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1 <?xml version='1.0'?>
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2 <?xml-stylesheet type="text/xsl" href="../../../lib/xml/doc.xsl" ?>
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3 <!DOCTYPE doc SYSTEM "../../../lib/xml/doc.dtd" >
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4 <doc>
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5 <head>
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6 <title>Minutes</title>
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7 <title>Edinburgh Meeting House Management Committee</title>
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8 <author>Henry S. Thompson, Convenor</author>
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9 <date>Tuesday 6 June 2 p.m., in 7 Victoria Terrace</date>
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10 </head>
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11 <body>
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12 <div><list type="1defn">
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13 <item term="Present:">Miranda Girdlestone (MG), Jackie Noltingk (JN), John
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14 Phillips (JP), Laragh Quinney (LQ, via Zoom), Henry Thompson (HT)</item>
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15 <item term="Prevented:">Sue Sierra</item>
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16 <item term="Copies to:">Marilyn Higgins, Neil Turner</item>
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17 </list></div>
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18 <div id="introduction" i="0">
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19 <title>New convenor's welcome</title>
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20 <div id="business" i="0.1">
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21 <title>How HT will aim to handle our business</title>
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22 <p>For routine business we'll proceed informally, and HT will
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23 take notes. Suitably cleaned up and filled out, these will appear in
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24 the circulated minutes.</p>
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25 <p>For important matters, or for any matter by request, we'll
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26 move into Meeting for Worship for Church Affairs mode, HT acting as
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27 Clerk. The results will be highlighted as <name>Minutes</name> in the
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28 circulated minutes.</p>
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29 <p>Henceforth HT will use Word or PDF, not plain text, for
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30 agendas, minutes, etc.</p>
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31 <p>Action items will be signalled as <name>Action:
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32 [someone]</name> and gathered at the end of the circulated minutes.</p>
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33 </div>
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34 <div id="remit" i="0.2">
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35 <title>A reminder of our remit</title>
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36 <list>
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37 <item>First part of <link href="https://www.dropbox.com/home/SESAM%20Management%20Committee/Background?di=left_nav_browse&preview=Report+for+Management+Cttee+2017.doc">The role of the Quaker Meeting House</link></item>
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38 <item><link href="https://www.dropbox.com/home/SESAM%20Management%20Committee/Policy?di=left_nav_browse&preview=SESAM+MH+Management+Committee+Terms+of+Ref-2022-10-11.docx">Terms of Reference</link></item>
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39 <item><link href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/eabc793h6lmstse/MoU_C_Edinburgh_v5.xlsx?dl=0">Area Meeting MoU with Central Edinburgh Local Meeting</link></item>
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40 </list>
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41 <p>We are a Trustee short, Neil and Marilyn are _not_ members, but
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42 are welcome to the meeting. Expensive work?</p>
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43 </div>
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44 </div>
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45 <div id="next" i="1">
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46 <title>Date and time of next meeting</title>
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47 <p class='action' on='HT'>Email membership for available weeks
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48 in July, then poll for date/time.</p>
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49 </div>
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50 <div id="arising" i="2">
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51 <title>Matters arising</title>
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52 <div id="8a" i="2.1">
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53 <title><link
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54 href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/st5me0skwfrrm89/sesam-management-2023-04-20.docx?dl=0">MHM_2024-04-20</link>
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55 8a: IT - Private and public networks</title>
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56 <p>see <link href="#split">item 8.1</link> below.</p>
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57 </div>
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58 <div id="8b" i="2.2">
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59 <title><link
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60 href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/st5me0skwfrrm89/sesam-management-2023-04-20.docx?dl=0">MHM_2024-04-20</link>
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61 8b: IT - Email issues / Google Workspace</title>
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62 <p>See <link href="#email">item 8.2</link> below.</p>
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63 </div>
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64 <div id="6a" i="2.3">
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65 <title><link
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66 href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/st5me0skwfrrm89/sesam-management-2023-04-20.docx?dl=0">MHM_2024-04-20</link>
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67 6a bullet 3: Staffing</title>
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68 <p class='action' on='MG'>Lone worker lanyard alarms. Carried forward.</p>
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69 </div>
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70 <div id="9b" i="2.4">
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71 <title><link
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72 href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/st5me0skwfrrm89/sesam-management-2023-04-20.docx?dl=0">MHM_2024-04-20</link>
