MINUTES OF CASA EGM 13 JUNE 2022
A meeting was held at the Cedar Centre with all members invited and able to contribute to the discussions, either in person or in writing. The following matters were discussed and decisions taken.
Members are aware of the society’s current struggles with attendances on Monday mornings. The reasons for this were discussed, and includes the enforced break for Covid, the increasing age of members and not having enough new members to replace those that are no longer able to attend. Numbers remain down on Monday mornings, and it is likely that as things stand we will not get enough attendees to cover the cost of other activities such as demonstration evenings.
Peter Tomkin gave us an update on the finances. When Monday morning sessions resumed in August 2021 the society had £3,081. The hire of the Cedar Centre is £237 per quarter. The projected balance for July 2022 is £2,139, so as things stand we are losing about £1,000 a year and will be able to continue for another two years.
However, there are things that can be done. We can write articles for local magazines such as the Village Tribune, post updates on the village Facebook page, make our presence known on other local Facebook pages (many of our members don’t live in the village, so we needn’t be restricted), or contacting other groups such as the WI where their members might be interested in joining us. We could also think about including crafting activity to broaden our appeal.
In terms of improving our finances, other than getting new members it was agreed that our fees for Monday mornings are low, and haven’t changed in several years. It was agreed these should rise to £3 per session. Likewise our membership fees haven’t risen for some time, and these will now rise to £15 per year. There was a discussion of changing the fees for attending demonstrations, and £3 for members and £5 for non-members was thought to be about right, but as we are not currently doing demos, this was not formally decided and can wait until we are running them again.
Peter Tomkin has decided not to continue as Chair and Treasurer of the society, and everyone’s thanks and appreciation were extended to him for all he has done for the Scoiety since it was founded 20+ years ago.
Likewise, Kate Paskin has decided to leave the committee, and everyone’s thanks were extended to her for her work on the committee since 2015.
It was agreed to simplify the roles within the committee to some extent. The role of the Minutes Secretary will now be included in the duties of the General Secretary, and the Programme Secretary will now be responsible for organising all of the Society’s special events such as demos, workshops and painting days. There will be committee members with no specific role, to have a say and a vote on the committee, and to be available to help with organising the activities of the Society as required.
There was a discussion on whether the role of General Secretary and Chair could be done by one person, Richard Moon. It was felt this could be done, particularly in the absence of anyone else particularly keen on being Chair! Peter Tomkin has agreed to liaise with the new Treasurer to formalise the transfer of the bank account and to brief them on what the role entails. It was suggested that Carole Moon might be Treasurer, although she is currently on holiday, so Joan Pickett agreed to take on the role if Carole says no. We will collect annual membership fees once the Treasurer is fully installed.
There was also a discussion about arrangements for the exhibition. We have a number of volunteers to supervise the exhibition, and several offers of exhibits. An email will follow a bit nearer the time with practical arrangements.
Kate Paskin has given the amplifier to Richard Moon to look after, as her shoulder problems mean she finds it difficult to lift now.
The following formal resolutions were agreed:
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To raise the fee for Monday mornings to £3.
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To raise the annual membership fee to £15, and to resume collecting it.
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The new committee is:
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Chair and General Secretary – Richard Moon
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Treasurer – Carole Moon, or Joan Pickett
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Programme Secretary – Sue Stokes
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Other committee members – Joan Pickett (if not Treasurer), Lynda Holloran, Di Jones
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