Minutes of Rotary Club of Gloucester’s Council meeting on Monday, July 16th 2018
Club number 19313 | Charity number 274097
1. PRESENT
President Chris Soane, Sue Smith, Richard Wright, Peter Nesbitt, John Smith, Jeremy Keck, Colin Rogers, John Lovell and John Weygang.
2. APOLOGIES
Matt Cass, Amanda Chamberlayne, Jason Smith and Jan Layton-Smith
3. MINUTES
The minutes of the April and May meetings were signed by Immediate Past President Sue S.
4. MATTERS ARISING
It was proposed by John Smith and unanimously agreed to record the council’s thanks to David Seed who had stepped down from leadership of Community/Youth but who had brought enthusiasm, vision and a new dimension to the work of this committee.
5. PRESIDENT’S REPORT
- On the recommendation of President Chris it was agreed that at future handover meetings the presidents of the other three Gloucester clubs should not be charged for their meals.
- It was also agreed that Peter N arrange for a bouquet to be presented to the new Inner Wheel president Jean Toy
- The President thanked all those who had attended his recent musical incoming dinner party which had been a great success.
- President C urged that reports from club committees be circulated via the secretary in order to shorten the length of council meetings.
- The President also reported that it had been agreed that all four Gloucester Rotary presidents meet once a quarter. He added that Terry Woolcott from Rotary at Kingsholm had agreed to approach the Gloucester Rugby Club with a request for a collection for the clubs’ Community Awards Scheme.
- President C said he was concerned about the effectiveness of the sound system at Wall’s Club. Graham Howell had agreed to approach an expert to see what improvements might be made and at what cost.
- The President showed a photo of the Windsor town sign with details of its local club’s centenary on it. He said he would have a word with Jason Smith to see if something similar might be done in Gloucester for the club’s centenary in 2020.
- It was agreed the next Council meeting would be on Monday September 10. The following have already tendered their apologies for this meeting – John Lovell, Sue Smith. Richard Wright and John Weygang.
6. IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT
- Sue S said she had raised £500 as a result of her zip wire challenge which she was donating to the Community Awards scheme.
- Sue said she had been co-opted onto the committee organising the centenary dinner and was hoping to arrange a display of banners which had been given to the club from other Rotary cubs worldwide. Anyone with banners was urged to contact Sue.
- Sue also identified a couple of other projects she wished to progress this year – the visit to Rodez, a new Rotoract club and the club’s involvement with Gloucester Day. With reference to the latter she said she would arrange with Matt C to show a film of the Gloucester Day procession to the club on August 24th.
7. PRESIDENT ELECT’S REPORT
- No report
8. JUNIOR PRESIDENT’S REPORT
- No report
9. SECRETARY’S REPORT
- The secretary said he had received a copy of the latest Rotary magazine which is no longer free to members. Accompanying it were details of special offers available to individual Rotarians and to clubs. It was agreed the club spend £30 for a year’s subscription for 25 copies of each magazine which is published bi-monthly and that distribution of the magazines be left to House to arrange.
- The secretary said Robin Morris had progressed an idea to erect a plaque on a building at the Docks where the first meeting of our club was held in December 1919. All consents had been obtained. It was agreed by council (i) that the wording should start ‘This plaque is to commemorate the centenary of the inauguration of the Rotary Club of Gloucester which took place…………’ (ii) that the club would split the cost of making and erecting the plaque 50- 50 with Gloucester Historic Buildings. The secretary said the chair of GHB, Martyn White, was happy with the 50- 50 split of costs – a precedent for which had been set with a plaque on the wall of the Masonic Hall in Cross Keys Lane
10. TREASURER’S REPORT
- Jeremy K reported that the current balance in the lunch account was £1,634; in the General Account £14,383, in the General Savings Account it was £6,013 and in the charity account £11,125.
- Jeremy added that e-mails would shortly be sent to members with details of the balance of their individual accounts showing money owed or money to be repaid. Ideally he would prefer all members increase their standing orders to £50.
11. COMMITTEE REPORTS
MEMBERSHIP
- Peter N said that he was helping to launch a new membership campaign on October 19th when the District Governor was visiting the club. To this end he was asking every club member to propose prospective new members– preferably those still actively employed or recently retired. They would then be invited to the October meeting where they could meet members, ask questions, hear a brief talk from the DG and get a feel for whether our club appeals to them.
COMMUNITY AND YOUTH
- Richard W said he had yet to have a meeting with his committee but had drawn up a budget which he would be submitting to the treasurer. This would include £1,000 for the Gloucester Music Festival which is being organised by club Rotarians Seb and Vicki Field.
FUNDRAISING
- Richard W said he passed on a fundraising idea for Christmas wooden Rudolphs to Amanda C
SPORTS AND SOCIAL
- Colin R queried how many events organised by Sports and Social were still fit for purpose. New ideas – particularly from newer and younger members – would be welcomed. He said a rethink of the usual programme would be on the cards when the committee met for the first time in this presidential year. The club needed a programme for the future rather than continuing with some of the ‘sacred cows’ from the past
INTERNATIONAL
- John S said there would be a celebration on October 13th to mark the club’s completion of 1,504 aquaboxes. These would now be discontinued and his committee was looking at alternatives.
- John added that the club had agreed an additional £1,000 for the Fiji medical centre in memory of Colin Eynon. A District grant had also been applied for. John said that wording for a plaque had been received from Peter Drysdale. He added that a recipient of a Youth Trust award was going to Fiji and that he arranged with Peter to show the young lady the work Rotary has done there and to take photos of the new medical centre.
FELLOWSHIP AND HOUSE
- Nothing to report.
WEBSITE
- Nothing to report although members felt that it needed to be constantly updated.
ANY OTHER BUSINESS
- Following on from a suggestion raised by Colin R it was agreed to ask Jason S to investigate the cost of two mobile phones and two card readers to be used in connection with club car parking/Tree of Light etc.
- John S gave early notice of the annual concert for a chosen Rotary charity on December 9th at the Salvation Army citadel. There would also be a concert in connection with the city’s History Festival on Sunday, September 2nd.
Date of next meeting – Monday, September 10th 2018. John Lovell, Sue Smith. Richard Wright and John Weygang have already tendered their apologies.