Minutes - 18th October 2007

Nether Stowey Twinning Association

Approved Resumé Minutes of Committee Meeting

held on

18 October 2007 at The Old Vicarage, Sue Davison in the Chair

Present: - Sue Davison, Chairman; Jill Goodwin; Eric Coates; Tim Tribe; Judith Greig; Peter Greig as note taker for the Minutes.

1.Apologies for absence:

Apologies had been received from Rhu Griffiths, Alison Jarah and Kate O’Byrne; Bob de Barr in France.

2.Minutes of the last Meeting and Resumé

The Minutes and Resumé as circulated were approved

3.Matters arising from the last Minutes

Activities Lists – Twinning Visits: This list has not yet been prepared but the Vice-Chairman has the indexed hard file of the Spring 2007 procedure and a note of its existence is to be placed on the website.

Quantocks Walk - advance email: was sent out to members on Monday 24 September.

Theillay 2008 – Action List. This has been set up, see Item 8 here.

4.Organisation and strategy

The Committee agreed that the summarised note concerning the agreed format of the preparation, editing and distribution of Minutes and website Resumés should be posted on the Website as a master document.

5.Membership

Emails have been returned for one member and this may be due to relocation. Possibility of contact to be made by other means.

6.Web

Permission has been sought but not yet cleared to place letters from Theillay Committee on the website.

The code for access of Committee Members to the committee data held on the website is confirmed.

7.Events

7.1. Quantock Walk 14th October with Active Living

36 persons attended the walk and the lunch that followed it. No one attended the lunch who had not been on the walk. It was agreed that the effort made by a small team with regard to both walk and lunch would have been more rewarding if participating numbers had been higher, nearer 50. In particular the Committee felt that the efforts in guiding the short walk and creating a lot of interest, particularly with the younger members with descriptions of flora and fauna and items of general interest deserved wider appreciation. A phone call will be made to thank the member concerned, on behalf of the Committee.

Financially the event brought in £167.00 with expenditure of £93.83 + £50.00 for rent of Village Hall totalling £143.83. The expenses will be passed for approval to Active Living. A general discussion ensued on the economic merits of providing a meal with the main alternative of a pub lunch with each participant paying directly. The difficulty of accurately forecasting the number of participants in advance remains the same for the pub for preparation a menu in advance and at an economic price for both parties. The presence of children, which we want to encourage, is more difficult at a pub than in the Village Hall.

The Committee approved a proposal to purchase single sheets for use as table covers for future events, as this would be more economic than the alternative of purchasing a large roll of catering paper and is much simpler to control.

The Committee considered overall that the event as a good social occasion but left the future of the event as an open question.

7.2.Safari Supper - Saturday 19th January 2008

The Committee was advised that the organisation of the event is well in hand.

It is proposed to start sending out invitations to participate at the beginning of December before we all hit mad Christmas mode. Follow-up reminders will be included with notices of the AGM.

7.3.AGM - Friday 1st February

The booking of the Rose and Crown had been confirmed

In view of the timing of the AGM the Chairman’s report will be prepared in draft and delivered by the Vice Chairman at the November meeting.

Kate O’Byrne will not stand for election in 2008 due to other commitments but will remain an active member of the Association.

7.4.Social Events 2008

The following events (all considered fundamentally popular) were discussed as proposals and final decisions are up to the 2008 Committee that will be elected at the AGM on 1 February 2008:

May - Car Boot Sale – raised £350 in May 2007 but is not now likely to take place on Nether Stowey Playing field in 2008. It is not clear that Cannington, where there is e regular sale now, will make a suitable alternative venue for the organisers nor if it will attract the same quality/quantity of donations.

The present Committee considered that a Garden Safari event should be run in 2008 in late May, by popular acclaim. It was noted that early liaison to avoid possible calendar date clashes with other local organisations such as the Gardeners Club should be undertaken.

June - Members Barbeque – raised £102 in 2007. The 2007 host has volunteered again.

