The 62nd AGM of the ISTD

The following report from Peter Kyle to the AGM is his first as Chairman of the ISTD, delivered at ISTD2 Dance Studios in July Members of Council and all members of the Imperial Society. May I welcome you all here for our 62nd Annual General Meeting. Especially those who have travelled a considerable distance to be with us and made special arrangements to overcome travel difficulties caused by the flooding in various parts of the country.

Sadly, over the last year we have seen the passing of some very dedicated members of the Society including our much loved Vice President Elizabeth Romain. I would ask you to stand for a moment of silence to honour their memory. Thank you Ladies and Gentlemen.

The ISTD has a long and distinguished history stretching back to a time when the teaching of dance took place in a very different world to the one in which we live today. Whilst the fundamentals of good dance teaching have not changed and, in my opinion, are unlikely to change substantially, a number of the regulatory frameworks within which we operate have. These include certain legal requirements and it is clear that there is a need constantly to review our training and our teaching standards to ensure that our members are complying with best practice and are positioned to take full advantage of opportunities that will arise in the future.

My first report to you as Chairman therefore comes at a time when the Society is reviewing a number of its strategic objectives and processes. I took up the role of Chairman very shortly after our new Chief Executive, Jon Singleton, was appointed. In the relatively short time we have worked together it is pleasing to report that we share a strong desire to bring together the wonderfully diverse elements which are such a strength of this Society into a common appreciation of the principles for which the Society was founded and to develop criteria and processes for our work which best serve the interests of the members. The Administrative Council of the Society shares that enthusiasm for reviewing many aspects of what we do as an organisation, not only because it is a necessary step but also one which the Membership have been seeking and have a right to expect.

The review is underway and I am in no doubt that by consulting widely and agreeing our objectives we shall strengthen the organisation and establish a clear strategic direction for the future. The pace at which reforms can be made is sometimes frustratingly slow and my hope is that members will be patient with us as we seek to implement them. But I also hope that the steps that have already been taken in tackling these issues demonstrate the enthusiasm we have for improving our governance as soon as is practicably possible.

A key part of any organisational review is consideration of our financial governance. This ranges from looking at the responsibilities of our Trustees and Executive through to the financial management and control of the Society and its Faculties. To that end an internal review is currently taking place in conjunction with our company auditors, haysmacintyre. The recommendations of that review will be considered by the Trustees shortly.

You may have noticed that the content of the published Annual Report has changed, copies of which have been made available to all members. This is because the introduction of SORP 2005 (The Statement of Recommended Practice, Accounting and Reporting by Charities) is much more demanding as far as disclosures in accounts are concerned and the information which must be provided by Trustees in their report which accompanies the accounts. Reporting must now be more detailed and with a greater emphasis on the objectives and performance of the organisation. So over the coming years I hope you will see this report evolve into something which is of great value to the members. Looking behind the figures will, I hope, start to ensure all our stakeholders are clearer about what we do and how we do it.

As mentioned earlier, this is a period of carefully managed review and change and, as was made clear at the recent Extraordinary General Meeting, decisions the Society has made in the past regarding the introduction of new teaching qualifications in the European Union, have not been implemented in full consultation with the membership and have therefore not been as successful as we had hoped. The impact on our teachers and learners has been significant as the Society has struggled to move forward with a coherent strategy for our qualifications and examinations globally. The Council has recognised this is an issue it needs to address and has already taken steps to assist our members. I am confident that the Society will in future make decisions which are based on a true understanding of everyone's needs.

The reason I am confident about the future is in no small part thanks to my predecessor Robert Grover, who served as Chairman of the Society for six years. I thank him on behalf of all of the Trustees for the guidance and leadership with which he steered the organisation during that time and I am delighted that he has chosen to continue serving the Society as Chairman of the Dance Sport Faculties Board and of the Modern Ballroom Faculty. The support that Robert and fellow Trustees have afforded me has been invaluable since taking up the role of Chairman last September. I would also like to record my deep appreciation to our Life President, Dame Beryl Grey and to our President, Peggy Spencer MBE for their outstanding support and dedication to the Society.

Given this level of support, it is perhaps not surprising that the Society has enjoyed another successful year with a sound financial result based on the demand for examination sessions in the UK and internationally. The total income in furtherance of charity objects has increased by 7% on the previous year. This increase indicates that our core business of examination revenue, derived from our members across the globe, continues to grow at a healthy rate. Furthermore, the surplus achieved of £246,453 was comfortably ahead of the budget forecast. This success is partly derived from improvements to our financial management and the controlling of costs across the Society, indicating that we are organisationally robust and, in this context, I want to thank our Finance & General Purposes Committee and in particular their Chairman John Cook and our Financial Controller, Jenny French.

The breadth of our work across many dance forms and the international reach of the Society are in my mind some of our greatest strengths and, having had the opportunity to see at first hand the range of work and to meet so many members in recent months, I am convinced the Society has a very bright future to equal its very distinguished past.

In conclusion, I would like to thank the Chief Executive, the Heads of Departments and all the staff at the Society, the Chairs of all of our Faculties and their Committees, our Examiners and of course all of our members throughout the world for their support and particularly those who have been able to find time to be here today. I also extend particular thanks to Patricia Prime. Patricia served as Acting Chairman of the Society from June to September last year and provided continuity at a time when it was most needed. Her service to the Society at that time and for many years previously was deeply appreciated by us all. Thank you.