Topic: Committee meetings and general meetings on your site

[halfofmanic]

Hi  just for interest  because i think i have O.C.D.  we hold full meetings the first sat of each month   with a break of a month in summer    hols etc        how often...if at all do you lovely people have yours "committee " and general   

[Sparkly]

Full committee meetings first Sun of every month, except Dec. Anyone is welcome to come along to the meeting, not just committee members. General meeting is just the AGM - annually in September.

[grawrc]

Committee meetings are the first Monday of every month and last 2 hours or until we get thrown out. We sometimes have extra ones if problems arise. AGM is once a year. Until this year it has been at the end of November but we have changed it to the end of March in the hope that more folk will come along. Members can call SGMs or EGMs if the have enough support but, in my experience, this has not happened. We have a couple of social events every year which are another opportunity or a free and frank exchange of views. Normally we don't have a committee meeting the month after the AGM.

[tonybloke]

we have committee meeting every month, secretaries meetings every two months, an AGM, plus other EGM's if called

[Trevor_D]

Committee meetings once a month, but the day varies as some folk insist on going to work, or having children to take places, so we can rarely find a day/time that suits everyone.

Committee meetings are for Committee only, but the minutes are posted on the board.

AGM is beginning of February (and is the cut-off date for payment of annual fees).

[halfofmanic]

Committee meetings once a month, but the day varies as some folk insist on going to work, or having children to take places, so we can rarely find a day/time that suits everyone.

Committee meetings are for Committee only, but the minutes are posted on the board.

AGM is beginning of February (and is the cut-off date for payment of annual fees).

Hi Trevor_D   Now what you mean about work   gets in the way   couple of things i found interesting and may be of help to our site     Does the committee make all the decisions for the site  which are then as u say posted on the board ??    We have our A.G.M & Subs payments in Jan    So few people came  that we amended
the payment day  with a   March cut off

You say you cut off date is the same as your A.G.M    what happens if people don't
pay by this date


Just to help visualise your site how many plots do you have   

[Trevor_D]

Sorry, halfof - being sarcastic! As a retired wrinklie, I can make meetings during the day, but if we only had day-time meetings the average age of the Committee would be a bit doddery.... We used to use Sunday mornings, but one of our more active Committee members has a football-mad son who "has" to play every morning. It's difficult, hence the peripatetic arrangement.

Yes, the Committee makes the decisions, but we consult like mad. I spend hours on site talking to members, we have a Newsletter five times a year, a notice board, and my e-mail & mobile are posted for everyone to see. And at the AGM the Chairman reports on what has happened during the year, then asks for suggestions for projects for the forthcoming year. And we have working parties where this sort of thing is aired as well.

Most people do pay at or before the AGM. (Except last year, when it was the evening of the big snow and only 16 people turned up!) Those who haven't get phoned or e-mailed. Our current state - as of an hour ago - is that four haven't paid, but they have promised to do so in the next day or two. (Our cut-off date used to be the end of March - but we were still chasing people up!! It's a bit like an amateur opera group I used to work with. Their rehearsals started at 7.30, but loads of folk used to stroll in at 7.45; so they moved the start to 7.45 - and loads of folk strolled in at 8.00! So the silly sods changed the start to 8.00 and guess what happened?!?)

If they haven't paid and haven't cultivated as well - that's a different matter. They get a stiff letter. I had to send out four last year; none this year. Word gets round.

We've got about 90 plots of varying sizes - the biggest is 40 poles, most of the older members have 10 or 15; now I'm splitting plots as they become vacant and only letting out 5-poles at a time.

[halfofmanic]

Sorry, halfof - being sarcastic! As a retired wrinklie, I can make meetings during the day, but if we only had day-time meetings the average age of the Committee would be a bit doddery.... We used to use Sunday mornings, but one of our more active Committee members has a football-mad son who "has" to play every morning. It's difficult, hence the peripatetic arrangement.

Yes, the Committee makes the decisions, but we consult like mad. I spend hours on site talking to members, we have a Newsletter five times a year, a notice board, and my e-mail & mobile are posted for everyone to see. And at the AGM the Chairman reports on what has happened during the year, then asks for suggestions for projects for the forthcoming year. And we have working parties where this sort of thing is aired as well.

