Trust Board Meeting, 5th September 2011

Venue: Novar Bar, Nicol Street, Kirkcaldy

Present: James Proctor (JP), Steven Lawther (SL), John Mainland (JM), Alan Russell (AR),
Blair White (BW), Graeme Condie (GC) & Tam Cunningham (TC).
Apologies: None

Minutes of the Meeting on 28 February 2011

The minutes were agreed.

Matters Arising

Action Point AR & JM: The Concordat; Following the RRFC board’s reaction to the concordat AR spoke to supporters director Dave Wann to arrange a meeting with the board at some point to discuss the issues. Awaiting dates.

Treasurers Report

GC provided an update of the finances. GC has also worked on the accounts and they are basically complete and ready for the forthcoming AGM. GC is still waiting on confirmation from the club regarding the number of shares issued to the Trust.

Membership Update

BW reported the membership stands at 238, although following the latest annual renewals sent out to the membership only 118 have responded. Reminders will be sent out in October along with the new Trust Newsletter. BW also reported he is emailing the members who have an email address thanking them for renewing their membership.

Communication Update

SL produced the following articles: Trust £5K investment in the club and an article for the Dave Somerville resignation article in the FFP. These were also put on to the Trust website and on the Facebook page.
Action Point SL: to produce the next Newsletter with contributions suggested by the board.

Fans Director Update

The Raith Forum’s next meeting is 8 September 2011.
Action Point JM: To enquire when the RRFCs next AGM is to take place?

AGM

This was discussed at length and the dates of 24 November or 1 December were selected, possible venue the Beveridge Park Hotel. As previously discussed the evening should be a social event with a quiz, draw for previous seasons RRFC sponsored tops.
Action Point: AR to contact Mike Melville if it was possible to provide and run the quiz.

General Business

To set a programme of board meetings in place for the year ahead: This was discussed and the next board meeting will be October, followed by the AGM in November with the next board meeting to be held in January 2012. Each board meeting will have a theme up for discussion.

Allocate responsibility for the 3 projects: This was discussed at length and it was decided that a brief (one page) scoping paper should be written for each of the following projects, to share with the membership at the AGM in November:

• A long-term initiative to look at setting up an endowment policy / legacy giving scheme to provide funds forever. Action Point JP & TC to produce a paper.
• A medium-term initiative to raise funds to wipe out the football club’s historical debt. Action Point SL to produce a paper.
• A day-to-day / month-to-month / year-to-year initiative to “maintain the baseline”, i.e. to define what it will take to keep the Trust running, maintain an X% shareholding in the club, steadily grow membership, or whatever other objectives the project group decide on as “the baseline”. Action Point: GC to produce a paper.

AOCB

JM reported that on the 20th November it will be John McGlynn’s fifth anniversary of becoming the manager of the club and the Trust should mark this occasion with a thank you, possibly a framed memento of John’s various highlights’ at the club.
Action Point AR: To contact Jim Foy for images.

AR reported the forthcoming event: Comedy Roadshow – Football Fans Having a Laugh on the 22 October run by the Co-Operative Membership, Fair Pley and the Trust.
Leaflets could be produced and handed out at the Vladimir McTavish comedy show at the earlier held Kirkcaldy Comedy Festival.

Action Point JM: to speak to the RRFC office and request the team sheet payment of £252 be converted into sponsoring players.

Action Point AR: to put up newsletters, news of events and posters in the south concourse Trust site.

JM suggested the possibility of the four Fife Trusts sponsoring the Fife Cup the Fife Cup.
Action Point AR: Contact East Fife, Cowdenbeath and Dunfermline trusts to gauge interest.

JP reported the forthcoming Supporters Direct Offensive Behaviour Bill to be discussed in Parliament.

Action Point AR: To invite Dave Wann to the October meeting.

Meeting closed at 9:20pm

Date of Next Meeting: October 2011 (tbc)