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Minutes of the Annual General Meeting of the Queen Margaret Union 2014

1. Sederunt: S. McFadden, E. Jewson, C. MacInnes, L. Hinton, L. Fraser, T. Frost, C. Dobson, M. Schwab, C. Owens, E. Boldry, C. Wasswa, P. MacDonald, R. Dobson, K. Anderson, Y. Lloyd, S. McFarland, A. Stearn, L. Bennie, S. Briscoe, B. McBride, LA. Potterfield, A. Begg, E. Käkelä, E. Murphy, A. Mulcahy, C. Angus, A. Nicholson, C. Varela-Sixto, S. Rivera, E. Anderson, J. Taylor, C. Barker, I. French, C. Davies, A. Osborne, K. Simmons, T. Kelly, R. Simpson, L. Kane, S. Patterson, C. Steven. M. Sefton. 2. Apologies: None. 3. Minutes from the last Meeting TK: Are we quorate? CM: There is no quoracy for AGMs, only for an EGM – for which we would be quorate. CO: Have we been enforcing the constitutional amendment of referring to B. McBride as bateman.gif? - Noted. KA: Did we look at new banking options? - The decision was made to continue with RBS but […] accounts. SMcF: I was misquoted in 6.3, I mean that Events Convenor needs support. Proposer – K. Anderson Seconder – S. McFadden PASSED

The chair is passed to E. Jewson. It is proposed that the Report of the Honorary Treasurer is moved to point 2 on the Agenda.

Proposer – C. MacInnes Seconder – S. McFadden PASSED

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The chair is passed back to C. MacInnes. 4. Report of the Honorary Treasurer: [All report answers given by report presenter – as designated by ‘-‘ unless otherwise stated.] T. Murphy reports that auditors gave a clean bill of health. In the year 2013 the Union saw a surplus of £28,545, the prior year it saw a surplus of £26,866. The expenditure has dropped by around £80,000.

A. Begg leaves. If the income continues to decrease, we must cut expenditure by cutting the services we provide. We must focus on providing those services that members want to use. It is noted that we are in financially uncertain times. The Union needs to attract members and provide services that they want. KA: Why is expenditure on heat and light up by 50% from 2012/2013? - This has been a year of increases. We pay the University, who in turn pay our heat and electric bill. This building is also not designed for independent heating. CM: Over the summer we will work on the heating. TM: Catering and other areas show substantial decrease on the year before due to building works from July 2013 to December 2013.

A. Begg, M. Sefton, C. Varela-Sixto arrive. TM: We want to increase the income rather than decrease the expenditure. TK: The cost of our events in 2012 shows a surplus. AN: Why don’t we treat our events as a department? - Because it has a knock-on effect on other departments and it is influenced by the Events Committee.

S. Rivera arrives. Vote of thanks for T. Murphy Proposer – E. Jewson Seconder – S. McFadden PASSED

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5. Report of the President: AS: In point 1.5, what would you have done differently? - I would have focused on what I saw as the ‘main’ things. L. Hinton has great ideas on sustaining membership and campaigns. There needs to be a focus on promoting the value of membership. BMcB: How is this possible if people can come into the building without having to provide any proof of their membership? - This was discussed by the Board of Management. We need to focus on the value and incentives on membership, emphasising on the positives that it adds. CO: How many members do we have? - Around 3,500. AN: How are membership numbers at the GUU? Do they have better figures or is there a general apathy on campus? EJ: They’ve seen a similar reduction. - We don’t always get the full story, but it is very similar. It is complicated and nuanced. The ban on opening membership during Freshers’ Week is proposed to be lifted. AS: Do you think the responsibilities currently under the General Manager’s remit should be taken over by the President? - What the role of the General Manager entails is so much more than what is on the remit – some are not even the General Manager’s responsibilities. It is not our job to run the day to day of the Union.

E. Anderson enters. - It is more important that a good relationship between the elected Board and the General Manager is maintained to ensure the smooth running of the Union. LAP: Are CSRs ensuring that the work is done? - CSRs oversee the Union. Projects are a good idea and should continue to go forward. It should not be a one size fits all, there is not an arbitrary amount of work that we can assign. The board is a team and it should follow a common strategy. EM: Have Board meetings become less about telling on people and more about productivity? - Yes, I feel better, especially since New Year. The Board is working together to build a better working relationship. AS: How should we liaise with the University and the cross campus Boards regarding the campus redevelopment?

