Apologies

Janet Saunders, Dave Jefferies, Titch Kavanagh, Andy Bullivant, Sally Brown

Jan Lancaster, Gill Cox, John Bott, Humphrey Southall, Ian Muir, Barbara Zeland, Arthur Howarth, Gill Platt, Neil Roberts, Ann Maloney, Angela Benham, Adrian O’Connor, Charlie Fisher, Dave Symonds, Pat Durrant, Geoff Birch

1. Dundonnell trip was cancelled due to lack of interest.
2. Mountaineering Council of Scotland requires an onerous system of monthly returns on new members.

Need to look at alternative way of fulfilling requirements.

3. Members’ handbook to be considered later when looking at constitution.
4. New Treasurer Neil Roberts was welcomed.
5. AGM would be discussed later.
6. Geoff Boyling, training officer’s, discount arranged with Cotswolds is now available but yet to be fully publicised.
7. BMC situation – at the BMC EGM it was decided club members on payment of a fee would be able to up-grade to individual membership

Geoff Birch and John Bott wish to form own Red Rope nucleus at Chester – walk and March weekend organised. Constitution states new groups should be encouraged and it was agreed Chester should receive £100 funding - £50 loan from Liverpool could be refunded.

ACTION

Jan Lancaster would liaise regarding provision of regional booklet and leaflets and e-mail Dave Jefferies.

Finance Refs are to the H) Club Finance section of Constitution

ACTION NC would be looking to remove figures from the constitution.

1. H1 - Change to hardship band – NC should proactively present to AGM any changes such as increase in petrol costs.

Any figures produced by club shall be ratified.

2. H1bThe aim was to be reasonably consistent with banding. AGM would have to change number of income bands.
3. H2 - Long-term figures e.g. deducting housing costs up to max £50 per week need to be changed at AGM
4. H3 - More bonding between regions desirable – reason for regional treasurers’ meeting at July NC weekend.

Suggestion bulletin article required was queried.

Gill Cox pointed out if there was no national support, administrative costs etc

come from surplus from trips.

ACTION For discussion at another meeting - 10% of membership fees for support of regions

5) H4g - Feeling club quite generous as regards trip deposits –view expressed that Trip

Treasurer should be advised in forms & should be said policy has been applied

6. H5 - Non-members paying extra 20% only applies to nightly charge not transport

No limit on how many times a person cam go as non-member.

Trip organiser could check with membership secretary to confirm membership

status if felt necessary.

7. H6b - Trip organiser’s pack would benefit from examples.

H6c – Needs to be proactive with examples given.

The constitution permits the tweaking of figures to make things more consistent.

There is no single generally adhered to figure proportional to disposable income.

Proportion looked for generally is 4 to 1 although a weekend a good distance away the proportion tends to be 7 to 1 because transport is not proportional.

Charlie feels that is unfair. Jerzy Wieczorek has been looking at the figures.

Thresholds for income bands – years out of date until recent AGM – has single person with income of 21,000 in top band. Things have moved on and this now felt to be unfair.

Proposal is to be in top H band salaries should be above 30,000 per annum. That is weekly disposable income of £380 with £50 off for housing.

Humphrey Southall felt the intervals were too compressed at the bottom end.

Charlie explained spreadsheet maintains proportional relationship.

Some down but evidence suggest some Band H members not re-joining and some not going on trips so probably no loss of income.

Many people might find themselves in higher band than they are at present.

Ian Muir emphasised the need for publicity.

Charlie felt it was important to devise ways of helping people calculate their band accurately.

Charlie explained that the aim was to get transport back to 4 to 1 ratio as the constitution says.

From an analysis of Bristol trip in Dec 2000 it was concluded that there was indiscipline on transport costs. Charlie said if new system applied properly transport costs would go down.

Car owners important to the club.

The system would be reviewed in July 2004.

It would apply for the February National Trip.

ACTION

February Bulletin will publish the new figures apart from membership fees, which stay the same

The virtue of the new transport charging system is that costs can be worked out before the trip takes place and problems addressed following consultation with the Trip Organiser and National Trip secretary and Treasurer as required.

Club policy Trip Organiser consults before the trip goes ahead.

Barbara Segal - will expect people to behave in a reasonable manner

Geoff Birch – socialist principle to help people with no money

Charlie Fisher said the principle would be 6p a mile.

Ann Maloney said the new system would maximise the use of cars

Charlie said the person who has car and picks up 4 needs compensation for costs

Pat Durrant said – car is a luxury and people would go on trip anyway

It was agreed that at 6p a mile the driver was not getting much for wear and tear.

ACTION Lot of work on Trip Organiser’s Pack and articles for the Bulletin required to disseminate the new transport charging system.

ACTION Trip Treasurer’s form need re-formatting with more information and tips/examples how to use the form.

At present regional contacts just send copy to MIS editor. Although it would technically be possible to set up regional contacts in-putting the data it would not suit all. Furthermore it would take time to set up so the NC decided it wasn’t feasible until a concrete proposal was made.

Some members preferred the old original style MIS format and were concerned that the diary being the ‘lifeblood’ of the club needed to be easy to read and understand.

ACTION

Gill Platt, Charlie Fisher and Pat Durrant , supported by National Secs., agreed to look into finding the ‘ideal/most satisfactory’ format.

