Binary file 2026-01-19_AM/agenda.docx has changed

--- a/MHMC/2026-01-13/notes.txt	Fri Feb 20 18:50:37 2026 +0000
+++ b/MHMC/2026-01-13/notes.txt	Fri Feb 20 18:51:08 2026 +0000
@@ -1,15 +1,11 @@
 Meeting House Management Committee Minutes 2026-01-13
 Tuesday 13 January, 5.15 p.m., in 7 Victoria Terrace
 
-And then with Trustees from 6.15 to 6.45, if you can
+* Attendance: JP Ascher, Rachael Fitzgerald, Emma
+  Lawrence (online), Katrina McCrea (online), Sammi Searle, Henry
+  S. Thompson (HST), Andy Tucker, Duncan Wallace
 
-* Attendance: JP Ascher, Rachael Fitzgerald, Chris Jardine, Emma
-  Lawrence, Katrina McCrea, Sammi Searle, Henry S. Thompson, Andy
-  Tucker, Duncan Wallace
-
- [please let me know if you are prevented or need to attend via Zoom]
-
-  Prevented: Laragh Quinney
+  Prevented: Laragh Quinney, Chris Jardine
 
 * Matters Arising
 
@@ -19,8 +15,7 @@
     no calls came in
 
   * YFGM
-    *Action* on HST: Ask YFGM for feedback about other venues after the
-    upcoming visit.
+    *Action* on HST: Ask YFGM for feedback about other venues
 
   * Community Evening on Mondays
 
@@ -30,88 +25,124 @@
 
 * Convenor's report
 
-  * Welcome Emma Lawrence
+  * We welcomed Emma Lawrence as a new member of the committee.
 
 * Managers' report
 
+  * New Website
+
+  * New emails for 7 VT office and Managers
+
+  * Lift inspection
+
+  We *agreed* to authorise a further more detailed report on its
+  condition.
+
+  * Fringe let to CVenues
+
+  We *agreed* to authorise a CPI-based annual increment in the fee.
+  The lease needs to be clear about detail: e.g. uplift in April on
+  the basis of January CPI.
+
+  We *agreed* to encourage Hartley Kemp (HK) to explore Edinburgh
+  Council plan to use some of the upcoming Hotel Tax revenue as
+  funding for venue improvements
+
+  We *agreed* to tell Trustees about HK's interest in allowing alcohol
+  for sale
+
 * Financial Report
 
-  [slides to be circulated]
+  Slides attached as circulated
+
+  We *endorse* CJ's point 6.  Managers will meet with CJ shortly to
+  begin this process.  Forecasting is _always_ vulnerable to
+  unexpected events, but we can at least do better than the current
+  uniform division by 12 approach.
+
+  We are very grateful to CJ for his excellent report.
 
 * Works to be undertaken: Bow Room
 
-* Central Edinburgh Sunday fee
-
-  AM Treasurer has asked if we plan to change this. It's currently
-  £600.  Maybe it's time to ditch this meaningless paper transfer?
-
-  > Catriona suggests a 6% increase to Central Edinburgh, does that seem
-  > sensible?
-
-  > ---------- Forwarded message ---------
-  > From: Central Edinburgh Treasurer (Catriona Dickson)
-  > Subject: Re: Edin Quaker Meeting House use rates
-  > To: SESAM Treasurer (Jonathan Riddell) <se-treasurer@quaker.scot>
-
-
-  > Rent 2024@ £563.20 per month. Rent from Jan 2025 @ £600.00 per month
-
+  We have asbesto above the cupboard.  Demolition and refurbishment
+  survey?  And then remediation.  Recommendation is if building work
+  is planned then such a survey should be commissioned for the
+  relevant areas.
 
-  > That was approx a 6% increase. so maybe we could expect £636.00 per month
-  > from Jan 2026, but of course I would prefer no increase!
-
-
-* Staff escalation route if they need backup
-
-  The Minutes on this item from 2025-10-20 say:
+  There is an earlier "Management" survey, from 2009, and it included
+  the Bow Room: surface inspection of floor, wall and ceiling.  Three
+  possible risks were identified and subsequently either ruled out or
+  dealt with. It seems at least possible that the hole in the cupboard
+  ceiling was made after this.
 