Most people do pay at or before the AGM. (Except last year, when it was the evening of the big snow and only 16 people turned up!) Those who haven't get phoned or e-mailed. Our current state - as of an hour ago - is that four haven't paid, but they have promised to do so in the next day or two. (Our cut-off date used to be the end of March - but we were still chasing people up!! It's a bit like an amateur opera group I used to work with. Their rehearsals started at 7.30, but loads of folk used to stroll in at 7.45; so they moved the start to 7.45 - and loads of folk strolled in at 8.00! So the silly sods changed the start to 8.00 and guess what happened?!?)

If they haven't paid and haven't cultivated as well - that's a different matter. They get a stiff letter. I had to send out four last year; none this year. Word gets round.

We've got about 90 plots of varying sizes - the biggest is 40 poles, most of the older members have 10 or 15; now I'm splitting plots as they become vacant and only letting out 5-poles at a time.

[font=Verdana]We've got about 90 plots of varying sizes - the biggest is 40 poles, most of the older members have 10 or 15; now I'm splitting plots as they become vacant and only letting out 5-poles at a time.[/font]

I wasn't  sure where you were being  sarcastic  because i'm dislexic  (spelt wrong  but should be spelt this way)   I misspelt  Know   it should have read  "Know what you mean"   now what you mean          since we have started having plant & veg  sales each year we have had a lot of people wanting a plot   

so we started splitting the plots up like yourselves  it has caused problems fitting 17 plots into the space of 5 ish

in the past we have acquired various grants to improve the site   one of the grants was for sheds     either a small one  per person    ore an 8'  x  6'  between two plot holders      now with so many people on  and no spare land   new people want to know  when they are getting a shed


Another little niggle is the whispering  " why do they have a small piece of land   when WE  have a normal size plot      We have had the plot for many years before we decided to split plots by 2    and sometimes   3   to try to get as many people on as we can     by the way they pay £10   per anum    to our   £44     but we only use the same amount of free manure  as  them   

I feel better for that little rant     

[kt.]

Committee meetings are on the last Thursday of each month, no meeting in December.  Our AGM is March/April.  Usually only the committee attend.  Nobody else bothers though last year as a first, we had an audience of one ::)

[halfofmanic]

Committee meetings are on the last Thursday of each month, no meeting in December.  Our AGM is March/April.  Usually only the committee attend.  Nobody else bothers though last year as a first, we had an audience of one ::)

Thanks for your input KT   i'm beginning to build up a picture of other sites   it would seem that most sites   who responded   have monthly meetings like us    but mainly committee only or committee  and others can come but don't   

we try to get all to attend    because we only have 17 small  ( and I do mean small some are only 4 raised beds about  6' x 4' )  plots       and around 20 ish people if wives & partners are counted   maybe if you have a large site as most of you seem to have   it wouldn't be practical to gather all for the meets


I must admit  that our last two meets  have been committee  and one or two others

we try to decide at each meeting how we can improve our site       and the missing people  may soon have to get on with any decisions   made  by a minority 

[Squash64]

Hello Halfof,

We have meetings on the first Wednesday of every month in the afternoon.  I email all the plotholders who are on our email group a week before so that they can let us know if there is anything they would like discussed.  The meetings are for the committee but the minutes are put up on the noticeboard and can be emailed to those who request it.

The AGM is every April.

We have 86 full size plots, 21 half and 6 quarter.

[halfofmanic]

Thank you all for your input  it would seem we all have the monthly meets in common   

[tonybloke]

a  lot of our committee members can't make it to day-time meetings, so we rent a room at the local library every first wed  evening of the month, 7 - 10 pm.
our association owns our land, 1000 plots, 14 sites. so we have representatives from each site / group of sites plus treasurer, chairman, vice-chairman, and a general secretary, which is Me. ;)

[halfofmanic]

a  lot of our committee members can't make it to day-time meetings, so we rent a room at the local library every first wed  evening of the month, 7 - 10 pm.
our association owns our land, 1000 plots, 14 sites. so we have representatives from each site / group of sites plus treasurer, chairman, vice-chairman, and a general secretary, which is Me. ;)

Mind blowing size  tonybloke     how did the owning of land come about ??? I get stressed   with 20 people on site   :o ::)

[markp2511]

You have meetings?  And a committee??   :o

It might have something to do with the fact that all you get at our site is the bare earth, and half the plots are untaken and overgrown with bramble and/or grass, but there's one guy who runs it (takes the money and runs the site 'shop' (shed to buy manure and slug pellets)), and he's too busy with work to tend his own plot half the time.  There are regional meetings, but there's no site committee or site meetings; infact I don't think there's enough people with plots to actually have a committee!

