Given the ongoing public health restrictions, we will be holding the AGM over Zoom this year, a link will be sent out closer to the time. The draft agenda has been emailed this evening.
If you have anything to add to the agenda please drop an email to currachs@gmail.com We must have 25% of the membership in attendance to form a quorum for a General Meeting - please attend if you can. One of the constitution changes we are seeking to make is a change to the Membership year to run from Feb - Jan, with this in mind we ask that members do not lodge funds or send on membership forms for 2022 membership until after the AGM has taken place. All 2021 memberships will be deemed extended until 31st January 2022 until the motion is put before the AGM.
We are very keen to get new blood on the committee, the vast majority of those serving have been in situ for some years and many of our longstanding members have already been on the committee. It is your club too so please do step up if you are able to do so!
Being a member of the commitee is not as daunting as it might sound, we want ordinary members who can represent the overall membership and put forward their thoughts on matters that come up over the course of the year. Outwith the meetings, you can contribute as much or as little time as you like.
Meetings take place on the first Tuesday of each month (currently via Zoom) and last approximately 1 hour. We are required under the constitution to hold a minimum of 9 each year.
It is not necessary to attend every meeting, we must just have a quorum of 4 committee members for each meeting and they should avoid missing more than 3 consectutive meetings.
Regular topics include Health & Safety, maintenance, upcoming activities on and off the water, Ocean to City, Climate Change & Biodiversity, funding opportunities, communications & technology and new club site.
If you are interested in joining in 2022 please pop an email or approach one of the 2021 committee.
Hi Cathy thanks I will read this out during the meeting, no problem. There have been a number of reminders about paying before attending and it's something that has been overlooked and given leeway in the past but there have been a number of cases taken against sports clubs where membership hasn't been properly defined or documented and has left the clubs open to claims. Inclusiveness is important and is certainly a crucial part of the club's ethos but not at the expense of the club's existence which could be at risk if a serious incident occurred. Elaine in answer to your question we believe these small changes are necessary to protect the club. Regarding the communications the posts here are for those members who do not use Facebook, Facebook is by far the most engaged with method of communication and has far more views, but in the interest of inclusivity they are posted in both.
I agree with Cathy comment above. There are more ways than one to manage and like the more inclusive less punitive approach.
Also I am looking at the amount of views the forum post has got and club and asking if the changes regarding communications are having the desired effect,
Are all these small changes really necessary and what effect are they having with regard to community inclusiveness and attracting people to get on the water?
A thought for consideration.
Thank you.
I am out of town this evening as per my email. Sorry to miss the AGM - thanks to the outgoing committee for all their hard work, and a big welcome to the new crew coming on board!
Warm wishes to all,
Elaine
Hallo all - sorry that I can’t make it this evening to air my opinions on membership ! part of the beauty of NC is its inclusiveness. I think it would be a pity to prevent someone from rowing or attending an event because they’d overlooked paying their fee. Many members invest huge “social capital” in the club; many have been members and have contributed to the club for a long time. There may be a bundle of people out there who still see themselves as NC members although they haven’t been able to come rowing due to the pandemic situation.
So is there another way around this insurance thing ? Eg from memory a rowing club I was a member of up north had an arrangement where people who hadn’t paid during the year were formally regarded and recorded as having left the club at the following AGM. i think as members we might have received up to three requests/reminders during the year too, so there was a communication trail. In other words, a period of leeway. That constitution was written by solicitor members, it may have been a way they saw of protecting the club from eg insurance claims.
personally I find zoom less than ideal for debating issues/concepts like this and would much prefer such decisions were made at physical meetings.
Please could this be read out at the meeting ? Thanks a million, Cathy
I think this is an important conam
Link to meeting has been sent out via email.
Link to folder containing agenda, minutes of previous meeting and 2021 newsletter below:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1tTMapfk4SXosKgAxvQn9z3tchqdf59F2?usp=sharing
Hi, Angela and committee - an apology from me, I won’t be able to connect in. Away this weekend. Thank you for all the work. Cathy