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date Sun, 03 May 2009 11:14:41 -0400
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1 <?xml version='1.0'?>
2 <?xml-stylesheet type='text/xsl' href='../../../lib/xml/doc.xsl'?>
3 <!DOCTYPE doc SYSTEM "../../../lib/xml/doc.dtd" [
4 <!ENTITY pound '&#163;'>
5 ]>
6 <doc>
7 <head>
8 <title>Future of 7 VT working group: Tenth meeting</title>
9 <author>This informal summary by Henry S. Thompson, Convenor</author>
10 <date>Held at 7 Victoria Terrace, Edinburgh on 1 May 2009, 5:30 p.m.</date>
11 </head>
12 <body>
13 <div>
14 <title>Attendance</title>
15 <p>Present: Alison Burnley, Sue Buxton (in part), Anthony Buxton (in part), Madeleine Harding,
16 Phil Lucas, Brian Mayes, Laurie Naumann
17 Eileen Schott, Henry Thompson (in the clerk's chair)</p>
18 <p>Prevented: Rufus Reade</p>
19 </div>
20 <div>
21 <title>Discussion with Meeting House Managers</title>
22 <p>SB began by showing us the Staff Handbook&mdash;57 pages of guidance for
23 our staff, as a counterweight to suggestions that we don't need staff, or that
24 volunteer staff could do as well as paid staff.</p>
25 <p>SB shared her view of what her tasks were, although a 'typical' day doesn't
26 really exist. Although the Manager role is notionally a job-share, it is often the
27 case that both SB and AB are here, along with Tom Nisbet sometimes. Rough
28 distribution of responsibilities is</p>
29 <list>
30 <item>office: AB;</item>
31 <item>maintenance and AV invoicing:
32 TN;</item>
33 <item>bookings and public face: SB.</item>
34 </list>
35 <p>Through the day with SB: 0745: open up, check kitchen if hot water needs to be turned on;
36 0800 Early-bird meeting;
37 0830 Prepare for 0900 entries (some days three groups, some days none);
38 0900 Group arrival, catering (catering drinks for a group takes a number of
39 tasks, at roughly 1.5/2 hour intervals.
40 [Caterers may arrive any time after 0900 for 1300 lunch, in which case stuff
41 may need refridgerated and then taken out and served.]</p>
42 <p>Also during the morning, with help from assistant, work through booking
43 requests from phone, email overnight.</p>
44 <p>Trying to close between end of day lettings and evening staff opening is
45 rarely possible.</p>
46 <p>Post-group cleanup has been simplified since no food in Meeting Room, but
47 even there sometimes hovering is required/usually done.</p>
48 <p>The evening staff like to have a set of tasks, e.g. ironing, for when they have a lull,
49 but if a group keeps them busy they don't get to them.</p>
50 <p>The bookshop takes time, as we are now recognised as a bookshop by
51 Friends House bookshop</p>
52 <p>SB cleans the kitchen on a regular basis.</p>
53 <p>Window displays: we do try to put a topical display up for a big group, and sometimes that
54 needs staff help, for instance finding materials: Jane Angel does a lot, but
55 sometimes gets help.</p>
56 <p>Kitchen stock taking, and ordering. Similarly for cleaning and toilet supplies.</p>
57 <p>BM reported that Sheffield meeting has 4--6 full-time staff, plus
58 part-timers. What is the right full staffing level for 7VT? S &amp; A said the
59 flexibility of the part-timers works well, because it allows them to balance
60 staffing with demand from lettings. HST suggested to clarify that it's the
61 full-time appointment that matters. AB said that in fact they are both working
62 full-time 8 1/2 hours a day for four days (M--Th). Originally they were working
63 alternate Sundays to make it up to 36, but that has been stopped, and SB said
64 that has improved her engagement as a member of the Meeting. Using temporary
65 staff as primary staff on Sunday.</p>
66 <p>There is one paid cleaner in 6 days a week early in the mornings, mostly
67 toilets and floors, but not the kitchen.</p>
68 <p>AB spends most of his time in the office: email takes a lot of time (30+
69 a day, more on Mondays). Some is forwarded, but a lot is enquiries. This is
70 where all the Festival stuff comes in. At certain times of year that can be a
