Red
Present:
Gill Platt, Jenny Patient, Janet Saunders, Fiona Chislett, Dave Jefferies,
Steve Wright, Dave Barnes. (quorate)
Apologies: Humphrey
Southall, John Dervan, Mark Wallis, Pat Durrant, Arthur Howarth, Charlie
Fisher.
Started
Chair:
Janet Saunders, Minutes taken by Jenny Patient
Minutes from July NC: These had been reviewed by all,
and comments made, but there was no revised copy yet available. Janet has asked
Pat to look into it.
Matters Arising from AGM:
NC Vacancies
Ramblers
Rep-Dave Barnes had volunteered
Training –
Steve Wright had volunteered
The meeting formally agreed these
posts were now filled.
Vacancies remaining and review of
posts:
National Secretaries: Janet – said as National Sec she
would stand down at the next AGM, but said she thought Pat would be happy to
continue in her job-share supporting role if someone else could be found.
Publicity: Jenny stated that Jan Lancaster had
booked adverts in advance, so the role immediately was more to do with
development and support for the regions.
Publicity
role is booking adverts, supporting regions, ensuring we have graphics and text
for adverts and leaflets. Maintain the regional publicity pack.
National
Sec is the main role for keeping in touch with regions – but (as noted earlier)
this would benefit from more support.
ACTION: Fiona Chislett to do some research
on what regions want on publicity. Gill P said she might take on publicity if
she was not Membership.
Treasurer: Jenny will stand down at next AGM
and will need support over the summer. Systems were already up and running.
Trips Sec & Treasurer – Arthur had stated he would like someone
else to help out or step into the job sometime. Dave Barnes said he thought he
might know someone who would be interested.
Question was raised whether Humphrey would continue if that happened.
Membership Sec – Gill wants to stand down by next
AGM, and she is likely to move again. Jules Noble has expressed interest.
90% of last
year’s new members had found out about RR through friends and family.
Info Sec: Uta – definitely wants to stop
being Info Sec.
ACTION: Dave Jefferies will change the email
redirection (to Gill as membership sec?)
The phone number to remain until another solution found.
DJ to
investigate a pay as you go phone number for the Info number, that could be
used to leave messages and checked regularly. DJ will report to next NC.
MC of S – Secretary is the official contact
and passes stuff on to East and
Hut Officer -and Action Fund – these two items to be on Agenda
for next NC.
Agreed we
will not appoint a hut officer.
ACTION – Proposals to be put to next AGM
re. tidying up of officer posts.
Car Stickers (for publicity)
A show of
hands at the AGM suggested car stickers would be welcomed by members. No
information was available for this meeting as to the cost of these. Jenny
stated the amount had not been budgeted for, as July NC voted to purchase
badges instead. The suggestion for stickers had been to send one to each new
member. GP proposed it could be left until there was a new membership secretary
and publicity officer in post.
Badges had
all been sold, (except 1or 2) and meeting agreed to purchase some more to be
sold via regions.
ACTION- JS to solicit numbers from regions
and buy more for sale.
Child Protection policy
This was carried
but under 18’s could not be excluded from becoming Red Rope members. Gill Cox
had advised that the CP policy could still be implemented.
- and related to the CP issue: BMC and Civil
liability Insurance:
More
clarity was needed for NC and membership as to the terms of our insurance: i.e.
What is the
position if:
Non-member causes an incident in general, liability of club?
Leader causes incident affecting a non-member?
Does our disclaimer on the trip booking form re.
parents/children exclude us from problems in the case of an abuse occurring?
ACTION: SW and FC to investigate these
questions and report back in January. March NC to consider implications and
whether any action is required.
ACTION: JP to look at question of
implementing BMC quarterly updates
ACTION: JS to remove the under 18 phrase
from the CP Policy
Regional Allocation
The motion
regarding this was carried at the AGM - only action was to publicise this to
regions and publish the timetable.
ACTION: JP to put a short article and publish
the timetable in the next Bulletin
Early booking discount & New Trip Rates
The new
trip booking form was updated by Arthur, new rates also needed to go into the
treasurers’ form and the Excel spreadsheet.
Also information about the discount needed to be in the Trip Organiser
Pack.