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73 9b bullet 4: Fabric and maintenance - secondary glazing in the kitchen of 4F</title>
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74 <p>Overtaken, see <link href="#flat">item 6.2</link> below</p>
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75 </div>
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76 <div id="9c" i="2.4">
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77 <title><link
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78 href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/st5me0skwfrrm89/sesam-management-2023-04-20.docx?dl=0">MHM_2024-04-20</link>
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79 9c: Fabric and maintenance</title>
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80 <p class="action" on="MG">Installing LED lighting. Carried forward.</p>
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81 </div>
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82 </div>
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83 <div id="MGupdate" i="3">
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84 <title>Manager's update</title>
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267
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85 <div id="QCG" i="3.1">
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266
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86 <title>Quaker Centres Gathering</title>
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87 <p>HT and MG attended this. Hearing from other
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88 Quaker management teams about their situation, their difficulties and
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89 their strategies was very helpful.</p>
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90 <p>We heard particular details relevant to us of how others manage the booking
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91 process, incoming email and staffing. Integrating these is an urgent
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92 project for us: MG and Majk Stokes will tackle planning for this
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93 during August. We hope to get help from Hallmaster (the suppliers of
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94 our room booking software).</p>
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95 </div>
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267
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96 <div id="PAT" i="3.2">
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266
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97 <title>PAT testing</title>
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98 <p>PAT testing is not required to be yearly. Visual checks, plus a 3-year
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99 cycle of testing should be fine. JN checked the insurance and
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100 confirmed there is nothing about PAT therein. We <name>AGREED</name>
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101 to take this forward.</p>
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102 <p class="action" on="MG">Draft a proposal and send it, noting
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103 our agreement, to the Safety Officer of AM Trustees.</p>
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104 </div>
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267
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105 <div id="Risk" i="3.3">
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266
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106 <title>Risk Management Strategy</title>
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107 <p>We have a Risk Assessment, but what about a mitigation strategy?</p>
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108 <p class='action' on='JN'>forward MG anything we have along these lines.</p>
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109 </div>
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110 </div>
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111 <div id="fringe" i="4">
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112 <title>Fringe update</title>
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267
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113 <p>[from David Sterratt (DS)]</p>
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266
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114 <display>
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115 <p>We finalised the contract with the Fringe Society and both parties have
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116 signed it. Regarding the issues raised in the last minutes: (1) We
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117 agreed that the Fringe Society will have use of the meeting room from
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118 1pm on a Sunday and that meeting house staff will be using the kitchen
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119 up until 1.30pm. Friends will need to start departing at 12.45pm. (2)
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120 The Fringe Society were content with the liberalised media clause we
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121 proposed. (3) The Fringe Society did not, after all, want to use our AV
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122 system.</p>
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123
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124 <p>We have liaised with the Fringe about operational details including
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125 moving the furniture and internet/Wifi connectivity. The conversation
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126 with the Fringe networking staff has led to us contacting User2
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127 computing and learning how to administer the Wifi access points, which
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128 has allowed us to set up a private network for the office and foyer
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129 computers. However, the admin interface is set up on David Sterratt's
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130 computer, and it may be desirable to install it on a meeting house
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131 computer. </p>
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132
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133 <p>David Sterratt and Miranda have agreed with David Clarke (Elder) and other
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134 Friends attending 9.30 meeting that it will not be held in the meeting
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135 house during the Fringe, but it can still be held on Zoom.</p>
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136 </display>
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137 <p>[From MG] The Fringe Society visited 7 Victoria Terrace to look
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138 at office space planning. They have been invoiced, but no money has
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139 been received as yet.
