2. Apologies for absence

Colin Eades, Kate Robertson, Donald Grassie

3. Register of interests

Checked & updated.

4. AGM

Chairman’s report was circulated prior to the meeting: All happy with the Chairman’s report

5. Approval of the Minutes of the Meeting of Directors on 17th May 2011

Link to the minutes, RO approved, AH seconded

6. Matters arising from the minutes of 17th May 2011 (and not covered in the agenda below).

AP4: safety workshops progress (LK): At least one of the Oban 2011 Day organisers, except for Day 5 attended a workshop prior to the event.

AP8: insurance (CM) in relation to field re-seeding: CM does not think BOF insurance will cover this. RL reported that the two farmers who had to do some remedial work after Oban 2011 assumed their parking/access fee would cover the costs.

AP12: ScotJos liaison: Ian McIntyre:  SOA Sport Scotland development funding is reducing by £10K per year from last year so little scope to continue Scotjos funding. LW cited SNH recent report on impact of outdoor activity on youth development. LW suggested that Scotjos support is something Elite director could look into.

AP1 – Colin Eades to consider how one of the squads could be given opportunity to raise funds within 6 day format.

AP13: EventScotland future funding (CM): CM reported that ES have agreed that Moray 2013 will be considered separately and not tied into 2015 event and WOC funding. Need to think about elements of Moray 2013 that we can approach ES to fund.

7. Oban 2011 (RL & RO & CM)

a) RL gave a general verbal report on the event. More in depth reports from COT members are on Huddle
Issues raised and discussed;

b) Scottish volunteers are stretched and the event highlights need to grow new up and coming event officials in Scotland. IM – said this is being discussed in the SOA and look to the 6 day company to provide the opportunity to give new comers chance to plan/organise/control a large event.  Needs succession planning. Clubs need to be encouraged to identify potential within their club and put them forward for roles.
IM : need a consistent approach to collecting info on who can organise, plan and control to what level. There is a controllers register and an organisers register too although not as well maintained as the controllers register.

c) Race bib discussion: LW provided background paper prior to the meeting on the issue arising at Oban 2011 Day 6.  LW proposed No Bib no go policy should remain but there should be some flexibility at start for eventualities like this.

AP2: Organisers Manual author to recommend start team have stock of blank spare bibs and safety pins and allowed to use their discretion to allow competitors without bibs to start especially if start is far from assembly field.  A charge for replacement bids will continue to be advertised (and kept at £4 per replaced bib).

d) Club allocation of monies (LW provided background paper prior to meeting)
There was some discussion around whether clubs should be left to agree the distribution between them for each day or whether the board should determine how the money is split, and if so how.  It was not known whether clubs have already agreed a split for Oban..  This needs to be checked and honoured if already agreed.  The Board’s role for future events should be discussed further at a later meeting.

AP3: KM to check with Donald Petrie what clubs have agreed so far.

e) EKOS survey (CM provided paper prior to meeting). Economic survey outcome compared favourably with Tay 2009 report.  Financial benefits to Argyll and Scotland on a par with Tay 2009. Wider benefits for UK also worth noting. There was some specific feedback on Event Scotland funded elements (e.g. Big Screen and GPS tracking) which on balance was positive.  CM noted that getting local businesses to tender for major aspects of the event is quite difficult and often contracts go to suppliers out with the area.

f) Summary reports from Controllers, Organisers & Planners were not discussed but;

AP4: Agreed all to take note of main points and re-visit these at future meetings.

8. Finance report

a) Oban 2011, including event levy (RO & KM): KM talked through provisional Oban 2011 accounts. Still some expenditure to go out and some costs for which grant funding has yet to be claimed. Overall the event is heading for a provisional £20K profit largely down to the extra public funding obtained via Leader and Event Scotland.
IM asked whether the company held a formal reserve?  No, but informally keep enough to hold an event if all else fails. We have chosen to spend some surplus on development items e.g. investment in new stakes this year.

b) New design stakes (RO): club distribution report provided prior to meeting; nuts at top (Loctite – or similar -to ensure they stay attached?)

