Held in the Conference Room in House 8 at 4:30pm.
Apologies – None
Present – CA (International Rep); SC (President); GC(Social Chair); MF (Vice-President); BH (Treasurer); EH (Female Welfare Officer); CP (Chair); RR (Sports and Societies Chair); LT (Male Welfare Officer); MT (Livers’ Out Rep). SC was acting as Librarian and Postgraduate and Mature Students’ Rep as these positions have not yet been filled.
Absent – CO (Senior DSU Rep)
Reports – To be given at JCR Meeting on the 14th Oct. Reports to be submitted to SC and MF ordinarily two days before Exec meeting and two days before JCR Meetings respectively.
ACTION POINTS- Submit report on activities and plans for the term to JCR Meeting to MF by 12th Oct so agenda can be sent out on 13th Oct – all; Submit reports in future to be prompted by SC – all
JCR Meeting – CP stated no Motions have been submitted currently. RR states that two are expected to form the sports of Rennis and Table Tennis. GC states that a Social Comm Motion will be submitted. SC states that two motions will be submitted, 1 regarding the gym and another regarding degendering assistant welfare positions. CP states all motions must be submitted by 10th Oct as Standing Comm meets to discuss motions on 11th Oct. SC states that all Exec are expected to submit reports and attend JCR Meetings submitting apologies when unable.
ACTION POINTS- All motions to be submitted by 10th Oct to CP – SC, GC & RR; Attend JCR Meetings and submit reports- all.
Freshers’ Week Report – GC thanked all reps, exec and staff for helping create a fantastic Freshers Week. GC is writing a report with contributions from Exec and Reps making recommendations for next year and outlining successes of this year. GC gave a brief report on how financially successful it was and what our largest expenditures were. BH and GC will audit with Finance Comm. SC picked up on main points of GC’s report and what follows is those taken point by point.
Freshers Handbook- GC felt that the current printed handbook was too expensive and that putting all of the information on the website would be more effective, cheaper, easier to update and easier for International students to access. The general feeling was that people still needed some key information before they arrive, with MT suggesting that people could be sent a brief handbook giving them the details of Freshers’ Week and then be given another handbook when they moved in, which would contain details of who is on the Exec etc. CP mentioned that some Oxford colleges send their Freshers memory sticks with the information on and CA said that the Stockton colleges also did this and had received sponsorship, thus removing the cost issue. It was therefore agreed that GC should include this in his report for next year’s Freshers’ Week and that SC should speak to MFl at John Snow about how they get sponsorship and use the memory stick idea. GC also asked if the Welfare Officers, Livers’ Out Rep and International Students’ Rep could contribute any information relevant to their area of Freshers’ Week to his report. The Treasurer was also asked but it was decided that there was not enough for him to add, other than that the Reps should be told to keep hold of receipts or they won’t get paid.
ACTION POINTS – SC – speak to MFl; GC – add the idea to the report; EH, LT, MT and CA – contribute relevant sections on Freshers’ Week for GC’s report (by the end of the month).
Green Machine – GC wants more investment in the Green Machine as currently most of the equipment is out-dated or broken. If new equipment were bought the Green Machine could then be hired out to other colleges as part of a package with the rest of the Silent Disco equipment. GC had already had some interest from other Bailey colleges in hiring the Green Machine but had declined as he felt the equipment was not good enough. BH said that the budget for this fiscal year had already been set so if it would take longer than one year to recoup the costs he recommended waiting until next academic year. However, if the costs could be recouped this year, he recommended putting it to Finance Comm and the JCR.
ACTION POINTS – GC to discuss costs of improving the Green Machine with CH (Green Machine Manager); Finance Comm to review Freshers’ Week.
Absolute Life – GC expressed a desire never to work with Absolute Life again. Since they are only the middlemen and Cuth’s would still be able to deal with the clubs directly this would not limit the choice of clubs available for future events.