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140 They will visit again next week to look at accessibility issues.</p>
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141 </div>
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142 <div id="VTAG" i="5">
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143 <title>Victoria Terrace affordability group update</title>
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144 <p><link href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/0dg79uqslj6jbbi/victoria-terrace-affordability-group-2023-05-30-notes.docx?dl=0">Notes from meeting 2023-05-30</link></p>
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145 <p>See the above for details. Some topics of interest to us:</p>
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146 <list>
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147 <item>Quotes from various rental agents for the Upper Bow
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148 flat, with our without upgrading</item>
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149 <item>Some details on the suggested use of some of the foyer as a café.</item>
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150 </list>
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151 <p>If the cafe idea goes ahead, we would need to look at
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152 possible impact on our relief from Council Tax.</p>
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153 </div>
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267
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154 <div id="staffing" i="6">
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155 <title>Staffing</title>
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156 <div id="org" i="6.1">
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157 <title>Moving to operation with one resident manager</title>
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158 <p><link href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/jl98oczqh611cpe/Staffing%20proposal%20May%202023.docx?dl=0">Background paper</link> from Miranda</p>
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159 <p></p>
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160 </div>
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161 <div id="flat" i="6.2">
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162 <title>Ongoing staffing issues</title>
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163 <p><name>Issue for decision:</name> Resident Assistant Warden
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164 post renewal</p>
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165 <p>Moving to operation with one resident manager [Miranda, Henry]
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166 Where we are; Where we would like to be [4]
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167 Ref. MG's paper, to be attached.
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168 1) Permanent part-time MH Assistant post not refilled, needs
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169 2) Shift in Majk's role and hours
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170 Two new casual staff
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171 Taken together free MG to do BizDev.
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172 Ken's Sunday?
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173 On a good day, I like Richard sometimes, but not always, clients
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174 like him; liking people is not a requirement, but he's not a good
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175 fit for the Team
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176
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177 *A*) We ask Trustees to agree to the creation of a new permanent
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178 part-time MH Assistant job starting in September, to be
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179 advertised widely.
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180
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181 *B*) We will not ask Trustees to agree for Richard and Lauren to
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182 remain in the flat after 31 July.
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183
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184 ACTION: HT to tell R&L that they have to vacate.
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185
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186 ACTION: HT to ask DS for time at the next AG meeting (26 June 1200)
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187 for an informal chat with members of the MHC to discuss the
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188 flat(s).
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189 </p>
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190 </div>
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191 </div>
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266
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192 <div id="lettings" i="7">
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193 <title>Room hire & marketing</title>
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194 <div id="controversy" i="7.1">
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195 <title>Controversial bookings: Common Knowledge</title>
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196 <p>HT reported that following the cancellation of the Common Knowledge 13
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197 April booking on the subject of vaccination, we received
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198 concerned queries from several Friends about their meeting scheduled for 11 May,
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199 entitled "Censorsing Debate—Marie Mamulova & Lisa Randall",
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200 about their struggle to have a meeting last year, in Portobello, about their concerns
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201 regarding teaching about trans-gender issues in schools.</p>
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202 <p>After extensive consultation within this Committee, also
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203 involving AM
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204 Clerk and the Clerk of AM Trustees, agreement was reached
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205 in two stages:</p>
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206 <list type="enum">
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207 <item>Because there had been security problems with the original
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208 (Portobello) meeting, MG contacted the Community Policing unit and on 28 April HT and
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209 MG met with two police, who were reassuring both about the fact that
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210 they did keep an eye on potential sources of trouble in such cases,
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211 and that they would make sure local patrols were aware of the 11 May meeting
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212 if it went ahead.</item>
