2014-04-03 Thu 18:45 - LFGSS CC Inaugural Meeting - Goldsmith, Southwark Bridge Road

Peter Carter put an agenda on page one, we should follow it:

Agenda, draft.

1) Introductions - so you know who is there. I suggest that people sign in. Real names please.

This is a register of attendees.

2) Reason for the meeting - the acting chair explains why you are all here and what you are going to do that evening. A record of the meeting should be being taken by an acting secretary.

This is a statement only.

3) Proposal to form the LFGSS CC - This is your first decision and every thing else follows from this. Some one will need to have drafted a formal motion to propose that the club's formed and it will need a proposer and seconder. Here is where it's explained in more detail what the clubs about, what it's going to do and not do. The club's legal status should be described.

I can do this right now:

I, David Kitchen, propose we form a cycling club called LFGSS CC. The club will be a community interest organisation, that is non-profit and acts in the interest of the community. The purpose of the club is to encourage participation in cycling and related sports amongst adults in and around Greater London.

I propose that the club legally forms as a CIC to ensure community interest, and that we register the club as a CASC to ensure a sports purpose. I further propose fully taking on all that those statuses infer, not limited to transparent use of funds, any funds used for the club activities and promotion of the sports and reinvested accordingly, and a committee structure to administer the club.

I propose that the club adopts the British Cycling model constitution at this meeting, allowing us to hold this meeting and elect the committee.

There should be a debate here so that all attendees and all prospective members know exactly what they are agreeing to. The motion should also include a proposal to elect a committee and adopt a constitution.

This is a yay or nay to the proposal... the meeting will have to be abandoned if this cannot be resolved or accepted very swiftly.

4) Electing Officers - Assuming that you agree to all of the above then you should move onto electing officers. The basics are a chair, secretary and treasurer. All will need to be proposed and seconded and elections held if they are contested. Committee members should also be elected at this stage- though they are more likely to be volunteers. I would strongly suggest that its made clear that being a committee member is a commitment with responsibilities.

This is the meat of the evening, elections.

5) Adopting the club constitution - Assuming you adopt the BC "model one" then you will need to have either circulated already for agreement or the attendees can delegate it to the committee to draft it and return it for agreement at the next meeting. Getting it agreed there and then is preferable but might not be possible.

This is the club constituion I propose: http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/zuvvi/media/articles/clubs/T23_-_Model_CASC_Constitution.pdf

This is a yay or nay.

6) Membership - very important to agree this . The club rules will define membership and fees. I assume you are not going to be covered by BC until you have the done this. You also need the income to do the next item.

I (David Kitchen) have already calculated that it's possible to fund the club from jersey sales assuming a 20% up-take of a new jersey each year for our club numbers. I propose we start the club with a £0 membership fee, and a strong recommendation to buy a club jersey. The point here is no barriers to entry, and reduced costs in handling low-fees, high-membership numbers to allow us to leverage the numbers to do more.

We would make the club far more money through adding small donations to events, jerseys, etc... and then claiming Gift Aid on those... than through a set fee. We would also achieve larger member numbers, which would drive larger sales of jerseys, etc and thus produce a higher revenue.

LFGSS CC BC affiliation already had a £0 fee mentioned, BC are happy with this. The committee can choose to introduce a membership fee if they wish.

So let's do a yay or nay on whether people agree with this proposal... if nay, then the committee can be asked to determine the membership fee in their own time and report back and present it for an open debate and vote.

7) Motions to affiliate - members need to agree to affiliate to the relevant bodies and ask the committee to do the necessary paper work.

This is a yay or nay... the committee will apply for the CIC, CASC, bank account, affiliate with Cycling Time Trials, etc in their own time. We already have BC affiliation.

8) AOB - probably not too much.

No, let's drink.

I suggest that the agenda is timed so that you can get all the necessary business done that evening. Some one will need to have kept minutes etc or the meeting didn't happen.

Also agree there and then when the next meeting is and the timetable for formally adopting the club constituition.

That's it. We'll start at 18:45 promptly and will race through it as fast as can be.