March 2019 EC minutes

[Anonymous]

MINUTES OF THE 3RD MEETING OF THE 116TH EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE THE SOCIALIST PARTY OF GREAT BRITAIN AT HEAD OFFICE ON SATURDAY 2ND MARCH 2019

[Note: These are edited draft minutes only and are not official until adopted by the EC]

Present: C.Alvarenga, D.Chesham, C.Dee, M.Foster, T.Hart, S.Kennedy, P.Shannon (Via Skype), L.Stevens (via speakerphone), M.Tenner

Apologies: N.Kirk

Meeting opened at 1:20PM

1. Election of Chair: C.Dee
Chesham/Tenner – Agreed

2. Minutes of the previous meeting, business arising therefrom and the General Secretary’s raising of Notices of Motion and Business from previous meetings

(a) Amendment and adoption of the minutes of the February 2019 meeting

January minutes detailing change in bank signatories to be added to February minutes. The £210 reported to have been received from next door for the services of an emergency locksmith needed to access HO following a minimal movement in the shopfront arising from the building works at No. 50 had not been received, to be chased up by Chesham. In reference to Hart’s report resolution, addition to financial expenditure. Add from Tribune for clarity to resolution 7aiii.

(b) Matters arising from the August 2018 meeting minutes

i. Re §2(d)i (“That Cde Hart be thanked for his extremely comprehensive report and he be asked to liaise with the Internet Committee, Treasurer and Head Office Organiser in order to implement the recommendations.”), e-mail from Cde Robert Cox (23 February)

There are technical issues which are impacting on moving the databases to the new computer systems, currently being installed at Head Office, which may restrict the benefits of the upgrade. The main issue is that the structure of the databases (which are linked) appears to make it difficult to remove out of date information, without manually deleting the content of each record line by line. This is due to the customised features which were installed by the database designer, which are also causing problems for the computer upgrade, which the contractors are attempting to overcome.
As a solution, Cde Hart and myself recommend to the EC that:

A. The members, subscribers and enquirers databases be replaced entirely, by three new databases which are not linked in any way.

B. The EC identify suitable resources (people) either internal or external to the Party who have the capacity and expertise to create the new database structures, with the necessary business functionality reproduced (as required by the users), and to copy over the records which will be retained, in accordance with the retention policy.

C. The members and subscribers are recorded in relational databases similar to the present set-up, which would provide for required functionality, security and protection of critical data.

D. As far as is practical, the enquirers database be built in a much simpler (but secure) flat-file format (e.g. an Excel spreadsheet), containing as little data as possible (as the data retention policy will require this information to be retained only for a limited period after last contact).

Foster/Dee – RESOLUTION: “The EC thanks Cde Cox for his report and asks that Cde’s Cox and Hart implement the recommendations they have made, in consultation with other relevant committees.” (Agreed)

(c) Matters arising from the February 2019 meeting minutes

i. Re §2.e (“That we look into costings for the WSM website from Dodgems and Floss from the Internet Committee”), no response from the Internet Committee Deferred

ii. Re §6.b.i (“That [an introductory party pamphlet based on the Class War introductory pamphlet] be referred to the Publications Committee to see what they think.”), no response from the Publications Committee
Deferred

iii. Re §6.b.ii (“That [KSRB’s recommendation that the whiteboard video be moved from its present position on the SPGB home page to the top of the page] be referred to the Internet Committee.”), no response from the Internet Committee Deferred

iv. Re §6.b.iii (“That [SWRB’s enquiry about the progress regarding the ADM resolution on audio streaming of Conference and ADM and an update on the Conference resolution on the Party’s membership profile] be referred to the Internet Committee.”), no response from the Internet Committee Deferred

v. Re §6.b.iv (“That the EC approves [SWRB’s fielding of a Party candidate in one of the Cardiff constituencies should a General Election be called in 2019] and refers it to the Elections Committee), no response from the Elections Committee Deferred

vi. Re §7.a.ii (Cde Foster to investigate further alterations to the Committees’ structure and reasons therefor), e-mail and report from Cde Foster (19 February):
Please can I add an item to the March EC agenda about a proposed alternative committee structure, as agreed at the February meeting. I’m sending it early and to everyone so that there’s more time to read it
beforehand. I’ve attached the report [see p. 13], and below are the main features of the proposed alternative:
• Re-emphasising grouping committees together as departments, with roles rather than committees within departments
• Having an EC member allocated to each department to liaise with the EC, including coordinating reports for conference and ADM

Kennedy/Shannon – RESOLUTION/ADDENDA: “That the EC clearly redefines the terms of reference of each committee and appoints an EC member to each committee to encourage and assist each in progressing their mission. And that the EC investigates a reformatting of EC agendas so as to encourage committees to take on more matters pertaining to their own remit, so that the EC can focus on more pressing issues.”
(6-1-2 Carried)

Break at 2:58pm – Resumed at 3:20pm

(d) Notices of Motion
None

(e) Notices of Business

i. Future Ballots (Chesham)
I propose that henceforth each member should receive one machine* numbered voting paper only, not a hand numbered by biro validation paper accompanying an unnumbered voting paper as is the current dubious practice and one envelope which would actually be more secure than the present arrangement as well as saving members’ time, paper and envelopes. The voting paper could allow a space for the member’s branch to be included if considered absolutely necessary for the purpose of analysing branch returns but without identifying the member voting.

