1. Welcome, introductions and apologies for absence
PRESENT: David Brunt DB, Tom Winn TW, Jacqui Knight JK, Marina Richards MR, Katrina Dumontroty KD, Peter Fry PF, Barbara Fry BF, Claire Axten Cl.A, Trevor Skinner TS, Francis Knight FK, Paul Badman PB, Kay Strain KS, Catherine Atkins Ca.A, David Atkins DA, Rebecca Wells and Helen Phillips.
APOLOGIES: Barbara Cowell, Gabbie Butler and Sally Wood.
2. Minutes of November meeting
David checked that everyone had read the minutes from the previous meeting and signed them as a true record.
3. Matters Arising
No matters arising
4. Follow up points from November minutes
Update from Claire reference checking if the Street Parish Council need our accounts to be audited: Cl.A reported that the Parish Council stated this wasn’t intended and the wording will be changed.
Record keeper of Street Twinning wine: DB reported that we do not have any wine in stock at the moment. Matter carried forward.
Working group (Marina, Tom and Catherine) reference reviewing financial procedures: Matter carried forward.
5. Change of committee meeting date from May 22nd.
The May meeting will be changed to Wednesday 15th May. Cl.A to inform the Parish Council.
6. Treasurers Report
Current Account total £3871.43
Reserve Account total £8035.48
Financial report for Christmas Cracker
Please see the attached Christmas Cracker financial report
7. Christmas Cracker Report
DB would like to thank everyone who had helped with this event. The stalls attracted a lot of people. The Water or Wine sold out. BF said it had worked very well having a water or wine stall and a bric a brac stall.
DB stated that there should be a laminate stating “Do Not Drink the water” displayed on future Water or Wine stalls. In future bottles of water will have a label stating this and will incorporate the usual sad face. MR and KS offered to print 250 sticky labels each when needed.
8. Membership update and renewals
JK presented an up-to –date membership list of paid and unpaid subscriptions. There are a few members’ payments outstanding. These members will be contacted in the coming week as payments are overdue.
9. Visit from Gravenchon 2019
Update from Subcommittee: Ca.A reported back to the committee with arrangements so far.
Saturday 6th April. Arrival in Street late afternoon/tea time. Meeting time and place to be confirmed. Guests to eat with their hosts.
Sunday 7th April. Free day. Dinner/Dance 6.30pm for 7pm. Meadway Hall, Compton Dundon.
The subcommittee will need help to set up and will call for helpers nearer the time.
Monday 8th April. Free Day. Street Parish Council reception early evening at Crispin hall for food and drink. Times to be confirmed.
Tuesday 9th April. Day trip. Departure time from Street to be confirmed. Coach to Bishops Lydeard. Catch the 10.15am Steam train to Minehead which arrives at 11.35am. Free time then lunch all together. Coach to Dunster Castle, time to be confirmed. Coach home, we hope to arrive back in Street by 6.30pm. Evening meal with hosts.
KD to ask Strode theatre if cars can be left in Strode carpark.
Wednesday 10th April. Guests leave for Gravenchon early morning. Time to be confirmed.
We need to find a place for the French coach to park whilst it is not being used. KD will contact the Victoria Club and JK will contact Elmhurst school. Other sites that we have used in the past are now unavailable. If any member has any ideas of a suitable parking place please contact a committee member asap.
The subcommittee meet again on Monday 4th February. After this meeting an email will go to all hosts with further details and costings. There are likely to be spare seats on the coach and train and members will be informed once numbers are confirmed.
Update on hosts: We would still like to find a host for the coach driver Francois, and the gardener Denis. Sharon needs to know by 30th Jan at the latest. If anyone knows of someone who can host or if any Isny members would like to host, even if it’s a one off, please let a committee member know asap.
Update from Sharon ref travel plans: The ferry has been booked and they will be travelling from Calais to Dover.
10. Stars from Gravenchon
The stars which people decorated at the Dinner/Dance in Gravenchon last year are being glazed. Half the stars will stay in Gravenchon and will be displayed. The other half will be brought over to England in April and presented as a plaque to commemorate the 50th anniversary.
DB will ask Sharon to send a picture of the plaque when it is completed so this can be sent with a formal letter to the Street Parish Council asking for the possibility of displaying this somewhere in Street. PB suggested Merriman park near our tree.
11. Visit to Isny 2019
BF reported that 29 members are hoping to travel to Isny this year. Flights are being looked at but the cheaper flights have not been released yet. The exchange will take place during the October half term for five days within the week from the 26th October and Saturday 2nd November.
We now have a Debit card but this is not suitable to use when booking flights. It was agreed that Cl.A will use her personal credit card to book flights. There will be another committee member present at this transaction and Cl.A will be reimbursed.
12. Publicity / recruitment of new members
The importance of attracting new members was raised especially as we have recently had quite a few leave the twinning for various reasons. As well as couples and individuals we do need new families to twin with those waiting in both Gravenchon and Isny.
JK suggested contacting local schools to talk to children and parents about twinning. A discussion then followed and it was suggested by DA that we book appointments to meet with Head teachers. We plan to discuss the possibility of attending parent evenings, summer fetes and assemblies with parents present. JK will draft a letter to local primary and senior schools and will make follow up telephone calls.
FK stated that last year Brookside school charged between £300 and £350 per child to travel to Gravenchon on an exchange with the school. A family of four travelled to Gravenchon with the twinning last year all-inclusive for £340. This is a very good selling point for families to join Street Twinning.
KD suggested contacting parents directly through Facebook. JK will look into posting on the “Parents of BA16” Facebook page and other pages to reach a wider audience.
13. Fundraising for 2019
Quiz Friday 8th February: TS is organising this event. It has been well advertised in the local area including Crispin Hall, Supermarkets, last week’s Central Somerset Gazette and February’s addition of Local Reach.
TS reported that some tables have been pre booked but we need more. If any member is available on the 8th February we would love your support at this event.
There will be a raffle, if members would like to donate prizes they would be gratefully received. BF offered to collect entrance money and JK offered to organise the raffle. JK and FK will organise a side table to promote Street Twinning. TS will organise prizes.
Cheese and Wine evening: Provisional date Friday 17th May. Matter carried forward.
Choir and Folk songs evening: No date set. Matter carried forward.
14. Website / Facebook /Twitter
All being kept up to date.
15. Lottery
TW reported that this year 74 numbers have been sold. People can still join. To join February’s draw it will cost £11 per number as you only pay for the months left in the year.
January Lottery Winners:
1st no.39 Gill Davey £20
2nd no.52 Emily Rowden £10
3rd no. 28 kay strain £5
16. AOB
We now have promotional pens with Street Twinning Association printed on the side. Cl.A stated that we have a stock of Street shopping bags. It was suggested that each family from Gravenchon could have a bag with pens and leaflets about the trip to Minehead. JK will source the leaflets.
Pens will also be given to BF to take to Isny in October.
JK received a reply from Mendip District Council in response to naming a road in Street after Isny to commemorate 25years of twinning. In the correspondence Mendip advised that we should approach Street Parish Council in the first instance. JK passed the email to Cl.A the council rep for the Twinning.
Date of next meeting: Wednesday 27th February at 7.30 pm in the John Webster Parish Rooms.