[H-GEN] agm agenda

David Seikel onefang at gmail.com
Thu Aug 31 02:39:11 EDT 2006


At this point I feel the urge to speak for myself.  B-)

On Thu, 31 Aug 2006 16:10:37 +1000 Elspeth Thorne
<elspeth at thorne.id.au> wrote:

> James Iseppi wrote:
> >
> >Ok, fair enough, but clearly the definition of reasonable differs
> >between different groups of people. I'm aware that David on the
> >current exec doesn't mind late meetings, and assuming I were
> >elected, I don't mind staying later either. I'm sure David and I are
> >not the only 2 people who stay later, as i frequently see other
> >members attending up to and beyond midnight.
> >  
> >
> I'm pretty sure he minds the lack of transport that late at night
> when he has to haul the humbug equipment around, though.

I have to haul my own equipment around, and most of the time I can
arrange transport home from the generous membership, even when I don't
also have to lug around the meeting equipment.  Only twice have I had
to get a taxi home with the meeting equipment.  If someone else is
driving me door to door, then it doesn't matter to me how much
equipment I have.

What I mind is the trip to HUMBUG with the exec equipment.  I prefer to
walk to HUMBUG when I have only my own stuff, but that's not possible
with the extra load of meeting equipment, so I have to either take the
bus, or pay for my own taxi.  Since the taxi to HUMBUG is entirely my
own choosing (I could take the bus), I don't ask HUMBUG to pay for
that.  On the bus, there is the bus change over in the city, which is a
block and a half walk no matter where I do it, then there is a two
block walk from the UQ bus stop to the meeting room, longer if we are
meeting in an alternative room.  I just recently moved, from my old
place the bus left from only a hundred meters away.  From my new place,
it's a three block walk.

On the other hand, when this new bridge opens, there will be other
options, as there are late night buses from West End that go to the
city, where other late night buses go all over.  These buses run to at
least 2:30AM.

> Which brings up another point: even though travel is now reimbursed,
> it is probably preferable for an exec member to have access to private
> transport of some description. And if such an exec member is packing
> up on a given night, it is reasonable to expect them to be able to
> judge whether they are safe to be in control of a vehicle, and call
> an early end to the meeting without being whinged at. This is a way
> of formalising that - by allowing extended meetings when and if
> desired, but changing the default to a shorter meeting. And yes, I
> know that other members attend up to and beyond midnight - I'm one of
> them.

On a personal note, I'm all for optionally keeping the meeting going
until late if the person in charge of the meeting is agreeable.  Even
when I'm not in charge, I prefer to stay until late.  Having just spent
most of the year all but single handedly running HUMBUG, I would
like to see a return to exec members evenly sharing the work load.
Like we did a few years ago when I was Vice President.

At the last exec meeting Scott Wilson offered his services as the
person to cart the meeting equipment around.  We agreed that he might
as well run for office with the AGM so close.  If he becomes an exec
member, then I suspect that this entire debate becomes irrelevant.  At
least for the next twelve months.

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