Minutes12 June 2008
Committee Meeting
Thursday 12 June 7:30 pm at The Old Vicarage, Nether Stowey
Present: -
1.Apologies for absence: Jill Goodwin. Bob de Barr, Rhu Griffiths, Alison Jarah, Jacquie Bates
2.Minutes of the last Meeting and Résumé; Approved – Bob Keene/Tim and Sue/Tim
3.Matters arising from the last Minutes: Theillay visit 1-4 May, THANKYOU cards were posted to all non-committee hosts by the Chairman. Further batch of cards printed and delivered to Chairman
4.Organisation and strategy
4.1.School Summer Fair 21 June – Pitch is reserved inside the school with objective of promoting Twinning while memory of the May 2 School French Day is fresh, to attract membership and interest in visiting Theillay. Organisation discussed before the committee meeting. IT resource and other props required are being coordinated together with updated information on Theillay school communication with NS VC Primary. Young Twinners to be promoted.
4.2.Chairman has agreed with one of the members to hold the master membership list on his computer system.
5.Membership No comment
6.Web – Committee interest in refresher update report of current ‘virtual’ site v. ‘true’ site (functionality and benefits), Webmaster’s advice to be sought.
7.Events 2008
7.1.7 June Members' Barbeque: Good attendance and raffle take-up. Proceeds for funds were £247 from attendance (up from £107 last year) and £54 from raffle. THANKYOU cards to be sent as discussed to particular help.
7.2.12 July Picnic on the Mount. Organiser in collaboration with owner is arranging all, including music and publicity. Start at 7.30. Bring your own food & drink & rug/chairs. Everything organised, including the music. Sunset will be unforgettable, temperature balmy. Objective? Social rather than financial.
7.3.Car Boot Sale. A good amount of merchandise stored and this probably needs sorting ahead of the event. Confirmed that the Playing Field Committee is definitely not organising any sales in 2008. Contact between orgainsers to be made with regard to suitable venues and dates.
7.4.September Boules Match, date and place as yet unknown
7.5.Later Events (5 Oct Quantock Walk; 17 Jan Safari Supper)
Quizzes – are being organised, including raffle prizes, in preparation for the season. Any emails that go out to membership to have Quiz event reminder added.
6 Feb 2009 AGM – Reservation of R&C room and catering is in hand.
8.Theillay Visit Sat 23 - Tue 26 May 2009
8.1.Travel Programme 22-26 May 2009
Organiser has investigated alternative modes of travel – rail and coach and air. Current problems of fuel pricing make a quote for 2009 unlikely until after Christmas impossible but current information (50 people assumed) indicates £150 per person – young, adult or old! - by rail (7-12 hour journey Taunton – Vierzon all-in price, crossing London and Paris by underground) and £120 by coach with air being too complicated reference charter or scheduled for costing and airport transport and numbers and identity of travellers. (2007 trip was priced at £90 [break-even for 40 travellers but we only had 30] with students also subsidised by Twinning at £50). To check cost and funding of Theillay trip here in May and also whether Theillay is twinned with any other European community reference grant advantages.
Discussion about Twinning subsidy, further fund raising, grants (to check with, officer responsible at Sedgemoor, to draft - letter to MEP). Overall pessimism on viability of trip in light of costs requires.
Suggestion to contact other twinning associations where communities are far apart – to contact Williton that has association close to Theillay.
Confirmation to be made of dates of travel
8.2.Budget and Grant – see 8.1 and Item 10.
9.Media/Publicity
9.1.Diary entries QM and QOL
9.2.Shop Window and other Display areas
Discussion on placement of publicity: village display boards on Cross, shop window, local shop notice boards, QM, QOL, web, Bebo. Professional format of current A3 display on village board will be updated but requires willingness of others to supply photos.
10.Treasurer’s Report
confirmed cost of Theillay visit was less than anticipated due to input from village and grant, both on occasion of 10th anniversary of Twinning, totalling £586 after Civic Reception costs and payment for Party on the Playing Field guests.
11.AOB
Opportunity has arisen for 10 week x 1-hour French language lessons @ £20 ph fee to tutor with maximum of 8 students and is being followed-up.
12. Date and venue of next meeting (Alison can’t make Wednesdays, Sue not the 1st Thursday of the month, Rhu not Mondays or Fridays)
Thursday 17 July The Old Vicarage. (No meeting in August).
