General Meetings

Thursday 21st February 2019 Video Room, Murray Edwards College Chairs: Sarah Martin and Bronwen Fraser Secretary: Ella Jollands All items on the agenda are limited to ten minutes, which may be extended by a simple majority of members present. If no extension is made, discussions must be wrapped up and, where necessary, a vote held.

People in attendance: Bronwen Fraser BF, Sarah Martin SM, Ben Harris BH, Dr James Hickson JH, Mary Murray MM, Oliver Neale ON, Danny Vagnozzi DV, Chris Heweston CH, Elliot Baptist EB, Paul Fox PF, Seb Parr SP, Peter Mernyei PM, Andrew Wang AW, Cameron Ramsey CR and Ella Jollands EJ. 15 people in attendance.

Agenda Points

1. Apologies for absence:

None. 2. Report by the Presidents:

BF & SM: Summary of the year’s trips: Breacon Beacon, went well Oliver Neale’s first trip. Keswick, was damp and nav course, note to avoid camping in future. Glen Coe, good weather, two winter skill courses both went well, a few members with good winter skills. Cym dylli, very few regulars, and lack of people with real winter skill, but a thaw before trip meant that everything was all good. Mystery trip, was a very good trip to Scotland! The real mystery being who didn’t know where it was going… Bog and low cloud on the Saturday. Day trip very flat beach walks, with a 3 year old in attendance. Duddon Valley, not the original 2017 one! Very different! Heat wave post exam trips, lots of wild swimming! Smaller group size so small bunk house was less of a problem, do not bring the full number of people it can sleep, got it for free!!! Last trip for Gilad and Marci. Edale, coach made it to Edale without any incidences, must ensure that the correct route has been programmed into the satnav. Bit damp clearing up through the day. 40%ish retention rate – including the brilliant Elliot and Andrew! Rydale hall, interesting start, hard to find the bunk house, about half an hour finding the hut, but very nice table tennis table inside. Nav course on this trip went well, and worth doing on a fairly regular basis, Danny brought good pumpkins for fun Halloween festivities. Caseig, didn’t fill and the mountaineers didn’t make it, weather very changeable, shout out to Andrew with his nearly marathon day, 40km, 2500m assent, cats stole some stuff. Swaledale, bridgemas trip one car got lost and found a ford, highest pub in England, Saturday evening great Christmas dinner, good gravy PF, brilliant Yorkshire puddings SM, kegs on the ceiling CM. Conniston – rain free trip, risky swimming, recovered by a wood burning furnace, nice bunk house. Charges per person. Teasdale, 2015 last trip there was very oversubscribed, damp low cloud, navigation on bearings, warm bunk house, nice pub. Shropshire day trip, more smooth, very good conditions, snow and blue sky and sunshine, keen new members and competent old hands, pub, newbies went up an extra hill! 30th anniversary weekend, very special over 100 walkers, dufflings, beautiful weather, good walks, Saturday evening good food, good alcohol, drunken ceilidh in the car park, very in tune cow song with over 100 people.

3. Accounts for the financial year ending 31st January 2019:

Presentation of the accounts by the Junior Treasurer:

BH: We had lost too much money to fit with the policy of losing money, so did not have enough in the account over summer, this made it difficult to put down deposits on bunk houses over the summer. Tried to make a profit this year, so we have a level of reserves. This was achieved by: some cheap(ish) bunk houses, and had quite a few own car drivers, number of people coming on trips was down a bit which actually because of transport ends up being cheaper for us. Duddon Valley not paying, £300. £240 should have been in last year. Should now be in a good financial position. Raised membership fee, to replace kit and be in line with BMC increases. Purchased new waterproofs and new first aid supplies, new stuff for winter.

Discussion of the account:

CH A discussion on how to read the accounts. JH We still need the money for the bunk house that never claimed their money. SM We still do have the money to this PF write the Duddon Valley bunk house cost off as a liability, this reduces the account surplus which is better for applying for money from the society syndicate. PF, CH Discussion about how to do the kit in terms of assets. EB does the sale of clothing make a difference, BH Yes and no. JH Note to future treasurer make sure that everything is in on time in terms of applying for society syndicate money, and follow the rules stay up to date as they change. Vote on whether to approve the accounts as presented
Passed unanimously all 15 votes in favour

*Agreed modification: Fix Duddon valley bill so it is a liability, and this can be carried over for the next 2-3 years. *

4. Discussion on the progress of the Andy Gibson Training Fund SM The fund has this year funded a winter skills course, scrambling skills course, and first aid courses. We are now charging the full fee to members and reimbursing them after. Made a loss on REC 2, because it didn’t fill, this was for a few reasons; namely it was during exam term and on the same weekend as a trip. Would not recommend the provider used. Was expensive, not based locally to Cambridge, so expensive for accommodation, maximum group size was 12 but didn’t fill that. PF St John’s Ambulance have offered to give us a non-certificated course, look into the first aid society. SM scrambling course went well. BF can get individual funding as Bronwen did. SM Didn’t use everything, can be slow to get the money, very understandably, so worth applying in advance, can apply in advance for when we are doing group stuff but don’t know who is coming. Just received a very generous check. PF worth thinking about how the AGF is perceived by the societies syndicate, making it clear how the money is immediately given to members.

5. Questions to the Committee See PF last point above.

6. Election of positions of the Executive Committee due to become vacant at the meeting’s close, in the following order: a. President MM: plans to be delegating, and not to go on every trip. She like Sarah guarantees good weather. EB asks what MM’s approach is to balancing University and Club load? MM plans on try and get academic work done in vacation rather than Michaelmas, to allow for club time. Mary Murray is elected unanimously.

b. Transport Secretary Andrew Wang is elected unanimously.

c. Social Secretary Cameron Ramsey and Ella Jollands are elected unanimous(ish)ly one half vote not for Cameron

d. Safety and Equipment Officer

Note from SM: it is advisable to make sure that we don’t need to have more people for each role. Because two people have done it in previous years does not mean we need multiple people, this should potentially next year return to being a one person role. 14 votes to Patrick & Danny 1 RON Patrick Taylor and Danny Vagnozzi are elected Safety and Equipment Officers

e. Junior Treasurer **Peter Mernyei elected unanimously **

f. Secretary Oliver Neale is elected unanimously

7. Any other business a. SM More informal training as a general point.

b. GENERAL POINT BMC Raises, the BMC may of March 2019 raise its price by £6. How to work around this, discussions around the grace period. Let the society syndicate know that this is happening. We will know the by the time we apply for the syndicate. SM Whether we then harge more for non-students? EJ We should potentially add something to ask people if they are part of the mountaineers or any other BMC affiliated groups. Everyone in the club has a vote in the AGM and remind people and mobilise them. DV Potentially look into other ways of getting insured. Chris plans to attend the AGM – with 130 proxy votes.

c. BH Societies syndicate committee feedback Not keen to give on-going grants. Cost of transport is a major factor. Make the application in the right terms, if the membership fee is raised again to be taken into consideration. PF Lost BMC grants, because they are too incompetent EJ Look into getting grants from sport England. Meeting closed.