Final Agenda for September 2012 board meeting
Meeting to be held at 2pm on Sunday 9th September at irc.starlink-irc.org
#autscape
Attendance
Apologies
1. Request from the company secretary for directors to waive their
right to formal notice of this meeting
2. Proposals
2.1. 2013 Venue and Dates (Information currently available is in Appendix
A)
2.2. The former treasurer proposes that Autscape simplify the reserves
policy (see Appendix B)
3. Follow-ups
3.1. Director recruitment (Yo)
3.2. Purchase/transfer of autscape domains (Peter)
3.3. Echo feasibility report (Kalen)
3.4. Draft chat list guidance (Martijn)
4. Roles and responsibilities (additional candidates are welcome to
state their interest before or during the meeting) to take effect
immediately:
4.1. Chair (Last year - Kalen) Candidates:
4.2. Vice Chair (Last year - Martijn) Candidates:
4.3. Web systems (Last year - Peter) Candidates:
4.4. Interim treasurer (Last year - Peter) Candidates:
(It is not proposed to seek to elect a venue coordinator until the venue is
known)
5. Key position progress reports (matters not covered earlier)
5.1. 2011-2012 Registrar (outstanding issues from Autscape 2012)
5.2. 2011-2012 Venue coordinator (outstanding issues from Autscape
conference 2012)
5.3. 2011-2012 Webmaster (outstanding issues, handover intentions)
5.4. 2011-2012 Treasurer (actions taken under delegated authority,
accounts, outstanding issues, handover intentions)
5.5. Company Secretary (actions taken under delegated authority,
outstanding issues from AGM)
5.6. 2011-2012 Chair (actions taken under delegated authority, outstanding
issues, handover intentions)
6. Any other business
APPENDIX A
Updated venue summary prepared by Elaine
Following is an updated venue summary based on the work Peter, Debbie
and I have done
1) Ackworth School in Yorkshire
Contact Heather Jones 01977 612050
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
Contact 01947 600051
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
4) Casterton School
Contact 015242 79200
Not exclusive. Peter contacted and the head said he would get back with
availability for 2012 but has not come back as yet.
I phoned and have been told to email when school re-opens in September
5) Shapwick School
Contact 015242 79299
email sent to jon.whittock@shapwickschool.com by Peter but no reply
I phoned a few times including today and got no reply
6) Trinity School
Contact Mr Chris Cullen
Phoned and the contact was away on a few separate occasions
Called today and no reply
7) Oswestry School
Contact 01691 655711
Peter emailed p.bows@oswestryschool.org.uk but no reply
I called today and was told to call back in Sept
8) Westonbrit School
Contacted by Peter and no availability
9) Monkton Combe School
Contact 01225 721114
Emailed on hospitality@monkton.org.uk but no reply
Called today but no reply
Haven't contacted
10) Queen Anne's school
Not contacted yet as there are 200 beds and they would want us for
exclusive access
11) Sidcot School
Contact 01934 845228
Peter called 29th May but no answer
Note: some ground floor bedrooms although not in main building. Some
people on site for other facilities. Similar ethos to Ackworth
Phoned numerous times including today
12) Sherborne Girls School
Contact by Peter a few times and myself including today but no answer
Note: as with other schools they can't give full exclusive access as
other groups will be using their sports accommodation but we would have
our own hours for that and exclusive accommodation.
13) Stonar
Contacted by Peter and myself and few times including today but no answer
14) Hothorpe Hall Lutterworth
Viewed on Website. Could be too expensive unless good negotiations bring
the price down. Not available for 2013 and it is already being booked
for 2014. Might be worth a try and negotiate on price for 2014 but would
probably have to move quick.
15) Rydal Ponrhos School Wales
Contacted by Elaine in June. Not available at all as they have too many
private lets during the summer months.
Spoke to somebody but they only gave some basic info. I was told to
email for the Bursar to look at when he got back. Problem with this is
it is by the sea and it appears they are popular as cheap holiday lets.
The Bursar will apparently look to see if we could be accommodated and
get back to me.
16) Ashville School
Contacted via email this week. Had a reply back but they wanted to know
if we would need all their accommodation houses before giving
availability. Have replied today.
17) Moreton Hall
Contact 01691 773671
Called today. However, they are have a strategy meeting next week
regarding letting their accommodation for conferences as they have had a
lot of interest in sports weekends and they may decide to develop this.
Price currently UKP40 for en-suite. They will email me after the meeting
to let me know if they are still letting and if so with their availability.
That concludes the current summary.
I may have time next week to follow some more up or send some emails.
Original report by Peter
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) Seaton 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
Proposed reserves policy:
a) Designate GBP 2500 of general unrestricted funds for Autscape 2013.
This will principally be used to pay the deposit and other related expenses.
Unused funds will be returned to the reserve after the event.
b) Designate GBP 2500 of general unrestricted funds for Autscape 2014.
This principally be used to pay the deposit and other related expenses.
Unused funds will be returned to the reserve after the event.
c) Set the reserve upper and lower limits to GBP 1000 and GBP 3000
respectively.
d) After a future Autscape event has finished, the funds to start another
Autscape event should be designated at that point.
Notes:
The figures are slightly different from the current policy, but not hugely
so. The main feature of the change is that it allows a much clearer view
of what state the reserves are in. At the moment, you need to know if we
have paid a venue deposit etc, and it includes an allowance for a future
venue deposit, so you can't answer the question 'how much can we spend
right now?'