| Minutes of the 7th Meeting of the 105th Executive Committee of The Socialist Party of Great Britain held at 52 Clapham High Street, London, on the 5th of July 2008 | |
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(These minutes are not official until ratified by the EC.) Present: Buick, Carter, Deutz, Johnson, Miller, Thomas, Wigley. Apologies for absence: McEwan, Roberts and White. Comrade Miller had agreed to chair the meeting but because of a bad cold thought his voice would not hold out. Comrade Buick chaired the meeting. 1 Minutes of the previous meeting were agreed. 2 Matters Arising (i)Departments and Committees Terms of Reference (a) Head Office Organiser: In part 5 of Core Duties, delete “of Central Branch”. Agreed. Further discussion of the post was deferred. (b) Internet Department (No Terms of Reference): Consideration deferred until August. (c )Media Department: In clause 4 delete the words, “by means of advertisements on the radio.” Accepted as amended (d) Membership Department: Change the title to “Membership Applications Department”. Change clause 4 to read “To examine applicants applying centrally and to make recommendations to the EC.” Agreed (e) Premises Department Agreed to change to include clauses 1,5,6 and 7. and to add, Motion 1 (Thomas and Wigley) “That the issue and the return of any H.O. keys be dated and signed for”. Carried 7-0 (f ) Print Department: Deleted (g )Propaganda Committee: Now Campaigns. (h) Publications Department: Unchanged. (i )Publicity Committee: Deleted as the work is now covered by other committees. (j) Research Department: Deleted, the work is covered by the Archives and Library Committees. (k) Socialist Standard Production Committee: Agreed amendments, in clause 2 change ‘camera-ready’ to ‘print. In clause 3, line 1 to read ‘To be responsible for the distribution of the Socialist Standard each month to’. (l) Standing Orders Committee: Change the reference to ‘Rule 23’ in clause 3 to ‘Rule 21’ (m) Technology Dept/Officer: Deleted (n) Video Department Motion 2 (Wigley/Thomas) “That the Video Department be deleted, its remit being subsumed under the Audio Visual Department, and its members transferred to the Audio Visual Department”. Carried 7-0 Motion 3 (Wigley/Deutz) “To produce Audio Visual material on subjects decided by Conference or approved by the EC.” Carried 7-0 (ii) Fire Risk Assessment provided by Comrade Browne Comrade Thomas reports that the Insurers require an independent established company, that changes may be needed in the building, e.g. outward opening doors and a fire alarm. Motion 4 (Wigley/Thomas) “That Comrade Browne be thanked for his report and that a copy be sent to the Premises Committee for information, pending the report of the external risk assessment”. Carried 7-0 (iii) E-mail from Comrade Darren O’Neil re our Web Sites. Comrade Miller said that he has not actually resigned from the Internet Committee so will now still operate in a reduced role. Comrade Thomas will explore the possibility of having a Party Credit Card or Pre-paid Credit Card to pay for website.. (iv) Reply for Maureen Turyasingura. Motion 5 (Deutz/Wigley) “That we still need clarification about the photos of the same meeting with banners identifying different political groups.” Carried 7-0 3 Forms A and F No forms A. Form F for Val McEntee (Central branch, Ireland), deceased. 4 Accounts (i ) Accounts received for the first three months of 2008. Comrade Thomas was concerned to know if the EC found the new presentation of the accounts understandable. Motion 6 (Deutz/Wigley) “That the report be adopted.” Carried 5-0 2 abstentions (ii) SWRB reported unable to open account with cheque for £50 made out to branch, which has been cancelled. Agreed to send a £50 replacement cheque to S. Roberts. (iii)There has been a muddle over the sending of invoices for Video Screening. Past cheques have had to be cancelled and new ones issued. (iv) New Standing Orders forms for payment of dues direct to Head Office have been drafted, to be sent out in the near future The meeting adjourned at 2.35pm until 3pm. 5 Reports of Party Officers, Committees and Departments (i) Campaigns Department Report re. Global Warming Motion 7 (Johnson/Thomas) “That the Global Warming circular sent to the July EC be circulated to branches and put onto SPOPEN.” Carried 4-3. (ii) Campaigns Department July Update (a) Meeting to launch The Ecology Pamphlet: An Inconvenient Question had to be postponed till September. Concern was expressed at the long delay in the publishing of this pamphlet which had been in draft form in February 2007 Motion 8 (Wigley/Thomas) “That, in view of concern expressed at Conference , 2008, the pamphlet ‘An Inconvenient Question’ be published without further amendment and without delay.” Carried 7-0. (b) The Open Day: Following on from the Open Day which was an overall success, though another person present to help with preparation would have helped, a programme of films has been suggested. Motion 9 (Wigley/Thomas) “That the Campaigns Department be asked to produce a provisional programme of films to be presented to the August EC.” Carried 7-0. (c) Tolpuddle Event: A van had been hired for three days at a cost of £130. (d) Durham Miners Gala: Comrades in the North East are in need of a replacement Table and Gazebo for events. Motion 10 (Deutz/Wigley) “Agreed that the Campaigns Department be asked to buy a table and gazebo.” Carried 6-0 1 abstention. (iii) Head Office Organiser Verbal Report (a) A sum of £20 that HOO and the Treasurer had hidden had now gone missing , it was concluded that petty cash should be kept under lock and key and that we need a lockable cabinet. (b) Rubbish Collection An offer of £400 per year for collection had been made by a private contractor, for same day collection, to be paid quarterly At present we pay the local council £500 Motion 11 (Thomas/Wigley) “That the HOO provide more details in writing regarding the proposals that Head Office rubbish be removed by private contractor rather than the Local Authority.” Carried 7-0 (c) The Photocopier: Our Toshiba copier is now on the black list, in that fewer spare parts are available. HOO gave various figures for replacement of the copier. Motion 12 (Wigley/Deutz) “That the Treasurer and the HOO investigate replacing the photocopier at some future date.” Carried 7-0 (iii) Internet Department Report Agreed that the Departments report be noted and reproduced with the Minutes. (iv) E-mail from Comrade Matt Culbert, spgb site webmaster enquiring about the digitisation of the Socialist Standard by the LSE. Comrade Miller reports that he enquired of the London School of Economics two months ago, he will remind them again. (v) Standing Orders: The Department issue a reminder “that the dates of the ADM are to be October 18th and 19th of October 2008. The date for the return of branch Items for Discussion is Friday 5th of September and the date for the return of Reports for ADM is the same 5/9/08. The EC felt that it would be helpful if Reports could be in by the August EC Meeting (departments and Committees please note).. 6. Correspondence (I )Letter from South West Regional Branch 21/6/08 with copy of letter of 9/3/08. The branch makes the point that the communication from Comrade Clanchy dealt with at the June EC was not, as it seemed in the minutes from her individually but from the branch. (The Gen. Sec. apologises for this misunderstanding)
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