2016 Committee Lunch
Date: Wednesday 5th week, Trinity 2016 (2016-05-25)Attendance
Present: Anne Williamson (President), Cealach McKeating (Vice-President (Administrative)), Steven Rose (Secretary), Darryl Braier-Lorimer (Treasurer), Hugo Monnery (Lindsay), Meg Peyton-Jones (Dr. WHO), Frederick Potts (Foody), Zachary Leather (Foody), Xavier Greenwood (Sports Rep), Alberto Andrade (Academic Affairs and Careers Officer), Daisy Cutts (Access and Admissions Officer), Elliot Jones (Affiliations Officer), Saad Hamid (Affiliations Officer), Rivka Shaw (Charities and RAG Officer), Sophie Conquest (Charities and RAG Officer), Samuel Gibb (Student Disabilities Officer), Matthew Fuller (Entz Officer), Aidan Balfe (Environment & Ethics Officer), Hubert Au (Ethnic Minorities Officer), Thitapa Haritaworn (Ethnic Minorities Officer), Ele Saltmarsh (LGBTQ Officer), Rory Meryon (LGBTQ Officer), Andrew Truong (Website & Computing Officer), Daisy Cockrean (Women's Officer)
Absent with apologies: James Letten (Dr. WHO), Joseph Lee (Academic Affairs and Careers Officer), Ruby Breward (Design & Maintenance Officer), Molly Rogers (Student Disabilities Officer), Lewis Scott (John de Balliol), Nicholas Halterman (International Students Officer), Rachael Ince-Kitson (Women's Officer)
Absent without explanation: Helen Davies (Sports Rep), Emily Webb (Access and Admissions Officer), Peter Sayer (Design & Maintenance Officer), Indigo Wilde (Entz Officer), Chilla Knight (Environment & Ethics Officer), Simon Kelly (John de Balliol), Laura Bossino (International Students Officer)
Agenda
- Matters Arising
- Sponsoring a child [Sophie & Rivka]
- AOB
Minutes
Annie welcomed the meeting.
Sophie told the Committee that while the item would ultimately have to go through a GM, she wanted to raise the discussion with Committee first. She noted that the JCR had sponsored a child through a compulsory levy, however the child had since graduated school. She told the Committee that the charity had requested instead a flat sum to fund the purchase of electronic equipment for the classroom, asking for a contribution of £400 to the cost of a £900 smartboard. This money would have to go out of the charities account, which would be against standard practice. Sophie noted that the request was rather odd. Sophie noted that it was a good cause, however the contact had noted the students were not underpriveleged, and hence suggested that there may be more valuable causes to which the JCR could donate. She suggested reinstating the compulsory levy and finding another charity.
Ste noted a flat donation of the kind requested would be unconstitutional owing to the lack of time-sensitivity of the request.
Darryl noted that the levy had been collected for a time after the student the JCR was sponsoring had graduated.
Sophie suggested bringing a motion to a GM to reallocate the levy. Rivka suggested the money collected be donated to the charity and the levy continued for a separate cause.
Annie reiterated Darryl's point that the levy was to sponsor a child, and hence it would not be ideal to donate it to another project.
Aidan asked for the specific wording of the email. Sophie replied that the email specified “middle class to lower-middle class.”
Annie suggested that there were three choices: put the money from the levy towards the project; find another sponsor a child project and have a vote on the levy; or have a vote for the future of the levy and donate the money that is currently held.
The options were restated as donating money and voting on the future of the levy, or the other way round.
Xav G questioned whether it would be okay to give money to a non-child sponsoring charity.
Sophie suggested that sponsoring a child was not particularly fair or effective, and hence would prefer a different project.
Ste suggested moving the money collected to the charities account to be distributed at the end of term through the charities ballot, Darryl suggested this may be a reasonable way to proceed. Cealach and Annie replied that this would potentially be further from the spirit of the original arrangement.
Richard noted that this is a moral question rather than a legal question; and hence it would not be sensible to leave the money and not spend it under the impression that we can't spend it due to the way it was raised.
Annie suggested this be brought to a GM as the current question in its entirety.
Xav G suggested there would have to be another vote about whether this should be a compulsory levy if it continues.
Rivka offered that a member of staff had suggested scrapping the levy and donating the money; however she disagreed with this as the compulsory brings in a fair amount of money.
Annie suggested this be brought to a GM to avoid repeating the conversation.
Ele told the Committee that there had been a delivery to the Porters lodge of a bunch of BHF leaflets. Annie knew about it. All was well.
Ele noted the Monopoly board game only had seven cards left. This does not a game of Monopoly make, and hence she would like to see the board game replaced.
Richard asked how we'd avoid repeating losing cards again; Ste replied that the JCR would potentially have to accept that some things that it buys would have to be replaced.
Xav wanted Articulate.
Annie asked Ele if she would like to have money passed. Ele agreed. Richard noted that when the JCR was renovated there would be a place to put boardgames.
Zack asked if there could be semi-regular board game nights. Annie responded that sounds great; he should organise it.
Richard suggested this be done in the bar, as it is now an accessible space.
Meg asked Zack if he wanted to organise it; Zack replied that he did; Meg noted that a JCR member had hella lots of board games.
Annie suggested Zack work with the JCR member.
Hubert noted that the squash courts in Jowett could only be accessed by getting the key from the lodge, and asked if there would be other ways of managing this.
It was noted that the accountability of the key holder was quite important, as was records of who had the key at any point.
Annie suggested that the Hubert have a chat with the lodge to scope out ideas.
Hubert offered that it would be reasonable for the key to be in the Jowett lodge, however the Jowett lodge is not as often occupied.
Swipe cards were suggested. Annie suggested there be a conversation with Chris.
Darryl told the Committee that he would need help on the day of the June Jamboree, and asked about how he should distribute the rota, suggesting it be done so that third years who had finished exams receive longer shifts than freshers with prelims in ninth week.
Richard noted he had an exam the morning after June Jamboree (as does this humble Secretary). Darryl replied that he'd avoid giving shifts to people with finals in ninth week. Annie suggested that the weighting of shifts be roughly proportional to exams.
Annie encouraged people run stalls. Cealach was mad keen on face painting.
Zack told the Committee that it would be likely there would be a big slide and a hired supervisor, and a bouncy castle.
Annie suggested this discussion was not particularly relevant to Committee lunch,.
The Committee lunch was adjourned.