MEMBERS' MEETING OF THE ZAHN FAMILY ASSOCIATION

Date: Saturday, 7.10.2017, 17:00 - 18:52

Place: Hotel Dampfmühle, Krefelder Str.10, 47506 Neukirchen-Vluyn, see list of participants, (Attachment 1).

Present: Guests: see guest list (Annex 1)

 

1. opening of the members' meeting and welcome

The Chairman of the Board opens the General Meeting and welcomes the members and guests present.

1.1 Protocol management

Hans Skribanowitz is appointed minute taker. He is assisted by Carl Michael Zahn.

1.2 Approval of the agenda

The agenda is approved unanimously (Annex 2).

 

2. REPORT OF THE MANAGEMENT BOARD

The Chairman briefly reported on the activities since the last Ordinary General Meeting in 2012. Highlights were:

    • the "Interfamily Day" in St. Gallen in the footsteps of Anna Schlatter (3.-5.10.2014)
    • the visit to Wasserthaleben (19.-21.09.2015) for the handing over of the gravestones of Johann Gottlieb Zahn and his son, Christian Zahn, restored from donations, to the community of Wasserthaleben during a festive musical service
    • the development of cemetery statutes for the family cemetery in Moers
    • the preparation for the foundation of the Family Archive in the Municipal Archives of the City of Moers on 7.10.2017. In this context, special thanks go to Friedel Zahn and Mr. Helmut Wittlief for their support in overcoming various bureaucratic and municipal political hurdles.

Routinely, the annual newsletters were sent out, the care of the cemetery was coordinated and the membership fees were collected. Annually (except for 2017) the family council met in Moers, which has also developed into a kind of regional meeting NRW due to the participating guests. The activities of the board were overshadowed by Friederike Enders' serious accident in May 2016, from which she is gradually recovering.

 

3. CASH REPORT

The Chairman presented his cash report (see Annex 3).

 

4. BERICHT DES KASSENPRÜFERS

The cash auditor, Jochen Zahn, reports that the cash audit could not be completed before the general meeting. The reason for this is that the documents required for this purpose were not made available in time by the Chairman.

The cash audit shall be continued. Only after its completion can the cash auditor make a recommendation for the discharge of the Chairman with regard to the cash management.

5. PRONUNCIATION

Since the cash audit has not yet been completed, this agenda item is omitted.

 

6. DISCHARGE OF THE MANAGEMENT BOARD

After a brief discussion, the actions of the members of the Board of Management are ratified individually at the end of their regular five-year term of office by a majority of the votes cast.

[Note: In accordance with German association law, the Chairman, Hans Zahn is not discharged with regard to the cash management, as the cash audit has not yet been finalized (see item 4)].

 

7. ELECTIONS

Eberhard Dorfmüller is appointed election officer.

7.1 Election of the Board of Directors

Sabine Zahn is elected Chairwoman of the Board of Zahn'schen Familien- verbands e.V. by a majority of the votes. She accepts the election.

Friederike Enders is re-elected to the Board with a majority of the votes. She accepts the election.

Hans Skribanowitz is elected to the Board by a majority of the votes. He accepts the election.

Jörn Herold (cemetery representative) is elected as deputy member of the board. He accepts the election.

7.2 Election of the cash auditor

Jochen Zahn is elected as cash auditor with a majority of votes. He accepts the election.

7.3 Handing over the chairmanship of the meeting

Sabine Zahn, the new chairwoman, takes over the chairmanship of the general meeting. She thanks Hans Zahn for his 21 years of successful board work, 16 of them as chairman of the family association, and presents him with a gift.

Before proceeding with the agenda, the following members who have passed away since the last regular membership meeting are remembered:

  • Christa Wienands
  • Renate Schiffers
  • Eberhard „Buja“ Zahn jun.
  • Dieter Zahn
  • Dr. Jürgen Blankenburg

 

8. CEMETERY MATTERS

8.1 Status report

The cemetery is in very good condition.

Since the last meeting of the Family Council (May 2016), various plantings have been made, cleaning work has been carried out on the gravestones and diseased box trees have been removed. For this purpose, new privet bushes will be planted soon.

In October 2017, the memorial stone for Dr. Eberhard Zahn was erected.
In the near future, the work, which is due every year in the fall, should be carried out.

Pruning is required on two of the old oaks, at a cost of approximately €500 per tree. Depending on the cash situation, this will be carried out at the next opportunity.

The Chairwoman - also on behalf of all members - expresses her sincere thanks to Werner Riedel and Jörn Herold for their tireless efforts and very successful work in maintaining and managing the cemetery.

8.2 Urn grove

At the last general meeting (2012), it was decided to create special urn graves in addition to single and double graves. According to the planning of the old board, the urn graves should be combined in an urn grove, which could be created in the southwest corner of the cemetery. Single urn graves would be marked with stone slabs (50 cm x 50 cm) and double urn graves with a slab twice as large. For the reservation and maintenance of urn graves, the draft of the cemetery statutes to be adopted today (see item 8.4) provides for separate fees, which are lower than for the earth burial graves.

Hans Zahn suggests to limit the size of the urn grove to the area of two single graves. This suggestion is discussed animatedly before Hans Zahn makes the following motion on this:

The area of the urn grove shall be set at the area of two single gravesites.