Social Comm budget – GC felt that as Social Comm currently does not have a separate budget and only receives minor subsidies, more of the surpluses from events and fundraising should be directed back to Social Comm. He wanted particularly to subsidise small events (e.g. Halloween party, events after formals) to enable ticket prices to be kept low. It was pointed out that most of the money raised by Social Comm fundraising last year was used by Social Comm, but also that such fundraising events needed some expenditure to ensure their success. SC pointed out that as a charity any surplus Cuth’s has must be reinvested at the end of the year. SC, BH and GC will have a meeting to discuss a way of working for this year, with the recommendation that next year this is done through a budget request in the same way that the sports and societies do.
ACTION POINTS – SC, BH and GC to meet and discuss this, meeting provisionally scheduled for the weekend of October 19th and 20th (date suggested by BH).
Running of Exec – SC wanted the Exec to run more professionally and to be more supportive than in previous years. RR felt that the Standing Orders needed to be amended to encourage more frequent meetings. The agreement was that there needed to be a meeting before each JCR meeting, on the Wednesday before the JCR meeting. CP was asked to write a schedule of Exec meetings for the term/year with the aim of meeting every two weeks. SC also said that his weekly drop-in sessions were open to members of the Exec. He also requested that all members of the Exec should submit reports for the JCR meetings and attend them or send apologies.
ACTION POINTS – CP – write the schedule; all – submit reports.
Leadership Training – Having been on NUS training SC wants the Exec to have a two-hour leadership training course, featuring a strength and weakness analysis based on the Jung-Briggs Myers-Briggs-Keirsey test. EH as resident psychology student was dubious of the usefulness of this test. CP was asked to schedule a time for this session in a week without an Exec Meeting. The general agreement was that some form of incentive was required, so SC agreed to supply pizza.
ACTION POINTS – CP – pick a date; SC – buy pizza; all – take online personality test & let SC know the results.
Any Other Business – SC noted that in future AOB should be announced at the start so time can be allocated for it.
AOB – CP needs prizes for the raffle at the JCR meeting on Monday, MF is to provide 3 t-shirts. CP and GC are to discuss the possibility of giving away a Michaelmas Ball ticket.
ACTION POINTS – MF – bring three t-shirts to the meeting on Monday; GC & CP – discuss logistics of giving away a ticket.
NOTE – The Winter Ball should now be referred to as the Michaelmas Ball.
AOB – SC reported that we have several Freshers’ Week t-shirts left, which could be sold for £5 to raise money for Social Comm.
ACTION POINTS – Social Comm to discuss best way to do this.
AOB – MT needs help on Saturday night to organise college parents, MF, SC & RR said they would be available to help at Brooks/Bailey from 7pm. MT also needs more geology and psychology students, EH volunteered to be a parent.
ACTION POINTS – SC, MF and RR (and anyone else who’s around) – help MT on Saturday; EH – be a parent.
AOB – GC noted that cuths.com is not up to date, especially the sports/societies section. SC has lists of all of their aims & achievements & will type these up for GC to use. GC also suggested an informal meeting of the Exec in the Bailey bar at 8pm on Friday night.
ACTION POINTS – SC – type up lists made at the Freshers’ Fair.
AOB – RR raised the issue of the football club, who are now being charged an extra £200 per team (they are believed to have 7 teams) to pay for Team Durham’s new rubbercrumb pitch. SC reported that they now have enough members to be able to pay it through subs, but he will raise the issue of how much colleges pay Team Durham at PresComm on Monday.
ACTION POINTS – SC – let everyone know what happens at PresComm on Monday.
AOB – BH has been emailed by the Referees society asking to be paid for games played by Cuth’s rugby last year, even though these games did not take place. Team Durham claim to have lost their records, so are acting as if all games went ahead as planned. This needs to be paid before November 1st. BH is proposing to pay the week before as this gives the situation time to change. It was mentioned that Team Durham took the view that the games were cancelled because of the players’ fault and that the invoice should have been sent round before the season started, so would have been paid before the cancellation of the games.
ACTION POINTS – SC – raise this at PresComm as well & email TM and EC; BH– pay as & when necessary.
AOB – SC requested the Exec’s presence as stewards at the 125 celebration on October 25th (7pm-10pm).
ACTION POINTS – CP – check what BaH wants for decorations; all – be available on October 25th.