MINUTES of the Brooklyn Scouts Joint Parent Leaders Committee 
Wednesday 18 February 2015

Venue: Scout Hall. Meeting started at 7.12 pm

Present
Oliver, Gillian, Michael, Bob, Denise, Terry, Jo, David, Rex 
Apologies
AnneLeah, John, Jenny, Christine (who had been planning to attend to update on fundraising), Chris (re-joining committee)  

Minutes of previous meeting
Minutes were accepted.

Actions review
Many of the actions can now be closed (relating to building work). See comments on the action log below. 

Correspondence
None

HSSE check in
No incidents. 

Denise noted Scouts will continue to need to review and monitor their risk policies.

Terry noted our fire extinguishers need updating. The Committee agreed this needed to happen and resolved to purchase new extinguished. A grant application will be made, but the Committee noted if the grant is not successful, we need to pay for the extinguishers out of hall maintenance funds.
 
Goals and objectives
Oliver led a discussion around updating our 2014 goals and objectives. Discussion points included:
•	While we didn’t meet our youth roll objective (100), we did achieve a platinum award for growing by over 20% in 2014.
•	The priority does need to be on growing our leaders first. We are limited in being able to offer desirable things like after school Keas and Cubs by a lack of leaders.
•	An overarching goal for 2015 will be to establish greater connections between the various sections – Oliver will think about how to represent this on the goals and objectives sheet.  
•	Many of the other youth objectives weren’t achieved in the specific timeframe but are now on track

Time constraints meant we only discussed the ‘Youth’ column, but Oliver will update the obvious changes (dates, deleting items achieved etc) in the other columns then lead a discussion on the others in subsequent meetings.

Treasurer’s report
Oliver presented the first new style financial reporting on behalf of Jenny. He noted her significant work in re-coding items for the new format. He also noted project and activity reporting is still to be added. A larger font is needed!

The Committee discussed some of the numbers showing on the report. Sometimes, ‘negative’ balances occur where items have not been accrued into the next month – this will begin to happen as we adapt to the new reporting. 

Bob noted as a not-for-profit we shouldn’t have a ‘profit and loss’ statement. While Denise noted many Scout groups do, Oliver noted he could change this to be a Statement of Surplus.

Stadium money raised has so far been split around $5K admin and $4.7K activities. Jo suggested we should remind parents of where the money from their efforts is going as this would help keep them motivated (and hopefully encourage others to volunteer). Specific examples of expenditure are particularly helpful (eg your fundraising efforts have helped us purchase new fire extinguishers). This could go in the newsletter and on fundraising request emails. (Printing the newsletter was also suggested at this point and captured as an action).

The committee unanimously agreed two resolutions (closing the kitchen and kitchen appliance projects and the asset depreciation assumptions) and accepted the Treasurer’s report.

Scout Exec update
National have purchased a database to improve Scout record keeping. In time we will be able to access records for our Scouts online (with appropriate privacy and sign-ins to be set up).

The Child Protection Policy is being updated with the assistance of an Irish Scouting child protection expert. Training and guidelines will follow. A small charge for Police vetting has been mentioned in the media – Denise noted she will be lobbying for National to cover these costs.

David noted some schools are now asking for vetting of parents before they go on camp. Denise noted our current practice of briefing parents on appropriate protocols around participation remains sound. National have also discussed how it’s important we see these requirements as helping with the safety of our youth rather than as a burden. 

Section summaries

Keas – up to around a dozen including 5 new members. A couple have come from Island Bay.

Cubs – 11 in the first Monday.

Scouts – 2 Cubs have transitioned up. 1 new girl – and ex-guide. 1 has left. Have been looking at some half-day weekend activities to be organised by Scouts/Venturers. These are likely to be popular with youth who juggle sporting commitments.

Venturers – programme is on the Scouts website and Facebook. Around 16 with 9 or 10 turning up each week. Focusing on embedding structures and processes eg their own executive.

The Committee discussed it is good to see parents and siblings keen to join in more activities – the sign of positive morale. Oliver noted on behalf of John, that closer links with Rovers, as well as across the groups will continue to be sought.

ANZAC day this year will use the school not the church. A sleepover is planned at the hall on the night of the 24th so children can be taken to the dawn service the next morning. The Committee resolved to provide a cooked breakfast for those attending the dawn service – Terry has already lined up two parents who can help with cooking the breakfast.

General business

Fund-raising
A technical glitch on the grant organisation’s website meant the application for QM equipment could not be submitted in the last funding round. This will be submitted next month.

Chris Ewers has agreed to take over the stadium fundraising co-ordination. 

Oliver noted an opportunity to provide volunteers for a bike race in Porirua. The Committee cautioned against committing to events that may not raise enough for the effort required. Oliver will check details and circulate only if there is a significant opportunity.

