NMC Committee Minutes

Tuesday 12th March 2013

Attending

Sarah Follmann (SF), Adrian Wilson (AW), Neil Cranston (NC), Ed Scriberas (ES), John Vaughan (JV), Ian Birtwistle (IB),Eva Diran (ED), Andrew Shanks (AS), John Mountain (JM)

1 Apologies

Apologies from John Dalrymple (JD), Peter Flegg (PF), Ian Ross (IR), John Spencer (JS), Derek Coutts(DC)

AW acting as chair

2 Approval of Minutes of last meeting

JM corrected some typos in the draft minutes. Committee approved minutes – proposed by SF, seconded by IB.

3 Action Points and Matters arising

– Statistics from the membership update have been circulated

– As of the meeting, 31full members are overdue

– 37 renewing members used the new web payment system

– Two new prospective members have applied via the web payment system

– The County Climber is to be issued to all members, both full and prospective. An overdue notice is to be included with the County Climber issued to overdue members.

– The survey has returned 29 responses and the winner has been drawn

– The survey brought to light a number of complaints that the committee is remote.

– The suggested response is to publish the minutes of each committee meeting to all members, after a 24 hour period from completion of the minutes for committee members to approve the minutes.

– The issue of whether web resources should replace or supplement the members' handbook was raised and deferred for the consideration of the communications group.

4 Correspondence

– Email correspondence with a prospective member highlighted the frequency with which the club needs to update the BMC on the number of members.

– The question of whether BMC insurance is necessary for non-climbing and

honourary members was raised

– JM has previously raised this issue with the BMC, and the BMC expects all club members to be covered.

5.1 Working Groups Feedback -Communication

– The survey revealed that the email newsletter was the most popular means of communication.

– Consistent rules for publishing events are needed

– It was agreed that the forum should be the primary channel of communication and that announcements on Facebook should link to the forum

– The google group is underused, and MailChimp mailshots remain the primary tool for mass e-mailing

– We maintain multiple membership lists and keeping them updated is currently a manual process handled by AW

– ES and IB are to investigate whether the NMC Facebook page would be more appropriate as a fan page or a group page

– AW explained that the club's Facebook strategy is for Facebook to be primarily a promotion tool rather than a primary communication channel

5.2 Working Groups Feedback – Events

SF- The Wednesday night meets list has been circulated with the following additional information

-The availability of bouldering at each venue was noted

– The pub for after the meet is highlighted.

– Last minute changes are to be publicised according to the communications policy – Update on forum with link on Facebook

– Leaders need to be found for weekend meets in June and beyond

– There is interest in the club organising courses in navigation and self-rescue

– There are plans to expand the social meet calendar

– Pub meets, particularly in the winter to give prospective members an opportunity to get to know the club

– Need to decide if the ceilidh is going to go ahead, currently it is not known if there is a band available.

– Belford is proposed as a location for the BMC Climbing and Walking Festival, likely to happen in early July – Wooler is another possibility

– JV wants to see greater cooperation between Climbing Clubs in Northumberland, through BMC events and other collaborative events.

– AW reports that the Wanneys Club is in favour of more cooperation.

5.3 Working Groups Feedback – Publicity

ES – JS had thoughts on the use of the County Climber as our flagship publication

– County Climber services to membership

– Emphasis on coming meets with dates and meet leaders

– County climber as promotion tool to prospective members

– Make copies available at walls

– NC suggests having a loose leaf file for the balcony at NCC

– Maintain an online archive with all issues but the most recent

– JV's suggestions

– Make greater use of electronic capabilities, eg links for the County Climber

– More forward looking articles about aspirations and plans

– Meet leader to provide historical information for County Climber after each meet – who climbed what etc.

– Better posters could be provided to the walls

– Glossy posters with photographs

– The poster should have links, possibly QR codes, to the website

– Posters should be updated every couple of months

– ED suggested putting up a meet lists poster at the start of the season

– Traffic to the website can be used to measure the effectiveness of promotion

5.4 Working Groups Feedback – Member Services

IB – We need to have a clear process for new members joining the club

- Currently we rely on the efforts of individuals to help new members join.

6 AOB

ED – Library has been cleaned out, all pre-1980 and most pre-1990 material has been removed

– Old material to be sold off

– Box of old material to be made available at Burnside

NC – Has informed National Trust of plans to close the hut

– NT surveyor has visited and NT correspondence requests “All personal items belonging to the club to be removed throughout the property”

– NC interprets this as including mattresses, white goods, cutlery, tables, storage heaters, fire extinguishers and ladders

– Results of water tests to be provided to National Trust

– We are awaiting the results of a retest, but it is likely that a UV filter will be required. The plan is to install the UV filter after the winter when it is not at risk of damage from freezing pipes.

– National Trust is asking for Owner's Manual for the sewerage system. NC will provide them with the maintenance plan for the septic tank

– National Trust asking for paperwork on electrical system

– NC has contacted the electrician who performed the most recent five-yearly inspection and arranged to have the hut reinspected at a cost to the club of £200 + VAT

– To allow for the National Trust's requirement for a safety certificate to be fulfilled quickly, NC has approved the electrician to perform up to £150 of immediate repairs arising from the inspection.

– The hobs and other white goods are to be removed and scrapped

– The National Trust has asked for the return of the keys and the fobs

– The keys will be returned, NC will ask for compensation for return of the fobs

– Damaged sections of the living room wall and cornice bedroom ceiling are to be filled and replastered

– Timber decay in exterior canopy and National Trust surveyor has recommended repair

– The survey commissioned by the club found the canopy to be serviceable

– The National Trust insist on the current painted UPVC drainpipes to be replaced with cast iron as the original

– The national trust have asked for all external timbers and shuttering to be repaired and repainted to match those on the front elevation

– NC will ask them to clarify what this means for the rear, which currently lacks shuttering

– The National trust have stated that the living room chimney requires repair

– The survey commissioned by the club finds its condition to be acceptable.

– The national trust claims that the main lintel for the hermitage needs to be replaced

– NC will challenge this, claiming the lintel was inspected when the door frame was replaced and found to be fit for purpose.

– The National Trust has specified a three month window from the end of the lease for the repair works to be completed

– The hut has bookings up to the 25th of March. Work is to begin after the last booking

– We need clarification from the national trust about precisely how this is going to work, and who bears responsibility for events once the water and heating are turned off.

– The fobs will be retained to allow access for workers, and disabled at the end of the repair period

– The final meter readings will be taken the day repairs finish

– NC to write reply to National Trust, covering all current issues, to be proofread by JM

– The response to the National Trust will be copied to Bill Renshaw and Stephen Porteus

7 Confirm Date of Next Meeting

23rd of April, location TBC

Following meeting to be on the 11th of June