September – March - Quiz season – raised £238 including raffles in 2006, £145 to date in 2007. Rose and Crown has very recently installed a pool table in the Quiz room, we hope to be able to negotiate it.

September Boules Tournament – raised approx £130 from entry fees plus tea and cake, in collaboration with Active Living in 2007. The venue used for the past 3 years is not likely to be available. We cannot assume Active Living participation. Advice is needed from the organiser.

October Quantock Walk – see comments at 7.1 above. We cannot assume Active Living participation.

January 2009 Safari Supper. Raised £342 in 2007. The regular organiser was not present at this meeting.

It is suggested strongly that the committee make a much greater effort to involve members themselves in the organisation and running of events. Note also likely expenditure for 2008 Treasurer’s Report item 10 here.

 

8.Theillay Visit 1-4 May 2008

8.1.Hosting 2008

Preparations are being made for hosting the visitors from Theillay next May. The Committee will invite hosting organisers to attend the November meeting from 8:00pm onwards to provide an opportunity to exchange ideas and update the Committee on the list of volunteers.

An important point is to identify any hosting families where both parties had minimal or few language skills.

8.2.Programme 1-4 May 2008

The Programme of events is attached to the Minutes and will be continually kept up to date as the ideas are converted to definite plans.

Reference the “Villager Celebration” - a Sub-Committee of the Parish Council is to be formed and the Vice Chairman will represent the Twinning Association interest on that Sub-Committee.

Volunteers are needed.

A Member has suggested that a video could be made of the event. The Committee agreed and will ask the Member to follow up the suggestion.

Yet to decide – take a Twinning stall at the market in view of pressure of hosting?

Other forms of entertainment need to be discussed and a budget prepared.

Plans for the format of lunch on the Friday, and breakfast where the host family are out to work early should be addressed.

A local supplier has indicated that they could supply a suitable Ham and/or possibly salt beef if preferred for the Civic Event.

Ideas are needed for the design and making of a commemorative cake to celebrate the event.

8.3.Reservations

The Church Centre is available to us, in collaboration with the exhibitors of “Art in the Quantocks”, for Meeting and Greeting, the Civic Event, Saturday tea/cake Drop-In and farewells on Sunday. Other times will depend on agreement and the circumstances – the exhibitors prefer overall to have people present than not.

8.4.Budget and Grant

The Treasurer will follow up the Grant Application with the Parish Council Clerk to establish progress of the application.

9.Media/Publicity

AGM flyers need to go out at least 21 days ahead of the event and should also include a reminder for the Safari Supper.

Publicity for the Village Celebration weekend will include Twinning Activities and “Art in the Quantocks” which itself will include the village celebration in their publicity.

10.Treasurer’s Report

The Treasurer submitted an up to date report of the financial situation of the Association.

The Treasurer has been asked to advise an estimate of likely expenditure for 2008.

11.AOB

 - A copy of the Twinning Charter should be made from the library version and put in Hubbard’s window in St Mary’s St.

 - A proposal has been made to offer challenges for Boules to other Twinning Associations such as Burnham and Bridgwater. The Committee agrees to ask the member proposing the idea to kindly organise the events. It was noted that in the past we have challenged Stogursey.

 - It was agreed that the recent photographs taken in Theillay during their autumnal fair would be posted on the web site.

 = Following the kind offer of one of our members to supply wines to the Association at a nominal price to cover bottling and labelling costs the Committee agreed to place an order:

  12 for Quizzes for prizes. (Grape 2)

50 bottles for the Theillay visitors (Grape 2)

18 for Contingencies (Grape 2) (PC guests?)

 

If a decennial vintage (1998) is available then this is preferred. A 10-year commemorative label is to be designed for the bottles. Copies of the jpeg files for both Theillay and Nether Stowey are needed.

12. Date and venue of next meeting

The next meeting will be held on the 22 November 2007 and Tim Tribe will host and Chair the meeting. There will not be a meeting in December.