Final Agenda for July 2012 board meeting
Meeting to be held on Sunday 1st July at 2pm at irc.starlink-irc.org
#autscape
Attendance
Apologies
1. Proposals
1.1. 2013 Venue and Dates
1.1.1. The company secretary proposes that the board decide to either:
(a) vote on the options as provide in Appendix A or (b) defer the issue for
decision on the list and request further information from sc-research (with
a deadline for a board vote on the issue)
1.1.2. If (a), then Peter proposes that the board decide between:
Option 1, option 2 and option 3 (see Appendix A)
[For background information for proposals 1.2-1.6 please see recruitment and
retention report posted to the board list 23.6.12]
1.2. The company secretary proposes that the board ask the company
secretary to create one or more role descriptions for Autscape trustees
emphasising the skills we particularly need to recruit and draft
advertisements as needed
1.3. The company secretary proposes that the board approve the principle
of advertising for potential trustees and, subject to approval of the
advertisement, agreed to place an advertisement on the Autscape website and
circulate it widely to other charities, companies and other organisations
and to potentially interested individuals
1.4. The company secretary proposes that the board agree to the use of
trustee recruitment services and delegate the company secretary to register
Autscape with such services at her discretion where these are free or can be
afforded from the existing development budget.
1.5. The company secretary proposes that the board agree to delegate the
company secretary to register Autscape with a brokerage service such as that
offered by TrusteeWorks (with the choice of service to be at the discretion
of the company secretary) where such a service is free or can be afforded
from the existing development budget.
1.6. The company secretary proposes that the board agree to propose an
advisory motion at the 2012 AGM seeking the memberships' view on
(i) whether Autscape should require a majority of autistic people on the
board and if so in what proportion (51% or 75%)
(ii) whether Autscape should be required to maintain a majority of autistic
members and if so in what proportion (51% or 75%)
1.7. The company secretary proposes that the board either (a) decide what
to do about storage of Autscape's belongings from the end of Autscape 2012
onwards or (b) defer the issue for decision on the list with a deadline of
9/7/12 and requiring a specific individual to produce a votable proposal for
the board's consideration by that deadline.
1.8. Elaine proposes that Autscape run a small bar in the Small Conference
room on Mon/Tue and Wed evenings of Autscape between 8 and 11pm and that
overall responsibility for the project be delegated to her (rationale and
further details in Appendix B).
1.9. That the board decide between the following options:
Option 1: Leave the existing rules on modifying the website as they stand
(see Appendix C)
Option 2: Modify the rules agreed in September 2011 1.11 (see Appendix C) to
delete "updating" from (b) and "administrative updating and correction" from
(c) and to add a general statement that any board member or postholder may
make corrections or routine updates to existing content within their areas
of responsibility either personally or with the assistance of anyone with
the necessary technical skills but that, when the changes are more than
trivial, they should be notified to the secretary for the purpose of proof
reading (the secretary may then refer the text to sc-pub if in his/her
judgement it is appropriate to do so). (proposed by the company secretary)
Option 3: Modify the rules agreed in September 2011 1.11 (see Appendix C) to
delete "updating" from (b) and "administrative updating and correction" from
(c) and to add a general statement that any board member or postholder may
make corrections or routine updates to any existing content either
personally or with the assistance of anyone with the necessary technical
skills leaving it to people
to agree amongst themselves who does what. However, when the changes are
more than trivial, they should be notified to the secretary for the purpose
of proof reading (the secretary may then refer the text to sc-pub if in
his/her judgement it is appropriate to do so). (proposed by Peter)
[Please note that none of the 3 options change the original rules in
relation to new content, structural changes to the organisation of the
website, changes to the appearance or presentation of the website or any
other changes which are more than routine or administrative]
1.10. The treasurer proposes that board decide to
restrict Autscape's bank information to secure parts of the website only and
not to make the information available on public parts of the website in
order to reduce the risk of Autscape being a victim of fraud.
2. Follow ups
2.1. Purchasing esp. Interaction Badges (Stephen)
2.2. Purchase/transfer of autscape domains (Peter)
2.3. Echo feasibility report (Kalen)
2.4. Draft chat list guidance (Martijn)
2.5. Childcare liaison including reporting on times agreed (Elaine)
2.6. Transport coordinator - anything to report (Peter)
2.7. Insurance (Peter/Yo)
2.8. Autscape experience list (Yo/Trish)
2.9. Proposed badge change - hugging (Trish)
3. Subcommittee progress reports (suggested topics in brackets)
3.1. Formal programme subcommittee (finalisation and publication of
schedule; room allocation; onsite management of presenters) Chair: Kalen
3.2. Alternative programme subcommittee (leisure activities, alternative
programme intentions, offsite trips; liaison regarding scheduling) Chair:
Trish
3.3. Fundraising subcommittee (fundraising strategy; virginmoneygiving)
Chair: Elaine
3.4. Research subcommittee (venue research progress) Chair: Debbie
3.5. Publicity and publications subcommittee (Autism show and poster
distribution generally, website wording, information pack inc. estimated
publication date, generic description) Chair: Martijn
3.6. Working group reports (if any) (Echo - Kalen, Newsletter - Stephen,
Purchasing - Stephen, Tech - Stephen)
4. Key position progress reports (matters not covered earlier)
4.1. Webmaster (registration system, issues arising)
4.2. Registrar (registrations so far and issues arising)
4.3. Venue coordinator 2012 (Venue contract, report on liaison with the
venue including catering/menu, venue information for info pack, coordination
with programme coordinator on use of rooms)
4.4. Treasurer [directors please read and note 09/6/12 posts from the
treasurer regarding expenses and budgets] (actions taken under delegated
authority, bank account, corporation tax return, PayPal, contact with
accountants)
4.5. Company Secretary (actions taken under delegated authority, Venue
contract, PVSL, PPL, PRS and TEN, info@ guidance, policies and job
descriptions, files, postholding, recruitment and retention issues, AGM and
nominations, reviewing election procedures)
4.6. Chair (actions taken under delegated authority, general progress,
board communication, any other matters)
5. Any other business
APPENDIX A
1) Ackworth School in Yorkshire
Price: GBP 40/person/night exclude VAT
(We should supply VAT exemption cert as before.)
