MINUTES of the Brooklyn Scouts Joint Parent Leaders Committee 
Wednesday 19 March 2015

Venue: Scout Hall. Meeting started at 7.10 pm

Present
Oliver, Gillian, Michael, Denise, Rex, Jenny, Sue, John (from 7.30 pm)
Visitors at start: Gussy (Venturers), Kay Miller (BCA)
Apologies
David, Bob, Erina, Jo, Duane, Vic

BCA
BCA President Kay Miller joined the group to talk about our common goals and how we might help each other out. While this has happened already over many years (eg BBQs, clean-ups, flyers at hall), there are opportunities to increase activity and work more consciously together. Ideas included:
•	Promotion via email to afterschool and holiday programme email groups
•	Help with garden working bee (for fund-raising or community service)
•	Grant applications – supporting each other in these (Phil Bolton does theirs)
•	Advertising Venturer movie night fundraisers to parents
•	Running an event at the holiday programme

Oliver thanked Kay for coming and noted we will consider these opportunities as we develop our communication and activity plans over the year.

Minutes of previous meeting
Minutes were accepted.

Actions review
See comments on the action log below. 

Correspondence
Insurance due end April. Amount is less than last year. Oliver will check cover is the same.

HSSE check in
Incident report around uneven surface on landing pad at the bottom of the stairs. Needs ground levelling and finishing. Rex notes this is on the snagging list.

Venturer decorating
Gussy made a formal request on behalf of Venturers to paint one of the walls in the den with blackboard paint. They will use this as a collaboration space for activities and brainstorms.

Rex suggested they leave a border around the edge to frame it. A resolution was made and passed, accepting the proposal.

Goals and objectives
The goals and objectives chart had been updated from the previous meeting. Sue suggested that in the Finance column we specifically note seeking a grant for the QM store. The wording around all the grants can be simplified to reflect we’ll seek grants for the projects outlined in the plan.

Denise noted once the Scout strategy is in place we might want to add a goal around how we handle more actively supporting youth who couldn’t otherwise participate.

Gillian noted the overarching goals discussed last time around collaborating across our Group and with other Groups hadn’t been reflected. While there was some discussion about whether this fitted better as a topic for leaders to discuss, Oliver reminded the group these were the joint parent/leader (ie Group) goals and objectives so it was appropriate to recognise this as a goal. 

Treasurer’s report
Jenny has added reconciliations sheets to the google drive. Activities are now coded in the financial statements so we can see total cost for each activity.

Refunds remain an issue. We need a formal policy statement around when we do and don’t give refunds. This would provide guidance on when there might be more latitude (eg if surplus funds after an event). Activity forms should reflect the policy so parents are clear what they are committing to. Denise has information on what happens for the ski trips and offered to discuss this with Jenny and Oliver in order to come up with a policy.

A fourth signatory is needed for the accounts. This would normally be the Group Leader but John needs to remain removed. A signatory will be added once a GL is found.

Invoices will go out by Monday next week by email unless there isn’t one. Followups will happen two weeks later with a goal to have all payments in by start of term 2.

Also need to invoice hall hirers as funds from them haven’t yet been received. We noted an action to formally record the hire agreements and keep a copy on google drive. Oliver noted a concert has been booked for the end of May. We need to check any noise/parking restrictions (the Community Centre has to stop at midnight).

Sue asked (on behalf of Duane) whether the breakdown of kitchen costs could be put into the google drive. Rex will complete (estimates are already there – see Property Building Projects Folder). Grant information is on the drive.

The Committee noted the significant work that has gone into providing more transparent and robust accounting practices.
 
Scout Exec update
Online Scout Manager is now available. Roll-out is happening in our Zone and John explained champions are available to help with training. Group Leaders decide how it will be set up for each Group. Options exist for parents to be able to access their child’s information for example. Full testing on privacy settings was completed by National prior to rollout.

Members of the Committee expressed great excitement for the system and Jenny volunteered to be a local champion for getting the initial data entry and use underway. Denise can also assist.

It was noted, while on the subject of online, that our website still has copies of the old Police check and warrant forms. An action was assigned to David to update the forms section by having links to the ‘official’ forms on the National site rather than downloaded copies or we risk forms getting out of date again.

Section summaries
John noted Zone is organising ANZAC day activities with Gavin co-ordinating attendance at the dawn service – marching in a co-ordinated group. 

An announcement about the Group Leader is expected after Easter. The next Leaders Council meeting will also discuss leader training.

Numbers for the group overall are around 60 (exact number TBC). Cubs tracking ok. Scouts focused on youth-led activities. Good to see a couple of keen parents of new Scouts. Venturers good fundraising, youth leadership, ski trip and Venture – Inferno planning all underway.

General business

Fund-raising
Staffing changes and expected full crowd mean the stadium asked whether our ‘rubbish collection team’ (Dawn/Thomas’s World Jamboree trip fundraising initiative) could work on the bar instead. The Committee acknowledged the work the two Scouts had done in getting people ready to help with this and resolved that a portion of the funds raised from the bar work would go to the fundraising Scouts.

