Minutes of EGM June 200
Note: For data protection reasons names have been abbreviated on this on-line copy.
Rural-Web EGM 6 June 2008 The Scout Hut, Woodhouse Eaves
Members Present
RB RMn MC RN GE JO RMt BR BSApologies:
AHElaboration and Clarifications
The Treasurer provided a financial summary indicating net assets above liabilities of around £8k, though additional liabilities might yet surface.
The Chairman explained that the proposal to the meeting was in part anticipating that expenditure to renew parts of the network would be necessary if we continued and it might not be money well spent. The proposal allowed a controlled and orderly close down with time for members to make suitable alternative arrangements.
RMt thanked the activists for having created and maintained the service but also recognised that the committee are taking their responsibilities seriously by proposing an orderly close down.
AH had sent a message wishing that the club would continue. In fact some local ‘clusters’ may continue, using parts of the rural web network and the equipment already in place. The Chairman repeated the offer for Rural-Web equipment (in stock and recovered from member installations) to be used this way for members.
| RMn discussed a willingness to be supportive of AH in a Swithland network but there was also some discussion about the economics, did it make sense? RB and BS both indicated that they each expect to separately operate simple ‘sharing networks’ managed by them as individuals outside of Rural-Web There was some discussion about making sure that it is in fact legal to share /re-sell an internet feed. The committee has been careful in managing the technicalities of this to date and offers to advise any members wishing set up a sharing of feed as they change from using Rural-Web as a service provider. |
In relation to the proposal the following details were clarified.
- Rural-Web would not stop operating until Sept 30th. at the earliest. Members will receive service until then. The cessation of service thereafter may be patchy or phased depending on timings of decommissioning works (often requiring good weather) and commitments to suppliers.
- The club would not formally dissolve until 31 Mar 2009 to allow for an orderly financial close down (including vat and all liabilities). Any notable assets will be liquidated by some form of auction.
- It is anticipated that there will be surplus funds. It is for the club members to decide on the distribution of these funds. The committee proposes that truly surplus funds be channelled toward local community projects. A call for requests will be publicised soon with a deadline for replies of Oct. 31. There will then be a further EGM to vote on the directions of the funds.
| This meeting will be on Friday Jan 23rd on the Scout Hut at 7.30 |
- Members are entitled to have a refund of £40 plus vat when they leave the club and hand back their ‘on-loan’ equipment in good condition. We will welcome back any such kit but would also be thankful to any member who chose to leave their £40 in the club funds to boost the donation(s) to local projects. In considering this members may wish to take into account that no charge has been levied for service since summer 2007.
- Rural-WEB accepts responsibility for the removal of the nodes hosted in a few sites within the village and ‘making good’ any damage caused to the building. Generally, nodes and associated antennas etc. will be removed by Rural-WEB or its contractors. If any such equipment is, by agreement, left in place a written agreement will be sought from the host to the effect that they take over ownership and accept all future liabilities.
PROPOSAL
That Rural-Web will cease operating as a network on or after September 30th. 2008 and will cease to exist as a club on March 31st. 2009. Surplus funds will be directed towards local community projects.Rural Web will publicly call for requests (to be in for collation by October 31st. 2008) for use of these funds. Members will be able to vote for the weightings and directions of any donations at a specially convened meeting in January 2009.
Proposed JO
Seconded BS