Friends of the Launceston Mechanics' Institute (FOLMI)

A very successful inaugural meeting was held on 18 October to establish FOLMI. At the meeting we adopted a Constitution, elected office-bearers, established a committee, and endorsed an application to seek incorporation under the Associations Incorporation Act 1964.

The organisation currently has 34 members and we would welcome any interested people who would like to contribute to this exciting project.

Our Aims

The aim of the Friends of the Launceston Mechanics’ Institute, as set out in its Constitution, is to establish and maintain a working research Launceston Mechanics’ Institute Collection by;

i) locating, selecting, organising, cataloguing and preserving existing materials once the property of the Launceston Mechanics’ Institute between 1842 and 1929;

ii) liaising with local, state and national government agencies and with relevant interest groups to promote the significance of the LMI Collection;

iii) establishing a permanent home for the LMI Collection, in particular those parts not integrated with local and state government agencies;

iv) providing broad public access to the catalogue of the LMI Collection and enabling direct access to researchers needing to use the Collection;

Office-bearers

President: Peter Richardson

Vice-President Sue McClarron

Secretary: Mike McCausland

Treasurer: Richard Pickup

Public Officer: Prue McCausland

Committee:Peter Richardson, Mike McCausland, Richard Pickup, Prue McCausland, Sue McClarron, John Dent.

Priorities

The immediate priorities for the organisation are;

•To seek Launceston City Council endorsement for the transfer of the LMI collection to FOLMI and formalise an agreement.

•To participate in a steering committee with LINC Tasmania and QVMAG to plan future management of collection.

•To establish agreement with LINC Tasmania and QVMAG on what is to be transferred.

•To establish an agreement with the University of Tasmania regarding occupancy of an interim home for the collection (Room 007 on the University's Newnham Campus).

FOLMI's inaugural meeting

Don't forget our inaugural meeting is on Friday 18 October 2013 at 5.00pm in the Phil Leonard Room, Launceston LINC.

We’re excited about the possibilities FOLMI may bring about. The LMI collection is a most remarkable survival – more substantial than any comparable collection in Australia – and an important testament to the character and foresight of the City and its community.

Our aims are to ensure the LMI continues to be acknowledged as an important cultural institution in the history of Launceston; to preserve what remains of its holdings for their local and national significance; and to facilitate research into the collection in all its aspects. 

At this inaugural meeting we will need to adopt a constitution suitable for an incorporated body. It has to be based on the 'Rules for Associations in Tasmania'.   We have inserted phrases into the original form to apply it to FOLMI: the association’s name and purpose, the number of committee members, how many are needed for a quorum, and a few other procedural matters.  The question of a membership fee has been left open, but on the basis that communicating within the group will be by email, we see no reason to have a yearly subscription.

Those who have expressed support but are not able to attend will be noted as an apology for the meeting. We expect there will be some members whose interest in FOLMI is primarily to show support for the preservation of the LMI Collection, and others who want to take an active role in sorting and cataloguing etc. After the meeting everyone expressing support will be emailed the minutes and the constitution as adopted at the meeting.  Under Tasmania’s ‘Rules for Associations’, members can join or resign at any time.

We already have people willing to take on the roles of president, secretary, treasurer and public officer, so there is no pressure on others to be coerced into those responsibilities. However all positions are of course open. Note that the Rules for Associations allow for one or more general committee members as well as office-bearers. Please email us if you would like to be sent a nomination form.

The agenda for the meeting is envisaged to be:

1. Peter Richardson & Mike McCausland will briefly report on progress with regards to preserving the LMI Collection & explain the purpose of the meeting;

2. John Dent takes the chair for election of officers;

3. Newly elected president leads discussion culminating in the adoption of a constitution;

4. Discussion of draft submission to Launceston City Council on the handover of parts of the LMI Collection to FOLMI Inc;

5. Timeline for initiating the project;

6. Open floor discussion of any further issues and setting a date for the next meeting.