Agenda for July 2014 board meeting
Meeting to be held at 2pm on Sunday 20th July at
irc.starlink-irc.org #autscape
Attendance:
Apologies:
1. Ratifications:
1.1 The decision to have Autscape cover the attendance cost for someone
to attend for one day to run a sensory workshop for the Alternative
Programme.
2. Role reports:
2.1 Chair (Martijn)
2.2 Treasurer (Peter)
2.3 Company secretary (Debbie)
2.4 Venue coordinator (Elaine)
2.5 Web systems (Martijn)
2.6 Honorary secretary (Stephen)
2.7 Registrar (Debbie)
2.8 Childcare coordinator (Debbie)
2.9 Travel coordinator (Peter)
3. Subcommittee, working group and other reports (if applicable):
3.1 Formal Programme subcommittee (Martijn)
3.2 Alternative Programme subcommittee (Trish)
3.3 Fundraising subcommittee (Liz)
3.4 Research subcommittee (Peter)
3.5 Publicity subcommittee (Alastair)
3.6 Purchasing working group (Elaine)
3.7 Anybody else
4. Follow ups:
4.1 Filing (Annual Return, Corporation Tax NIL Payment)
4.2 Research badge
4.3 Film license
4.4 Venue search
4.5 Personal Data Retention Policy
4.6 Guidance for splitting conference organisation from governance
4.7 Outstanding Minutes
4.8 Dutch Autscape
4.9 Website Files
4.10 Newsletter
5. Proposals:
5.1 Transportation and courier budgets
i) Peter proposes the board approves budget of GBP 150 for courier
services for Yo to transport items to Peter.
ii) Peter proposes the board approves a budget of GBP 200 for van
hire and fuel for Peter to transport Autscape materials to Autscape.
Peter notes that we've already agreed that the courier and van hire
should be done. We haven't, however, promised any of Autscape's resources
to accomplish these tasks. This proposal covers this oversight.
5.2 Peter proposes for any board member to be able to dispose of
Autscape's conference materials and merchendise if either:
a) the value of the items is low, or
b) the value of the items are lower than the cost of storing and
transporting those items.
(See appendix A for rationale)
5.3 The Travel coordinator, Peter, proposes that he be delegated up 500
pounds for taxis or minibuses or other forms of transport to move
people between the Norwich and the venue.
6. Any Other Business
(Closed portion of meeting)
7. Recommendations to the board:
7.1. The Company Secretary proposes that we recommend to the membership
at the 2014 AGM that they elect as a director: Peter Benie.
See Appendix B for further information.
(End of closed portion of meeting)
Appendix A - Rationale for 5.2
We need this in general to avoid acquiring huge amounts of useless junk. If
nobody is delegated the power to dispose of anything, then we are not
allowed to get rid of any of Autscape's property.
Yo has apparently got 16 boxes of stuff, which is much more than I was
expecting. It is hard to believe that it all has value. It is likely that
we have folders and paper that have not been stored indoors and so will be
in poor condition.
I'd like to go through the stuff that arrives from Yo, get rid of the
rubbish, and only take things that have value to the venue. Likewise, when
the stuff goes back again (to some place to be decided), it would be absurd
to spend more transporting it than it would do to get rid of it and buy it
again when needed.
Appendix B - Further information for 7.1
Peter was co-opted to the board and assigned the role of treasurer in late
2013.
Company secretary's advice to the board on the process of deciding whether
to recommend individuals for election as directors
The Memorandum & Articles of Association, Article 20(2), states:
No person other than a director retiring by rotation may be appointed as
a director at any general meeting unless (a) that person is recommended
for re-election by the directors or (b) they are nominated via the
nominations process.
The intent of provision (a) is to allow the board to indicate to the
membership that the board wishes to see elected individuals who possess
particular skills which are needed by the board in order to carry out its
functions effectively. It also ensures that the board can allow such
individuals to stand even if they have not also been nominated.
Directors who were previously elected and are retiring by rotation do not
need to be recommended and can stand in the election anyway.
Directors who joined the board by being co-opted must either be recommended
by the board or nominated (or both) in order to stand in the election.
Directors are reminded that they are under a duty to vote for or against a
recommendation on the basis of their independent and considered views as to
whether the board recommending to the members that they elect a particular
individual is in the best interests of Autscape and not on the basis of
personal views of any kind (positive or negative). Directors should
consider the balance of skills on the board, the suitability of the person
in question to fulfill the requirements of being a director and the overall
interests of Autscape.
Under the Bye-laws, the current maximum number of directors is 9.