71 very time-consuming task. Fringe admin involves a lot of liaison work with both companies and
72 volunteers, as well as liaison 'upwards': with the Fringe committee and the
73 association of independent venues. Oversight of all the maintenance work, and,
74 for work that TN doesn't do, dealing with quotes/contractors/etc. CCTV, Lifts,
75 Doors, Dishwashers,. . . are all on contract. Recycling (which we pay for). Financial work: bills and invoices for the running of the Meeting
76 House. During building work, AB was involved with a lot of co-ordination. Chases all late payers for lettings. All the general practical correspondence.</p>
77 <p>While AB and SB are on holiday, some things are suspended (including most
78 email processing), but most work
79 gets done by the Assistant Manager. Obviously there is both preparation in
80 advance and extra work on return.</p>
81 <p>Quaker presence: Displays in the Foyer, keeping the website up-to-date, brochures.</p>
82 <p>We came back to the FTE question. 9am to 10pm 6 days a week open, plus 5
83 hours on a Sunday. HST pointed out that between SB&amp;AB working roughly
84 34/wk each, and TN doing 3 days a week, we are well over two 'permanent' staff,
85 in addition to the casual labour which is adjusted to meet demand. Cathy,
86 McCarron, Andrew
87 Farrar, Lee Marlow, Emma Dumment, Mike Stokes, Amy Naumann, Philip Davis are
88 all in for differing amounts of time.</p>
89 <p>MH asked if this was substantially different from how things were before
90 the Buxtons arrived. There is more staff, somewhat less lettings/other us, transfer of work
91 from Treasurer. Under-staffing does not seem to be directly responsible for any
92 reduction in lettings.</p>
93 <p>We will have to return to this when we come to the report, as the
94 question of sustainability of our current lettings/staffing/usage policy for
95 our discussion of options and their costs and benefits.</p>
96 </div>
97 <div>
98 <title>Form followup</title>
99 <list type="defn">
100 <item term="Lettings comparison">ES has gotten some more info re
101 smaller out-of-town sites, no large ones available. HST has this and will feed it in to the report.</item>
102 <item term="Quaker groups">MH has re-circulated an updated tabulation.
103 Library C'ttee will reply this week.</item>
104 <item term="Central Edinburgh">HST has circulated a tabulation of the replies, and is still working on copying the individual comments.</item>
105 <item term="Local meetings">PL has had replies from Midweek Meeting, East Lothian and
106 Central Fife, pretty much as expected. Kelso will reply this week.</item>
107 <item term="MH staff">PL has circulated a "discerned corporate response"
108 from a meeting of MH staff, as well as an individual one from AF.</item>
109 </list>
110 </div>
111 <div>
112 <title>First open meeting review and second open meeting preparation</title>
113 <p>A general feeling was expressed that the meeting went well, with a good
114 atmosphere.</p>
115 <p>PL and MH reported that the outlying meetings were generally positive,
116 appreciate the building and what was offered,
117 but not terribly engaged with the issue.</p>
118 <p>"We may be impartial, but we're not neutral".</p>
119 <p>We see no need for Monday's arrangements to be any different than
120 originally planned:</p>
121 <list><item>HST to introduce</item>
122 <item>LN to take notes</item>
123 <item>PL, MH, BM, ES will also attend.</item></list>
124 </div>
125 <div>
126 <title>Actions review and new actions</title>
127 <p>HST to circulate via email a proposal for report-writing responsibilities.</p>
128 </div>
129 <div>
130 <title>Next Meetings</title>
131 <p>Our next meeting will be at 7 Victoria Terrace at 5:30pm on Friday 15 May
132 [RR apologies]. We
133 tentatively agreed on Friday 29 May 5:30pm [apologies MH, ML] for our next (and final) meeting after that.</p>
134 <p>We currently expect HST, PL, BM, ES, AB, MH at Area Meeting in Fife on 6 June</p>
135 </div>
136 </body>
137 </doc>