OxVeg Committee Meeting 13 November 2008

Place: Jury Room, Oxford Town Hall

Agenda:

1. Update from last meeting:
2. Stall sale items
3. Proposal: (Paul Appleby) Membership subs be set as follows:

Single - £4 (£10 for 3 years)

Joint (2+ persons sharing same postal/email address) - £6 (£15 for 3 years)

Membership to run for 12 or 36 months until the last day of the month of expiry (e.g. a one year subscription paid on 10th January 2009 would be valid until 31st January 2010)

4. Proposal: (Paul Appleby) New memberships be restricted to dietary vegetarians and vegans, and discussion as to whether to allow existing non-veg*n members to renew membership.
5. Proposal: (Heather Shepherd) Committee Meetings

To be open to all members, with attendance confirmed beforehand (to ensure sufficient space). Minutes to be made available to all on members only section of website.

6. One World Fair
7. Animal Aid’s Christmas without Cruelty Fayre
8. Christmas meal
9. Cowley Road Christmas Market stall
10. Christmas Meal demo at Templars Square, Cowley
11. Winter Green Fair
12. Website
13. IVU membership (to be continued?)
14. Logo
15. AOB
16. Next meeting

Attendees: Paul Appleby (PA), Eileen Burton (EB), Heather Shepherd (HS), Rachel Foster (RF) (late arrival), Paul Freestone (PF), David Huish (DH) (late arrival).

Apologies: Sue Tibbles (ST), Pam Hopcraft (PH)

1.     Update from last meeting:

·         HS reported she has updated OxVeg contact details on internet, national societies and stationary. She has also been working on new website.

·         PA reported WVD display at library went well, with leaflets restocked during week, and all leaflets taken. Two new members received from this. He has also been transferring items across to new committee members (documents, member database, etc.)

·         EB reported she has received membership database, and added several new members on(6?). Membership renewals to be sent asap.

·         ST sent report via email. Balance £512.92. CAF require min £1k opening balance, so has suggested we wait income from fairs over next two months. It was noted that Alliance and Leicester should be informed of our new trading name, OxVeg. ST/DH to arrange asap.

·         PF had nothing to report, but noted that Oxford Uni Animal Labs opened on Tuesday with lots of national and local media coverage.

·         No report from PH or RF

2.     Stall sale items

In absence of PH, PA informed the meeting –

• Wallcharts sell very well.
• A new order of books have arrived from Linda Maznik series (“A Taste of..â€). One of each is kept, along with 2 Animal Free Shoppers. These are bought through John Carpenter Publishing at�  35% discount. HS suggested buying through Vegan Society to support them, but Local Contact only receives 1/3 discount.
• HS requested we stock Veg1, the vegan multi vitamin from Vegan Society. HS to investigate shelf-life.
• EB suggested food should be sold. PH has in past made SOSmix rolls. Suggestion to also make chocolate samples in ice-cube trays. DH suggested buying dried snacks from his food co-op to sell on stall, and will implement with PH.

3.     Proposal: (Paul Appleby) Membership subs be set as follows:

Single - £4 (£10 for 3 years), Joint (2+ persons sharing same postal/email address) - £6 (£15 for 3 years). Membership to run for 12 or 36 months until the last day of the month of expiry (e.g. a one year subscription paid on 10th January 2009 would be valid until 31st January 2010)

·         It was agreed to remove the distinction between waged and unwaged to simplify subscription structure. However, single membership to remain at £5pa, £12 for 3 years. EB to amend membership application forms. HS to amend website.

4.     Proposal: (Paul Appleby) New memberships be restricted to dietary vegetarians and vegans, and discussion as to whether to allow existing non-veg*n members to renew membership.

·         After much discussion, it was agreed to continue to allow non dietary veg*ns to join to society, but as support members, and to have no voting rights at AGMs.

5. � ï¿½  Proposal: (Heather Shepherd) Committee Meetings to be open to all members, with attendance confirmed beforehand (to ensure sufficient space). Minutes to be made available to all on members only section of website.

·         Proposal carried with restriction that non-committee members shall not have vote in meetings (except AGMs). To be reviewed in 1 year.

6.     One World Fair

·         Thanks to PA for stepping in to organise this as PH is unable to after operation.

·         DH, EB and PF will also assist. RF and HS unable to attend due to prior commitments.

7.     Animal Aid’s Christmas without Cruelty Fayre

• Members to be invited to meet at Thornhill Park and Ride at 9am on 30^th Nov. Nb roadworks means Notting Hill stop not serviced, so will alight at Shepherd’s Bush, meaning approx 25min walk.
• HS suggested booking tickets in advance. However, looking at website, no advantage in price and this would require taking deposits.

8.     Christmas meal

• HS liaising with Natasha Williams to organise. Will be held at Jam Factory on Friday, 19^th December, 6.30pm. Invitations to be sent out in next OV News (Sunday). HS to send details to PA for mailing.

9.     Cowley Road Christmas Market stall

• Very short notice to arrange. RF unable to organise due to Candlit Vigil. HS to investigate doing free food stall, possibly with Oxford Active Vegans.

10. Christmas Meal demo at Templars Square, Cowley

• Too late to arrange as need to liaise with Shopping Centre. To postpone until next year.

11. Winter Green Fair

• PA to arrange via e-mail.

12. Website

• New website at www.oxveg.veggroup.org will become main site for OxVeg. HS to complete transfer over from old site, and redirect to new site.
• Address of www.oxveg.co.uk to be registered, along with email addresses for each post, to then be forwarded to individuals addresses. HS to arrange.

13. IVU membership (to be continued?)

• Whilst we will no longer require webspace from IVU (in longterm), it was agreed to continue to support the union and its causes. Membership renewal due in December (£20).

14. Logo

• New logo designed by HS will be adopted. To be put on all literature.

15. AOB

• Oxford Women’s International Festival (28/2-15/3) – this is too far in advance for us to include anything in the programme.
• Veg*n Climate March 6^th Dec, London – HS to find out details to include in OV News mailing.
• HS will draft a constitution for the society for discussion at future meeting.
• HS advised that member Mary Puffett suggested OxVeg T-shirts. It was deemed these would be too expensive, but RF will investigate badges, to be given out to members.
• Grassroots Grant of £250-£5,000 available to apply for. Suggestions included Café day, burger van (like Veggies), paying for speakers (PF suggested book launches are good, e.g. Grubstreet publishers. EB said meat & climate change link could be exploited). PF suggested applying to Kneebone Trust.
• EB suggested relaunching the Animal Charities Fair. To be discussed at future meeting.

16. Next meeting

• HS to arrange for January, and email committee members.