Annual General Meeting, Thursday 8th February 2018

Present: Matt A (chair), Sarah K M (secretary), Chris H, Bronwen F, Ben B, Simon W "vulnerability" M, Mary M, Camilla P, Ella J, Cameron R, Anabel M, Ben H, Callum R, Andrew W, Danny V, Arthur G, Emma K (left before voting)

Apologies for absence: Marci G (votes sent in advance), Patrick T

Reports by the co-presidents
Nav course, winter skills course, REC 2 and REC 4 also relaxed First Aid course from First Aid Society.
Many socials.
Duddon Valley – Disaster
Stiperstones – Good trip, much alcohol
Rhyd Ddu – Outside pub, good weather
Glen Coe – Successful (no deaths), lots of whisky and wild swimming.
Bryn Golau – Lack of alcohol, otherwise successful
Chilterns – Good, distrusting pub owners
Ennerdale – Bad: minibus crash etc, very expensive bunkhouse,
Edale – Bus got stuck (again), went to pub afterwards (30% retention rate)
Glenridding – Good bunkhouse, scrambling course finally happened
Caseg Fraith – 20L mulled wine on Saturday, mountaineers came over, good fun.
Selside – Singing, alcohol
Coniston – amazing weather, SWM earned new middle name
Rosedale – Good fun

Financials
Ups and downs (Ennerdale) but generally solid, recommend keeping trip fee constant.
Courses (REC4 £277 loss), Scrambling (£360 temporary loss due to AGTF childbirth).
Socials done solidly, garden party used up surplus from last year’s Annual Dinner.
£350 for MR at charity ceilidh
Up £200 from membership
BMC affliation increasing so recommend increasing membership fee from £15.
£1500 from Societies Syndicate
Cashflow fine (min £600 approx.)
Minibus tow £450 for Ennerdale
Publicity money well spent on Freshers’ Fair stall

Andy Gibson Training Fund
We’ve not had the money we expect to get from the AGTF yet – interesting cheque situation. BB and CH are in the process of setting up an online account with Lloyds.
BB remarked how much the AGTF is appreciated (despite our complaints).

Motion to raise membership fee
Only had essential spending on club kit in the last year because we’ve had to spend a lot more on BMC affiliation.
Discussion on £17.50 vs. £20.
CP notes that trip fees have gone up in previous years without a motion. Agreement that £20 is reasonable and is unlikely to put of members.
Aside: CR mentioned that 2 rucksacks were lost on Selside – BB was safety officer. £17.50 would be enough to refresh kit, £20 would let us upgrade.
Motion passed unanimously.

Message from the 30th Anniversary Committee
Update on plans from David H and Tom L. 20 people have paid £20 deposits but rest of costs covered by DH and TL. Request for loan of £500 to cover catering deposit. Request for volunteers for other committee positions and general help – get in touch if you have any free time to help.
Challenge – County Tops. (Whisky for those who bag Shetland and Orkney…)

Proposal to loan £100 to 30th Anniversary Committee
MA put forward motion to loan £100, seconded by BB. Club is not in a financial position to loan £500 – low point (over summer 2017) was c £580. MA commented that if we could we’d like to loan more. MA suggests that individual members can make loans to committee. AW asks what happens if it collapses – CP says the money is just lost. MA points out that DH and TL are putting a lot of their own money into deposits anyway, so unfair for risk to be all on them. Motion passed unanimously.

Proposal to subsidise transport for 30th Anniversary weekend
MA proposes for next year’s committee to decide to what extent there is subsidised transport. BB remarks that it doesn’t need to be organised that far in advance. In the past, club has subsidised ~£500 (approx. full transport costs). AM suggests that it would be good to have both annual dinner and 30th Anniversary. MA proposes that next committee decides but suggests subsidy should be c £20.

Questions to the committee
AW asks how co-presidency has worked. MA says he dpesn’t know how single presidents did it. CP asks whether MA and CH will recommend to new committee that they continue with random ballot. CH and MA both say yes. CP asks how this has affected distribution of experienced/non-experienced people on trips. AH asks whether this has resulted in more drop outs. MA has listed drop outs on list he distributed. Commented that Glenridding was particularly bad, but was first trip of Michaelmas. BB was initially sceptical of online sign up but thinks it’s worked well.

Election of positions to Executive Committee

Election of President
SKM and BF standing.
CP asks if there’s anywhere they’d like to take the Club. BF says she’d like to go back to North East – Cheviot trip was good. SKM says mystery trip is to good location. Refuses to reveal.
17 for SKM and BF, 0 for RON.

Election of Meets Secretary
AW “This isn’t actually a question for you Danny”
MA asks about whether £10 wear and tear should still be given to own-car drivers. DV says yes.
CP asks how he’ll avoid using the minibus. CH admitted that he chose to use the minibus because he thought it’d be cheaper.
AW asks his opinion on 5 people in cars. DV - “Well it’s not illegal is it.”
17 for DV, 0 for RON.

Election of Social Secretary
MM says they’re keen to organise lots of good socials. Intend to break even. SWM says he’s heard about the whisky tasting night – would like to recreate. MA asks whether they have plans for garden party cake. SKM asks whether they have access to an oven between them.
MM: “Yes - your oven”.
AW asks about reinstating club lunches. AM couldn’t do them because of work commitments. MA didn’t do them after no one came to first two (group response: awwwww ☹ ). MM suggests doing them in the Earth Sciences department.
16 for MM and SWM, 1 abstain, 0 for RON.

Election of Safety Officer
CH has “had a go” at being president and think he’d be better suited to safety. CR mentions that first aid kits need replacing. CH was going to email the organisation who run the Earth Sciences department first aid training (Marlin) to ask about what should be in a first aid kit. CP mentioned that they also sell the kit. BF asks about the budget for kit. CH suggests having a group from committee go on “a shopping spree”.
RON says “Chris standing is a really bad idea”
17 for CH, 0 for RON. (surprisingly)

Election of Junior Treasurer
MA - “This isn’t a drugs deal, it’s the AGTF”
BB asks if BH has a single signature. BH says yes.
CR compliments BB’s attentiveness with the accounts over the last year.
BB - “How long are you prepared to spend on hold on the Lloyd’s helpline?”
MA asks how he’d sign off an email demanding money from people. BH – “Best regards, Ben Harris”
17 for BH, 0 for RON.

Election of Membership Secretary
EJ – organised formal last year. Likes a good spreadsheet. Not two people but is a humanities student so has time.
CR and PT – PT sends apologies – CR: “My darling other half can’t be here.” Both love spreadsheets. Conditional formatting are their loves. Spreadsheets are their bread and butter. Plan on automating the role out of existence.
CR asks why membership needs two people. CR says they can share a keyboard. They also live next to each other. MA asks if hypothetically one or both presidents gets glandular fever then what would they be willing to do. EJ says whatever is necessary. CR agrees.
7 for PT and CR; 10 for EJ; 0 for RON.

AOB

Website
CR says he won’t speak for PT but is willing to have a go.

Driving on club trips
SKM suggests we have a policy to advise drivers on driving for trips – e.g. recommendation to stop every 3hrs. We drive a long way and passengers may feel uncomfortable highlighting to driver that they are tired and should take a break.
BB suggests that if we have dodgy drivers that we don’t ask them to drive again. SWM suggests that we highlight to drivers that they’re responsible for they safety of those in their car.
CH suggests looking at road/driving association website to base our guidance on official guidance.

Kit
CR has found it difficult to keep an eye on kit – difficult to make sure we sign stuff out.
DV asks if the club needs more maps. He thinks on more difficult walks require at least two maps per walk.

Meeting is closed.