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- This is still in the very early stages. We can, however, have an input. The University’s Estates and Buildings Department has invested a lot, and my hunch is that the University wants us to stay in this building for as long as possible. CA: Why should the President rather than the General Manager chair the staffing committee? - The General Manager reports to the Executive Committee. It is appropriate for the President to chair it. SMcF: The General Manager chairs the staff consultative and the managers’ meetings. -We are on the right side. Vote of thanks for C. MacInnes Proposer – C. Owens Seconder – A. Mulcahy PASSED 6. Report of the Honorary Secretary: SMcFar: Regarding International Women’s Week, how involved were you in the preparation, etc.? - I acted as a facilitator for the Union, and also helped in the running of the night sometimes. SMcFar: Campaigns and Charities? - There is scope for the Committee to be involved. TK: When is the email system going to be fixed? - It is being fixed now. AS: Should the Honorary Secretary position be reformed and its powers and responsibilities devolved? - No, there is not enough work to justify that. The role is fine, this year’s result has been a mixture of personal failings. AB: Should we focus on building Life Members from now onwards? - Yes, they are useful, and will be a great resource in the future. AS: Should we then look at what we offer to Life Members? - Yes, they want news, not cheap entry to a clubnight. EM: What should the life membership system be? - We have to decide why we want life members. CM: Improvements to our IT infrastructure will make possible to get an improved system in place over the summer. The current system works, but needs a better infrastructure.

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TK: Can we grant access to halls for Helpers during Freshers’ Week? - This is still under discussion. Vote of thanks for E. Jewson Proposer – S. McFarland Seconder – T. Kelly PASSED 7. Report of the Honorary Assistant Secretary: SMcFar: How was our election process in regards to turnout and PR? - I don’t know the exact impact of PR. We filled all 1st year seats. However, the turnout was lower than last year. This seems to fit into the downward trend that we’ve been seeing for a while. I think this is due to a mix of factors, and that we should think about our membership system and how it can help with our elections. AB: Why did people drop out from the election, and how can we change it? - There were 2 dropped/withdrawn nominations. I spoke to both and they cited personal reasons. I don’t think this is a systematic problem. Maybe it could benefit from a longer nomination period, of two weeks. TK: Why is there no one at the AGM? - It was advertised through Facebook and somewhat in the building. Otherwise there wasn’t much PR. AN: Quoracy was dropped as a requirement for this very reason. This problem is as old as time. EM: Did you promote election related posts on Facebook to reach a wider audience? - No. AB: Use promoted posts next year. They’ve proven useful for qmunicate. - I am looking into a better communications strategy. BMcB: At the moment, it feels like when a Board Member is disciplined, the options are either a Vote of No Confidence, or no action taken against them at all. Should reprimands and censures be used better? - I am reformatting the CBP sections that touch on Board Discipline to ensure it is in line with employment disciplinary procedures. At the moment, a ‘misconduct’ charge includes offenses such as ‘being a fud’ or failing to meet committee quota; and a charge of ‘gross misconduct’ refers to offenses that endanger our license. Disciplining people is hard because of the weird social/professional nature of the Board, but the summary charges need to come from the Honorary Assistant Secretary and I don’t think there is any other better way to enforce Board Discipline.

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KA: What are we going to do about Scran? - There were differing opinions about its format at the beginning of the year. It was maybe too formal when it opened, so small measures were taken over the course of the year. I think we need newer ideas and a better promotion of what we offer generally. KA: We should do takeaway food. AN: How is our wifi situation? Would we be able to do like other clubs and allow people to check in on their Facebook, and get their picture taken by a photographer…? - Our wifi has very recently been sorted. We should be ok to do all of those things now. JT: Going back to discipline. Your report says that you sometimes get sad, and that’s sad. Is there any way to change this? - It’s the price to pay for a fair, confidential procedure. Authority is hard. CA: There has been a good switch from ‘how’ to ‘why’ in Board training. Should the board get bar training so that they better understand the working of the Union? - Licensing training is important. AN: Maybe it would be interesting to get the police to come and deliver licensing training? - I’m looking into it. 8. Report of the Convenors of the Current Student Representatives: AS: You talk very positively about the projects system on the whole. EB: They are good. Very useful to take some pressure off people, which can be a positive step. LAP: Without projects, how can you ensure that CSRs are doing their job? Is the star chart system appropriate? Should this be specified in the job descriptions? AS: Claire, what is your opinion on star charts? CD: They are a good tool to recognise the good stuff. I’ve had very positive feedback about them. AS: Should the role of CCSR be more formalised? EB: It works quite well with its current flexibility. CD: You need some experience to take on the role. Vote of thanks for all CCSRs (K. Simmons, E. Boldry, C. Dobson) Proposer – M. Schwab Seconder – C. Owens PASSED