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213 <item> We asked for and
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214 received reassurance that the
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215 meeting would be focussed on freedom of speech and that a statement setting out our expectations could
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216 be made by the AM Clerk at the beginning of the meeting.</item>
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217 </list>
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218 <p>We then agreed to allow the meeting to go ahead, with the two
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219 Clerks in attendance.</p>
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220 <p>HT emailed the Friends who had expressed concern explaining our decision.</p>
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221 <p>In the event there was no disturbance from protesters, but
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222 the Clerks did not feel that the agreement to avoid anti-transgender
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223 topics and rhetoric had been respected.</p>
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224 <p>[Extracts from an email from AM Clerk]</p>
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225 <display><p>I don't think we should offer further bookings to this group when gender issues are on the agenda (and possibly not at all). While the chair made a point of saying all are welcome in their meetings, I didn't feel particularly welcome and as discussion went on I felt anyone who was trans would have felt very uneasy indeed.</p>
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226 <p>I opened the meeting by reading the 2021 BYM minute to explain where Quakers are coming from and said that while we don't expect to agree with everything that is said in meetings on our premises, we do ask that those present understand and respect where Quakers are coming from.</p>
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227 <p>Particularly in discussion there was no evidence that this had made
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228 any impact. While there was no abuse of trans people, they were
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229 continually seen as 'other', pushing forward an ideology which had
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230 taken over corporate decision making in government and education. The
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231 speaker said LGBT 'is all about the T' these days; 'it's a belief
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232 system'; an audience member said it's a vicious ideology.</p></display>
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233 <p>Further email discussion concluded with clear agreement that
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234 although we try to be a <emph>broad</emph> church in terms of making
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235 our facilities available for hire to a wide range of groups, we are a
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236 church, this is our home, and we don't have to allow people to say
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237 whatever they like. The amount of time and emotional strain it was
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238 taking from all of us was out of all proportion to the benefit.</p>
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239 <p>Accordingly HT drafted a short note to Richard Ennos for MG to
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240 send, cancelling the remaining (three) bookings. MG refunded the amount
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241 already paid for those.</p>
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242 <p>Ennos replied to the Office asking for an explanation, and AM Clerk
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243 provided the following:</p>
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244 <display><p>One audience member spoke of gender identity ideology as a 'vicious'
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245 ideology. This was unchallenged by anyone, and was in line with a
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246 general sense of antagonism towards the fact of trans identity. There
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247 was no moderation of the discussion, and no attempt to question things
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248 that were stated as fact.</p>
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249 <p>Our clerk, who had introduced the meeting by explaining where Quakers
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250 are coming from, felt that his contribution was ignored by those
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251 contributing to the discussion. Although it had been stated that
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252 anyone was welcome to the meeting, he felt that any trans person would
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253 have felt unwelcome and excluded by the tone of the discussion, which
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254 throughout showed that participants regarded trans identity as
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255 something alien. On this basis, he felt that the group had not
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256 respected the terms on which the letting had been made. We recognise
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257 that some disagree with how trans issues are addressed within the
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258 education system, and that you have the right to air this; but we
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259 don't feel that the approach taken by Common Knowledge shares our
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260 values of pluralism and kindness.</p>
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261 </display>
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262 <p>All mention of 7 Victoria Terrace has now been removed from
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263 Common Knowledge online publicity for future events, and we hope the
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264 matter is closed.</p>
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265 </div>
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266 <div id="weddings" i="7.2">
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267 <title>Quaker weddings: Griffiths/Lawrence</title>
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268 <p>Wedding planning going well. They've quite likely
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269 over-catered, but fridge issue sorted. Photographer will come early.
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270 IT for overlow in the Hall is an issue but we can work with what we
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271 have: Emma and Andy were aware of what the MH provided when they booked.
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272 Additional purchase of AV equipment is <emph>not</emph> required, MG does not recommend it for AM.
