CAGG committee, 2019-03-11
Minutes
Minutes of a Caradon Amateur Geology Group committee meeting held on 2019-03-11, 19:30 - 21:00. Readership is CAGG members.
Peter Jackson Calum Beeson Megan Shute Pat Fitzsimmons Tina HitchingsApologies:
Anne Bolt
The meeting was chaired by PNJ.
AGM agenda
The AGM agenda will be of similar form to that of the previous year:- Apologies
- Minutes from last AGM
- Treasurer's report (PF)
- Membership report (TH)
- Publicity report (AB)
- (re)Election of committee
- Topics and Field trips (CB)
- Précis of previous year
- Exposition of coming year
It is understood that PF and RJ intend to resign from the committee. This means that a new treasurer is required. It is prudent that officers be drawn from existing committee members and inappropriate that the treasurer role be taken by CB who frequently has to draw expenses from CAGG funds. Constrained by logic, PNJ agreed to take on the role.
We will solicit more volunteers to join the committee at the AGM.
Action: PNJ to contact Bob Jay and Emma Stockley to confirm their intended status.
CB's expenses
Calum is currently paid £15 for expenses for giving talks and leading field trips. In reality this is now slightly less than his actual costs. It was agreed that in future he will be paid £20 for talks and £25 for field trips.PF said that this may take us beyond our break-even threshold so that in future we may have to increase our membership and/or meeting fees. Our current funds amount to £1462.95, so we can absorb this extra cost during the current year.
2019 programme
CB has produced a draft programme which was largely approved.There was some uncertainty about the feasibility of a coach trip. CB explained that the best time to investigate fossils in the Lyme Regis area is in the winter, which is a daunting time for those contemplating a car journey. Hence a coach trip may appeal to more members and may provide additional flexibility on the day, for example by visiting Charmouth in good weather or Lyme Regis with its various indoor facilities if the weather is bad.
A full coach might cost £600, but a "minibus" seating 16 passengers is substantially less - of the order of £150.
It was agreed we would continue with this idea and plan the trip in more detail during August. In particular to understand risks and plan supervision.
The agreed programme will be presented at the AGM, with printed copies available for members.
Trethevy Quoit
PNJ reported that an archaeological excavation is planned at Trethevy Quoit on 2019-06-25 thru 2019-06-29, with the last day being an "open day". It was agreed that this will be of interest to us and we will hope to make this the site of our June field trip if the project director agrees.Things to consider:
- The site has restricted parking. It is possible that we should meet at Darite (where we might make use of the village hall).
- We may consider a resistivity survey to map the features that are indicated on the geological map.
- We might wash and examine the spoil from the test pits.
- We might image the granite of the Quoit with a view to assessing if the stones are from the same source and how their characteristics compare with the data from the granite survey we did as part of the Reading the Hurlers project.
- Can we raise money to pay volunteer expenses?
AOB
Refreshments for our meetings at the Echo Centre would be easier to manage with a hot water urn. It was agreed that we would approach the Echo Centre to suggest that we purchase an urn and donate it to them. Likely cost of an urn would be of the order of £50.Action: TH.
Updates
This document is maintained by Peter Jackson. Comments should be addressed to CAGG_secretary at caradon dot org dot uk.- PNJ, 2019-03-22. Transcribed from notes made at the meeting.
