MINUTES OF MEETING HELD ON TUESDAY, MAY 1ST 2007, 5:30PM
EXEC MEMBERS PRESENT: JAMES WOODROOF, JOANNA DINGLE
Clubs not recorded present: Athletics, Cheerleading, Golf, Karate Wadokai, Men's Rugby, Sailing, Windsurfing, Medic's Basketball, Medics Football, Medics Ladies' Hockey, Medics Rugby.
1.Dot Mobile
A representative from Dot Mobile introduced herself, Dot Mobile, and how you can raise money through sponsorship from the company for your club.
Something along the lines of, for every 5 people that join the mobile service you can get £150 for your club. You can also win a festival survival kit.
Contact Neil Dyer in Marketing or go on the website for more details.
2.Varsity
Congratulations to all those who took part. Cardiff won 17 and lost 5 sports overall. 5,110 watched the match in Arms Park.
3.Contact Sheets for new committees, budget request packs: please email them to PowellL@cf.ac.uk
Please return ASAP.
Welcome to new faces, next year's representatives - this is the meeting you will have to attend fortnightly next year.
Over the summer it is important that you sort out you Club's website so prospective students can have something to read and find out more about sports on offer.
Please complete contact sheets for new club committees/updated details so you can be contacted before the start of the season as well as throughout next year.
With regards to budget request packs - think about how much £ you will need for next year - it is important you don't undersell yourselves - we are striving to make sure that each club has coaches. But be realistic!
4.Risk Assessments - please email to PowellL@cf.ac.uk
Code of practice & risk assessment lists of clubs not yet returned (JW to attach/email ASAP)
5.Information portals/Corridors
The AU Corridor is arguably not used productively. An idea is to have information linked to the web that would direct new, prospective or future club members as well as current club members to their own websites to easily find information.
Mixed reception to this
A representative from Aikido asked 1) where would the money come from? (JW - from SU money set aside for 'building improvement') 2) If the money would be taken away from what would otherwise be given to clubs? (JW - No impact on club budgets).
JW suggested that the scheme could be tried in June, to see how many people use them/if they are a success.
There could also be smaller notice boards where AU Club events could be posted or sign up sheets.
A representative from Volleyball asked what would happen when you clicked on the portal? JW - the club would decide. Could be a link to the club's cardiffstudents.com site, or private site hosted elsewhere.
A representative from Sub Aqua pointed out that they thought that the list of clubs should be easier to read/clearer.
As most of the council know, a new website is due to be launched in July 'with Facebook integration and everything!' so the website promises to be much easier to navigate, use and upload information onto. JW - 'it will be fab'.
A representative from Snowsports said that their club had tried online sign ups, but it didn't work and a notice board was easier - so would there still be the facility for that. JW - yes. There would be room.
JW highlighted how some notice boards were currently VG, some very poor, and not a good advertisement for clubs to new, prospective sportspeople.
A representative from Sub Aqua enquired about having printed canvasses with sports photos on - a 'funky montage', for example. JW thought this was a good idea as we have a huge number of very good photos from sporting events throughout the year.
A representative from Aikido suggested that the website use more bracketeering for different types of sports as it is currently hard to navigate. JW agreed, saying it is probably the route we will go down.
Ed Jones (VP) mentioned that it is not necessarily essential to keep the wall between the corridor and the AU Office/3rd floor offices - it could be shifted, or could be something that is looked into…
JW said that we are looking at having screens showing rolling video footage as we have hours of film.
A representative from Squash requested help with the technical side of sorting a website as their club felt the AU were giving them high demands that were hard to fulfil when no one in their club had the skills to do it. JW reassured them that we have never before had a dedicated website staff member. Next year it could be possible to run website workshops as well as creating an 'idiots guide' and there would be potential for some serious 'Facebook integration'.
It was deemed that Council were fairly supportive. JW will look into the ideas.
6.STASH.
Kit is well known to be a nightmare for clubs with loads of different companies charging loads of different prices and clubs still not getting their kit until very late on in the year.
The suggestion is that the AU use one manufacturer for all training/generic kit to have it ready by October. Potentially sold in the Union Shop.
So the AU would buy in bulk, and clubs would by from the AU. The kit would remain the same for 2-3 years.
A representative from Sub Aqua asked about social clothing - that's all they really get and they like to change it every year, so under this scheme they would foresee lots of kit going to 'waste'.
JW mentioned this is in v early stages.
The kit could be delivered to club members' doors, and clubs would have a lot of input on what they wanted their kit to be like/how they wanted it to look.
Possible online payment.
Risk and hassle for individual clubs could be removed.
A representative from Motor sports asked if they would be able to get help getting their very specific kit through the Union? JW - yes.
JW stressed that this bulk buying would be for generic, training kit as opposed to playing kit.
A member of council asked if there would be the opportunity to have names and sponsors on kit? JW - yes.
Another member of council raised concern that getting kit takes long enough through a number of suppliers, wouldn't it just take longer if one company had to deal with requests for 1000 items of kit as opposed to just 50? JW - No. Plus, it could potentially halve the cost of training kit and 'casual wear' - benefit to students. However if clubs didn't agree that the price was right, they would be under no obligation to buy through the AU.
Follow model that Team Bath used, as well as learning from their mistakes/things that they found challenging.
JW - Would it get support? To be persuaded further? Yes. With feedback from JW at a later date.
7.Referees/Officials database - please email info to PowellL@cf.ac.uk
Reply ASAP!
8.Pro Evo Tournament
Sunday, Talybont Social, 1pm
9.Mountaineering Club Abseil down Psychology (Tower) Building.
10am-4pm this Friday.
10.Any other business?
1st Aid
A representative from Tennis asked if one member from each committee next year would need to be first aid trained again. If so, shall we leave room in budget to pay for this? JW - he expects that the AU will pay for one member, same as this year. To be emailed ASAP.
Minibus Licenses
A representative from Snowsports asked if there was the possibility to get members trained and taking their tests over the summer? JW - Yes.
Committee Training
A representative from Aikido questioned the relevance of some aspects of committee training and asked if we could make it more specific to types of clubs/BUSA/non-BUSA etc, if the training could be split.
Room bookings, basic info and logistical advice
A representative from Sub Aqua asked if there was somewhere where relevant information, for example how to book rooms and the like could be displayed - perhaps in the AU handbook?
Communication
JW asked Council how they had found communication this year.
A member of council asked JW not to encourage the use of Facebook!
Email/Facebook thoughts appear mixed.
JW highlighted the importance of having a good handover with your next year's committee - after exams. And reminded clubs to update their websites over the summer.
ENDS
