UCC Special General Meeting 18-12-2017 ====================================== Attendance: =========== Present: [DJF] Chris Forbes (President) [KEK] Arend Pramoko (Soc VP) [LDT] Roland Kerr (Ed VP) [AJT] Alex Thatcher (Treasurer) [ROB] Robert Hortin (Soc Officer) [DIE] Cam Locke (Ed Officer) [CFE] Zack Wong (OCM) [BIG] Nic Coetzer (OCM) [MLG] Grace Rosario [TFM] Thomas Miller [PJA] Peter Allnutt [NTU] Nick Bannon [CHB] Alden Bong [TAY] Taylor Home [LIB] Edward Kammann [LE@] Elliot Nunn [BOB] Andrew Adamson [TPG] John Hodge [*OX] Frames White [KAT] C. C. 'Blake' [CHS] Oscar Hermoso [TFD] Tim Davies ..... Jack Kay ..... Benjamin Slusarczyk ..... Lee Tze-Wen ..... Thomas Trenaman ..... Andrew Hortin Late Arrivals: [JWB] William Chesnutt (Fresher Rep) Apologies: [RYS] Ruisi Chen (Secretary) Agenda: ======= - 1. A discussion and vote to reduce the size of UCC committee - 2. A full re-election of all roles to fill the newly restructured committee - 3. General Business Meeting opened at 18:42 ======================= 1. A discussion and vote to reduce the size of UCC committee ============================================================ - [CHS]: I'd like to explain why the SGM was proposed in the first place - A lot of positions were elected by default - It would be beneficial to have the more active committee in exec roles instead of having them as officers or OCMs - Also lot of people a little disappointed with current committee - Not any committee member specifically - Low number of events run - Lots of finger pointing - 16 people backed SGM to reduce committee size - [BOB]: One of the reasons to revert to pre-2015 is that once we create a specific role people don't touch that area unless it's their job - Want to avoid pigeonholing tasks - Smaller committees resulted in better spread of tasks done > [*OX] proposes procedural motion to debate first agenda item > Passes - [CHS]: Raises amendments to proposed constitutional changes - Believes the changes made in 2015 to the structure of committee were beneficial - Has made personal amendments to proposed constitutional changes - Wishes to keep dedicated VPs but remove officers - [BIG] requests to have summaries of proposed changes - [BOB]: Total of 8 committee, 4 of which are exec - President, VP, Treasurer, Secretary - 3 OCMS, Fresher Rep - Wants dedicated positions for jobs that should have one person - Could direct at general meeting for OCM focus - [CHS]: Total of 8 committee, 5 of which are exec - President, Ed VP, Soc VP, Treasurer, Secretary - 2 OCMs, Fresher Rep - Wants dedicated positions for tasks that should happen - Wants 5 exec for approving purchases, etc. [LDT]: Big difference is number of exec/non-exec - Event related concerns - Weren't really a factor pre-2015 with lower balance of exec - Is now harder to make things happen with less exec, e.g. camp - UCC tends to be relatively mature in its operational skill requirements, beyond first/second year members - Older member-base who aren't first time students makes fewer exec worth considering - Have been concerns about traveling too far from student focus - Not personally worried but have noticed it - [TAY] expresses desire to move to debating agenda item as opposed to general debate about [CHS]'s amendments - [BOB]: Numbers matter on whether we want [CHS]'s amendments - [LDT]: Should stay in general discussion so can find out what change people want before working it out - [BOB]: Old guard does a lot for the club, so encourages doing what we can to look after old guard - [*OX]: Taylor is right that we have one motion to change the constitution - And then intent to make ammendments to the motion - [DIE]: We use the stack - Vote on [CHS] ammendments - Then vote on motion - [BOB] wants proceedal motion to show of hands of who wants which version - [CHS] wants to allow debate of ammendment - [CHS]: Have seen somewhat a death of student wheel members - Active daily culture of wheel has decreased in clubroom - Hackathons use to be had - Tech talks - Definitely a different culture - Afraid of electing new committee full of gamers, etc. - Club loses focus - By keeping a dedicated Education position on committee, we constitutionally delegate a task of keeping education a priority in the club - [BIG]: Having a dedicated ed vp is same as general committee positions and a constitution that mandates advancing comp sci - Issue is not removing members of committee who do not fulfill requirements - [ROB]: Should elect committee member per event for social events - [TAY]: Having been on committee without direct portfolio for events etc. - Has been successful - Not a need of change of structure - [TAY]: 5 exec does not address core issues brought up - Reducing to 8 doesn't affect the issues - People being bad at jobs isn't solved by less members - [CHS]: We shouldn't have people who are more active are in lower roles - [TAY]: people are in lower roles because not eligible - Current officers are not eligible exec - [NTU]: One has more named positions, pigeonholed for one positions - Possible to have a lot less - Some have no named positions before voting in - Assigns positions after election - [BIG]: Would assume reducing number of members doesn't fix it - Going off actual meeting, happens to be people stepping up rather than actual wanting positions - More people who want to be there - Committee members not actually doing job, just filing positions - [TAY] Most issues were with exec, removing lower positions doesn't help people wanting position - [BIG] agrees - [MLG]: Previous constitution was working (pre 2015) - [CHS]: Club has changed so might not work now - [PJA]: Need to take into account uni policy has changed, etc. - [TAY]: No changes needed re: guild, have looked through - [TPG] asks if anyone has open issues - None > [DIE] motions to use [CHS]'s amendments (as listed above) as the discussed > constitutional changes > [BIG] seconds > Motion fails > [JWB] arrives 19:10 > [TAY] motions for amendment to amendment: 9.6 to read "6. Any financial > members of the Club may vote for the positions of Committee members." to be > in line with guild policy. > [CAM] seconds > Motion passes > [NTU] leaves 19:26 - [CHS] proposes motion to replace one OCM with an education officer as a non-exec position in the proposed changes. > Discussion: [CHS]: Keeps advantage of less exec, but has constitutional focus on education [BOB]: Club in general meeting can elect a general member to focus on something - Should do so in policy to avoid having to submit to department of commerce - [CHS]: OCMs votes tend to be measured just by how many friends people have - Members good for ed might not be voted into a general position due to popularity vote - [DJF] thinks being able to elect people individually is good idea and have policy to specify OCM allocation - [BIG] could specify OCMS job is to be ready to do all jobs - [BOB]: Don't need to elect all OCMS at once, you could split up the OCM election to encourage one of the slots to be taken by someone enthusiastic for education - this does not need to be mandated by a constitutional change - [ROB] prefers members who want to be in a position rather than if they'd be good - [TAY] explains value of wide areas of expertise and asks members (in respect to unigames) - You don't need to be good at ed, you need to be good at finding someone to teach it - [LDT] disagrees, thinks he can communicate with people, does not think it has worked out - The most effective tech talks that have been run by ed this year have been well known my [LDT] - [PJA]: More flexible spot prevents problem of needing someone not enthusiastic for role filling - Would rather have no ed officer and 3 ocms rather than unenthusiastic ed officer and 2 ocms - [CHS] members don't want to deal with indivudal OCM votes - [BIG]: Can't be worse than this meeting - Applause > [CHS] motions to replace one OCM with an education officer as a non-exec > position in the proposed changes. > [TPG] seconds > Motion fails > [*OX] moves procedural motion to restrict further debate to bob's amendment > and to name those who stray as being off-topic. > [TPG] seconds > Motion passes > [BOB] runs through the proposed changes to the constitution > [BOB] moves a special resolution to accept proposed constitutional changes on block > [JWB] seconds > Motion passes 2. A full re-election of all roles to fill the newly restructured committee =========================================================================== - Second agenda item is invalid as new constitution is not in effect at time of SGM [*OX]: Could issue a directive to committee that committee positions act in accordance with duties of future roles in constitution - Other positions to act in good faith to allow other committee members to fulfill new constitution - [BOB] raises question of Chris's eligibility as president - [DJF]: University made [DJF] unable to remain full-time student - [TAY] constitution 9.3 states only need to hold studentship, and a deferred student counts as student - [DJF]: If had any intention to not be student, would have stepped down - [TFM]: At one point [CHS] said he would put himself forth as positions, would do same for specific positions > [CAM] motions to suspend standing orders such that all of committee is removed > through a vote of no confidence > [*OX] seconds > Discussion: [DJF] states dissolving of committee would be reckless move - Would go against running smoothly > Motion fails - [CHS]: Asks for expressions of wanting to resign - [RYS] has sent in notice of resignation Election of Secretary: ---------------------- - [CHS], [JWB], [TFM] nominated, all accept - [CFE] nominated, rejects Questions: [DJF]: Would you run for other positions - [CHS]: Everything but president, frep - [JWB]: NOPE - [TFM]: All except president, frep [DJF]: Above question, but next year - [CHS]: Will have to see haven't thought ahead, can see being somewhere on committee - [JWB]: Anything except pres/frep - [TFM]: Anything except pres/frep, not great on ed/tech, gladly on all other positions next year [TAY]: Looking to go for executive, and willing to go lower, or don't mind? - [CHS]: All-in for the club, wants to look for position vacancies, happy to be OCM if the rest of committee is good - [JWB]: Same - [TFM]: Same [BIG]: Do you need to be on committee to do what you want to do? - [CHS]: Has tried to stick fingers into everything - No, but would help a lot - Need to be on committee for minutes - [JWB]: Don't gotta, but helps a lot - [TFM]: Wants to have votes in committee meetings to encourage better decisions by committee as a whole [TAY]: Biggest things that are going to happen is o-day and fresher welcome, how much time and effort to put into it? Would you do it singlehandedly? - [CHS]: Time-wise, still going to be working, but have been in clubroom frequently since about June, have enough time to contribute in full - Have written fresher guide in full before - No doubts in my ability to do it - [JWB]: Has never been involved, willing to put a lot of work, not prepared to do singlehanded as doesn't know workload - [TOM]: Scenario where someone has to do singlehandedly is a sad position for club, but have plenty of spare time to put effort in, work during semesters so spare time until then Questions closed > [CHS] has been elected as Secretary [BOB] leaves 20:40 [MLG] leaves 20:40 > [JWB] motions to thanks [RYS] for work as secretary > Passes by unanimous clapping ======================= Meeting closed at 20:41 Minutes taken by [AJT], edited by [CHS] Minutes uploaded by [CHS] at 11:54 on 2018-01-11