An Official Family meeting

Sunday morning. January 6th 2012

I hoped the meeting would be one to change lives.

Liz as company secretary took the minutes of the special meeting of the shareholders of Morgan Steel and the Morgan Group. She began by reading out, "There are no absences. The invited guests present and noted are Rachel Wright, Alyana Wickham, Joseph Latchman, Tony Bullock, and Mike Steward. The time and date of this meeting is 10:00 a.m. on Sunday January 6th at Kirmingsham Hall, Kirmingsham Green, Holmes Chapel, Cheshire."

I cleared my throat, "Liz and I are joint 50/50 shareholders of Morgan Steel Limited. We own a depot and smelting works in Ebbw Vale South Wales, a scrap metal yard in Brierley Hill, and we lease one in Crewe specifically for rail freight. Within the company, we have six employees including Sean. We use sub-contractors for some of our work. Sean engages security and personnel for all the properties and invoices us."

The main reason for the meeting, I outlined, was not about Morgan Steel. It concerned the Morgan Group PLC, an entity created in 2007 following legal advice. Morgan Steel had struggled for a decade, trying to compete with cheaper imports. We had hoped and planned to enter new business areas. However, the new umbrella PLC had remained an unused shell.

"Diversification is essential for us," I said, "implementing the vision has been on the back-boiler. Family demands and other pressures have delayed the realisation of our goals."

"Aye...and you're a lazy sod," Sean said.

We all laughed. Rachel punched his arm, "Sshh." Her arm linked through his.

"I'll cover each item in turn. Anyone can contribute at any time. Our future requires an open discussion needing everyone's opinion, guests included," I emphasised.

Liz motioned with her hand for me to hurry up. Bourne placed his paws over his ears.

"The shareholding of the Morgan Group PLC is split. I have 51%, Liz 20%, Becky 10%, James 10%, and Sean 9%. Correct, Mike?" I paused.

"Yes, John, that's correct," Mike our solicitor said.

At this point, James chipped in, "Boring, can I go and play with Wesley and Alan upstairs?"
I felt my brow furrow and resumed where I had left off. "The Morgan Group uses the same offices and can use the identical staff and premises as Morgan Steel. But they are two separate entities. I have several important proposals to make today." I cleared my throat. Silence pervaded the room.

"Firstly, I make the proposal that as part of the Morgan Group, we establish Morgan Security officially. Sean is brilliant at the coalface but he's not a finance or administration person."

"You're not wrong there, boyo," Sean said. "Like an Irishman would say."
"Boyo is Welsh, you goon," James said.

I coughed and resumed. "Morgan Security Limited will have Sean as an 80% shareholder and managing director, with Liz and me holding the other shares. He can allocate his shares as he sees fit. He'll install the floating prison off the coast of Kenya, manage the personnel and build up the business."

"More friggin' work," Sean said, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "And who's the goon now, Jamie lad?"

James guffawed.

Speaking louder, I said, "I propose that James and Aly join Sean at Morgan Security as employees or consultants. Their role will be -- under Sean's guidance and using his contacts -- to approach public and corporate bodies about IT network security. They'll accept commissions to attack and infiltrate systems, repair them and give a report to the IT directors. We have no intention of becoming private eyes, but we will offer protection and consultancy to large corporate or public bodies."

James' cheeks went bright red. Aly smiled and kissed his hand. Liz also smiled radiantly and blew me a kiss. We had talked with Sean and Rachel over the last few days about our plans. Our conversations were now becoming a reality.

Blushing, I started again, "My second proposal is that we establish Morgan Development and Property Partnership. I've outlined the idea to Tony and would like him to be my other partner: 50/50. Tony has been a loyal friend of the Morgan household for several years, also maintaining our 22-acre site. He has converted the space above our three garages into living accommodation or 'Sean's tree house'."

Everyone chuckled at that.

banged his chest and did a Tarzan impression. Aunty walked over, fixing her eyes on him. Bourne stirred, tail wagging.

"Down!" Sean commanded. "He's an eejit, Aunty. Leave him."

"Oops," James said. Aly moved to pat Aunty. Sean shook his head. Aly withdrew her hand quickly.

I said, "Tony will continue to maintain Kirmingsham Hall and the grounds, approaching other potential clients for landscaping and maintenance contracts. We'll look at possible investment on redundant sites or properties for development. Tony and Sean will work together regarding conversions of other liners into floating prisons."

"Thank you, John and Liz," Tony said, "I hope I don't let you down." The room went quiet.

"No. Thank you, Tony," Liz said. "It can't have been easy for you with the family tensions you have experienced over the last few months."

"My third proposal," I said, "is that the Morgan Group found a charitable wing called the Morgan Foundation." Nodding to Rachel, I continued, "I propose Rachel to become chief executive. She has a business degree and heaps of experience. She has to travel to the Philippines with Save the Children, after James' and Aly's wedding in May, so I suggest that she plan to begin with us full-time in June."

Sean kissed Rachel on her head. James said, "Uh huh."

Turning to Aly, Sean said, "I'd think long and hard about hitching your wagon to that..." Seconds ticked by before Sean added "...fine example of a young man...the perfect marrying kind. Why, I'd marry him myself if he'd have me."

Aly spoke for the first time, "Yes, he's a fine example ya'll. And he IS taken." James' cheeks turned beetroot red.

Spontaneous applause erupted. Sean whistled and rose to shake James' hand.

"My fourth proposal is that Liz and Becky find premises ideal for their fashion ideas. Tony will conduct a survey giving advice when they've located a property. The wholesale and retail arm will be Morgan Fashion. Liz and Becky will be joint owners."

