2016 Committee Lunch

Date: Wednesday 3rd week, Michaelmas 2016 (2016-10-26)

Attendance

Present: Anne Williamson (President), Cealach McKeating (Vice-President (Administrative)), Steven Rose (Secretary), Hugo Monnery (Lindsay), Meg Peyton-Jones (Dr. WHO), James Letten (Dr. WHO), Zachary Leather (Foody), Joseph Lee (Academic Affairs and Careers Officer), Alberto Andrade (Academic Affairs and Careers Officer), Emily Webb (Access and Admissions 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), Chilla Knight (Environment & Ethics Officer), Hubert Au (Ethnic Minorities Officer), Thitapa Haritaworn (Ethnic Minorities Officer), Ele Saltmarsh (LGBTQ Officer), Andrew Truong (Website & Computing Officer), Daisy Cockrean (Women's Officer), Rachael Ince-Kitson (Women's Officer)

Absent with apologies: Darryl Braier-Lorimer (Treasurer), Frederick Potts (Foody), Helen Davies (Sports Rep), Xavier Greenwood (Sports Rep), Molly Rogers (Student Disabilities Officer), Laura Bossino (International Students Officer), Nicholas Halterman (International Students Officer), Richard Ware (Housing Officer)

Absent without explanation: Peter Sayer (Design & Maintenance Officer), Gaetano Iannetta (Design & Maintenance Officer), Indigo Wilde (Entz Officer), Matthew Fuller (Entz Officer), Aidan Balfe (Environment & Ethics Officer), Lewis Scott (John de Balliol), Simon Kelly (John de Balliol), Rory Meryon (LGBTQ Officer)

Agenda

1. Matters arising

2. Projector stuff dolla [Andrew]

3. Bananagrams dolla [Meg]

4. Male representation on Welfare Sub [Ele]

5. AOB

Minutes

Annie welcomed the meeting. People discussed whether there were fewer people or not.

 

Andrew told the Committee that the projector remote has no batteries and we’ve lost the HDMI cable. Andrew therefore asked for £20 to purchase these things.

Committee passes £20.

 

Meg likes Bananagrams. She thinks it’s a great game. It costs £15 on Amazon.

Annie asked if it was bought before. Ste suggested the Summer school lost it, rather than the JCR.

The Committee passed £15. It was suggested the game be stored in the Entz cupboard.

Andrew asked if there was a chess set. Daisy noted that we definitely used to. Hubert complained that pieces always get lost.

Annie suggested people search for a chess set, and if it’s not found, to pass money for one next week.

People speculated as to where it might be. “Go forth and search for the chess set.” It was suggested we could just blame the Summer Schools should we fail to find it.

Matt noted that the Entz cupboard was awkward. Cealach suggested the craft cupboard which is largely full of unimportant stuff.

Annie asked who would like to take responsibility for the craft cupboard. Meg and Hubert agreed to share responsibility.

 

Ele noted the GM motion discussion on gender restrictions of Drs WHO suggested that there should be debate about the formation of a male welfare rep.

James told the Committee that it’s something he would like to look into, but has no time to do so now, however he strongly supports the idea.

Sam told the Committee that he is opposed to this as he doesn’t believe men do not experience any discriminiation not already covered by welfare sub. He argued that the aim to have a man on welfare sub could be extended to straight people, white people, etc. He also argued that it enforced a binary that is not covered by LGBTQ rep.

Meg responded that it would be feasible to implement a conditional mens’ rep if there aren’t a kmoinimum number of men on welfare sub.

Cealach suggested Meg speak to Welfare sub, she argued that historically Welfare sub was for liberation groups, and hence suggested careful wording should this go ahead.

James agreed mens rep would not be a liberation role, and would purely be welfare.

James suggested the discussion should occur elsewhere, as not much ground could be covered in a Committee lunch.

Annie suggested the conversation should pre-empt the formation of a working group as a formation of a working group sets the ball rolling.

Meg emphasised the importance of including men in the working group, and hence asked if there would be someone else who would want to head the working group. Hubert agreed to take part, as did Sam on the condition that he could oppose the formation of the role. Annie suggested the three use the minutes from the GM to gather interested parties.

Annie asked what people thought should happen after the working group make a decision. Ste argued it should go straight from a working group to a GM as working groups are independent from Committee.

Annie gave her agreement to Cealach’s point regarding welfare sub as a space for liberation groups. Meg responded that she would have to speak to Amy regarding this interpretation, given the inclusion of Acaf and Drs WHO. Annie suggested creating a working group about the role and purpose of welfare sub.

Hubert suggested sounding out the idea of a working group for the structure of welfare sub at a later point to be fed into by the discussion from the mens’ rep working group.

Annie encouraged Ele, Hubert, and Sam to proceed in this way.

Alberto suggested the use of the word “rep” might suggest a need for representation which is not needed, however they may need gender specific welfare support.

Ste suggested it was important to not turn Committee into the working group.

 

Cealach reminded people to write up their positions to send to her. Annie asked if there was a deadline. Cealach responded the end of third week.

 

Ele asked if anyone had the JCR reserved. She asked to pass £10 for Bake Off tonight.

Committee passed £10. Emily told Ele the snacks had to be baked goods.

 

Annie encouraged Committee to have individual conversations to encourage people to run.

 

Alberto noted that last year he proposed getting Balliol keepcups. He noted that College had specific guidelines about colours. He therefore asked if the Committee was still interested in the order; noting that the minimum order was 240. The cost was £6 per unit wholesale. Alberto noted it was less per unit but this cost included shipping.

Hugo asked if this implied the cost went down when the order was larger. Alberto responded that the nnext order was £380, the cost going down about 10p per cup.

Cealach noted the Bod keepcups are also £6. Alberto responded that it wouldn’t cost the JCR as they would be resold. He also noted they could be sold long after purchase.

Annie asked the retail price. Alberto responded that it would be more, and could not be customised. Annie asked if Alberto had spoken to Vicky, Kate, or Jo, regarding whether they would want to purchase cups. Alberto responded that ehy had; he expressed their enthusiasm, however noted that they had raised that there would be difficulties selling to alumni due to shipping.

Annie gave her thoughts that we can’t be sure we’d sell 240 from 400 undergrads, but if there were other groups interested, it could be more attractive.

Cealach noted it would be a pain to leave them in the JCR.

Meg asked if a smaller number could be bought from the Balliol to sell to members. Alberto responded this would introduce an unnecessary middle man, and would have no Balliol crest.

Sam suggested using a poll to guage interest.

Annie noted it would have to go to a GM anyway, and this would be a suitable venue to guage interest.

 

Simran proposed a JCR Diwali event on Sunday night which would involve a festival ceremony, with a suggested small cost to cover the cost of tealights.

The Committee passed up to £10 for this.

 

Rivka noted there are currently four charities levies, one of which is split between voted-for charities, three that go to predetermined charities.

Daisy asked if they were optional levies.

Zack asked what the precedents were for the three non-democratic charities. Rivka explained that they were left over democratic.

Against Malaria Foundation, Monday Club, and summet else are the charities. It was clarified that these are essentially a holdover from a previous system.

 

Sophie told the JCR that they were going to start a working group on the sponsor a child levy and asked how this could best be done. Annie responded that this could best be done using the mailing list and Facebook.

 

Milo told the Committee that FIFA 17 cost £46, apologising for the retroactive spending. Sam asked if it could be bought second hand cheaper; Milo responded that it couldn’t due to it being a new game.

Committee passes up to £46.

 

Meeting was adjourned.