ACTION: All of this was down to Arthur and
Humphrey to organise and put on the web.
AGM 2007 – Venue
It was
agreed that Edale was not working for us any more. Discussion had gone on over email
re. Gradbach Scout Camp accommodation. Gill Cox has investigated it, and
although she reported it was on the small side, it was a plausible venue. Agreed to book it for the 2007 AGM and
provide a link t it on the website in advance of the AGM so that people could
see it.
ACTION: JS to book it
Alternatives
: YHA’s are available from November generally, cost from £600 to £1300.
ACTION: Janet and Gill P to do more
research with view to find somewhere early for 2008, in case Gradbach not
repeatable.
Lessons for 2007 AGM:
Need to get
interest for the AGM publicised earlier. Select someone to organise it in March
NC and publicise in Bulletin. Make it more family friendly with
childcare/activities for older and younger children.
Trip Finance Resolutions - Debate
Discussed
It was
mentioned that
Discussion
revisited the potential of using a ‘multiplier’ on trip charges e.g. 2 nights
for price of 3. It was pointed out that the motion (8) re. allowing trips to
vary charges but maintain proportions had been withdrawn. It had been carried that the ratio should be
fixed, but the NC was left to decide the ratio.
The point
was made that incomes have changed over recent years, and therefore banding may
need looking at.
A
suggestion was made (DJ) that another principle should be examined: i.e. that a
trip should cost an equal proportion of every income. There was a need to balance the proportional
principles with affordability for everyone, so that the ‘rich’ did not just
decide to do their own thing instead.
Fiona C suggested that Band A was perhaps too wide.
NC voted
that National Trips will continue to use the rates as set at the last NC. Nem
con.
“In
recognition of
ACTION: Dave J to produce draft guidelines
for multiplier trips up to a maximum of (times 2) that could be used for an
experimental period, in time to get feedback for the AGM. It should be
emphasised this was to allow for higher cost accommodation option only, and not
to cover sloppy trip budgeting. Dave J
to produce a simple pro-forma for feedback from regions
ACTION on Banding:
Subcommittee
was set up to investigate banding with a view to a solution on ‘the ratio’.
Terms of
reference:
Relation between
bands; the level bands are set; wage levels; how you will calculate your band,
e.g. the housing allowance issue.
Members:
Gill P, Janet S, Charlie (had already offered to help out) to ask NC and any
others as required.
ACTION: To give a progress report in
March and proposals for July NC.
Standing Orders
JP – Direct
Debits were not allowed with the Red rope Bank Account. It would be a higher
cost and not feasible.
JP had not
been able to talk to the bank on Standing Orders – could be an annual Standing
Order, but
1) if the band changes, how do we
collect extra money - however, if people
go down the bands, but do not change their SO then RR stands to benefit.
2) Difficulties of referencing the
amount with the member – we are not sure if a name is recorded on the bank
statement.
3) A reference number may be required
Gill P
reported that postage is currently 96p a member for renewals. The treasurer
would have to send the bank statement to the membership sec., who would then
check the statement against the membership records. Q. Could we get a second
bank statement sent to the Mem. Sec.?
Dave J said
the database would need another category for SO’s – some thought would be
needed to set up a process.
In view of
the discussions on banding proposals, any decision on SO’s was agreed to be put
on hold until banding/charges were reviewed.
ACTION: DJ to look at the dbase to see how much work
it would be to change the membership process to enable SO’s.
E-MIS
DJ reported
that this had been sent to the wrong address, but was now rectified.
There had
been some glitches in the system – Gill P has to send out an email to new
joiners so they can confirm they want to be on the list.
JS
commented she had had some problems subscribing.
In December
everyone will be sent a paper MIS with a clear message saying if you have not
had an E-MIS in November please sign on again. You will need to reply to a
confirming email.
ACTION:DJ to delete JS and make her a
guinea pig to test the system again.
ACTION: DJ will send GP a list of current
yahoo group members, to check against the ‘ticks’ in the membership list.
Training Needs
Steve
Wright as new training officer wanted to know what training needs the club had.
There was not time at the meeting to give this a full discussion –it was
suggested this could be gathered through email contact.
AOB
A matter
was discussed which was confidential to the meeting and has been minuted
separately.
Meeting
closed: 5:00 pm