January meeting - new venue, new blood!

Minutes

Apologies
Adrian Colley
Present
Jemima Kiss, Barbara Wiseman, Fred Pipes, Linda Harrison, Abbey Bates, Peter Newman
The Nelson, Trafalgar Street, Brighton

1 Magazines and updates
Copies of January branch newsletter, Searchlight, Justice for Colombia, International Federation of Journalists newsletter, Free Press and the NUJ mail all made available.

Book branch news sheet and promo for new Rupert Murdoch book made available

2 Union information
Information given out on new pay database for reps.

Freelance wellbeing report made available. Another copy to be requested from head office for future reference. Is the full report available on the NUJ website?

Information made available on Freedom of Information Act.

3 ADM agenda
No amendments suggested. JK said a good motion would be that as a professional organisation, branch websites should be properly organised, supported and hosted with main NUJ site. Will have to wait until next year.

4 Delegates
As meeting is inquorate, decided to post details on website and ask members to vote. But then FP AB and PN arrived. LH put forward motion to nominate JK for ADM, seconded by FP. Rowan Dore, Fraser Addecott and Virginia Bridgewater also want to go, but were not present at the meeting.

5 New members
New members all approved: Samantha Hicks, Hastings Observer; Mark Baynes, freelance photographer; Katherine Simmons, East Grinstead Observer; Chris Pollard, Hastings Observer; Angela Peterson, Hastings Observer.
Temporary members all approved: Rupert Rivett, photographer; Sam Walker, photographer.

6 Tsunami
Request for donation towards media workers appeal in Asia. AB put forward motion for £75, LH seconded.

7 AOB
Is January newsletter on the website?

Pub: all agreed venue is great. Much more lively and sociable than Sussex Arts Club (SAC), but back room still quiet and roomy enough for meetings. SAC should be informed if we will not be meeting there for the time being.

Quiz - great idea. The Nelson's pub quiz is held every Tuesday, so we'd need to change the meeting day. All agreed that this should be OK. Members could be told that union meeting starts at 7.30, and quiz starts as 8.30.

Teams are of up to six people and it costs £1 per team to enter. Advised to arrive early to get a table. Prizes of cash and wine.

Next meeting should be Tuesday 15 February at 7.30pm.

JK also suggested looking at other social events for the branch, such as indoor climbing at Shoreham, theatre trips and more parties. AB is running the Hastings half marathon in March and JK suggested the branch should sponsor her.

JK said that she will modify the website to make it clearer how to post a comment, or sign in to post an entry.

JK thanked AB and PN for coming all the way over from Hastings for their first branch meeting.