Tenner/Hart – RESOLUTION: “That the report be accepted and that the ballot committee be informed and that they look into obtaining a hand-held sequential numbering machine and that space be left for branch names.” (Agreed)

(f) Matters outstanding from previous minutes

3. Forms A and F

(a) Form A for CW, with covering letter from Cde Bennett of the Membership Applications Committee (24 February)
Accepted

4. Treasurer – report of 23 February:

(a) Head Office Insurance.
As agreed by the EC, I paid the renewal premium of £1,382 by cheque on the due date, and having accepted renewal received the full insurance schedule and policy details, there are some matters of concern, I wish verbally to bring to the attention of the EC.
Comrade Tenner to deal with.

(b) 2018 Form C’s.
To chase up on discrepancies.

(c) Computer Upgrade.
Contractors requiring access on Wednesday 13th March as the internet turnover will switch off connection for roughly one day. HP Pavillion upgraded to windows 10 pro. Zorilla upgraded with more RAM.

5. Reports of Party Officers, Party Appointees, Subcommittees, and Departments; discussion of advertising, campaigns, and The Socialist Standard

(a) Report of the Publications Committee (3 September, via Cde Robin Cox): [. . . ] On another matter, what is the situation regarding the rejected pamphlet on Gender? I believe there were proposals about revising the text to make it acceptable for publication.
Deferred

(b) Reports to Conference N.B.: Reports from Committees and Appointees must be approved (possibly after amendment) by the EC. Officers report directly to Conference; their reports are included here only for the EC’s information.
i. Report of the Standing Orders Committee (Preliminary Agenda for Conference 2019) (8 February)
ii. Report of the Membership Applications Committee to Conference 2019
iii. Report of the Election Committee to Conference 2019 (21 February)
iv. Draft Report of the Socialist Standard Production Committee to Conference 2019 (21 February):
v. Report of the Standing Orders Committee to Conference 2019 (22 February)
vi. Report of the Blog Committee to Conference 2019 (22 February)
vii. Report of the Internet Committee to Conference 2019 (23 February)
viii. Report of the Campaigns Committee to Conference 2019 (24 February)
ix. Report of the Ballot Committee to Conference 2019 (25 February)
x. Report of the Treasurer and Assistant Treasurer to Conference 2019 (25 February)
xi. Report of the Central Organiser to Conference 2019 (25 February):
xii. Report of the Auditors
xiii. Report of the Trustees

No report received from:
• Advertising Committee • Archives Committee • Audio-visual Committee (vacant) • Central Branch Secretary • Education Committee • Enquiries Committee • General Secretary • Head Office Organiser • Investment Committee • Library Committee • Media Committee • Premises Committee • Trustees • University and College Committee

Tenner/Dee – RESOLUTION: “That all subcommittee reports to Conference be accepted.” (Agreed)

6. Correspondence

(a) Matters of urgency
i. Water Bill.
Comrade Cox reports that the water bill and consumption are up by 40%. This may be due to subsidence caused by the construction works next door. Inquiries to be made.

(b) Correspondence from or concerning Branches, the Party in general, and members
None

(c) Correspondence from Companion Parties and Groups
i. Socialist Party of Canada Secretary’s Report, 1 February 2019: https://www. worldsocialism.org/spgb/forum/topic/spc-feb-2019-report/
Noted

(d) All other correspondence
None

7. Any other business

(a) Report of Cde Thomas on The Tribune and legal advice; Cde Dee to investigate if the byline is gone entirely
Comrade Dee reports that while the byline has gone from the Tribune, a number of other publications advertising the Tribune bear the same byline.

Shannon/Dee – RESOLUTION: “That the General Secretary send a correspondence to the publications in light of the factual incorrectness of the advertising.” (Agreed)

(b) Comrade Kirk, absence from EC meetings.

Tenner/Hart – RESOLUTION: “That Comrade Kirk be lapsed from the EC with regret and that a call out be made to fill the vacancy with a deadline of Friday the 3rd of May.” (Agreed)

8. Nomination of Chair for the next meeting
None

9.Electoral Commission returns
Up to date

Meeting adjourned – 5.40PM

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