The NC re-affirmed the principle that individuals receiving training grants should re-pay their grant from the club by sharing their skills and a grant of £300 given to the individuals participating in the Gong Ga Expedition to China in March 2004.

The team can decide what form the skills-sharing takes.

Hut Officer, Adrian O’Connor, explained that he had located 2 buildings in Snowdonia, which both officers hoped to investigate as soon as possible. The buildings were structurally sound but in need of some renovation in a remote but accessible area surrounded by mountains.

Neil Roberts asked if areas other than Snowdonia, which was well served with huts, had been considered. The main difficulty with other areas such as the Lakes and the Peak District was cost.

All Red Rope members are reminded that they can research and propose hut possibilities to the NC.

The Hut Officers hoped to give more time to their research.

The work on up-dating the constitution was 98% complete. After some discussion it was decided that:

ACTION 1) an up-dated copy of the constitution should be sent to Regional Representatives

2) the up-dated constitution should be published on the website

3) A4 size would be easier to up-date as necessary

Trip Treasurer Job Description

Due to some anomaly a trip treasurer job description did not exist. Humphrey agreed to work on this.

An incident of damage caused by a Red Rope member at the 2003 AGM prompted a discussion of whether there should be a procedure for expelling a member from the club.

Adrian O’Connor referred to the section in the constitution M) Complaints.

Angela Benham explained that the member who caused the damage at Edale had paid compensation for the damage, apologised for his behaviour in a letter and recognised that his behaviour could have given Red Rope a bad press. Fortunately due to the DIY skills of Adrian O’Connor the damage was perfectly repaired and no report to the Village Hall Secretary was necessary.

Humphrey Southall said that the member who caused the damage had been to a National Trip in the past and there were no problems.

On hearing this the Liverpool member who raised the question said that he did not wish to make a formal complaint.

His/Her role with the National Trips Secretary is to facilitate the exchange of information regarding all kinds of alpine activities with the aim of encouraging individuals’ opportunities of gaining alpine experience.

The overall view was that the 2003 AGM had gone well. The AGM booklet was highly praised. There were 3 areas of improvement required:

1. Child care facilities and activities
2. Catering should be less hard work for organisers
3. Unexpected high cost of campsite – as charged for 2 nights even if staying one

The cost of the 2003 AGM to the club was in the region of £450, the same as the 2002 AGM.

Some concern was expressed regarding the outgoings of £450. However the 2003 AGM had included a discount to members, ‘child carers’, entertainment, parking fees and fresh, exotic food for over 75 people. It had also been quorate and was generally felt to have been successful and enjoyable.

1) The National Secretaries had started researching the possibility of saving money on the campsite and sampled the second campsite at Edale. A small saving might be possible. The National Secretaries will return to book in the New Year and investigate other venues which could host the AGM while the village hall is dedicated to child care.

2) Ideas to help cooking process a) Organisers more experienced + knowledge of facilities

b) Regions prepare dishes in advance

REQUEST Please improve bread quality.

Advertise time when tents need to come down

ACTION Child Care an important element of Red Rope. Unless there are volunteers the club will need to budget for provision if trained child carers desired.

The committee considered the possibility of inserting the 5000 approx RR leaflets which will be out of date after next year’s AGM in Greenshires publications such as High and On the Edge.

Humphrey suggested we could also insert them in our own publications for distribution.

Concerns re: adverts/leafleting - Need to have a good follow-up

Need to go to particular areas where Red Rope exists

PUBLICITY ONLY AS GOOD AS THE WELCOME RECEIVED

ACTION Need to ascertain whether it is possible to distribute leaflets by postcode

Could arrange 3 way trips e.g. Manchester/Sheffield/Leicester

The web site has developed greatly and is going in the right direction. Most membership application forms come off the web.

Concern expressed regarding the lack of links on the website.

QUESTION Is it technically possible to improve links?

Is it possible to develop websites for each region?

ACTION Website Treasurer’s Form – Humphrey will look for missing preamble which

needs to be added to website.

Is there a copy in archives?

Intellectual Property – The Red Rope Archives

There have been requests from outsiders to access the archives, which include materials of social/historical interest.

At present there is no archivist.

ACTION

Humphrey Southall said he would research the possibility of them being housed in the University of Warwick archives which specialise in Trade Union material and would cost nothing.

Kate Ashbrook of the society has agreed to do an article for the bulletin. She has also provided some booklets to inform Red Rope members what this society, to which we subscribe as a club, is all about.

The NC decided these copies should be available at e.g. AGM meetings rather than sent in the post

Contact list and rates have changed so the insert needs re-printing and sending.

ACTION Regional Information needs up-dating. Contact regions.

A discussion followed about how to do this most effectively and cheaply.

If the Trip Booking Form was separate it could be stuffed with bulletin at little extra posting cost. 5000 could be printed in traditional way.

Booking form must have information about income bands.

What Band Am I In? section could be included in every bulletin.

SUGGESTION – Income band information could go in a membership handbook.

ACTION Up-dated insert to come out in the New Year.

MIS secretary at present printing MIS from home. Thank you, Gill.

1. 6-12 June 2004 Coruisk Trip, Skye – half full (sleeps 8)

NEXT MEETING Saturday 28^th (NOT 29^th) FEBRUARY 2004 in BRISTOL

Hope to see you there!