Dawn/Thomas have been talking to the stadium about rubbish collecting. This would be to raise funds for their World Jamboree trip. They would need to organise volunteers so the Committee did not see a conflict with existing fund raising.

The Harbourside Market car-parking fundraiser is all in train. Huge thanks to Christine Newdick for an amazing organisational effort.

Kitchen
Completed on time and within budget. Rotten roofing iron discovered when fitting the flu needed replacing but costs to come out of general maintenance.

Rex will complete a plan for next stage development including a timeline for fixing snagging items in the den. These can now be fixed due to a generous anonymous donation ($500). Heating is a priority (need brackets) and Rex is looking at some options for better sound baffling in the hall. Longer term ideas (eg deck, office, bathroom) will go onto the plan as well. 

Quarter-master report
Work on checking tents is ongoing. We don’t have a kitchen tent for Brookfields, but may be able to borrow one off another Group. 
 
Hall hire and lease
As emailed, the hall has been rented to a dance group two days a week – will raise $34 per week. Adhoc enquiries have also been received.

Terry noted the hall could be hired out for birthday parties. A bond/deposit in advance would help us manage risks. A key would need to be given, not the key code. This will be advertised in the Gusto newsletter initially.

Meeting closed: 8.50 pm

Next meeting
==============
Wednesday 18 March 

Record of actions discussed and closed at or since last meeting (see comments), and still open or new as at 18/02/2015. 
Grey = closed at meeting. Red = overdue actions 

Number	Date	Action	Who	By when	Status	Comment	
14/166	18/02/2015	Present updated building priorities list (short and longer term)	Rex	31/03/2015	Open		
14/166	18/02/2015	Update goals and objectives chart with changes discussed to date then raise again at next committee meeting	Oliver	31/03/2015	Open		
14/165	18/02/2015	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	18/02/2015	Follow-up on results of first exit surveys and establish a system to alert Sylvie of 'new exits'	Erina	31/03/2015	Open		
14/163	05/11/2014	Circulate final kitchen plans to Committee	Rex	21/11/2014	Closed		
14/162	05/11/2014	Send a status report every Sunday night during the build period so leaders know what to expect before they turn up for their section meeting	Oliver/John 	15/12/2014	Closed		
14/161	05/11/2014	Those working on the kitchen, to ensure no equipment or materials is left in the hall	Rex/Oliver/John 	15/12/2014	Closed		
14/160	05/11/2014	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	15/10/2014	Discuss the costs to fix items on the snagging list, particularly those that raise safety concerns	Oliver/Jenny	31/03/15	Open	Donation received to complete snagging list. Plan will be available at next meeting. New completion date.	
14/154	15/10/2014	Raise issue of being a GST entity with National 	John/Denise/Oliver	21/11/2014	Closed	Raised. Wider issuer and out of scope for our Group to resolve.	
14/152	15/10/2014	Put seeking leader feedback on what the QM store should contain into the next leaders meeting agenda	John	21/11/2014	Open		
14/149	15/10/2014	Complete first round of exit surveys then establish process to run them ongoing as youth leave	Erina/Sylvie	21/11/2014	Closed	See new Action 14/164	
14/147	10/09/2014	Circulate a written update on signage pricing options and the proposed designs	Gavin	30/ 4/2015	Open	Terry will take over actioning this. New completion date of end April.	
14/140	31/03/2015	Work with Gavin and Michael to complete the QM store, incorporating best practice ideas from other scout QM stores	Rex	30/09/2014	Closed	Ongoing	
14/134	02/07/2014	Discuss with Jenny expanding financial reporting to cover non cash assets and liabilities	Oliver	06/08/2014	Closed		
14/133	02/07/2014	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 	
14/131	02/07/2014	Investigate funding for signage	Jenny	03/09/2014	Closed	Will establish if this is needed once Terry has re-scoped.	
14/121	11/06/2014	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 18 February 2015
Number	Resolution	Moved	Seconded	Voting	
14/115	THAT, the Committee contribute up to $200 toward a cooked breakfast for the ANZAC day post-dawn service event	Terry	Jo	CARRIED U	
14/114	THAT, the Treasurer's report be accepted	Oliver	Rex	CARRIED U	
14/113	THAT, we adopt asset depreciation based on the following assumptions: 60 years building; 5 years appliances; 15 years kitchen; 5 years activity equipment	Oliver	Rex	CARRIED U	
14/112	THAT, we close the kitchen and kitchen appliance projects in the financial accounts and transfer balance to our general assets	Oliver	David	CARRIED U	
14/111	THAT, we apply for a grant for the renewal of the fire extinguishers	Denise	Jo	CARRIED U	
14/110	THAT, the Quartermaster purchase 6 fire extinguishers (hall, den, kitchen QM store and 2 camping) to be paid out of the hall maintenance fund in the absence of any grant.	Denise	Rex	CARRIED U	
14/109	THAT, the minutes of the previous meeting be approved.	Gillian	Denise	CARRIED U