(Transfered from old forum)

Committee Meeting Minutes - 17.09.04

Present: Chris McConnell Zoë Neville-Smith Annette Chatterton Ben Rackham Michael Hardy

Apologies: Andrew Moroney

Due to chaotic nature of registration, not all committee members were able to be present at all times. As such, items on the agenda were addressed in order of importance and relation to individuals in attendance.

1. AOB Opinions on the new Hive were aired. The committee ruled that it was a bit pants. The price of coffee has gone up and sleepy committee members were not happy. It was very clean, though.
2. The New Website

Michael Hardy has kindly been designing our new website, which includes a scrolling announcements banner, pretty graphics and sections of usefulness, such as news of socials and fixtures, kit advice and recommendations, FAQ section and even legal disclaimers. The committee oohed and ahhed. Now a suitable hosting deal is to be negotiated, as well as the setting up of a new forum. This may use Ezboard, but other options are to be considered amongst techies. The ‘smckane’ forum, it was ruled, will be used for now.

1. Teams and Fixtures.

The list of BUSA fixtures has been published, and seems to involve a lot of travelling to far flung away matches. This may be problematic for members of our team. Negotiations pending. Transport for our first match has already been booked. We are to share a minibus with the basketball club. Shouting of ‘One two three TEAM!’ followed. We came second in the local league this year and intend to enter again. The possibility of BUSA individual competitions or weapon championships were voiced for anyone who wishes to compete outside of our usual BUSA games, especially any advanced women. Friendly matches can easily be arranged for a women’s or mixed team, and indeed any improvers who wish to compete. The Reading Novices competition was mentioned and we encourage anyone interested to get involved in that. All will be explained in an email nearer the time, all fixtures will be posted online and on the club notice board.

1. News and Matters from Previous Meeting.

Having applied to the union for a grant nearing £2000, much outrage was expressed when our grant came back with only around £860 allocated to us! The grant application consisted of a break down of spending over the next year, and it seems the union only approved our purchase of items which promoted the safety of club members, such as chest protectors and new 800N underplastrons. It was motioned that lamés should henceforth be known as ‘protection lamés’, electric sabre masks as ‘skull defenders’ and so on. We grant that a lot of union money has been spent this year on making old parts of campus ‘beautiful’, but we’re the team of the year…! The indignation continues. We have decided to keep autumn membership at £15 for all, and then reduce our fee to £10 for rejoining in spring. No alterations have been made to the fees we pay the Norfolk Fencing Club for our places there, but negociations may still follow. The union have confirmed their intention to pay Andrew Sowerby for two hours of coaching a week, and the club must foot the beginner’s time from 7-8pm on a Monday. Stewart McKane has confirmed that he is free to coach beginners on a Wednesday night. He is not asking for payment for this, but may well receive privileges from the Sporstpark at their expense for his generosity. We have been allocated half a hall from 7pm until 10pm on Mondays. We discovered that the other half will be used by the table tennis (‘ping pong’, heehee) club, so watch out for those balls! Wednesday’s allocation of half a hall from 5pm until 6:20pm is confirmed. The reviewed club documents (Safety Rules, Code of Practice, Risk Assessment) have been submitted by the Secretary and Social Secretary. We are yet to receive revised documents from the Treasurer. Annette is still keen to run for our union rep. The elections will be sometime in October. The committee expressed it’s delight that the fencing club will go represented this year! As to publicity, the handbook entry stands complete and glorious on the sports pages, and the Secretary gave Livewire a radio interview to explain about the fencing club and encourage people to join. She made many bad puns and giggled too much. This can be heard on Livewire during Fresher’s Week, at something mumble cough LW or on the Internet. The Secretary has however entirely failed in finding a good company to do us club t shirts. This task will be commenced with more enthusiasm once the club is back up and running. Promise.

1. Shortlist for First Purchase of Equipment.

It was decided, with regard to annoyance over grant, we should spend it as soon as possible on the kit that we know is actually needed to prove our point. This does not put us in financial danger as we have over £800 in our subs account, and expect to take around £700 at sportsmart. Therefore, items with top priority for purchase are: 10 x 800N plastrons 6 x one-piece chest ladies chest protectors 2 x sabre masks 4 x Foil Lamés

The armourer has wowed the committee with his assurance that he is able to convert steam sabres to electric with a simple procedure, and will do so with as many blades as we wish. He then suggested the committee should have personalised coffee mugs with gold bands around them, and a special silver stirring spoon for the president. This idea was laughed at. The armourer then redeemed himself by promising to check over all the scoring boxes and bring back into circulation ones with dodgy bulbs and wires.

