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2013-05-08-Meeting

2013 Meeting

Invitees/Attendees

[* in attendance, A Apologies, AB absent, + substitute, c Copied, h 50% of meeting, l left early]

Agenda items:

Arvid

• Quad Bike for Martinborough
• Poles to add to the survey kit to replace the missing ones
• Upgrade of helmets lights

Anna

• Horse for Martinborough

Simon

• Carbide
• Free membership for under 20 to boost membership.
• Upgrade helmet lights
• Beginners trips

Sue

• 3 Trips only for non members
• Limiting Access to Non Members to the site
• Christchurch Caving Group request for Financial Help for their Club Room at Charleston
• Life Membership
• Hutt Valley Sports Newsletter.

Quad bike and horse were removed from the agenda at the start of the meeting.

Meeting Minutes

Walter advised that the survey poles had been found in with other caving survey. These are at Sue’s with the survey equipment needed for a club night.

Simon suggested we offer the Carbide store to club members or other as it was no longer being used by members. Anne West is to ask Tawa College if it was required for the Science Labs and Barry is to enquire with an acquaintance as to his need for carbide for his generator. Other clubs offered to do us a 2 for 1 swap! They give us 2 for our 1. Committee agreed on rest of carbide to be disposed of.

Damian McGinty offered to take and store the carbide – he was the last member to purchase Carbide for his own use.

Beginners Trip Simon wanted to know what was happening about a beginners trip. Sue advised that the beginners had all been on trips to Martinborough and it was nice to see others taking the lead in organising trips. Simon meant the away trip that Kim F was arranging through Adventure Adventure Wellington. Sue advised that Adventure Wellington had already done a caving trip and they had approached the club but Sue had had no response from her request to know how far they were prepared to travel and at what cost. Kim arrived at this point. Kim has not finalised anything as yet but will get onto it.

Simon mentioned that he had taken the 2014 Megamania trip off the site as Bob was no longer a member of the club and would not be around to run it. He was asked to reinstate this as it was still a happening thing. Baz wants to talk to Rob S in regard to this trip as Rob S missed the last trip and was extremely disappointed. Sue has offered Baz any assistance required. This action is with Barry C

Christchurch Club House Appeal.

Christchurch appeal for fund raising new caving base at Paparoa National Park (Sue had already send around info.). Nelson will pledged/donated $3000 $, MSG $1000.

Information had been forwarded but not read by all. Catch up reading was done. It was agreed by the committee that we should make a donation.

Rob asked how much money we had in the club funds before we decide on how much to donate. Barry retrieved the financial records and the club was holding $4,785 in the bank some was yet to be cleared to NZSS and $600 was from Arthur's estate to cover the michie phones. After brief discussion Baz suggested we donate $1,000 to the appeal. Moved Barry, seconded Simon. Voted on an agreed by committee with one objection by non committee member - Anne W who thought the dollar value was too high.

Other Topics :

Gavin added last minute item to the agenda. Gavin had been approached by Vic Uni Researchers to borrow the cave ladder for a research trip to Borneo for a month. With some discussion it was decided that the club would have no come back and would be out of pocket if the ladder went missing and we should either charge or to request a bond for its return. Further action: Gavin to secure bond/hirage

Hutt Valley Sports Newsletter

Sue mentioned that she received a newsletter put out by Mike Mercer Sport Relationship Manager, Hutt City Council, Pelorus Trust Sports House. She has been back to Mike to see if WCG can have a mention in the next newsletter. We can, all we have to do is write a very short teaser and a photo and point out where they can get information. Next edition is in August. Simon volunteered for this.

Life Membership

It was pointed out that WCG has nothing in their constitution in regard to Life Membership criteria. The Committee agreed to propose at the next Annual General Meeting (AGM) or at a Special Meeting, criteria for awarding a Club Life Membership; and to include it in the Wellington Caving Group (WCG) constitution

Proposed Definition to include : Services to the club in an arduous role such as: President; Committee member; Webmaster; Sumpthink Editor; NZSS Council Member; Trip Leader on many occasions and having been a continuous financial member for many years OR significant other services to the club, such as promoting the Club; involved in National Exploration or CaveSARs. All WORDING yet to be refined and agreed upon.

