Minutes of Rotary Club of Gloucester’s Council meeting on Monday, November 16th 2015
Club number 19313 | Charity number 274097
1. PRESENT
Ian Stuart (president), Martin Henshaw, John Sargent, David Seed and John Lovell (secretary).
2. APOLOGIES
John Weygang, John Smith, Jan Layton-Smith, Amanda Chamberlayne, Clive Hannis, Jeremy Keck.
3. MINUTES
Minutes of the October meeting were signed without amendment.
4. MATTERS ARISING
Scatter Week – David S expressed concern about how many members would be involved in visiting, particularly as it was an opportunity to promote a concert being organised by the club in Gloucester Cathedral on Saturday 6th February. President Ian said he would get in touch with others members to co-ordinate a good response to scatter week.
5. PRESIDENT’S REPORT
- Ian said that he would be writing to the president of the Rodez club to express his sympathy to Rotarians there following the horrific terrorist killings in Paris.
6. IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT
- Nothing to report
7. SENIOR VICE-PRESIDENT’S REPORT
- Martin Henshaw said he had had no interest shown in the District Conference from 11-13 March 2016 in Weymouth. President Ian said he would await programme details and might then invite members to accompany him for a one day visit.
- Martin said the Wall’s club had asked if our club could make alternative meeting arrangements for Friday, July 8th 2016. In the circumstances Martin has decided to have his incoming celebrations the following day and forgo Friday’s meeting. The cost of the incoming would be the same as an ordinary Rotary lunch.
- Martin also reported that he was in touch with other senior vice presidents in the city and would be arranging a meeting prior to the start of the new Rotary year.
8. JUNIOR VICE-PRESIDENT’S REPORT
- Nothing to report
9. SECRETARY’S REPORT
- Nothing to report
10. TREASURER’S REPORT
- Martin said that he would be recommending to club that a balance of at least £10,000 be carried forward from one Rotary year to the other as long as the club remained committed to running the Rotary Community Awards.
11. COMMITTEE REPORTS
MEMBERSHIP
- Members expressed concern about the length of time it was taking to translate a prospective member’s interest into club membership. It was agreed that after three visits a prospective member should receive an application and on receipt of this form the membership committee should set itself the target of interviewing the member, circulating his/her name and inducting him/her into the club within four weeks. President Ian said he hoped the three prospective members now in the pipeline – Lise Noakes, Neil Richards and Helen Chidgey – would be inducted into the club before Christmas.
- Martin said he hads passed to the membership committee details of financial implications of membership.
FELLOWSHIP AND HOUSE
No report was available at the meeting.
INTERNATIONAL/FOUNDATION
In John Smith’s absence John Sargent introduced this report.
- Aquaboxes – Ken Watson was engaged in buying items for inclusion in the latest batch of boxes and ensuring they were filled as efficiently and economically as possible. However Ken and the committee were also reviewing whether aquaboxes still represented the best way of helping people in crisis situations.
- A representative of the Gloucester Asylum and Refugee Association (GARAS) will speak to the club on Friday, December 4th and possibly suggest how Rotary might be able to help when Syrian refugees arrive in the city. Presidents/treasurers or other representatives of city-based Rotary clubs have also been invited to the meeting in order to formulate a pan-Rotary response to the crisis.
- John reported that provisional (but not final) costings had not come to hand for the Rosemore Home project at George in South Africa in memory of Colin Eynon. There was still a shortfall of £600 which would have to be found from within the committee’s budget. The matter would only return to council if reallocation of resources could not be made within the budget.
COMMUNITY/YOUTH:-
David Seed presented his committee’s report – the highlights of which were:-
- Young Carers – There are 1,200 young carers (defined as between 4 – 24 years old) in the county of whom 400 are in the city area (60 in one school alone). Caring put a strain on the young people’s education and social development. Jane Dyer the Young Carers’ fundraising and marketing manager had told his committee that the carers had been split into nine groups covering the county of which three are in the city area. David said his committee could only support an evening of 10 pin bowling up to a cost of £300. However transport was a problem and Gloucester Quays and Round Table were to be contacted to seek help with this. His committee would consider Young Carers as a major project in the new Rotary year. The secretary queried whether a simplified district grant might help with such a project.
- Christmas boxes – David said 450 boxes for Christmas hampers and 100 boxes for toys had been ordered from Marshall Langston. The company was only chrging for the material costs and it was suggested that their MD should be invited to the New Year dinner as a sign of the club’s gratitude.
- Soup run – The number of people being provided with drinks and food had risen to 40/45 people each Monday evening. In addition some of those attending needed sleeping bags and when winter arrives hats and gloves as well. The annual cost of this much needed help being provided by the Salvation Army was around £3,500. David said that with money remaining from the Christmas boxes (see above) and from savings he would find elsewhere within his budget it would be possible to give a donation of £1,000 to the Army for this vital work. He had also had the offer to an anonymous £500 donation. He would review the situation again in the New Year.
SPORTS/SOCIAL
No report
COMMUNICATIONS
No report
FUNDRAISING
No report. However members commented on the very good receipts from recent car parking endeavours. President Ian also said that Jeremy Keck was seeking support for February’s concert particularly to help with sponsorship and with refreshments.
ANY OTHER BUSINESS
- David Seed said that six applications for help from the club’s Youth Trust Fund were currently being considered and that trustees would be happy to answer members questions at the January business meeting.
The next council meeting will take place following lunch at 2pm on Friday, December 11th and would deal with urgent business only.