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28 </style><title>Future of 7 VT working group: Ninth meeting</title></head><body style="font-family: DejaVu Sans, Arial; background: rgb(254,250,246)"><div style="text-align: center"><h1>Future of 7 VT working group: Ninth meeting</h1><div class="byline">This informal summary by Henry S. Thompson, Convenor</div><div class="byline">Held at 7 Victoria Terrace, Edinburgh on 24 April 2009, 5:30 p.m.</div></div><div><h2>1. Attendance</h2><p>Present: Madeleine Harding,
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29 Phil Lucas, Brian Mayes, Laurie Naumann, Rufus Reade, Henry Thompson (in the clerk's chair)</p><p>Prevented: Alison Burnley, Eileen Schott</p></div><div><h2>2. Status of form distribution/collection</h2><dl><dt><b><a name="Financial_experts">Financial experts</a></b></dt><dd>LN has sent email summarising his telephone
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30 interviews with Paul Kenny, Caroline Evens and John Phillips.</dd><dt><b><a name="Lettings_comparison">Lettings comparison</a></b></dt><dd>ES has done this, discussed last
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31 time. Some more info to come re out-of-town sites.</dd><dt><b><a name="Quaker_groups">Quaker groups</a></b></dt><dd>MH sent email with interim results, has now
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32 gotten 12 replies, will re-circulate an updated tabulation</dd><dt><b><a name="Central_Edinburgh">Central Edinburgh</a></b></dt><dd>HST has a substantial number of completed
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33 forms, will tabulate and circulate this evening.</dd><dt><b><a name="Midweek_meeting">Midweek meeting</a></b></dt><dd>AB has tabulated the 8 returns she has received.</dd><dt><b><a name="Local_meetings">Local meetings</a></b></dt><dd>PL has had replies from S. Edinburgh and
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34 Central Fife</dd><dt><b><a name="MH_staff">MH staff</a></b></dt><dd>PL has only just received the individual
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35 responses. He also has a "discerned corporate response" from a meeting of MH staff.</dd></dl></div><div><h2>3. Additional input from the Meeting House Managers</h2><p>We considered the question of whether we needed further input from the
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36 Meeting House Managers. They have conveyed a concern that we do not yet fully
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37 understand the nature of their work and the work of Meeting House staff. We
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38 agreed that HST will invite the MHMs to our next meeting, at the beginning.</p></div><div><h2>4. Financial experts interviews</h2><p>LN summarised. Overall answers were fairly similar, although they were
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39 arrived at by differing routes. All were enthusiastic about the property,
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40 albeit in one case in part because it offered such an attractive proposition as
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41 a rental property itself. None thought that selling was a good plan. Renting
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42 for ourselves was judged to be beset with difficulties. Minimum lease would
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43 likely be five years.</p><p>A point which came up was that more use means more cost to offset wear
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44 and tear. The Festival is a particular case in point.</p><p>This is to some extent subject to manipulation: by stopping the
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45 consumption of hot drinks in the Meeting Room, the wear and tear is reduced,
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46 but the Library gets more use as a breakout room, thereby reducing the
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47 opportunity for letting.</p><p>There was not complete unanimity on the question of whether we should or
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48 could increase income by raising our letting rates.</p><p>The question of strategy: maximising income versus maximising utility for
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49 Quaker use, comes up again. PL reminded us of the history of AM's decisions in
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50 this area.</p><p>The proposition that we are subsidising groups by default was clarified:
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51 we do charge a low rate to some groups, which means that <i>if</i> no-one
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52 else was in the building by the time that group meets we end up losing money as
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53 against the cost of opening the building.</p></div><div><h2>5. Responses from Quaker Groups</h2><p>Although not dependent as such, many groups expressed a sense of
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54 ownership wrt 7VT. Overseers did feel dependent on 7VT as their base.</p><p>"The atmosphere can be felt when you walk into the place" like any other
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55 religious place, so it's appropriate to meet here.</p><p>The opportunity to plan in advance, and thereby had access to resources,
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56 was welcomed.</p><p>Groups were willing to meet elsewhere. In particular, study groups were
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57 happier meeting in homes, for greater intimacy, and because it addresses
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58 childcare needs.</p><p>Facilities generally liked, one or two niggles.</p><p>Parking and, at least for the time being, access on foot a bit of a
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59 problem, but public transport good.</p><p>Availability was characterised as 'good'. Some asked about the
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60 possibility of there being particular designated Quaker slots in the diary.</p><p>Big meetings (e.g. Scotland GM) needed the whole building.</p><p>Our ability to host young people's events was discussed in some detail</p><p>The value of being a central venue was remarked on a number of times.</p><p>Car parking will of course always be an issue for a central venue, but
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61 the impact of that on those with physical disabilities has to be managed.</p></div><div><h2>6. Planning for open meetings</h2><p>[Note that the date of the 1st meeting was changed following consultation
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62 to Sunday 26 April.]</p><p>We agreed to have the meeting in the hall, and to start as early as we
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63 think feasable.</p><p>Aim for 2:30 finish</p><p>HST suggested opening with an introduction</p><p>BM suggested that we had to include the basic outline of the financial
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64 difficulty that provoked the establishment of our group.</p><p>LN wanted to be a bit less explicit, focussing on the broad picture, 20
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65 years on, 10 years with balanced books, 10 years during which a gap has opened up</p><p>MH: The questionnaires and a lot of our fact-finding to date have been
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66 about the nature of our current (and immediately past) situation: now we need
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67 to look to the future.</p><p>Focus on "What is your vision for the Quaker presence and witness in
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68 Central Edinburgh for the <i>next</i> 20 years." Offer an
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69 opportunity to stay behind afterwards for more focussed questions to the group.</p><p>Is it appropriate to make notes during a worship sharing session? Yes,
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70 if it's made clear at the beginning, and explained as based on the special
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71 nature of the meeting itself.</p><div><h4>6.1. Meeting on 26 April</h4><ul><li>HST to introduce</li><li>PL to take notes</li><li>MH, BM, RR will also attend.</li></ul></div><div><h4>6.2. Meeting of 4 May [subject to revision]</h4><ul><li>HST to introduce</li><li>LN to take notes</li><li>PL, MH, BM will also attend.</li></ul></div></div><div><h2>7. Actions review and new actions</h2><p>ES to get some costs of out-of-town units </p><p>HST to get publicity out about the vision input meetings. [done]</p></div><div><h2>8. Next Meetings</h2><p>Our next meeting will be at 7 Victoria Terrace at 5:30pm on Friday 1 May
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72 [RR apologies]. We
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73 tentatively agreed on Friday 15 May 5:30pm and Friday 29 May 5:30pm [apologies MH] for our next meeting after that.</p></div></body></html> |