-   Trustees asked us:
-
-    "we need ... an assurance from [MHMC] that staff have an
-   escalation route whenever they need backup. ... We are happy for
-   trustees to be on a reserve backup list in case no-one from MHMC
-   is available."
-
-  All we have at the moment is an informal phone tree: MHM -> MHMC via
-  HST -> Trustees via Martin Ward
+  We *agreed* to revert to the companies we've asked to quote for a
+  clear statement of the scope of the investigation they've already
+  done, the scope of the work they have quoted for, to do a
+  "Refurbishment and Demolition" survey of the Bow Room (or of the
+  whole building if that is more cost-effective).  If this involves
+  up-front expenditure up to £2,000 that is *approved*.
 
-  What SCALP gave us was more in the direction of how to behave
-  towards the police in a less than full-cooperation way.  But was not
-  really quite what we expected/hoped for for _building staff_.
-
-  De-escalation training!  RF to let us know more about this.
-
-* Policy/procedures for early booking arrivals
+  For the time being we will keep the news quiet
 
-  What is the policy wrt Friends opening the front door when they are
-  in the Foyer, there are no staff present and someone knocks or
-  rings?
+  [The situation was made public at Local Meeting via Notices on 18
+  January and at Area Meeting on 19 January]
 
-  This may arise if for example someone with a booking arrives more
-  than 15 minutes early, a tourist wants to ask questions or look for
-  Major Weir...
+  For the time being we will stop letting the Bow Room, in
+  anticipation of refurbishment.
 
-  This is clearly complicated, and begs the question of how a Friend
-  or Friends may come to be in the Foyer without staff.
+The following items were held over:
+  * Central Edinburgh Sunday fee
 
-  This interacts with the "be a welcoming place for SESAM" goal.
-
-* Policy for charges to non-SESAM Quaker bodies
+  * Staff escalation route if they need backup
 
-  We need to standardise on a more nuanced policy for e.g. YFGM, QiS,
-  NFPB, along the lines of covering costs (which is a lot if the MH
-  would otherwise be closed, nothing at all if staff would already be
-  present throughout, marginal cost for adding housr, requiring
-  flexibility about what room they end up in on the day, ...
+  * Policy/procedures for early booking arrivals
 
-  Does it matter if _none_ of the participants will be from SESAM?
+  * Policy for charges to non-SESAM Quaker bodies
 
-* Convenor of MHMC
-
-  HST demits office on 1 April...
+  * Convenor of MHMC
 
 * Date of next meeting
 
+  Tentatively Monday 2 March at 1715 in 7 VT
+
 * AOB
 
 * Time without staff
+
+* Joint session with Trustees
+
+  Joined by Treasue, AM Clerk, Mark Ballard, MW, Ian Robertson
+
+  HST shared the news about the Bow Room and requested confidentiality
+  for the time being
+
+  MW introduced Trustees' view of budgeting process and the goal of
+  the self-sustaining wrt the two 'businesses' of 7VT and Kelso.
+
+  Quarterly reports to Trustees about the state of things look like
+   being about right, but details are still being worked out.
+
+  MW on QiS: Keep communications going
+
+  Three pots of money from The Legacy: the buildings; other projects;
+  _quodlibet_ by competition; all subject to a business case with
+  respect to the work of the Church.
+
+  DW: Strategy formation and governance? Marketing? This needs time
+  over against maintenance...  Who should be driving this, as between
+  AM, Trustees and MHMC.  MHMC has much more engagement with the 7VT
+  building than all but one Trustee.
+
+  The Affordability Study provides useful starting points for that.
+
+  The budget highlighted how AM could (not) spend time on strategic.
+
+  As requested by CVenues, MHMC asks Trustees if they would
+  countenance allowing the sale of alcohol during the Fringe let.
+
+  It might be time to test this question with AM, against a background
+  of a shift in attitude towards the consumption of alcohol in
+  moderation, when the whole of 7VT is being let, and consumption is
+  part of having a drink with a show.
+
+