text: MINUTES OF THE 017-1 COMMITTEE MEETING HELD ON 27.2.17 – Fylde Mountaineering Club
  MINUTES OF THE 017-1 COMMITTEE MEETING HELD ON 27.2.17
  Present: Chris Bell, Clive Bell, Steve Clark, Martin Dale, Darren Hartley, Andy Holland, Mike Howe, Dave Hicks, Tony Hulme, Jo Leadbetter, Rob Lewis, Roy Turner, Andy Hird, John Wiseman Apologies:
  Andy Dunhill, Rebecca Hicks,
  Darren welcomed everyone to the first meeting of the new committee and thanked all those who had been prepared to stand again. He welcomed Andy Holland, in particular, as the new Membership Secretary.
  Minutes of the last meeting held on 7.11.2016, & matters arising
  The AGM Minutes were accepted with a few minor amendments. Darren thanked Rob for the prompt production of these minutes in time for the meeting.
  Mike has completed the audit of accounts.
  The AGM agenda and Officers' Reports have been completed and all actions relating to the AGM are complete. The AGM minutes can be sent out in What's On.
  Mike has renewed the BMC subscription.
  Hut custodians' fire risk assessments are up to date, annual reports and accounts are due and dates for working meets and task planning need to be set. PAT testing needs to be organised. An outstanding action from the fire risk assessments is to close the void in the kitchen at Langdale.
  The addresses of the hut trustees have been confirmed – no changes.
  The annual committee and hut factsheets have been recently completed. Factsheets are in place in huts – Rob has checked with Andy Dunhill.
  The compilation of the evening climbing and walking syllabus is in progress
  The organisation of the committee dinner is in progress.
  Winter Social programme dates need to be confirmed in March.
  Hut custodians are to confirm that electrical installation safety checks and PAT testing are all within date.
  An outstanding action is the repair of the hole in the kitchen ceiling at Little Langdale.
  Drew is to prepare a report calculating the savings that can be made on heating costs by replacing the roof with one which is better insulated so that a more informed decision can be taken about the best time to replace the outworn roof.
  The Annual Dinner has been booked and will take place at the Skiddaw Hotel in Keswick. The menu is now available. This year the cost will be £26.
  The Committee Dinner will take place at The Ship at Elswick. Tony will e-mail the committee with alternative dates and a menu.
  Tony intends to put together a database of likely contacts / potential speakers and is now looking for speakers for next year.
  Dave stated that more weekends were available than last year.
  The Outside Booking Form is currently not on the website and this needs to be on the open website.
  Mike asked if we were receiving feedback from those who have booked the huts and Chris added that we know are rates are competitive. Dave Hicks stated that we have returners every year. Rob suggested that a feedback form could be introduced and Dave thought that these could be left in the safe with the fees.
  Dave had sent out the BMC guidelines for children in huts to committee members in advance of the meeting in preparation for a discussion on that topic.
  Balance is £25162
  Mike has paid the BMC Affiliates fee and sent £100 donation to the Keswick Mountain Rescue team in memory of Gordon Heywood.
  Mike has sent a note to committee members about access to data but he feels that only a few committee members need this access.
  There was one more application for Associate Membership from Eric Maymon. This was rejected by the committee on the grounds that he is still active and does not meet the criteria for this category of membership which is for those who had been longstanding members of the club but are no longer able to participate in mountaineering activities.
  Andy e-mailed to state that he felt a more satisfactory method of collecting hut fees would be to follow the example set by some other clubs where the meet leader collects and banks cash and then sends a bank transfer to the treasurer. This would eliminate the problem of money being left in huts and the risk of theft as pointed out in the last year's audit by John Hickman.
  Darren felt that it was the hut custodian's responsibility to collect money and Drew added that available cash is often used for running the hut. Darren thought that Andy could get in touch with him directly if he wished to discuss the issues further.
  Mike stated that the sums involved were quite limited, £1300 in total at Stair and £450 at Langdale. He felt that the hut custodian should cross reference the signing in book and envelopes. He also thought that collection / transfer could be an option for meet leaders but should not be compulsory and he was not keen to have this system citing the Chester method of collection as being unnecessarily burdensome.
  Rob is to inform Andy of the meeting's decisions.
  Drew will examine plumbing and the front door at Langdale and draw up a programme of work. Three trees, all on our land, are being removed on 15 March.
  Andy Holland can obtain a new type of stopcock at a cost of approximately £40.
  What's On is due out
  Magazine Editor's Report
  Any articles -send to Roy ASAP
  Currently the ladies' meets are reducing from four to three.
  Mike suggested, due to the growing numbers of pensioners in the club, that there could be mid-week meets on the syllabus. This was agreed and the meets will feature in the syllabus booklet. 17 June and 11 September were suggested for 'Vintage' meets.
  Both Martin and Rob had been contacted by Alan Bell about what was unofficially termed the 'Old Lags' meet. Alan was keen to point out that Gordon Heywood had always wanted this meet to be thought of as open to all members but that it had come to be seen as more exclusive. In memory of Gordon, Alan suggested that the meet be placed officially on the syllabus as 'The Gordon Heywood Gentleman's Meet'. The committee were in agreement that this would be a fitting tribute to Gordon.
  Dave stated that the Mountain Club of Stafford had requested a hut swap with their hut in Mid-Wales. Martin volunteered to look on UKC to find out if anyone had been doing the routes in the area; he also wished to know if the Oread meet had been confirmed.
  Steve has traced what happened with members who attempted to pay by PAYPAL. No transaction actually took place; he has also updated authorship details on the website.
  Steve thought that we needed to consider when we would roll out the members only area on the website. Darren added that Steve could grow his role into that of social media developer and that we needed a policy for Face Book. Roy suggested that we should inform the membership that there are only 44 individuals on the members only section of Face Book. Steve was seen as the obvious facilitator to get more members signed up to this section and Martin suggested that a notice about the closed group be placed in What's On. John added that this should make clear which information should be reserved for the private group and which placed on the general page.
  There was some discussion about safeguarding and children in huts.
  Andy Holland thought that a common-sense approach could eliminate difficulties and cited his experience in organising showering (with limited facilities) when leading scouts.
  Rob commented that Andy was willingly working with young people but some members were very uncomfortable about sharing huts with children; he also reiterated the legal requirements for separate showering and sleeping facilities for children and felt that both adults and children could be put at risk, given our current hut facilities.
  John pointed out the many dangers for children in the huts and reminded the committee that we do not accept children as members.
  Darren thought that there were two issues that we needed to consider and resolve; safeguarding and the additional problem of those few families who have started to use the huts as if they are holiday caravans. The full discussion was deferred to the next meeting.
  Date of next Meeting: 3 April, 2017
  Committee Meeting Minutes – 016-6 – 7th Nov 2016 - November 7, 2016
  FMC Committee Meeting 7.11.16- Outstanding Action Report. - November 7, 2016
  by Steve Clark on May 12, 2020 with No Comments
  In light of the government's latest announcement I thought it appropriate to write to you... Read More
  IMPORTANT – To ALL FMC Members
  by Steve Clark on March 17, 2020 with No Comments
  IMPORTANT MESSAGE from Dave Hicks (Chariman) Following the latest guidance from the Government we believe... Read More