Minutes 27th March 2008

Approved Resume Minutes of Committee Meeting

Thursday 27 March 7:30 pm at The Old Vicarage, Nether Stowey

Present: - Judith Greig, Bob Keene, Jill Goodwin, Sue Davison, Tim Tribe, Jacquie Bates, Jenny Haydon, Ruth Pickard

1.Apologies for absence: Bob de Barr, Eric Coates, Dennis Harkness, Louise Parsons, Alison Jarah, Kerry Evans, Rhu Griffiths will be late.

2.Minutes of the last Meeting and Résumé: Minutes of 6 March Meeting were approved. Approval of Resume Minutes postponed, as there was no copy to hand.

3.Matters arising from the last Minutes: Comment had been received that items were still outstanding for action from 6 February Meeting and this to be looked into.

4.Organisation and strategy: Committee needs substantial numbers of volunteers from membership to help with Theillay visit 1-4 May. 2 members have volunteered to coordinate help lists. It is proposed that committee members take a group of memberships each and establish if and how each may be willing to help (see Hosting item below).

5.Membership: Nothing to report

6.Web: The Webmaster had reported some items still outstanding for web entry – February Resume Minutes and 2008 committee list – and payment due for reimbursement for web hosting annual fee. A volunteer monitor had some points arising (re usability and content?) and the Chairman requested that these be passed directly to the Webmaster by email.

7.Events 2008

7.1.Car Boot Sale, date and place as yet unknown. It was reported that Car Boot Sales at Cannington seemed unlikely to happen and we may need to look further afield but also Nether Stowey Playing Field committee was discussing restarting them locally. Items for the sale were now actively being received at the dedicated store.

7.2.7 June Members' Barbeque: No report requested

7.3.12 July Picnic on the Mount: No report requested

7.4.September Boules Match, date and place as yet unknown: No report requested

8.Theillay Visit 1-4 May 2008

8.1.Hosting 2008

Reported that we may have more volunteer host families than actually required. It was suggested that new and willing volunteer hosts should have priority, that committee should hold back for other duties if possible. Chairman confirmed that Theillay had been advised that we should in any event ensure that there was ample opportunity for old friends to meet up, even if not practicable to be hosted directly.

Membership list was divided among those present to make personal or telephone contact with each membership to establish hosting and volunteering list. Chairman supplied outline checklist of suggested information required. Report-back requested by middle of next week to Host Organiser and Chairman in order to enable host allocation and volunteer list asap.

8.2.Programme 1-4 May 2008

The Provisional Programme – circulated by email but, with Chairman’s apologies, not delivered to non-email committee, 24 March: Subject: 37 adults, 14 children, the driver and Bob de Barr – was discussed:

Thursday welcome: Theillay coach likely to arrive Nether Stowey 4:15 earliest on provisional data and may be an hour later; this may cause problem for reception at Church Centre where a private viewing is due to take place starting at 6.30. It was proposed that The Old Vicarage be an alternative reception centre. Flexible approach required to planning until final information available.

Friday Civic Reception Church Centre:

Planning well in hand. Detail will depend on availability and numbers of volunteer help that has been requested.

Flowers - volunteer specialist agreed to consider making flower arrangements depending on: the number required, the budget.

List is in hand for volunteer numbers.

Professional translator has volunteered from our membership and requests site of speeches in advance.

Wine distribution – need to establish quantity given traditionally to each host family. In view of arrangements for Civic function need arrangements to handing out before event. Vice-Chairman volunteered to store Theillay coach incoming wine stocks overnight if required.

Challenge Cup: it was agreed that the timing and detail of this event would depend on the final May Day Street Fair and Entertainment timetable. New Rounders ball has been provided.

Young visitors: It was pointed out that there was little in the programme that would attract the children, who were agreed to be an absolutely fundamental area of importance for the future of the Association. Guests are largely girls, boys a clear minority. It was suggested that 4 x computerised game units be acquired from eBay @ approx £40 to be set up in the Stable Loft and resold on eBay after the weekend - financial risk (or reward) to Twinning – agreed. Two member families with children are to be contacted to establish the likelihood of setting-up and supervising a games area (games provided) either outside the Church Centre (fair weather) or inside the Stable Loft (foul weather). The activities do not need to be limited to Twinning families and are an opportunity to bring the young people together generally. The Stable Loft to be booked if available. It was suggested that the girls might enjoy a shopping trip.

Overall it was considered that more attention was required to the programme, in particular to bad weather planning

8.3.Budget and Grant: Theillay Guest tickets for village Party in the Park @ £10 adult and £5 child would be complimentary. £95 for this purpose raised to date from Twinning raffle held at Quantock Online Battle of the Bands sponsorship event and other funds expected to come from other May Fair sponsorships.

Village May Day “Village Made” exhibition – a raffle in aid of Twinning funds is being organised – some likely 4 or 5 donors of artworks have been found but a few more have been requested.

9.Media/Publicity

9.1.Diary entries QM and QOL: No report requested

9.2.Shop Window: No report requested

9.3.Thank you cards – it was agreed that these will be needed in abundance and design of same was volunteered

10.Treasurer’s Report: Not requested

11.AOB: None

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)

It was considered that more committee meetings are required before the general get together of hosts, interested members and committee on 17 April and suggested that committee would be able to meet as required in an informal atmosphere, such as the pub – to be arranged asap after delivery and pooling of information from members (Hosting item above) to volunteer coordinators

Meeting closed 10 p.m.

Please see Notes below

Notes: The following information was available but not given to the meeting and will therefore be referenced to this list in “Matters Arising from the last minutes” at next meeting:

1.Minutes –

 a.Resume Minutes 6 March Meeting - send out Resume Minutes for approval by email?

 b.AGM Minutes are ready – to be emailed out / passed on for non-email delivery

2.Events 2008 - Boules have been received from Boule member organiser and are to be handed on for safekeeping to Vice-Chairman

3.Treasurer’s Report: Grant update – matter in hand. New Bank Signatory set-up – in hand still.

4.Organisation: -

 a.Millennium tree plaque is in place thanks to one of our members.

 b.Wine has been ordered from Theillay by the Treasurer who will have Euros in place for payment in cash.

5.Theillay Visit: Helium balloons – 300 red, white and blue helium ballons were organised for use in the marquee for Party on the Playing Field and under consideration for use in Shop Window display too.

6.Media/publicity:

 a.Shop window May Day display is in hand for content and awaiting availability of key

 b.Those 2008 Calendars not already delivered were handed out for delivery by committee members at following meeting of 6 March 2008

 c.QM Diary updates: No report received

d.Car Boot Sale donations request will appear again in April issue of QM but modified to remove reference to household item and furniture.

7.Theillay Visit:

a.As many former members as possible have been informed of the village May Day celebrations 1-4 May weekend.

b.Chairman suggests use of ID name badges for hosts/guests and Twinning members if we can find a volunteer to take the task on

c.The school: Reported that that preparations at the school proceed smoothly along the lines outlined in Provisional Programme for May 2nd.  Matters well in hand.

d.Treasure Trail: Reported slow progress

e.Gift: Reported that creative work is on schedule, with a firing this week. 

f.Joint Theillay Stowey Committee meeting: Yet to schedule.

g.Information list for Host Families: The development of a list of the information that will be helpful to / required by host families has been requested – any ideas for input would be welcomed, eg advise contact by email with your guests.