This motion is defeated by a majority of votes.

8.3 Burial of urns on single gravesites

With regard to the burial of urns in individual gravesites, it is decided by majority vote that

in exceptional cases, with the consent of the Board, up to two urns may be buried in single graves and up to four in double graves. Separate fees shall apply for this.

8.4 Cemetery statutes

In the last ordinary general meeting the board was instructed to draw up a constitution for the family cemetery. This was drafted by Hans Zahn and Sabine Zahn and made available to the members in advance with the documents for this Family Day. The cemetery statutes essentially refer to the cemetery statutes of the city of Moers, as amended. However, it additionally contains the specific regulations of the family association, in particular with regard to the right of burial, the modalities of grave reservation, the specifications for the uniform design of the gravestones, the allocation of space, the tasks of the board of the family association as well as the associated fee schedule.

After a short discussion, it is decided by a majority,

To adopt the Cemetery Bylaws as presented.

The cemetery statutes thus adopted are attached to the minutes as Annex 4.

8.5 Occupancy plan

The occupancy schedule for the family cemetery will be posted and available for review.

In the future, this will be available to all members at all times on the planned homepage (see item 11.2).

It is suggested that information with important directions and contacts for burial in the family cemetery be distributed to members.

 

9. MEMBERSHIP FEES AND CHARGES

In connection with the cash audit, the introduction of urn graves, and the introduction of our own cemetery bylaws, the old Board reviewed the Zahn Family Association fee schedule and is proposing an update accordingly. The proposal was provided in advance with the Family Day materials. The chairwoman presents it and explains the considerations. After a short discussion, it is decided by a majority,

To adopt the Schedule of Fees and Charges as presented.

The schedule of fees and charges is attached to the minutes as Annex 5.

 

10. FAMILY COUNCIL

10.1 Report

The chairwoman reports on the constructive exchange of ideas during the meetings of the family council. In the meantime, it has become a good tradition that guests also participate. Thus, about 15 family members gather annually in Moers to discuss the activities of the family association. In the last years these were mainly cemetery matters, the development of the cemetery statutes, the implementation of ongoing fundraising projects, the planning of family days, inter-family days and trips as well as research projects about the family and individual family members. In addition, there is a social and usually informative social program.

10.2 Elections

It is decided by a majority,

That the Family Council shall include the following persons:

as members of the Board of Management

  • Sabine Zahn (Chairwoman)
  • Hans Skribanowitz
  • Friederike Enders

as current members

  • Jörn Herold
  • Friedel Zahn
  • Eberhard Dorfmüller as new members
  • Carl Michael Zahn
  • Frank Maier-Solgk
  • Kerstin Skribanowitz

The newly elected family council members accept the election.
Volkmar Zahn, who cannot be present for health reasons, is appointed honorary member of the Family Council.

 

11. MISCELLANEOUS

11.1 Dispatch of the circulars

The circular letters and other family mail shall be sent by e-mail as far as possible and expedient. The Board shall take care of the necessary additions to the address list for this purpose.

11.2 Use of electronic media

Hans Skribanowitz plans to set up a homepage for the Zahn Family Association to promote communication among members and to document historical and organizational information. As far as reasonable, this is to be supplemented by the use of social media

11.3 Steps in case of bereavement

Upon request, Hans Zahn reminds the members that there are family circulars describing what to do in the event of a bereavement with regard to burial in the family cemetery and which persons or institutions to contact. The board announces a renewed and possibly updated information on this to all members.

11.4 Regional meetings

Friederike Enders suggests organizing regional meetings between the Family Days, where the family members living in each region meet. Hamburg, Berlin, Cologne and Munich could serve as centers for such regions. The board will further develop this idea and discuss its implementation with family members in the regions.

11.5 Venue Interfamily Day

The following locations were mentioned for hosting the next Intermediate Family Day (2019 or 2020):

  • Berlin (Joachim Tiburtius)
  • Tübingen ( Adolf Schlatter)
  • Sankt Gallen ( Johannes V adian),
  • München ( große Anzahl dort lebender V erwandter)
  • Viersen (Carl Zahn, whose grave is to become an honorary grave of the city of Viersen in 2019).

The board will think about the further elaboration and will further concretize the planning at the next meetings of the family council.

11.6 Cemetery biographies

The compendium of short biographies of relatives buried in the family cemetery is slowly taking shape. As many texts and pictures of the described persons are still missing, the chairwoman calls upon the members to prepare further short biographies of their close relatives and supply accompanying material, especially pictures. There are potential biographers for almost all the deceased buried in the cemetery, but not for the members of the Wieacker family. For these, descendants are being sought. Helmuth Wittlief has information about this, which the board will follow up.

11.7 Recruitment of members

The chairwoman appealed to recruit new members. To support this, membership forms were also enclosed with the meeting documents. The form is attached to the minutes as Annex 6.

11.8 Material for family archive

The chairwoman asks the members to provide material for the new family archive and also to encourage their other relatives to do so. The contracts with the city of Moers, which regulate the rights to the materials and the procedures for handling the family archive, will be made available by the board upon request.

 

12. CLOSING OF THE MEETING

The chairwoman of the board closes the general meeting.