I think it's time this year to take some responsibility and help out - get the free plots advertised and taken and foster some community spirit with some site functions and meetings. 

[tonybloke]

You have meetings?  And a committee??   :o

It might have something to do with the fact that all you get at our site is the bare earth, and half the plots are untaken and overgrown with bramble and/or grass, but there's one guy who runs it (takes the money and runs the site 'shop' (shed to buy manure and slug pellets)), and he's too busy with work to tend his own plot half the time.  There are regional meetings, but there's no site committee or site meetings; infact I don't think there's enough people with plots to actually have a committee!

I think it's time this year to take some responsibility and help out - get the free plots advertised and taken and foster some community spirit with some site functions and meetings. 

let us know how it progresses!! ;)

[halfofmanic]

You have meetings?  And a committee??   :o

It might have something to do with the fact that all you get at our site is the bare earth, and half the plots are untaken and overgrown with bramble and/or grass, but there's one guy who runs it (takes the money and runs the site 'shop' (shed to buy manure and slug pellets)), and he's too busy with work to tend his own plot half the time.  There are regional meetings, but there's no site committee or site meetings; infact I don't think there's enough people with plots to actually have a committee!

Hi mark   hope something comes good this year    you need to seek out like minded people       in 4 years we have gone from  a site with about 6/8 people with good sized plots   to 17 smaller plots    with a further 17 people on a waiting list  I think when we started our annual plant sales to purchase things for the plot   is when things turned around    most people who came were locals   and didn't know we were here   although  we try to get all on the site involved   with b b qs  and work parties     it normally is a small group of us who  are always there  and  drive the plot forward         We have been on a metro site a long time ago   with unworked plots    the odd abandoned car    and  only one or two people past any time with each other      wasn't a good atmosphere         trust you site will move on   

I think it's time this year to take some responsibility and help out - get the free plots advertised and taken and foster some community spirit with some site functions and meetings. 

[tonybloke]

you'll get the hang of quoting, raymondo!!

Hi mark   hope something comes good this year    you need to seek out like minded people       in 4 years we have gone from  a site with about 6/8 people with good sized plots   to 17 smaller plots    with a further 17 people on a waiting list  I think when we started our annual plant sales to purchase things for the plot   is when things turned around    most people who came were locals   and didn't know we were here   although  we try to get all on the site involved   with b b qs  and work parties     it normally is a small group of us who  are always there  and  drive the plot forward         We have been on a metro site a long time ago   with unworked plots    the odd abandoned car    and  only one or two people past any time with each other      wasn't a good atmosphere         trust you site will move on   

 ;)

[halfofmanic]

Committee meetings are on the last Thursday of each month, no meeting in December.  Our AGM is March/April.  Usually only the committee attend.  Nobody else bothers though last year as a first, we had an audience of one ::)

makes you wonder what you have to do to liven people up    a little jolt of electricity maybe            do you organise work parties  or is there   no need for them on your site   ??? ::)

[halfofmanic]

you'll get the hang of quoting, raymondo!!

Hi mark   hope something comes good this year    you need to seek out like minded people       in 4 years we have gone from  a site with about 6/8 people with good sized plots   to 17 smaller plots    with a further 17 people on a waiting list  I think when we started our annual plant sales to purchase things for the plot   is when things turned around    most people who came were locals   and didn't know we were here   although  we try to get all on the site involved   with b b qs  and work parties     it normally is a small group of us who  are always there  and  drive the plot forward         We have been on a metro site a long time ago   with unworked plots    the odd abandoned car    and  only one or two people past any time with each other      wasn't a good atmosphere         trust you site will move on   

 ;)

think i may have it      but like 50 first dates (film)  tomorrow  it will be forgotten
I have to admit I was tutored  by the other half of manic