Minutes: general/2003-agm

Minutes of the RockSoc AGM 2003

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Meeting held in the Graduate, Micham's Corner, 7th March 2003

 

Meeting opened:2005

Number of non-committee members present:12 at start of meeting

 

Baz's first question was 'Can we still stand up?' This question was felt to be typical of both Baz an Elizabeth.

 

1) Presidential address

The president began by demonstrating that he _could_ stand up. He then addressed the meeting with a speech which was short, to the point and suspiciously like one he was making up as he went along.

 

He said that he would follow the usual pattern of saying what we had done in the last year. He said that this year had been mostly uneventful, except for the part where we managed to bankrupt the Society. The bank account has now been stable around the L1000 mark for 6 months, however, which is what we were aiming for.

 

He then gave a highly detailed account of the year in which he stated that we had 'achieved a lot really' including 'some good gigs' with 'some good bands' and 'some trips to places' He then asked the members what else we had done. The treasurer informed him that we had gone to the Beer festival and drunk a lot of beer.

 

This year the attendance at the Alma on committee nights has increased significantly from just a couple of non-committee people to about a dozen. Attendance at WUS has also increased, and WUS is now making a consistent profit throughout the year. There have been about nine gigs (Secretary's note: exact number is 7) most of which made a small loss which is covered by the profits from WUS. Note that he didn't mention the Maybrawl.

Other social events this year have been: 2 parties with appropriate music in a private room in The Graduate, a pub crawl, 2 tea shop crawls, a punt party, a picnic, a Laserquest, organised trips to Wacken, Graspop and Bloodstock festivals, trips to The Calling and the Beer Festival.

 

2) Treasurer's report

The treasurer said that he would present a simple report.

 

Last year (1st Jan 2002- 22nd Nov 2002)

Income= L4652.96

Outgoings= L6703.62

Final balance=1182.68

This means that Oliver got to spend L2050.66 of someone else's money. He was happy about this (although he looked rather less happy about it at the time, especially the time of the Maybrawl)

 

At this point Baz proposed a toast to 'The King'

 

This treasurer said that there was L3.94 of RockSoc money unaccounted for that he couldn't get to add up. The President said that he didn't give a shit about it. A vote was taken as to whether or not to write off this sum For: 17 Against:0

 

This year, Income has been L383.63. Outgoings have been L262.90. The treasurer was sad that this year he had not got to spend other people's money.

 

He said that the assets of the Society were valued at L1275. He said that he didn't believe this for a moment.

 

2a) The president suddenly starts Addressing again..

 

At this point the President suddenly surprised the assembled company by starting up the presidential address again. An Alternative Presidential address starting 5 minutes after the official one.

 

He said that at previous AGMs the committee had been mandated to

Put the accounts on the webpage (done)

Lose the CD library (in the process of doing for those parts anyone is actually interested in owning.)

Lose money (we did this rather spectacularly so that the bank account contained around a grand (done)

 

2b) The treasurer decides to start Reporting again

Taking his cue from Baz, Oliver decided to have An Alternative Treasurer's Report too. This time he reported that this year we had got a grant of L900 from the Societies' Syndicate, and reminded the assembled company that this means we won't get anything else out of them for a while. Especially since we are about to be deregistered by the Proctors. He therefore asked the next committee to be careful.

 

The president said 'Oooh this is a really good song'

 

3) Electing the new committee

 

PRESIDENT

Nominee: Elizabeth Watts Nominated by: Baz Jones, Oliver-Michael Longden

 

Elizabeth said that she had been on the committee this year, was familiar with how it worked and encouraged the assembled members to believe that she had been really efficient as Secretary and kept her manifesto promises (except maybe once) She said that the fact that she'd left the nominations, constitution, minute book and CD catalogue at home when she should have brought them along was Cambus's fault in some way, and therefore not proof that the efficient part was untrue, and neither was the fact that she had just managed to lose her watch.