Committee agreed to nominate Mike W and Mike C for a life membership award, for this purpose we will have the major trophy shared – the premier Lamp Trophy and a smaller acrylic trophy engraved with the name of the recipients. The major trophy is to be kept for a period of one year shall been returned to the club for the next awardee. The smaller acrylic trophy is to be kept by the awarded recipient.

Barry to organize 3 small acrylic trophies.

Helmet upgrades

Both Simon and Arvid had ideas around upgrading lighting on the helmets. It was brought to the committee's attention by Rob that one helmet is a definite dud as it chews through batteries. Walter was aware of it but had not kept the helmet aside so the correct faulty helmet will have to be found.

Sue didn’t think we should up grade the helmets as the hireage was not covering the costs of the helmets as no money had been paid for gear over the last financial year. Barry advised that hireage had been collected for useage so far this financial year.

It was agreed to upgrade two helmets only at this stage, at the lesser rate of $55 as opposed to the $80 upgrade Arvid had found. Simon to action lights and Walter to get helmets to Simon Walter mentioned that there is still one helmet with Bob, that he would retrieve.

Free member for under 20 to boost membership

Barry asked why Simon thought that we needed to give free membership at a time when membership is at its highest – 31 paid up members. Simon idea was to entice new members by giving them free membership until they turn 20, based on his contribution to the club of running beginner's trips for many years. If the club only gets one members then it will be worth it. Sue advised that all members had already been chased and all had paid up, Simon had previously suggested this be done instead of restricting non members.

Walter advised that even unemployed under 20s have an income from the benefit. Sue advised that at 18 they can vote, drink and join the army and there are schools , adventure groups etc to cater for these age groups. Who would take responsibility for them, they should at least have a financial legal guardian as a member.

Barry left at 8pm to attend another meeting.

It says on the web site unwaged and school aged. If one has left school should they not then pay for their membership in full. Why should financial members subsidise non financial members? If they are really interested then they will join a club. Gavin and other committee members didn’t think we should be subsiding under 20 or non members.

Gavin called the meeting to a close at 8:30 after discussion between Sue and Anne W in regard to non financial members attending 3 or more trips and not joining the club.

Sue pointed out to Simon that he had allowed 2 non members to join an away trip even after they had been told they needed to join the club if they were to attend. Simon responded that the people in question were under 18, therefore joining the club would nett WCG $0 per head, and NZSS $5 per head. In the interests of encouraging participation in beginner's trips he did not feel it was his responsibility to enforce this new and undocumented rule. Anne W advised that since Sue is the President then she is the club and it is up to her to tell people they can’t attend trips.

Other committee members pointed out it is also up to the Trip Leader. Anne W suggested that Rob G's children should not be attending any more trips as they are not members and have attended 3 trips. It was pointed out that the trips had been family trips or special events such as the AGM and that financial member’s children should be allowed and encouraged to attend trips of 3 or more if they are with a financial parent and have trip leaders permission. Debate was raised around whether Anne actually had a right as a non committee member to take participate This is now a matter for an AGM to decide on.

Further Action for Sue: to provide where it says on the Web site in regard to waged, non waged and school aged.

Meeting adjourned at 8:30.

Limiting Access to Web Site for members was not discussed and will be put forward for another meeting.

Update as at the 16th June 2014:

• Tawa College do not require Carbide.
• Barry's contact does not require Carbide
• Gavin has obtained $100 for the use of the club cave ladder in Boneo.
• Simon had the trophy back from J Lewin
• Barry has priced the acrylic trophies at $39 and will place an order.
• Walter has delivered 6 helmets to Simon.
• Simon re-instated Megamania on the website as a trip in 2014
• Sue has forward through wording taken from the web site on Waged, Unwaged and School Aged.