Present – Hazel Fort (Chairman), Peter Firth, Bob Neate, Roger Mitchell, Alan Potter, John Sharp
The meeting took place via Zoom.
Minutes from previous Committee Meeting on Tuesday 13th October were corrected and approved.
Matters Arising
Headed Notepaper – In the short term, the Society will continue to use John Sharp’s stencil, but as part of the general review of communication with members and upgrading of website, a new headed notepaper will be created in a style consistent with the rest of the Society’s publications (eg Website, Forum, Membership Cards).
Financial Position – Bob confirmed that there had been no significant change in the Society’s Finances. There will be an invoice from Roger for printing and postage to members who do not use email. This should not exceed £100.
Update on Forum 14
John confirmed that this was in preparation. He has plenty of material but would particularly welcome material from members who have not previously contributed. Forum 14 will go out to members around 15th December. Articles for the January – March editions are already available.
Update on Website
Alan reported that he is working with Mike Parr on a number of options. He reminded committee members of contributions that he needs – welcome from the Chairman, photographs and mini-biographies, links with Continuing Education (Peter) and information about the way that meetings work (Roger).
Update on English Travellers Course
Three sessions had been held by Zoom and they had proved enjoyable and informative. We now have a better idea of what works well. Numbers were steady at around a dozen (including three committee members). It would be good to attract a few newcomers, but there is evidence that quite a lot of members have enjoyed receiving the material and have made good use of it on an individual basis.
Programme for January to April 2021
Our assumption is that normal meetings will not resume until April at the earliest and that the programme will be delivered by Zoom. We want to involve more members in this but are aware that we need to move carefully, encouraging participation but not frightening off members who want to listen and learn but are less likely to contribute directly, especially if this involves unfamiliar technology.
As a way of tackling this problem, we intend to run two different kinds of events – Friday afternoon talks and Monday morning courses. As in pre- Zoom days, the Friday sessions will not last more than an hour. There will be the opportunity for questions at the end but no general discussion. The Monday sessions will be more interactive with readings and discussions, but members who do not intend to participate will be very welcome to sit in, just as they have done in pre-Zoom days. Sessions will last for about an hour, depending on how much discussion takes place.
A provisional timetable for events has been circulated and is attached to these minutes
AOB
It was agreed that the next committee meeting should be at 5pm on Tuesday 12th January.
Roger Mitchell
December 2020