Liz jumped up and shouted, "Yes!" She then gave me a long kiss on the lips. "Thank you, darling. You're definitely on a promise tonight." Everyone laughed. James blushed further and I felt hot. Becky and Liz hugged and remained standing in a huddle, like girls in a playground.

"My final proposal, certainly the most critical one today," I said, "relates to Joseph's situation." I briefly outlined the history of the box again and how it had come to me. Presenting them with the latest news, I suggested strongly we do everything possible to assist Joseph and Simeon, considering Wesley's miraculous recovery. My plan outlined that Sean, James and I would travel with Joseph to Jaffa. James would give us IT support, whilst Aly kept us up to date from the UK.

"There is vast potential in the healing leaves. Any company that can analyse the constituents and formulate a drug will make billions. If we sell the leaves and maps to a buyer -- which we will never do -- we could virtually name our price. Someone has found out about the box and attempted to steal it. They need to be found and Simeon freed -- without giving those scoundrels a thing."

"We'll just give them a little headache," Sean said.

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that," Liz cautioned.

"I could not possibly condone or be party to any violent or criminal act," Mike stated unreservedly. "So don't tell me about it", he added, and looked at Sean who just shrugged his shoulders and winked at him.

"No, Aunty, leave him alone, he's a friend," Sean addressed the grey and white husky at his feet, who growled, fixing her eyes on Mike. We all laughed.

"We have no intention of selling the box or its contents," I said. "It would be a better goal to use the Morgan Foundation in some way and offer healing to the desperate."

"It's about time you recognised the importance of information, Dad," James said. "How you run all your businesses with only a Blackberry and a crap computer I don't know."

I took the hint, asking Aly to acquire the latest laptops and other mobile paraphernalia the key personnel and I would need, so it would be ready when we returned.
James said, "And some 'silver surfer' training," cheekily alluding to my age.
Aly laughed.

I summarised, asking for a vote on each proposal. Loud 'Ayes' resounded after each item. Mike took the information down and assured us everything was in order, while he kept his eyes focused on Aunty and his hands tucked away.

Bourneville padded over and nudged his hand until Mike patted him. The solicitor was clearly relieved to have one four-footed friend in the room.

Inviting further comment, I asked if anyone wanted to speak. Mike said that before any of the newly formed companies became employers, we needed to familiarise ourselves with legislation such as health and safety, the Equality & Diversity Act and the Briberies Act.
Everyone in the room agreed that we wanted to comply with the law. As we grew, the Morgan Group needed a secure basis for each facet of the business. Any section that became a risk would become defunct.

Joseph said, "Would I be allowed the courtesy to speak?"

"Of course, Joseph," I said, "please do. You're one of us."

"I would like to thank you for your kindness," he said, looking at each of us in turn. "I'm relieved that some of you will accompany me to Jaffa. I hope my brother will be found safe and well, preferably without yielding the box. Now I have two questions for Sean."
Sean and I indicated that he should ask.

Why is the husky called Aunty?"

"She's just like my aunty in Ireland," Sean quipped, "strong-willed, ruthless and a bitch."

"But how did you come to own her?" Joseph asked.

"Well I'm not sure that anyone 'owns' Aunty, she's her own lady," Sean said. "But a military friend gave me Aunty. The sergeant had been in the Falklands with me romping to Port Stanley with the paras. He'd joined the SAS two months later than me and later joined the SAS TA. During exercises in Sweden, the sergeant adopted a bitch husky, little realising her pregnancy. He pleaded with me to have the most boisterous and snappy puppy of the litter. I agreed if the Red Caps would train it. Eight months later in 2007, Aunty the husky joined the household here. John, you want to add anything?"

I said, "We were not overjoyed, to be honest. Bourneville was not impressed and neither was Becky, who had an 18-month-old toddler. But Wesley broke the ice. He patted, played with and tugged Aunty's hair and I think she knew the boy was no threat. Bourne got used to playing with Aunty. For the first three weeks that Wesley endured hospitalisation, Aunty moped around the house. Some nights she would be in Wesley's bedroom whimpering. We knew she would defend his life with hers."

"Thank you. My second question," Joseph said. "Would she really have eaten that young man in the tent?"

Whether he meant it in jest or whether he had only seen pampered toy poodles on leashes or wild feral street dogs in Tel Aviv I was not sure. I thought I detected a smile and a twinkle in his eyes. 'Joseph is back!' I thought.

Sean replied, "Well now, Aunty is a bitch, and she'll eat anything, just like my aunty in Cork. I think, though, that Jason is unclean meat. She would spit him out."

Uproarious laughter lasted several minutes. Joseph laughed longer and louder than anyone, his girth shaking. He acknowledged that in the Torah, the Jewish Law, "There are unclean meats. But they have four legs."

"OK," I asked, "is there any other item before I close the meeting? Then we can eat."

Becky stood, "I have one. I've agreed with Mr Thomas, the GOSH paediatrician, that all of us except Mum and Dad will run in the 2014 London Marathon to raise funds for the GOSH baby unit. Dad and Mum can stand in the crowd cheering, dispensing bottles of water and meet us at the finish tape."

Sean and I looked at each other in mock amusement. We knew that he would train hard. He would make it a competition. He had yomped miles across the Falklands.

I formally closed the meeting and signed the forms necessary to make the changes. Mike placed the paperwork in his briefcase and excused himself. The clock showed 1:00 p.m., time for dinner. Sean and Mike shook hands. "I was joshing ya, me bucko. No harm done."
We all went to the local harvester pub and had a Sunday lunch from the carvery. Tony excused himself and headed home with Alan in tow.

Back at the house, we all watched Liverpool FC live against Spurs. Joseph was as excited as any of us when Stephen Gerrard scored a goal: the only goal. We would have gone to the game at the Spurs ground but the next day would be a very big day for all of us.