Minutes of the Committee Meeting Tuesday 11 September 2012
Woodhouse Players
Minutes of the committee meeting Tuesday 11 September 2012
Welsh Church Hall 7.30pm
Present: Gill Taylor (Chair), Victoria Bettelheim, Jackie Withnall, Sharon Trotter, Jessie Greer, Vaughan Prosser.
Apologies: Robert Bettelheim, Jeannette Tucker
Number /Item
/ Discussion notes / decision / Action1 / Minutes of previous meeting / Action points remaining as listed. Other items on substantive agenda /
- Cheque signing – Jeanette / Vicky – still to be sorted
- Robert has switch room key; ensure key always onsite during performances
- Gill to track down & circulate Quinton’s number
- Jeannette – to investigate curtain materials
- Plastic tablecloth for FoH to be obtained
2 / Treasurer’s report / Jeannette not present / Jeannette to provide headline figures before next meeting
3 / Updates on shows
3a /
Goodnight Desdemona
/ Going well – props and costumes now sorted. Flyering to be arranged in Wanstead & Leytonstone 15/16 Sept. Still need additional stage crew3b / Voyage Round My Father / Rehearsals going well. All children now recruited. Posters/flyers should be available for second week of Desdemona (had been delayed because of need for photo of Son as a Boy).
3c / Snow White / Auditions Tues 2/Weds 3 October.
4 / Improving look of audience access when hall in reverse / (Raised by Ceri. Suggestion was that some form of curtaining should be erected in side-chapel when this was used for audience access by latecomers if hall was reversed.) Agreed that this was not a priority.
Separately agreed that there should be a database of hall/measurements. /
- Robert/Steve C-H to progress measurement database.
5 / Feedback from subgroups
5a / 30th Anniversary / Ideas included:
- A Cabaret/meal that was open to the public or former members/friends (with more rehearsal/quality control) (Sat 7 Dec was provisionally set aside for a cabaret night)
- A Memory-day for members past and present
- Making links with St Margaret’s Woodhouse Road (where the group was originally based).
- Building an archive
- Updating the Group’s history
- A 1980s party/Benefit night
- Articles in the local press – initial article seeking old members, followed up by article about the celebrations themselves
- Play-reading pubnights to focus on favourite plays from the Group’s past
- A Woodhouse-based quiz night
5b / Revising Constitution / Stuart and Mo were working on first draft of revised document.
Intention was to split Constitution into Constitution and Rules. Some rules would be capable of amendment by Committee, others would be subject to same procedure for change as Constitution. Result would be that the Constitution itself would be shorter. / Gill to contact Stuart and Mo re date for next meting
7 / Foyer & FoH arrangements / Agreed we should proceed asap with plans for Foyer curtaining and lighting (to be discussed with Robert) In addition:
- A new banner was needed to cover the Kids R Us sign outside the Hall
- A Permanent sign should be placed outside the hall
Tea/coffee (with larger paper cups and better-quality tea/coffee) - £1
Water – 70p
Cans of drink £1
Cakes to remain at £1/ 50p (according to size) A supply of bought cake should be kept in stock.
Sweets would not generally be bought (except for Panto). If we were to get them, a lockable box to keep them in should be bought.
Agreed that we should investigate buying and installing paper-towel holders for the gents & disabled loos.
Agreed we should buy ST disposal bags for the ladies’ loos and ask WCH to put disposal bins in all cubicles.
Agreed we should buy a First-aid kit and maintain an Accident book
Agreed we should keep a stock of long-life milk so that Directors did not have to keep buying milk for rehearsals. / Gill/Sharon to measure up for banner and sign. Gill to order banner and approach WCH re permanent sign.
Sharon to investigate local sign-painters
Vaughan to progress all these items.
8 / Proposal from Copped Hall / Jackie had followed up a contact from Copped Hall (near Epping), asking if we could do an event for children in summer 2013. Performance in the cellars – for age 7+, half an hour or so. Could be a promenade performance based on the history of the house.The financial arrangements were not clear.
Following discussion it was agreed this would not be a cheap or easy project and did not fit easily with our priority activities. / Jackie to get back in touch declining the offer for the time being
9 / AOB /
- Dates for 2013 had been circulated. Noted that September dates clashed with Baptists’ mission – but moving the performances forward would have knock-ons for later shows. Agreed that some at least of September performances should be outside WCH. Jackie noted that St John’s Church wanted us to do some performances there. Agreed that, if dates were suitable at lease some performances of September 2013 show would be in St John’s Church (play would have to be suitable for performance in a Church).
Next Meeting Tuesday 9 October