Hike Essex Committee Meeting

Thursday 30th November 2017

1. Review of Nov 2017 AGM minutes - these were accepted without amendment

2. Facebook - the spam filters on the Facebook Group prevents walks/events being as effectively promoted as they were in the past. By creating a Page rather than a Group, it will be easier for

Facebook users to keep track of upcoming events. Action: future events to be posted on the newly created Page and no longer on the Group. Contact details for walk leaders etc will not be posted on the Page but link to the Ramblers description will be given.

Discussion on the need for an additional private group- Not all events will be going on the Page and there may be need for people to share info or want to post photos etc less publicly. This group would need to be restricted to Hike Essex Ramblers material - would this create too much admin?

Should the group be secret? Action: Agreed to close existing group in early Jan, initially so people can only see it not post then close it. Notify members (so they can take pics off) - Jason to do scheduled posts, announcing the closure, in December. If current group can be made secret, cull non members then keep using otherwise close and create new secret group for Ramblers members. Still need to agree who will monitor/approve membership

3. Meetup - agreed to reduce number of walks posted. Default not to post walks there. Gary to ask walk leaders if they want their routes to go up

• Lisa pointed out need to highlight cost of joining Ramblers: Gary to amend the standard text on the walks description to include mention of £36 annual cost

4. Newsletter - Stuart to draft text to introduce new committee to members after Jason has received correct contact details from everyone (and updated contacts on the website).

5. Bank account - delay to changing signatories until payments sent ( Christmas, weekends) as will be a complete replacement of users. Forms for change of signatory application completed and

witnessed.

6. Finances - main account funds need to be kept ideally below £500. Agreed to refund Lynda

Reid £15 for cancelled social event

7. Weekends - Stuart to do another push for Easter

8. Online payments - Jason looked at options, Shopify was the best (GBP8.95 per month plus 2% plus 20p - 3% average, number of trial offers). Discussion raised a number of problems (unable to control elements of the weekends away e,g, male/female bookings ratio, service charge would be resented when included for non-weekend activities. Decision to defer setting this up for now

9. 20s & 30s group – agreed a new flexigroup, Trek Essex, will be set up by Becky who will then devise an initial walks program. Remove age profile from Hike Essex at some point.

10. AOB - Lisa and Jason introduced idea of a merchandising store for Hike Essex branded tshirts etc – some discussion as to whether profit making was ok; Stewart to check with Area Treasurer.

Next meeting to be agreed on Facebook, ideally end Jan