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273 With respect to numbers, looks like 80–90 from outside invitees, not much feedback from
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274 local Friends, but usual suspects would be 20–30, so probably 100+.</p>
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275 </div>
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276 </div>
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277 <div id="IT" i="8">
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278 <title>IT</title>
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279 <div id="split" i="8.1">
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280 <title>Private and public networks</title>
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267
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281 <p>Done, thanks to DS. Now two SSIDs: quaker (old
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282 pw) and quaker-office (new, staff-only). Relevant instructions are
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266
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283 in the 'WiFi' folder in the office filing cabinet, and on HT's
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284 personal machine at home.</p>
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285 </div>
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286 <div id="email" i="8.2">
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287 <title>Email issues</title>
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267
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288 <p>There's too much email on too many diverse topics coming in
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289 to <code>office@equaker.org.uk</code>. Things get lost.</p>
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290 <p class="action" on="HT, MG">Meet with Majk to explore
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291 options, e.g. multiple folders, multiple email addresses</p>
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266
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292 </div>
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293 <p></p>
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294 </div>
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295 <div id="building" i="9">
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296 <title>Fabric and maintenance</title>
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267
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297 <p>In the past responsibility for keeping track of this topic
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298 has been delegated to a member of the committee.</p>
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299 <p class="action" on="HT">Put this on the agenda for next time.</p>
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266
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300 <div id="large" i="9.1">
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301 <title>Large projects on hold</title>
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267
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302 <p>Heat pump, courtyard, waiting on finance (see <link
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303 href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/st5me0skwfrrm89/sesam-management-2023-04-20.docx?dl=0">MHMC
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304 minutes for 2023-04-20, item 9a</link>)</p>
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266
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305 </div>
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267
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306 <div id="issues" i="9.2">
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307 <title>Ongoing issues</title>
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308 <div id="wifi2f" i="9.2.1">
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309 <title>Meeting room wifi</title>
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310 <p>Still broken</p>
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311 <p class="action" on="HT">Meet with DS to discuss state of
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312 networking in 7VT, possible remedial actions</p>
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313 </div>
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314 <div id="glazing" i="9.2.2">
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315 <title>Glazing in flats</title>
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316 <p>Status unclear, issues with both 3F2 and 4F</p>
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317 <p class="action" on="MG">Prepare brief report for next meeting</p>
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318 </div>
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319 <div id="dialer" i="9.2.3">
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320 <title>Emergency phone in lift</title>
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321 <p>GSM dialler was installed in the lift on 2023-06-06,
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322 engineer said that it is <emph>not</emph> at risk from end of voice
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323 connnectivity.</p>
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324 <p>There is an issue with the (re)direction for
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325 calls from this phone, which currently is set up to dial MG, then SS.
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326 For obvious reasons, MG's work phone is set up to go to voicemail, but
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327 if that means the call is taken to have gone through, that's a
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328 problem.</p>
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329 <p class="action" on="MG">Experiment further to determine
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330 what the facts are, contact engineer for advice if necessary</p>
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331 </div>
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332 </div>
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266
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333 <div id="carpets" i="9.3">
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334 <title>Carpets</title>
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267
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335 <p>No decision yet on carpets. The impact of building changes / cafe could change
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336 decision to be made. No action until after the Fringe at the earliest.</p>
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337 <p class="action" on="MG">Send quotes to JN</p>
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266
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338 </div>
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339 <div id="signs" i="9.4">
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340 <title>Signage</title>
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267
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341 <p>MG invited quotes from two firms, both visited but no
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342 response from either. We suppose they are either too busy or the job
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343 is too small. MG will develop alternatives for us to review.</p>
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344 <p class="action" on="MG">Bring a proposal to MHMC in due
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345 course</p>
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346 </div>
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266
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347 </div>
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348 <div id="woStaff" i="10">
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349 <title>Time without staff</title>
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267
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350 <p>HT and DS held an interim Employment Review with MG on
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351 2023-06-05. The participants agreed on <link href="TBD">a positive report</link>.</p>
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266
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352 </div>
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353 </body>
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354 </doc>
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