AP5: RS to contact clubs to find out who needs adaptors for base plate. Plus advise on ‘glue’ to tighten nuts that have come loose.
AP6: Robin to purchase supply of plate adaptors for clubs to adapt all stakes where they have the new smaller S.I. units.

c) Lending Six Day Equipment for events in Scotland that are not formal SOA events e.g. WOC and JK?  Agree need to charge a fee that covers depreciation/wear and tear costs but no particular need to charge beyond this.  160 6 Day central units would be hired out. SOA clubs would not be charged. Use same mechanism for pooling 6 Day equipment from clubs as used for the 6 Days event.  Suggest 10% of value of 6 Day equipment hired :  Say £750. £2 per unit used. Provision for damages/losses.
AP7: Anne and Colin to draft a policy on the subject.

9. Moray 2013 (AH & GE)

a) Progress (including areas, publicity, event centre).
Areas are mostly in place.  Achagour will be extended across the road to Belivat.  One or two landowners still to be contacted for access etc.

Event centre: We have been offered RAF Kinloss, but it is still in limbo as to whether it will be available in 2013. As it is such an attractive location the COT decided to leave it until Christmas 2011 to make a decision. If it does not work out there are a number of community halls in Moray that would do the job.

No decision yet on whether there should be a campsite. There is another option which is to contract out the campsite e.g. Findhorn Foundation have expressed an interest.

Publicity – car sticker distributed Oban 2011.  Publicity launch planned for JK.

b) COT details

Almost all in place. To meet on 25th October 2011.

Copyright?  Where the area mostly involves existing club maps then copyright stays with club. If a new area then copyright reverts to SOA. But in Moray most areas have recently invested in their maps to keep them up to date and the Club are querying whether they should charge the event copyright for their use?

AH is concerned not all of the required skills will be available within the 2 COT clubs involved, particularly computer skills. It was suggested computer skills should be bought in as this is an area increasingly demanding professional know how.

Also need to establish what Event Scotland are prepared to offer 2013 soon and explore Leader (etc) since public funding will be increasingly hard to find.

c) Logo

Should 6 Day company have a standard logo design that is adopted by each event? If so, how much would the 6 day company want to dictate design vs COTs adopting their own design?  Discussion about central vs local control held over until next meeting.

10. 6 Day Event 2015 & WOC 2015 bid (AH, LK, LW & CM)

a) Progress update: report tabled before the meeting on meeting 15th September 2011
Dave Peel is event director. Mike Hamilton chair steering group. Martin Ward represents BOF board. Six Day Co. need to offer a rep for steering committee. Central organising clubs?, Co-ordinator?  Will be in INVOC territory so INVOC will most likely be one of the COT clubs. Perhaps paired with an Edinburgh club e.g ESOC?
Co-ordinator: Some possible names were suggested for AH to follow up:

AP8: LK appointed as 6 Day director rep on 2015 COT and AH as 6 Day rep on WOC Steering Committee.
AP9:  AH to invite INVOC and ESOC to be central organising clubs and to approach possible coordinators

b) Date for event: Saturday 8th August to Sunday 16th August 2015
c) WOC 2011: report from AH provided prior to meeting & CM (verbal)

11. Ethos: discussion held over till next meeting

12. Business plan: discussion held over till next meeting

13. SOA Professional Officer (CM)

a) Any business relevant to the 6-Day Company
b) Notes from meeting between CM, AH, LW & DG provided prior to meeting. No other issues noted at meeting.
c)

14. SOA Business relevant to 6-Day Company (IM)

IM to discuss with Robin O and Kenny on funding issues around professional officer post after the meeting.

15. ‘A Few Surplus Maps’ (LW)

a) Update regarding sales provided prior to meeting.  All to continue pushing sales for Christmas presents etc.
b)

16. Any other business

Meeting confirmed appointment of new directors:  Ross Lilley (Marketing and Sponsorship), Kenny Milton (Finance) and Colin Eades (Elite).

17. Meeting dates for 2011 and into 2012 (AH): 8 December 2011 (minutes – Robin Strain) and 15 March 2012

Meeting finished with formal thank you from the board to LW and RO (standing down from the board) for their contribution to the board over the years. LW was presented with a gift of a travel bag for which she thanked the board and said would come in very useful for her future plans that will likely involve quite a bit of travel.