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In 1987 I left Essex for Hertfordshire, mainly because I was thoroughly unhappy at the
prospect of my children attending an East London school, and 1 have lived in Bishops
Stortford, just over the Essex boundary, since then. I have a wife, a brace of kids, a dog, a
cat, two guinea pigs, a tank of tropical fish and a mortgage.
So, after this brief introduction, what am I going to do for you and your Club whilst I am
President?
I would very much to do five things:
• Increase the number of members from the present two hundred and something to 500;
• Establish the nature of the desires and wishes of the membership and respond to these
in a positive manner;
• Generally raise the profile of the Club through the production of a high quality journal;
• Improve the existing liaison between the Club and other organisations, especially the
Essex Wildlife Trust, the London Natural History Society (with whom we have a large
geographical overlap) and English Nature.
• Consolidate the Club's position as the county's premier wildlife recording body.
To achieve this, 1 need first to hear from the membership. It is logical to assume that those
people I see at meetings are happy enough to turn up. So I am also assuming that those
people who I never meet are in some way unhappy, as I was back in 1970. I want to
know what it is that displeases (or pleases) you. I want to hear your suggestions for
improving the Club - even (especially) if you disagree with me. I hope that I will be able
to produce a short questionnaire for the next Newsletter, but in the meantime, please feel
free to write to me or telephone me with all your comments. It may take a while, but I
will reply to all communications eventually, and I will take on board all of your
comments. Remember, it is YOUR club, and I am only the President because YOU chose
to put me in this position. Tell me what you would like me to do while I am here!
Colin W. Plant
14 West Road, Bishops Stortford, Herts, CM23 3QP. 01279-507697.
Essex Field Club Newsletter No. 21, May 1997