of subscribing members and we now total in excess of 40, the highest for many years. A mix of suitable calibre speakers and a varied choice of interesting site visit venues have combined to provide a broad base of dowsing applications. It was good to welcome two stalwarts from the early days of the group's formation; both Julian Holland and Robin Borrett were, respectively chairman and secretary over a number of years. Through the year there were ten site visits, plus our second attendance at the Moorgreen County Show. Staffing the group's stand is a rewarding experience; the steady stream of visitors provides some stimulating discussions together with the opportunity to spread awareness of the group's existence. We were enabled to make a contribution to the B.S.D. "Water for Life" appeal by the sale of angle rods at the Show. We also responded to a request from Dronfield Rotary Club; for charitable purposes the Rotary had organized a "Jim'll Fix It" type raffle and the elderly lady winner expressed a wish to be taught how to dowse. New (to the group) sites visited included the Old Vicarage at Newstead Abbey, Felley Priory and Coneythorpe Roman Camp. This last was an inspired find when the programmed Wingfield Manor was found to be closed. An additional late call from a lady with a mystery water ingress into her house adjacent to the reservoir at Cropston was also answered by several members. We had nine speakers in the year with the first, Gordon-the-Frog, providing the most unusual name and a fascinating talk to match. In July, Dudley Bendall, following a last minute cancellation, was able to persuade Jean Ross to speak on and demonstrate Tibetan Singing Bowls. On a personal note, I found this demonstration quite emotionally uplifting. There is an on-going involvement with the Greasley Lost Village Project. One report suggests that it was on the basis of the group's dowsing surveys that the Heritage Lottery Fund has made a grant of £30,000 to the project for geophysical investigation. Peter Platten, our vice-chairman (and with an unmatched dowsing ability) was deeply involved in the Moorgreen Show and I would also say "thank you" to Linda Darlison for her input into Moorgreen. Peter also organized the Dronfield Rotary and Cropston Reservoir operations. Dave Johnson is, as our treasurer, inspired and as an energy dowser, inspiring. Dudley Bendall, speaker secretary, deserves our thanks for the diverse and interesting programme of speakers. Maurice Soady became publicity officer at a time when our numbers were reaching saturation point for our present venue. Members should contact him if they know of any suitable publicity outlet. Following Malcolm Leivers' resignation, Marylyn Wright has agreed to become our secretary. This is my final report. I am not offering myself for re-election in 2006. I give my thanks to all members of the committee for the support given to me over the past and previous years. Linda Darlison was a great help, as secretary, in my first three and a half years. Under Peter Platten and our strong committee our group will prosper; however, the committee needs the active support of the membership. Please give that support at the AGM and through the coming year. For me, the past five years have been stimulating and satisfying in so many ways. As chairman, I had to think in dowsing terms out of my usual box! I found myself on an exciting voyage of dowsing discovery. My thanks and my very best wishes in this New Year go to all members of our group.
John Wright |
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