After welcoming everybody to the 52nd AGM, our Chairman Tony Buckle conducted the proceedings. The minutes of the 51st AGM were approved and a couple of matters arising were discussed. Tony thanked everybody who had helped the YDGS in some way during the past 12 months and the officers for the ensuing year were elected. The YDGS charity for 2019 will be for Yateley PALS.
Anne and Malcolm Pickett were then introduced to the members and they in turn introduced Tegan, a hearing dog, who melted everyones hearts. Malcolm explained that Anne had become deaf after surgery to remove a brain tumour some 13 years ago and that Anne lost her confidence to go out as people did not realise that she was deaf and she became withdrawn. In Malcolms words, "Deafness is an invisible disability".
Getting Tegan has transformed both their quality of life and Tegan was very pleased to be able to demonstrate her skills to the admiration of her audience.
The evening raised £215.21 for Hearing Dogs for Deaf People which included the £65 raised from the Christmas Raffle, the prize of which was Mary Lillicrap's beaded Christmas Village that had been entered into the Autumn Show.