Brighton & Hove U3A University of the Third Age Charity No. 294373 MINUTES OF COMMITTEE MEETING Monday 23 rd June 2014 Café Koba, Western Road Present Committee Members Alan Cooke Liz Kempshall Carolyne McKinlay Ruth Sennett Norma Brickle Also attending Dave Brownstone Chairman Social Secretary Membership Secretary Business Secretary Groups Co-ordinator Web Manager Agenda Item 1. Apologies Peter Tarshis, Brian Greenford, Trevor Sennett, Patrick Palmer. 2. Minutes of the committee meeting of May 12 th - Minutes agreed by all present. Alan signed the minutes. 3. Matters Arising. Alan found some U3A posters in a cupboard at the Crypt that had obviously been purchased from The Third Age Trust at some time in the past and, as they are attractive, colourful, and have a space for U3A branch contact details, we have adopted them as our poster and laminated some of them. The intention is to put them in local libraries and other suitable venues. Carolyne took a copy for Hove library, Liz for Brighton Library, Alan for the Crypt. It was suggested that one should go to Community Base and one to Age UK. The possibility of members making electronic payments when they pay membership fees was again discussed. As previously noted, the system is reliant on members providing correct and full information and there may be teething problems when it is first used. The Third Age Trust has recently published a report on the responses of 268 U3As to a questionnaire on the use of electronic payment of membership fees. Two points made were that electronic payment should be offered as a choice and not made compulsory, and that the U3A should trial the chosen method to new members before 1
making it available to the whole membership. Carolyne and Brian had decided that it might be an idea to start with new members to pay electronically if they chose to (they would have the option to pay by cheque if preferred) and see how it went. After some discussion, it was decided that we should take a proposal to the AGM in the autumn, for discussion, to see how our members feel about the adoption of the system. Brian, Carolyne and Dave to work on the proposal. Liz proposed this action; Alan seconded and there was unanimous agreement of all present. At the beginning of last year, it was agreed that members should be invited to attend one or two committee meetings to learn more about how the committee works. This might also help people to feel more confident about nominating themselves to join a future committee or even the next one. Dave will put a message on the Committee page of the website and Alan will mention it at the AGM. 4. Correspondence. The Third Age Trust AGM for 2014 will be held at The Royal Agricultural University, Cirencester on Wednesday 10 th September, commencing at 11.15am. As stated in the minutes of our March Committee meeting, our U3A Branch is allocated four places and it was decided last year that our U3A Branch would pay the fee for any member who would like to represent us and vote on resolutions on our behalf at the AGM. At our last meeting, it was agreed that the first two members of B&H U3A who agree to attend on our behalf will be fully funded (AGM and residential fees for all or part of the Conference) and a travel allowance paid. No one had volunteered to attend to date, but Liz and Carolyne have now offered to represent us and will receive full funding. Ruth proposed, Norma seconded and all agreed. Liz and Carolyne will book their places online at the Third Age Trust website. Alan has received a survey for all of the branches of U3A to complete, from the National Executive Committee of the Third Age Trust. Alan read the survey questions and the Committee agreed answers. Alan will send our response back to the Executive Committee. 5. Finance Report. Once again the total in the account looks very healthy. There is 8,097.07 in the Current Account, and 7,007.83 in the Gold Reserve (as advised by the Charity Commission) account, giving total assets of 15,104.90. Expenditure since the last Committee meeting has been 1,503.33: venue hire 1,432.56, web-site domain 40.77 and donation 30.00. The donation was made to the Great Ormond Street Hospital at the request of the speaker at the last all members meeting. The total cash received by way of membership fees and a donation since our last meeting is 420.00. Membership fees were 340 and the 80 donation was from the poetry group who wish it to be allocated for payment of membership fees for persons who may have some difficulty in meeting the payment. This has been noted in the accounts. Gift Aid Tax Back has still not been received as the application was apparently lost in the post and Carolyne and Veronica are completing another application, along with collation of new Gift Aid forms for the application for this year. Brighton and Hove U3A has received a grant from St Georges to add to the 250 that our U3A had proposed to allocate towards the purchase of a ceiling-mounted projector 2
in the large room of the Crypt. The caretaker of the Crypt will look after the equipment. Alan proposed the purchase, Liz seconded the proposal and all agreed. 6. Website Report The Home page now has membership renewals information and links to updated groups news and other news. 7. Newsletter Report The next Newsletter will be e-mailed on 1 st September and posted on the 4 th September. Peter will need to receive contributions by the last few days in August at the latest. The mailing will include the new timetable and AGM papers. The AGM papers will include the meeting agenda, Committee nomination forms and information about resolution proposals. These proposals will need to be received three weeks before the AGM on October 13 th. Alan will take another look at our constitution and consider whether changes to it should be proposed in resolution form. In future the newsletters will be emailed on the Monday before the beginning of each academic year, and on the last Monday of each term. 8. Groups and venues report. Norma has received some registers already and expects that others will be received in due course. It is important for group leaders to keep registers each week as part of Health and Safety requirements in case of fire, and as a record of attendance. Norma has worked out start dates for groups and will send out information to group leaders about dove-tailing of groups, where groups are not meeting weekly but sharing the same venue on the same day of the week. Crypt bookings seem to be problem-free and Norma is meeting staff at the Friends Meeting House today. Norma will aim to make all bookings by 1 st July and will let Dave know about group start dates and other details. Now that we have started to offer groups the opportunity to continue later in the summer term, Norma needs to book these dates in advance although group leaders may not have made their final decisions as to whether to carry on longer or not. Alan suggested that it would be best to book the extra two weeks for all groups and then check with the leaders at the beginning of the summer