The Harbourside Market car-parking fundraiser was a success and was an ‘easy’ event able to involve youth and their parents who often can’t help with things like stadium work. Jenny noted there was lots of good feedback about scouts as she collected money – so also a good publicity vehicle. 
Kitchen
Hatch has now been fixed. Sue noted thanks to Rex for organising this.

Quarter-master report
Michael presented a summary of his inventory work to date (attached) and his recommendations for priorities if we can get an equipment grant. Other ideas need to be picked up at the next leaders meeting.
 
Projects update
Time precluded us from going through Rex’s report (attached) but the Committee briefly discussed and agreed that getting the heaters up had to be the immediate priority. Ceiling work may have to be retro-fitted around this, but we need to resolve the short term problem that the hall is very cold.

Other business
Jenny offered to do the newsletter this term in Gillian’s absence. She also asked whether meetings could be in the first week after the end of the month to tie in with end of month reporting.

Gillian suggested sending QM and Project reports as part of the pre-read could save time at the meetings.

Meeting closed: 9.10pm

Next meeting
==============
Wednesday 6 May 

Record of actions discussed and closed at or since last meeting (see comments), and still open or new as at 19/03/2015. 
Grey = closed at meeting. Red = overdue actions 

Number	Action	Who	By when 	Status	Comment	
14/173	Apply to go in the ballot again for the Harbourside fundraiser	Sue	31/05/2015	Open		
14/172	Chair to formally thank Christine on behalf of the Committee for her work organising the Harbourside parking fundraiser	Oliver	31/05/2015	Open		
14/171	Review forms on website and replace downloaded forms with link to forms on National website	David	31/05/2015	Open	Necessary as forms get out-of-date. Priority is vetting and warrant form	
14/170	Put a breakdown of actual kitchen costs onto google drive for the records	Rex	31/05/2015	Open		
14/169	Develop a memorandum of understanding or similar that can be stored on google drive to record hall hires	Michael/Oliver	31/05/2015	Open		
14/168	Develop a policy on refunds for activities	Jenny/Oliver/Denise	31/05/2015	Open		
14/167	Present updated building priorities list (short and longer term)	Rex	31/03/2015	Closed	Presented at 18 March 2015 meeting	
14/166	Update goals and objectives chart with changes discussed to date then raise again at next committee meeting	Oliver	31/03/2015	Closed	Presented at 18 March 2015 meeting	
14/165	Confirm roll with leaders then email up-to-date membership list to Jo for cleaning roster	Anneleah	31/03/2015	Open	Will need to update on changes each term	
14/164	Follow-up on results of first exit surveys and establish a system to alert Sylvie of 'new exits'	Erina	31/05/2015	Open	Interviews have happened. No reasons of note – but committee asked to see them anyway and also process for alerting to new exits. New date set for this part.	
14/160	Further detailed instructions to be sent re using new i-cloud facility (including how to set up Gmail)	Oliver/Gillian	01/12/2014	Open	Re-send link and instructions with the minutes. See David if you don't have gmail and not sure how to set it up	
14/158	Discuss the costs to fix items on the snagging list, particularly those that raise safety concerns	Oliver/Jenny	31/03/2015	Open	Ran out of time to discuss	
14/152	Put seeking leader feedback on what the QM store should contain into the next leaders meeting agenda	John	21/11/2014	Open		
14/147	Circulate a written update on signage pricing options and the proposed designs	Gavin	30/ 4/2015	Open	Terry will take over actioning this. Talk to Gavin re quotes already received. New completion date of end April.	
14/133	Update Committee on status of hall lease agreement	Michael	30/04/2015	Open	Word version not available. Michael to email PDF to David to convert. In the interim Council have agreed hiring of hall is up to us (providing it's not for substantive periods). New deadline added.	
14/121	Make a request to Z energy about participating in their token drop fundraising	Oliver	02/07/2014	Open	No response. Will followup; 5/11 No progress; 18/2 No progress	

Record of resolutions from 19 March 2015
Number	Resolution	Move	Seconded	Voting		
14/120	THAT, we spend approximately $500 for the wiring and parts we need to put up the heaters	Rex	Denise	CARRIED U		
14/119	THAT, as a one-off for the 21 March stadium fundraiser, and subject to making more than $1,000 we allocate $1,000 to Dawn and Thomas for world jamboree, recognising their efforts in setting up the rubbish collection as an additional fundraising activity at the stadium	Denise	Rex	CARRIED	Abstained - Oliver, and Sue	
14/118	THAT, the Treasurer's report be accepted	Jenny	Oliver	CARRIED U		
14/117	THAT, the Venturers be permitted to paint one wall of the den with blackboard paint	Gussy	John	CARRIED U		
14/116	THAT, the minutes of the previous meeting be approved	Gillian	Jenny	CARRIED U