She said that she wasn't going to hire the Junction.

 

She asked if there were any questions, and Baz asked her to show the Hon. Members how well she could roll on the floor. So she did. An Hon. Member asked her to say 'Order!' to a pint, so she did that too. The members must have thought she did both well because they voted:

 

For: 20 (including 3 postal votes) RON: 1 Abstentions: 0

 

Elizabeth Watts is elected.

 

TREASURER

Nominee: Katie Samuelson Nominated by Oli Wade and Martin Dean

 

Katie said that she had been in RockSoc since 1996, had taken a lot out and now wanted to put something back in.

 

An Hon. Member asked if she could do long sums. She said that she could. The current Treasurer asked her if she was creative. The Hon. Members laughed. A lot.

 

For: 19 (including 2 postal votes) RON: 1 Abstentions: 2 (including one postal vote)

 

Katie Samuelson is elected.

 

SECTRETARY

Nominee: Catherine Durance Nominated by: Jason Hill and Luke Morris

 

Catherine Durance said that she had offered to be because her friends say that she is organized. And she wants to improve stuff. Oli asked if she was able to keep the database up to date, and she confirmed that she could.

 

An Hon. Member mentioned knowing how to use a spellchecker. The president restrained the Secretary who was attempting to come out from behind the table and head in the direction of the aforementioned member.

 

For: 19 (inc. 2 postal votes) Against:0 Abstentions: 2 (one postal)

 

Catherine Durance is elected.

 

Baz then jinxed it all by saying 'This is going even quicker than I hoped'

 

EVENTS OFFICER

Nominee: Emma Bennet Nominated by: Oliver Michael Longden, Richard Watts

 

Emma said that the events section of the website spoke for itself. She said that she intended to go on putting on good gigs. She said that in future she would do the publicity on time and wouldn't hire the Junction. Unless Maiden and CoF were playing for beer money there.

 

Emma was asked if when intended to ask Andy Cairns if Therapy? Would play for us. Emma said it would depend where they wanted to play and how much money they wanted. Another person asked her if she would get Maiden and CoF. Emma said that she would indeed try. It is possible that this exchange was not intended to be taken seriously.

 

A member asked Emma to explain how the fiasco of the Maybrawl came about. Emma said that it was a result of hiring a venue that cost over a grand for a gig by a band newly out of retirement.

 

Oliver took this opportunity to say that he thought Fire and Forget were a really good band and the committee should hire them. Everyone ignored him.

 

For: 21 (including 3 postal) RON: 0 Abstaining: 4

 

Emma Bennet is elected.

 

WEB OFFICER (referred to throughout as webbitch)

Nominee: Oli Wade Nominated by: Oliver-Michael Longden and Ben Joyce

 

Oli said that this year he had added a members gallery, quotes section, the minutes, the WUS setlists and a database driven events section.

 

He was asked if he could leave the website in a state where a less computer literate person could take it over. He replied that this would be possible up to certain degree of lower computer literacy, but not a total weasel. It was pointed out that there are several other people who would be prepared to take over the website in an emergency who are as computer literate as Oli. An Hon. Member then asked what would happen if Oli died suddenly. Oliver said that we would book the Junction and have a big party. Emma said that we would book the Boat Race too for the Alternative Party.

 

An Hon. Member then asked how you got pictures on the website. Oli said that it was necessary to upload the picture somewhere and give him the link. The Hon. Members looked puzzled, so he added 'or just give me the picture'.

 

An Hon. Member then said 'Please show us the trick with the 3 pints of beer again' Oli declined.

 

For: 24 RON: 0 Abstentions: 1

 

WUS OFFICER:

Nominee: Richard Watts Nominated by:Baz Jones and Ben Joyce.