term. If the groups are not going to use the venues for those extra weeks, then Norma can cancel them. Next year, Social Bridge will be meeting at Café Koba on Monday mornings but will not meet on the days of the Committee meetings. Norma will send a reminder to groups telling them that they should not take members names before open day. On open day, it should be first come, first served. If members are unable to attend open day, they should email the group leader on or no more than a day or two before open day. Group leaders meetings will be on the first Monday morning of each term - 8 th September 2014, 5 th January 2015 and 13 th April 2015. The new History of Art group leader has requested the use of a slide projector for her group. Carolyne has a slide projector that might be suitable and will check that this is the case. Pam Wadey has enquired as to whether a digital projector is available at the Friends Meeting House Alan has replied to say that the one in the Crypt will hopefully become available during September once the new ceiling-mounted projector is available. Ruth mentioned that the new Family History Workshop will also need this 3
equipment and that it could be stored at the FMH and used by U3A groups and shared with Tuesday at Friends. 9. Membership report - there are now 550 members. Carolyne expects to receive the new membership cards this week. The next Open Day is 30 th July 2014 at the Friends Meeting House between 11am and 2pm. The AGM will be 13 th October 2014, 10am-12mid-day at the Friends Meeting House. 10. Health and Safety Report - Nothing new to report. 11. SUN Activities The South Downs and Sussex Project finishes on the 12 th July, and will be celebrated by a display of the project at Falmer. Brighton and Hove U3A will man three tables at the event. The art group displayed their best paintings at the All Members Meeting on June 16th, and asked members to vote for their four favourite paintings. The winners will be exhibited in a general display covering all U3As while the runners-up will be shown on one of our tables at Falmer. The other tables will be used for the Brighton and Hove U3A Groups information, the Brighton and Hove South Downs Way Walk, and the Archaeology Group. Trevor has printed some items from the website of the walk that was created by Rob Doe: Liz s diary of the walk, the strategy document and one of the walks. They were in a display book. He was awaiting instructions before printing photos from the site for a display board and/or printing all of the walk descriptions. Liz reported that Rob felt that photos would need to be printed very large to be effective in a display. After a short discussion, it was decided that it would be enough to print all of the walks for the display book. There is at least one photo on each page of the book. Liz and Carolyne will stand in for Rob on the day and speak to anyone interested in knowing more about the walks. The website also has a slide show and this could be shown to interested members. Alan will go to the university the evening before to check things out. As soon as possible, he will check whether there is an Internet connection and let Rob know, and check whether a television screen will be available. Patrick attended a meeting of the South East Region of the U3A, on 2 nd April 2014. He prepared a full report to present to the Committee, which he circulated prior to the last meeting. Time did not allow us to discuss the report at that meeting but it was studied on this occasion. It provided statistics of the recent growth of the U3A movement, both nationally and in Sussex. The problem of communications between U3As and their members was discussed, as was the gender imbalance in all U3As, with men forming 46% of the older generation, but only 24% of U3A members. The SUN Strategic Plan was sent by Patrick to discuss at this meeting and this was read by the committee who thought it well thought out and complete and could not suggest any further recommendations. All existing activities would continue, while the revised plan envisages being able to offer additional help to Sussex U3As by putting those with any problems in contact with other U3As that have had similar problems in the past. SUN itself is very short of willing workers and would welcome assistance from any individual members who would like to help. 4
12. Open Day July 30 th 2014. There will be one team of meeters and greeters who will be stationed outside and inside who will give any new prospective members information and guidance. Alan has a list of those who helped last year and he will contact them asking for volunteers; three new people have already offered to help. The Venue is booked from 9am-10am to set up. Group leaders can arrange their tables from 10am-11am and members and prospective members will be allowed to enter the rooms at 11am. If any one is unaware of this and turns up after 10.30am and before 11am and no outside seating is available, they will be allowed to sit and wait in the café area and complete their application form. Ruth will take along a poster for the door. 13. Annual Picnic at Hove Lawns, 14 th August 2014 If the weather is wet, the decision as to whether to go indoors somewhere will be made on the day by those who attend. 14. AGM, 13 th October 2014 Nominations for new Committee members will need to be received on or before the meeting. 15. All Members Meeting 1 st December 2014 Anita will be arranging speakers or activities for this event. The next all members meetings will be 2 nd February 2015, 16 th March 2015, and 11 th May 2015. As now, the Group Leaders Meetings will continue to take place on the first Monday of each term. 16. Christmas Lunch 11th December At the AGM each group leader will be given 10 tickets to sell. They should record any requests for vegetarian meals when they sell the tickets. The numbers of tickets on sale will be limited to two hundred and twenty five. Alan or Liz will write something for the September newsletter giving details. 17. Any other business The next Committee meetings will be 22 nd September and 17 th November 2014, 19 th January 2015, 16 th March 2015, 27 th April 2015 and 22 nd June 2015. The Open Day next year will be on 5 th August 2015 and the AGM will be on 12 th October 2015. Alan has purchased a new set of speakers for the Crypt on our behalf. These will need to be added to the Assets Register. Brighton and Hove U3A manned a table at the celebration of the re-opening of the Level after the recent renovation. We displayed information about our groups and membership information. Although the number of people in attendance was not as great as at the Peoples Day last year, there were a number of people who showed interest in our display. A big thank you to all of our members who helped to man the table on the day. Dave and Norma are to discuss putting groups, dates and venues into an Access database instead of Excel to enable easier manipulation of the information. 18. Date of the next meeting Monday 22 nd September 2014, at 9am at the Café Koba. 5