At a properly convened Extraordinary General Meeting of the Carp Society, held in Lechlade Gloucester on the evening of Thursday 12^th May 2016, a number of changes were made to membership of the board of Directors. All decisions reached at the meeting were based on unanimous votes. Four directors were removed and four new directors elected. The directors removed from the current board by the meeting are: Malcolm Coller, David Mannall, Derek Buxton and Shane Thompson.

The four new members of the Carp Society board are:

Greg Fletcher, the original treasurer of the Carp Society and founder member when the group was formed in 1981.

Brian Sefton, Horseshoe Fishery manager during the 1990’s, and responsible for the acquisition and development of the Farriers complex, originally Carp Lake Daiwa, now run by the Society as a syndicate, and one of the main sources of Society income.

Miles Carter, the current Carp Society Fisheries manager.

Derek Stritton, also a founder member, former Chairman and treasurer of the Society, who has been elected Chairman of the newly formed board.

In order to further strengthen the new board two further directors were co-opted at the first directors’ meeting.

Marsh Pratley another former chairman of the Carp Society, vastly experienced fisheries manager, and owner of Orchid Lakes.

Paul Boichat, a former Society Director controversially removed by the previous board. Paul has been a Society stalwart for many years, having been a Regional Organiser for 11 years before joining the board.

We are pleased to welcome Paul following his agreement to return his share of payments made to him as “bonus payments” by the previous board. It is claimed these payments were made improperly, and the Society will, in due course, seek to take action to reclaim any improper payments made to former directors.

The new board is committed to returning the Carp Society to the democratic organisation it was always intended to be, and looks forward to setting out their full approach for this in due course.

In the meantime it is intended to offer all applications made in January 2016 full membership at the rate of £25, [not the £95 advertised by the previous board]. We also intend to make all current Horseshoe, Farriers and Langholme syndicate members Carp Society members. Membership will also be reinstated for all current Carp Society bailiffs, who were deprived of their right to membership in controversial circumstances.

At the current time, because of possible ongoing legal proceedings, no further information will be available in the short term. When these are concluded the “bigger picture” will be made available.

The new Society board of directors would like to pass their thanks for the many messages of support already received relating to this unfolding story. Special thanks to John Seal, Bill Ward, Tim Paisley and Miles Carter for their tireless efforts in enabling us to reach this stage, and to others who cannot be named at this time but will receive full credit in due course.

Derek Stritton on behalf of The Carp Society.