Officers Present & Apologies
Mike Alderson - Chairman / Secretary Julian Boodell - Publicity & Promotions
Ian Yearsley - Treasurer
Rory McNulty - Membership / Website
Mike Jennings - Tickets
Dave Shenton - Travel

1. Approve Minutes of last Meeting

Minutes were approved by Dave Shenton and seconded by Mike Jennings. The committee agreed that the minutes can now be published on the SW Stokies website.

2. Matters Arising from minutes of last meeting

Membership

Mike Hall has agreed to design a badge for the club.
Rory advised that our website had been adapted to allow people to join the club online.
The question of the club shop discount could not be progressed because Julian could not make this meeting.

Website

Rory advised that the website had been updated and will set up a face book link.

Finance

Mike advised that he had contacted all members who had made donations to the John Ritchie bust and had refunded £80.

Promotions & Publicity

Ian advised that he was awaiting the logo from Mike Hall (via Julian) before producing the business cards that could be given out to prospective members.

After a request from Julian, Portsmouth FC agreed for a piece about our club to appear in the programme for our game.

Social

Julian advised the cost of hospitality packages for the Fulham away game in April, and these were generally considered as poor value for money and we will not therefore be pursuing this idea.

Any other business

Ian advised that the engraving of the player of the year trophy was still pending


3. Membership

Now that our website can facilitate people joining the club, Mike J will text all people currently on our contact list and ask that they join the club via the website in order to continue to receive the benefit of ticket and travel organisation.

The committee agreed that it would be a good idea to produce a newsletter for our members in the same way as the Southern Supporters Club. Mike A agreed that he would organise this, pulling together contributions from the rest of the committee. The target date for the production of the newsletter is Christmas.

Once the membership system is functioning properly we will seek to gain more publicity to increase SW based Stokies awareness of our existence. One idea will be to ask the Oatcake to pin a link to regional supporters clubs at the top of the messageboard.


4. Tickets

Mike J reported that he was building a good rapport with the ticket office staff, and that they had been very helpful in helping us meet our requirements for our members. He will send them a Christmas Card on our behalf in appreciation of their help.

Mike J advised the meeting that there was not much demand for home tickets from our members but this was probably due to the fact that most members were season ticket holders. Nevertheless he would continue to text out for all games.


5. Travel

Dave advised that he was only likely to organise bus trips for away games as people generally make their own arrangements for home games but we can review this as membership grows. He will also shop around for the best deals with the hire companies. In order to make the price acceptable we need to hire the bus for only one day rather than two and sometimes this was not possible without a little flexibility from the hire firm.

Dave asked the Ticket Officer (Mike J) if it would be possible to give him 2 weeks notice in respect of the number of our members who had bought tickets and required travel.

A bus trip is planned for the Blackburn away game and a rail trip for the West Ham away game.

The committee agreed that the Driver of the bus should not pay for travel or if there were two drivers they should both pay half price.


6. Finance

There is presently £266 in the Bank. Dave will also calculate the profit/loss on the trips so far organised and give any money together with a reconciliation statement to Ian.

The following resolutions were passed in respect of the banking arrangements:-

i) That a bank account shall be continued with HSBC Bank plc (The Bank) and the bank is authorised to:-

a) Pay all cheques and other instructions for payment or accept instructions to stop such payments signed on behalf of the club by any one of:- Ian Yearsley, Michael Alderson, David Shenton, Rory McNulty or Michael Jennings (the signatory) whether the account of the club is in credit or debit.
b) Deliver any item held on behalf of the club by the bank in safe keeping against the written receipt of the signatory; and
c) Accept the signatory as fully empowered to act on behalf of the club in any transaction with the bank (including closing of the account).

ii) That any debt incurred to the bank under this mandate shall, in the absence of written
agreement by the bank to the contrary, be payable on demand.

iii) That the secretary from time to time is authorised to supply the bank as and when
necessary with lists of persons who are authorised to sign, give receipts and act on behalf of the club, and the bank may rely on such lists.

iv) That these resolutions remain in force until cancelled by notice in writing to the bank,
signed by the Chairperson or Secretary from time to time acting or claiming to act on behalf of the club, and the bank shall be entitled to act upon such notice whether the resolution have been validly cancelled or not.



7. Promotions and Publicity

The committee would like Julian to try to obtain publicity for our club in the South West colleges and University's. There may be a number of students who have moved to this area who would benefit from the services offered by our club.


8. Social

Rory will contact the football club re possible dates to book a table or two in the Waddington Suite.

We will not be organising a Christmas Social Event but we would like to do something in the summer - possibly a night out and stop over in Weymouth (which is close to where a good number of our active members live)

Other ideas suggested included a day at the races.

9. Any Other Business

None

10. Date of Next Meeting

Wednesday 21st January 2009, 6.30pm at The Dog Inn, Old Sodbury.