[57north-announce] Minutes for 2019 AGM

[Edward William Watson]

Hi all

Please find below the 2019 57N AGM Minutes as signed by the me, the meeting's chair.
Minutes from this and all our past AGMs are also available in our bureaucracy repo:
https://github.com/hackerdeen/meetings

# Agenda for the meeting:

* Election of meeting chair
* Previous AGM minutes
* Report on activities since last AGM
* Treasurer's report
* AOCB
* Election of directors

Agenda from http://lists.57north.co/pipermail/57north-announce/2019-March/000424.html


# Attending

* Ed W
* Steph D
* Kevin M
* Tom J
* Peter D
* Utkarsh K
* Robert M
* David H
* Mike O
* Tony T
* Iain R. L
* Ana (guest of member Iain R.L.)
* Andy G


# Election of meeting chair

* **Chair**: Ed
* **Minutes**: Andy
* **Start**: 19:46 16-04-2019


# Previous AGM minutes
See https://github.com/hackerdeen/meetings/blob/master/2018/18-04-24.AGM.minutes.md


# Report on activities since last AGM
* See https://github.com/hackerdeen/meetings/blob/master/2019/19-04-16-directors-report.md

0) State of the Membership
- We currently have 22 members on our register
- We have an average count of 13 paying members (last 3-month avg)
- 7 members can be classified as both non-paying and absent, so are
therefore due for dismemberment
- The board acknowledges a number of house-keeping actions have fallen due
(such as dismemberment) and resolve to move on these tasks once a full board
has been chosen.

1) We moved to the Engage space
- We shuttered (ceased to operate regular activities & meetings at a fixed location) for a month to help with timings and reduce rent.
- We spent money on a first and second fit (£193 and £245 accordingly)
- Big thanks to those who donated, built and generally helped with the move

2) We started doing our own books
- This have saved us the cost of an accountant and so far has been uncomplicated

3) Some members went to EMF camp
- It was fun, there was a scottish border crossing post.

4) Some members went to CampGND

5) Hosted Scottish Consulate Winter Hackerparty
- It was fun, upstairs was used a lot.
- Attendees from all round Europe

6) Some members went to CCC over new years

7) We have received a laser cutter on long-term loan from a friend of the space
- We have been granted use for as long we find it useful.
- It is a work in progress

8) Applied for local council funding
- Didn’t get anything granted, but it was a first step

9) Congratulations to Kev on growing the air quality monitoring project
- This has been a great example of working with other members of the community
- Hope to see more involvement from them, and more space projects that engage others

10) Branding and signage upgrades
- We have had some signage added to the outside walls of the new address and wall
artwork has been added
- We have also updated our wiki to 57N branding and created space posters to help get the word out.

# Treasurer's report
* Available at https://github.com/hackerdeen/meetings/blob/master/2019/57N%20Treasurers%20Report%2015-04-2019.pdf
Added with corrections


## Notes and comments
* Consensus is we're in a bit better of a place than before
* We have ~£492 float
* Discussions on financial security
* Discussions on increase on fees
* Last year we spent £400 on fit, which is fairly one-off


# Change of article 103
Proposal to change articles of association.

Remove current article 103:
Any surplus assets available to the Hacklab immediately preceding its
winding up or dissolution must be used for purposes which are the same
as - or which closely resemble - the purposes of the Hacklab as set
out in these articles.

Add new article 103:
Any surplus assets available to the Hacklab immediately preceding its
winding up or dissolution must be distributed amongst members in a
manner proportional to members contributions to that surplus, dating
back 5 years from the date of dissolution.

A vote was cast, All agreed therefore resolution was passed.

# AOCB

## Distant member idea
Raised by hibby.
There has been a request by some friends of 57N to have an associate/distant member status to allow them to donate to the space and perhaps use it when they are in the area // at an event.
Discussion of this happened
Comments re this...
* Distant members could have a reduced level of access to the space
* Distant members could no voting rights
* Would need a general meeting to set in place
* We can't make this change today as it requires a separate meeting

## Fees
It was noted that our membership fees have not increased in some time, and that we may wish to consider increasing them.

Andy: Could it increase in line with base rate APR, roughly, periodically. Would need a general meeting to set in place.
Hibby: Perhaps it could remain fixed until the cumulative base rate increase suggests it should increase by a sensible margin, for example, hold at £20 and move to £25 in a jump, instead of annual increases by small amounts.

## Guest admission
* Ed: we could do with a process and record the data
* Action: Ed to advise on required process

## Wizard sticks
Hibby made one

## Mandatory Bikeshedding
* Rob says whiteboard should be blue, like a fridge
* Hibby says mauve
* Steph wants it like laptop cover, nice black & purple sheen colour

# Election of directors

All directors stand down, as per previous precedent

5 candidates nominated themselves to be directors
* Ed - treasuring director
* Andy
* Hibby
* Kev
* Tom - new candidate

Directors confirmed

Note: Iain withdrew his nomination for himself, that he'd raised via email to the list


Meeting concluded at 20:36
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: application/pgp-signature
Size: 819 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://lists.57north.co/pipermail/57north-announce/attachments/20190514/c724c7dd/attachment.sig>