The meeting started at 7.30 am;
Members Present:
Eleven members were present for the first official meeting of the new year.
President:
Malcolm welcomed all attendees, He raised the following issues:
1. Breakfast costs: Discussions have been held with the host. Either the menu will have to be simplified or the breakfast charge increased, as we need to maintain a margin for guests.
Colin suggested a round figure of $30 to keep cash transactions simple, noting that any resultant profit can be offset against annual fees. You can see why we keep him as Treasurer! This was accepted unanimously. It will apply from next week.
2. Membership numbers: There is no sign that the trend of diminishing membership is going to reverse. This item prompted much discussion but not much by way of new ideas. The vexed issue of amalgamation was traversed. We heard that Mt Eden Club has four members with only one being active - hardly a prospect for growth.
The Community Group meeting has proposed a direct advertising campaign for new members. Our contribution will be some $500. There will need to be members standing by to respond to inquiries.
There is a proposal to have Tenby Powell address the wider group of clubs on his Ukrainian initiatives, sometime in April.
There may be some interest from Jazmax in the Gizmo's Garden project.
The Newmarket Club is in the process of merging with the Penrose Club. We may have to wait our turn!
Kathy noted that elsewhere, the Starlight project has attracted new members.
3. Starlight: Kathy reported on the positive feedback from Auckland Hospital. The teddies were a great hit. The Foodbank donation was well received. Musical instruments would be welcome.
Sargeant Colleen:
Nick got mentioned for having a letter get past the PC sensors at the Herald. Malcolm's alter ego was presented (Photo) and Stephen got sprung for stealing a Crimean War cannon.
We learned that the Sargeant is a (distant) relative of Ernest Rutherford, that famous American atom splitter! We also became wiser from a Mark Twain quote: "No amount of evidence will ever persuade an idiot"!
Three-Minute Speaker:
No speaker this time.
Main Speaker:
In an act of desperation, Stephen nominated himself as the speaker for this meeting.
He attended St Helliers Primary School. His family ran the local grocery store. The Tappers were a local catholic family with 13 children.
You could "capitalise" the family benefit in those days and get the deposit for a house. This, plus the State Advances loan meant most families had their own house, many of which they built themselves. The Tappers were off to a great start.
Stephen played for the local rugby team which won the Auckland Championship - the height of his fame!
Younger sister Lynda married a classmate, ran a couple of successful businesses, married into the Tapper family, and kept the books while the family business grew into a major transport enterprise.
Stephen's partner, Helen, is from Christchurch with links to a raft of well-known business families.
A major Fleming enterprise is the manufacture of earcandles.
There is a garden working bee the week after next.
The meeting closed at 8.25 am.
