Updated Special announcement : The Arts Society Chester arrangements during Covid 19

The letter below has been sent to all members by post giving details of the arrangements the society has made for the rest of 2020.

Dear Member

Your Committee hopes that you and those close to you are keeping safe and well during these strange and difficult times.

We all miss the social interactions which are so much a part of the Society and look forward to the time when we can meet again.  We also miss the lectures which provide such a focus for the Society.

Your Committee has remained active and has continued to meet monthly using new technology and we wanted to update you on what we have planned for the remainder of this year.

Firstly, we have decided that your membership, which in the normal course of events would have expired at the end of June, should be extended to the end of the year.  This will be free of charge.  However, we will need to use some of our reserves to pay the regional and national affiliation fees.  In these unprecedented circumstances your Committee considered this an appropriate use of such funds.  Membership will be renewed in January 2021 when the situation should be clearer.

Secondly, we decided to radically modify the lecture programme for the remainder of the year.  We felt we had no alternative but to cease holding lectures at the Zoo whilst everyone is social distancing to stay safe.  However, we were anxious to find an alternative.  Accordingly, a programme of lectures via Zoom and YouTube has been put in place and the attached information sheet contains details of the programme.  This will be offered free of charge to Chester Society members.  Further information including details of how to join in will be sent closer to the time of the lecture.  We realise that some of you may feel anxious about experimenting with Zoom and YouTube but we would urge you to give it a go.  Some of you will either be unable or not want to join in with these lectures.  We understand that, but are sure you will understand that we, like everyone else, have to do what we can in difficult circumstances.

Thirdly, we have decided that the AGM, which had to be adjourned from March, will be convened as a virtual meeting to take place immediately after the virtual lecture in November.  This, of course, will be an experiment for us all but reports from other Societies where virtual AGMs have taken place are positive.

Finally, we hope to re-start the programme of physical lectures next year.  But as we are sure you will understand, at present that can be no more than a hope.

Please be assured, you will be kept informed of developments and we will strive to ensure your Society continues and prospers.

All the members of the Committee look forward to a more normal 2021 and to seeing you all again.

With best wishes

          The Committee

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Welcome to the Arts Society Chester!  We host monthly lectures on a wide range of topics relating to the Arts, meeting at Chester Zoo Lecture Theatre, generally on the third Tuesday of the month from September to June.

We are a dual-lecture Society, our morning lecture at 11:00 am being repeated at 2:00 pm.  In addition to this programme we run Special Interest Days, Visits and other events several times a year, which you can read about on this website.  Visitors are welcome by prior arrangement with the Membership Secretary.

The 2019-20 Committee Members' details are on your Programme Card; or to contact the Membership Secretary, please address e-mail to jrogerscdfas[at]gmail.com but replacing "[at]" by "@" to reduce Spam.  

The North West Area of The Arts Society has a new website, which you can visit at https://northwestarea.theartssociety.org (this link will take you away from the Chester site).

[Edit 2020/08/23//SJP]