NAMM has decided to restrict membership of its General Council to six years in order to draw in new blood.

At the annual meeting in September, Penny Keen of the Monumental Company, with branches in Sussex, proposed that membership of the Council should be restricted to two terms in order to get new blood flowing through the organisation\'s management.

However, at the meeting Jenny Gregson, of Rochdale masons J Child & Son expressed concern that voting delegates, who served yearly terms and were already the new blood of the organisation, often went on to be members of the General Council as a natural progression. Members serve three year terms.

Andrew Hawley of Nottingham company E Hawley (Masons) Ltd proposed the amendment that terms should be restricted to six years and that then there should be a break of at least a year before the person could stand again.

Peter Aspinall of George Squire & Sons in Bedfordshire pointed out that it could cause a greater problem than they have already of finding people prepared to stand for election, but AGM voted in favour of the amendment.