1. Sportsmart

Though this runs from 12:30 to 4pm, we would like committee people to come and set up from just before 12. All club members are welcome to lend a hand! We have some big boards (on loan from the president’s library mafia network), pretty posters, leaflets pending, friendly people in hoodies and some samples of equipment. Annette has kindly designed some spreadsheets for us to join people directly onto her laptop. However, we may have problems with the battery dying on us after two hours, so are keen to have plenty of backup. We have been refused a power point. The ‘map’ of sportsmart has been published. We are in the middle section of ‘miscellaneous’ sports. Next to Golf. Hurrah. Posters will go up on Monday. Though we have attempted to steal membership cards, Vanda was too quick for us, but has assured us of enough cards. It was prompted that we would need a float. The secretary offered a rubber ring and was chastised. We shall only be able to join beginners who are prepared to pay on the spot, as these places fill up quickly. We would like to have as many ‘rejoining’ members seeing us as sportsmart as possible, but an email will go around to remind everyone of rejoining arrangements and first sessions… Leading nicely to:

1. First Session, Monday week II (27th September).

As already expressed, the Monday group will run from 7-10pm. The first hour of this will be the ‘beginners’ class (though the Secretary prefers the word ‘novice’ but accepts ‘beginners’ is probably clearer), taught by Mr. Sowerby. Anyone who wants to do some electric fencing and doesn’t need to borrow equipment can turn up at 7 as well. Otherwise, the ‘improvers’ (a.k.a. ‘intermediates’) and everyone else will arrive from 8pm onwards and be able to fence and have personal tuition with Mr. Sowerby. A whiteboard will be available in order for people to enlist for one to one coaching. David Beckham will be doing foil tuition in groups for improvers’. We have space for 20 ‘improvers’ who will require club kit. Advanced fencers are also welcome from 8pm, to use their kit, practice and benefit from Andrew’s tuition. The question of the kit wash was brought up. No one was keen, but consensus suggests a trip to the laundrette on campus may be easiest. If anyone has unwanted 20p’s knocking about, the club will need them! The armourer (who has the most kit washing experience) warned us of the possibility that kit will shrink in the dryers. Owing to the Treasurer’s absence, he was nominated by the committee to sit in the drums and prevent unwanted shrinkage by stretching vulnerable items as they dry. This proposal will be put before him in the near future.

1. Socials this year.

The Social Secretary proposes a social towards the end of week II, bowling being a popular choice with the committee. There were no objections for making it Thursday night, as it would clash with the LCR and give people something better to do. Annette is going to ring Hollywood Bowl and see what deals they can do for large groups. The ‘icebreaker’ can then be advertised at Sportsmart. We shall ask people to sign up and hand over money in the week two sessions. We shall not be able to subsidise this social (fury over grant continues for some minutes) but hope to pay something towards the big end of term socials. The Christmas social was touched on. A suggestion to break from the traditional dinner at the Nelson Hotel was made without objections. The Social Secretary shall ‘think about it’.

1. A.O.B (again).

Rumour has it that back in the day when the UEA fencing club was formed, the club jumped in and bought an electric piste (as you do when you have no other equipment…). These things cost a fortune. But where is it? There is the tiniest of hopes that it is lurking in some godforsaken back cupboard somewhere in union house, having missed out on the equipment move to the Sportspark. It may, of course, be in a skip. But what a find it would be…! Of course, it was suggested, we could always submit a grant to the union requesting ‘safety non-slip aluminium pistes’.

1. A.O.B?? Yes. Er… No.

And thus, the fencing committee dispersed into the muggy breeze in search of tax exemption certificates and biscuits, safe in the knowledge that they were doing their bit for their club, that everyone loved them, that the following year would be fun and stimulating, that white is of course the most flattering of colours… They were very, very epee…

( Submit all bad fencing puns to me for future use in minutes. Not that I’m drying up. Never.)

Zoë