Available 5th - 16th August
Note: We need to improve our building security
2) Sneaton Castle
Price: 47.40 per night standard; en-suite 58.70 based on two people sharing
Prices include VAT
Available from 15th - 19th July Mon-Fri, plus
22nd - 26th July
29th July - 2nd August
Any time in August
3) Cliff College in Derbyshire
Prices approx 49 per day (Stanton - 35 people in 25 rooms)
73 per day (College, en-suite)
39 per day (6 bedded rooms in Broadband/Eagles,
assuming min 3 people per room)
Note: Their price list is very complicated, and Broadband/Eagles are being
refurbished so their price may change.
Available 15th July to end of July
11th August to end of August
Peter makes the following recommendation to the board: Given the number of
people retiring from the board, I *strongly* recommend going back to
Ackworth and not taking on a new venue. We know the layout of the venue and
the facilities available, the cooks know our demanding meal requirements
etc. Above all, we know the staff and the staff know us.
APPENDIX B
(Preliminary draft - update expected in advance of meeting)
Having spoken to the venue regarding a bar they are happy for us to have
one and suggested the Small Conference Hall as this has got hard floor
and a kitchen off it. (Whilst we could have it anywhere, they were
concerned about spills on the carpet and the general undertone I
detected was that they would prefer a bar and drinks to be contained in
this area).
I suggest we keep the bar simple and explain this to participants in
case they expect the full range of drinks to be available. The drinks I
would sell are cans of Beer, Larger and Cider and bottles of Alcopops of
various flavours. Possibily also wine and Baileys. However, the latter
two would require glasses and although plastic glasses are easy and
cheap it might not be necessary to sell them if everybody was happy with
the other things. I would also like to sell soft drinks and crisps
(Ready Salted, Salt and Vinegar and Cheese and Onion only), as it is
advisable (from my research), that whenever alcohol is sold, soft drinks
should be available and salty snacks.
If we didn't do wine and Baileys, everything would be sold in the bottle
or can and we could even operate this as an honesty bar. An honesty bar
would be better for staffing reasons but I would prefer it if for most
of the time somebody was responsible for overseeing it. I don't mind
doing this when I am available (as at some point I will have to put my
daughter to bed). I am also happy to take responsibility for it. I would
also like to have the right to prevent somebody from buying anymore if I
felt their was good reason. (ie excessively drunk)
The venue are also happy to clear up bottles and cans for recycling.
The problems are
1. Buying the stock. This would involve Kalen who has the cash and carry
card. We would have to go to the Cash and Carry on Monday afternoon and
stock up
2. Where to keep the stock. It hasn't been asked yet but possibly a
spare bedroom
3. How much stock to buy. I would need to do some sums on this but I
don't think we would need that much. Given what has been said already I
guesstimate that only about 40 people would be drinkers. I would also
prefer to buy less stock and restock so we are not stuck with a load at
the end.
4. What price to sell it at. It would have to be enough to make a profit
but also not too high that people would not buy it.
5. What to do with any excess. We could sell it off cheap on the last
day or if I do my sums right we might not have that much in which case I
would buy it myself to bring home.
There is a lot to take in but I don't think this needs to be
complicated. It can be done very simply.
I work on the various bars and sweet stalls that we have for the friends
of the school and I know that there can be a lot of profit to be made.
However, I have never done the stock purchasing. On Friday I should be
able to talk to the person that does though and get a better idea of
wholesale prices, retail prices and profit etc.
Elaine
APPENDIX C
September 2011 Minutes 1.11
In areas which fall under (a) Technical (including the implementation of
areas under (b) and (c)) this would require the web systems manager to have
the agreement of no-one
In areas which fall under (b) Appearance, Navigation, Coordination of the
creation and updating of substantial content other than that under (c), this
would require the web systems manager to have the agreement of the chair or
other representative of sc-pub
In areas which fall under (c) Substantial content of organisation sections,
administrative updating and correction, legal compliance and prompting
review, this would require the web systems manager to have the agreement of
the company secretary.