 

Richard said that he had written a manifesto although he has completely forgotten what is in it. He said that Baz and Ben thought he was an appropriate person to take over WUS, and that he had been going to WUS for many years. He intends to maintain the same balance of music, and to try to increase the level of publicity, particularly by asking bands to flyer people at their gigs. He also thought it would be a good idea to let bands know that they could distribute flyers about their gigs at WUS. He also want more stuff about WUS online. He also thinks he will do a lot of cross promoting with the other metal night at the Graduate.

 

Richard was asked if he would be attending every WUS, and confirmed that he would. He was asked if he intended to put flyers at the Calling. Baz said that Graeme and Sarah had had no problem with this in the past.

 

Richard was asked about his policy on choosing DJs and what he would do if there formed and enormous queue of underground DJs but no commercial DJs. He said that in that case he would have to warn people that it would be several months before they could DJ. He also wanted to get the list of people who had asked to DJ online so that people would know how long a wait they faced.

 

The minute book contain the words ' If I didn't I wouldn't be standing' at this punt. By this time I had had quite a lot of wine, so I have no idea _why_ they are there.

 

Richard also said that he would publicise the fact that people could DJ, possibly by means if posters at WUS.

 

An Hon. Member asked if there were any plans to bring back The Hell Hole or other commercial night. Richard said that he thought it was a good idea in theory, but in practice we would need a suitable venue and to be assured of a profit. He pointed out that there are now 2 other commercial metal nights in Cambridge, which was not so before when we were running the Hell Hole.

 

For: 25 Against: 0 Abstaining: 0

 

Richard Watts is elected.

 

TOKEN FOGEY

Nominee: Peter 'Jester' Rowsell

Nominated by Kit Longden and Ben Joyce

 

Jester has held this post for the last year, although he is unable to attend tonight because of ill health. Oli questioned whether we need a token fogey and was told to bring it up in Committee next year _before_ the AGM

 

For: 17 (2 postal) RON: 3 Abstaining: 6 (1 postal)

 

Peter Rowsell is elected.

 

4) Motion for constitutional change

The motion proposed was as follows:

 

To change a section of clause 3 of the constitution from:

'Membership shall be conditional on the payment of a subscription fee, the sum of which shall be decided at the AGM.'

 

to:

'Membership shall be conditional on the payment of a subscription fee, the sum of which shall be decided at the AGM or by a quadrate vote of the current RockSoc Committee taken at a committee meeting.'

 

Proposed: Elizabeth Watts

Seconded: Baz Jones

 

There was a lot of wrangling over this one and it went on very fast and I had drunk a lot of wine, but in the end an amendment was proposed which most of the assembled company found acceptable which was:

 

'Membership shall be conditional on the payment of a subscription fee, the sum of which shall be decided at the AGM or by an EGM or by a quadrate vote of the current RockSoc Committee taken at a committee meeting.'

 

This provides the option for the membership to 'overrule' the committee by calling an EGM and then mandating the committee to set the membership fees at the level they choose.

 

For: 18 (1 postal) Against 3 (1 postal) Abstaining 3 (1 postal)

 

The constitution is thus changed.

 

5) AOB

The minutes in this minute book start off really neat and legible, but as the meeting progressed and wine got drunk they got less so, so by this pint they are unintelligible scrawls. As a result of this the first item of AOB appears to be 'Tristan'. For some reason.

 

Next, Jimmer postal votes a request that the Black Album in future be referred to as Derek. Several members who were feeling humorous seconded this, so it was put to a vote

 

For: 3 Against: 12 Abstaining :3

 

The motion was defeated.

 

Next Baz said that he thought we ought to burn someone. Some members suggested burning Jimmer.

For: 18 Against :0 Abstaining :0

 

Carried unanimously. The new committee is mandated to burn Jimmer. Baz said the next member to see him should do so. Someone pointed out that the entire Society was now liable to be arrested under the Prevention of terrorism Act.

 

The President then declared that the meeting was getting rather silly. He mad some closing remarks. They were' Drink more beer'

'Please come to the gig and go to WUS'

Thank you.

 

Meeting closed: squiggle o'clock (bloody wine)