Golf Course Allotments Association
Minutes of the meeting held at 10.30 am on Sunday 14th June 2009
Attendance:
Alwyn (Chair), John B, Jeff, Linda, Mick, June (Assistant Trading Shed Manager),
Tania, John N, Helen, Brian, Debby (Treasurer), Karen (Show Secretary).
Apologies:
Tim, Sean, Tullio
1 Introduction
As this was the first meeting with a new Chair and Committee, the Chairman
invited
those present to introduce themselves. Helen agreed to take minutes for the
current
meeting. It was agreed to take item 5: New Business (Beekeeping) first, to
avoid
delaying the guest speaker.
2 Draft Minutes of 2009 AGM
The draft minutes were submitted for approval and unanimously approved. Linda
and
John N expressed concern that they had not received copies of the minutes until
immediately before the meeting. It was agreed that, in future, committee members
would receive the minutes by e-mail or as paper copies delivered by hand or
by post.
Other members can either receive copies by post or pick up a copy at the community
hut. On this occasion, the minutes were completed too late for the latter options
to be
possible. Every effort should be made to complete minutes in good time.
3 Officers’ reports
3.1 Site Secretary
Absent. Will report to the next meeting.
3.2 Treasurer
The balance at the end of May was £563.30. Since then: a further £100
has been paid in for calendars and the maintenance cheque for
just over £1,300 has been received from Haringey Council. Honoraria
(of £350 each) have been paid to the Site Secretary
and Trading
Shed Manager.
The current balance is circa £1,200.
Members emphasised the need to avoid large expenditure until after reserves
were
replenished by the Annual Show takings. The report was approved.
3.3 Chair
No report
3.4 Trading Shed
No report
3.5 Show Secretary
Linda and Karen had worked together on the Show Schedule and had made some
changes. The Sentinel Trophy, formerly awarded for a flower display, would
now be
awarded to the winner of the most points in the fruit classes. This change
reflected the
fact that flower entries had declined but there was no award for the increasing
number
of fruit entries. It had also been decided to reduce the number of runner beans
required for each entry from 10 to 6 in the open class and from 6 to three
in the novice
class because of the difficulties of finding consistently sized beans. Money
prizes had
been retained for this year, although many entrants failed to collect them.
Members
approved the changes.
Karen said that the revised schedule would be e-mailed to as many members as
possible. She would ask Tullio to print out additional copies, to be collected
from the
Community Hut by those without e-mail.
At the last committee meeting, Karen agreed to invite a local councillor to
open the
Show. As she had not yet done this - and as a member of the BBC TV team who
are
researching a cookery programme was about to visit the site again - she wondered
whether the programme presenter, Nigel Slater, could be invited to open the
show
instead. Although reservations were expressed because of the difficulties which
filming would bring to show day, it was agreed that Karen should sound out
the BBC
researcher about the possibility of Nigel Slater accepting an invitation without
cameras.
The Show date is September 6th. Show planning meeting is on July 12th-but this
is to be revised
3.6 Ex-Chair
Karen reported on a number of items she had been dealing with as chair:
She had received a letter saying that the grant application to B&Q (which
would
have allowed the Association to buy more equipment) was unsuccessful.
Karen had produced the latest Newsletter using improved software and it had
been
sent out by e-mail. A copy was pinned up in the trading shed but it would be
too
expensive to print and/or post paper copies to the whole membership.
4 Other ongoing business
4.1 Work to be completed near Trading Shed
Karen reported that following the erection of the new trading shed, the surrounding
area would need to be made safe before the Show. This would involve:
• the construction of a covered drain at the side of the Shed
• levelling the area between the teahouse and the Shed with gravel, and
• erecting a safety barrier between the different levels of concrete in
the area.
Members agreed to ask Tullio to submit a detailed costing to the Committee
so that
the work could be completed - with help from other members - before the Show.
A final coloured coat of preservative was needed on the Trading Shed so that
it would
match the Community Hut. Although there remained sufficient uncoloured paint
for a
final coat, it would be expensive to buy more coloured paint to obtain the
desired
finish. Tania said she had access to industrial powder stains which could be
added to
the uncoloured preservative to achieve a match. Members agreed that she should
investigate this.
Also desirable but costly was the installation of a sink in the trading shed
which
would greatly assist the smooth running of Show Day. Tania said she had access
to
second hand sinks, taps and cabinets in the course of her work. The Committee
agreed:
• to ask Tania to pursue this, and
• to ask Tullio to cost the pipe work necessary for installation.
In addition to the above, guttering and down pipes were needed on both
theCommunity Hut and the Trading Shed.
4.2 Preparations for the Annual Show
Karen reported that the RHS were holding a Dig Together Day which coincided
with
the Show. They had offered all affiliated gardening societies free publicity
for events
which raise public awareness of what gardening societies do (provided they
register
their event during June). Members questioned whether this would be compatible
with
the publicity already given by the NGS and whether the Association would be
expected to arrange any specific Dig Together events on the day. After assurances
that
this was not the case the Committee agreed that the offer should be accepted.
As participants in the NGS open gardens scheme, the Association had received
some
tickets for free entry to other participating gardens. Karen will make these
available to
plot holders on a first come basis.
Tania offered to donate tickets for next year’s Chelsea Flower Show as
a raffle prize
and this was accepted with thanks. Since NGS run their own raffle on the day
of the
show, the Association’s raffle is offered via the Trading Shed during
the preceding
four weeks.
Members accepted Karen’s proposal that she would askthe Council to lend
a Portaloo,
gratis, for Show Day. Failing this she would find out the cost of hiring one.
5 New business
5.1 Bee-keeping
The chairman introduced Fiona Morrison, a member of the North London Association
of Beekeepers who had addressed the AGM briefly about the benefits of siting
a hive
on the allotment i.e. improved pollination, improved chance of sustaining the
bee
population which is under threat from the varroa mite, and the opportunity
of using
the hive for educational purposes.
If permission were granted she would:
• erect only one hive, at the edge of the allotment, with the agreement
of
the nearest plot holders
• fence off an area of approximately 10 sq feet - sufficient for the hive
and
for safe access by the beekeeper.
• erect a 2m fence to deter bees from flying out directly into the path
of
people nearby.
• attend the hive regularly, i.e. weekly during the settling-in period
and at
least once monthly thereafter
• visit the hive only in the middle of the day when the fewest number
of
bees were in the hive and avoiding weekends when the site is busy
• donate honey from the hive for sale by the Association; wax might also
be