Chris Ingram, our new Chairman of Trustees first became involved in amateur theatre and Guiseley AOS back in 1964 when he joined the men’s chorus for their production of The Student Prince. His uncle was secretary and he had been preceded in membership by his elder brother Barry as well as several of his “sisters and his cousins and his aunts!”
Chris has remained a member of his beloved GAOS since and currently serves as Chairman of the Society, but has over the years fulfilled many roles with them – principal, director, committee, scenery painter, publicity and glad hander to name but a few. He has also worked with several other societies both as performer and director.
He first became involved with NODA as an attendee of the renowned “Bridlington Weekend” before enrolling in the then Ripon Operatic Summer School. It was in April 1977 that Chris was elected as Regional Representative for Wharfedale and Upper Airedale on the North East Regional Committee.
It was of course in the early 80's that NODA survived a severe financial crisis and many services were moved out into the regions, including publications. Chris was founding editor of Scratchings, the NE Regional News which was first produced using all modern technology – an old accountancy typewriter (small typeface but it was electric!), Gestetner skins for duplicating the mag but with all address labels being typed onto a roll of labels. Incidentally once the skin had been removed from the typewriter it was virtually impossible to proof read and make corrections – this resulted in some wonderful typos, including a not very good production of a certain R&H show being called “The Wound of Music”. Production of Scratchings was at Guiseley AOS rehearsal rooms on a Sunday using an old duplicator (fortunately electric powered). Local residents thought they were a mysterious religious sect since a number of people could be seen walking endlessly round a table (collating the pages) apparently muttering incantations (usually words to the effect ‘’Oh dear another missed sheet’’ but with unprintable embellishments).
Chris had a short period away from NODA when work took him away from Yorkshire but he was invited to return to the NE Committee when Reg Vinnicombe became Councillor in the early 90's. He served on the NODA Centenary Planning Group, honing his skills as Toastmaster at many of the Centenary events – have gavel will travel! Elected as NE Councillor in 2001, he has been supported by a stable and hard working Regional Committee throughout his time in office. In recent years Chris has been elected to Management Committee by his colleagues on Council and was appointed Chairman of NODA Limited in 2008.
In his professional life, Chris worked as an industrial chemist for some years – when he described himself as a bucket and shovel chemist, making lots of pretty colours (he worked in dyestuffs) and even more nasty smells! Further training enabled him to change careers into medical and surgical sales where he worked for more than 30 years. Chris joined a small subsidiary of AstraZeneca in the mid 80's with six employees (including the office cat!) and a turnover of significantly less than £1m and when he retired in 2007, this had risen to in excess of £40m with very nearly 100 staff. He is very proud of being instrumental in that success.
On a personal basis, Chris has been married for very nearly 35 years to Mary, whom he met at the Waterford Festival. Mary was then National Secretary of AIMS and they were introduced by mutual friends on the first night of the Festival as “Mary this is Chris, Chris this is Mary, you are both here for the fortnight and there we leave you”. These mutual friends must have known something because they were engaged before the end of the Festival and the rest as they say is history. Mary and Chris have two sons, Johnnie and Simon, both computer geeks who do their best to ensure that their aged father copes with this modern technological age.
We are in very difficult financial times and as Chairman of Trustees, Chris knows that NODA has to work smarter to both survive and supply the level of support which our members need – after all, they, our members, are in the same recessionary times.How does he, as Chairman, propose to achieve this?
NODA Council has recognised that communications with our regional committees and members are inadequate and this was very much linked with the role of the NODA Management Committee. We are going to urgently review the role of the ManCom and its Terms of Reference. This review (stress 'review' not wholesale change) should include financial reporting.
As a Council we must recognise each others’ skills and those of our professional staff. We must not let personality issues cloud our judgement but work together as a team.
In the longer term:
We must listen to members but not accept without challenge natural resistance to change. To achieve this NODA, through its regional representatives, must become closer to its members.
As Trustees we have a duty to seek cost effective ways to provide the best services to members. The world is economically a very different place now to five years ago and what was sacrosanct then may be ill-advised or unachievable today.
Chris says, "I also recognise that there are the normal tasks of management, such as budgeting and on-going projects which must be managed concurrently with these objectives and I am prepared to devote the time to ensure that these are achieved with the input of Council and our professional staff."
Many NODA members have already wished Chris every success in his new role, and these best wishes have been echoed by NODA Council, regional representatives, and the NODA professional staff, who look forward to working with their new Chairman of Trustees in the years ahead.
27 October 2011
