AGM report AND APPROVED MINUTES

Dear JGA member,

The 2009 Jesus Green Association AGM took place at the Wesley Methodist Church on Thursday, December 3. In advance of formal minutes being posted on the website, here is a short summary of the key events and discussions at the meeting.

Possibly the most important item is that members agreed to levy an annual subscription of £2.

This is for several reasons. Firstly, financial. We have relied on a grant from the city council to cover the expenses incurred by the association and its committee. To obtain this money means jumping through many bureaucratic hoops and then we are not guaranteed the money. This should put the association on a better financial footing and allow us to possibly expand the scope of the association's activities.

Then there is the issue of members' engagement with the association. By imposing a token membership fee, it will increase people's sense of ownership towards the association. Instead of merely being a name on a mailing list, members will actively affirm their commitment to the association each year. This will also help us sort out who are active members and who no longer wish to be a part of the association, which will be useful to ensure we are quorate at future meetings.

As the JGA strengthens its position as a lobbying group (attending meetings, having a say on issues), it is important that we continue to engage with our members (so we can represent them properly) and the subs is an important part in this.

Can all those who wish to be a JGA member in 2010, please send their up-to-date contact details and £2 in cash to our treasurer, Richard Price, at 23 Portugal Street, Cambridge, CB5 8AW. Can people please drop this money round to Richard as soon as possible. I'll be sending out another reminder in January and doing a ring-round, so please help us to make the collection process as painless as possible.

Another item of note was announced by chairman Peter Constable. After some investigation, he had discovered the Rouse Pavilion (the toilets) were named after a Trinity College academic called Rouse Ball, who was also a long-serving councillor who provided the money for the building on the pavilion. Peter approached Trinity College about getting their support for refurbishing the pavilion and they have generously offered to provide some money towards it. This could be very useful in returning the pavilion to its former glory (it contains changing rooms, but much work needs doing).

We also agreed a strategic document detailing the association's priorities - and the basis on which the association would support any future lottery bid (see website).

There was also discussions over the green's rather abject playground - there is a report on this issue set to be discussed by the city council at a meeting in mid-January.

Peter Constable was elected again as association chairman, Richard Price treasurer, Jack Grove secretary and Martin Thompson vice-chairman. Anthony Bowen was coopted to the committee, representing Jesus College.

About 40 people and about 35 members attended the meeting, as well as councillors Tim Bick and Margaret Wright (Julie Smith sent her apologies as she was in Germany - the committee noted its thanks to her chairing the JGA working party over the year)

MINUTES OF JESUS GREEN ASSOCIATION-ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
HELD AT WESLEY METHODIST CHURCH, CHRIST’S PIECES CAMBRIDGE
ON THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3RD 2009

THE CHAIRMAN WELCOMED ALL THOSE PRESENT INCLUDING MEMBERS AND TIM BICK, MARGARET WRIGHT AND JOY ROSENSTIEL AS LOCAL COUNCILLORS.
1. APOLOGIES WERE RECEIVED FROM COUNCILLOR JULIE SMITH WHO WAS THANKED IN HER ABSENCE BY FOR CHAIRING THE JESUS GREEN WORKING PARTY DURING THE YEAR.
2. THE MINUTE OF THE PREVIOUS AGM HELD ON DECEMBER 2ND 2008 AND THE EGM HELD ON17TH MARCH 2009 WERE APPROVED BY THE MEETING AND SIGNED BY THE CHAIRMAN.
3. THERE WERE NO MATTERS ARISING.
4. THE TREASURER’S REPORT AND INSPECTED ACCOUNTS WERE PRESENTED AND ACCEPTED. THE CHAIMAN ON BEHALF OF THE ASSCIATION THANKED VICTORIA ZEITLIN FOR INSPECTING THE ACCOUNTS AND HER APPOINTMENT FOR 2010 WAS APPROVED BY THE MEETING. THE TREASURER REPORTED ON THE CARE OF THE GARDEN ON JESUS GREEN LOCK. THREE VOLUNTEERS OFFERED TO HELP LOOK AFTER THE LOCK GARDEN.
5. THE SECRETARY’S REPORT INCLUDED A CALL FOR AN ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP SUBSCRIPTION OF £2 TO PUT THE ASSOCIATION ON A BETTER FINANCIAL FOOTING AND TO INCREASE MEMBERS SENSE OF OWNERSHIP. THIS RECEIVED THE SUPPORT OF THE MEETING AND MEMBERS WERE ASKED TO SEND THEIR SUBSCRIPRIONS AND CONTACT DETAILS TO THE TREASURER, RICHARD PRICE 23 PORTUGAL STREET CAMBRIDGE CB5 8AW.
6. THE CHAIRMAN REPORTED ON THE YEAR’S ACTIVITIES INCLUDING ACTIVITIES SURROUNDING THE HLF BID, THE EDF DEPOT PROPOSALS, THE MEETINGS OF THE JESUS GREEN WORKING GROUP AND THE ONGOING PLANS FOR THE UPGRADING OF THE CHILDREN’S PLAYGROUND, THE ROUSSE BALL PAVILION, THE SKATEBOARD PARK, TOILETS CAFÉ, JESUS DITCH (ONE MEMBER OFFERED TO HELP CLEAN OUT THE DITCH) ETC.
7. A GENERAL DISCUSSION FOLLOWED ON MANY ISSUES INCLUDING A STRATEGIC DOCUMENT DEALING WITH THE ASSOCIATION’S PRIORITES. THIS WAS UNANIMOUSLY ACCEPTED BY THE MEETING.
8. THE MEETING UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED AN ALTERATION TO CLAUSE 7 C) i) OF THE CONSTITUTION OF JESUS GREEN ASSOCIATION SO THAT THE QUORUM FOR A GENERAL MEETING SHALL BE REDUCED FROM ONE THIRD TO ONE FIFTH OF THE TOTAL MEMBERSHIP.
9. PETER CONSTABLE WAS REELECTED AS CHAIRMAN, MARTIN THOMPSON AS VICE-CHAIRMAN AND RICHARD PRICE AS TREASURER. ANTHONY BOWEN WAS CO-OPTED TO THE COMMITTEE AS THE REPRESENTATIVE OF JESUS COLLEGE.
10. THE MEETING CLOSED AT 10PM.