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9. Report of the Campaigns and Charities Convenor: LB: Do you know why a lot of ideas were not taken forward despite there being willing volunteers? - I lacked motivation. I also wasn’t good at delegating and communicating. At times I felt like I wanted to quit, especially after the Christmas period. CM: How can the Executive and others help? - There is a lack of a solid basis to form campaigns. EA: Why do you think committee attendance dropped so sharply? - It fell particularly after Christmas, and I didn’t act to rectify it. TK: Should we implement a checklist for campaigns, limiting it to one per semester? - I think that would be too restrictive. SMcFar: See Me was not signed in Semester 1. CM: You take a lot of responsibility, but others, including the Executive, can help. LB: The PR for condoms was really good. The failing was due to the way the committee was run and not the committee itself. - Correct. SMcFar: Is there not a Dialectic Rep on Board? EM: It was me for the first 6 months, so a lot of the blame lies with me. BMcB: Why did you decide to continue despite not enjoying doing the job after Christmas? - I didn’t want to resign and leave the Union in such a position. CO: The Dialectic society do not have a monopoly on debates, there are plenty people that hold events without them. AO: Will the SRC Bring RAG week back? - Their election manifestos hinted that they will, yes.

S. Patterson enters. LB: Jailbreak has not been successful as in the past. Why? - RAG week was a major drive for its past success. BMcB: Should we incentivise C+C volunteers? - I don’t think we should do it the way it’s done with Tech Team (through vouchers), but by giving them graduate attributes.

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AN: The QM should be the political and social Union, and for that we should mesh with the members. - I think we need better PRing of committees in general. PMcD: Could the recognition of QM fundraising be enhanced? - No. CM: Yes, actually. There needs to be compromise. Vote of thanks for E. Käkelä. Proposer – L. Bennie Seconder – K. Anderson PASSED 10. Report of the Events Convenor: EM: What is your opinion on non-club events such as the Superbowl? - I think they are called for, and they have proven to be a massive success in the past. KA: Considering the widespread pre-drinking habits and that students are tight on money, should we make entry to our club night free? AN: Not many clubs in town charge for their nights. Is the QM competitive enough? - We are competitive, but we could investigate to some extent. LK: The QM has two events departments that need to justify their spending. Should this be reformed? CM: We are discussing reforming it presently. AN: Should we treat events the same as Board-run events? - It is a possibility. JT: Why is the engagement so low in events such as Where’s Wally and Wild Wild West End? - I’m not sure. AS: Do you think that people are behind the idea of Snack Crackle and Pop? - A lot of people did not see the reasons for the change in the club night. AN: We’re in a bad position. A lot is outwith our control. Other companies have gone bust. We have to adapt, reflect, and change, but these issues are not unique to us. LK: Do you think the QM is starting to lose its identity? What are the three things that people should think when they think of the QM? CM: As someone who’s only been involved as of recently (board-wise), I think the QM is not a place with its own identity as much as one that lets you have your own identity.

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TK: I produced a document calling for a redesign of the Union. We need it to have a more standardised identity. We have not sufficiently addressed the identity issue. - I agree. We need to make a good impression. Vote of thanks for Y. Lloyd Proposer – E. Murphy Seconder – S. Rivera PASSED 11. Report of the Publications Convenor: KA: Since we had lots of left over handbooks, did we give them away at open days and such? - We’ve somewhat done this, but it wasn’t a priority of mine. KA: Could they be used as a ‘prospectus of the year’? - That was my intention when designing them. EM: Have we entered the magazine in any awards? - I over sighted this, but we definitely should in the future. LAP: Why did we decide not to put the Handbook inside the SRC giveaway bags? - There were more bags than Handbooks. AS: Could there be any assessment of who reads the magazine? - This would be easier done online. We should better incentivise distribution shifts so that our print edition reaches as far as possible. TK: Could we consider more colour and ad revenue through the sponsorship that B. Blackstock has managed to give us? - Certainly. AN: Are we tapping into other resources rather than just Tennent’s? -Yes, B. Blackstock has been instrumental in this. AS: Should we focus more on giving qmunicate an identity? - I think we should focus on making the magazine more campus-centric. TK: How do you evaluate that Publications Committee offers students a more tangible outcome or reward? - I think this is vital to the role of the committee. BMcB: Have we been making a distinction between online and print? - Yes, it is considered on a case-by-case basis.

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Vote of thanks for A. Begg Proposed – Y. Lloyd Seconded – M. Sefton PASSED 12. Report of the Social Convenor: SB: Should we consider rewards for the effort of committee members, especially karaoke? - It should be an ongoing review of appraisal. Everyone loves karaoke but no one wants to host it. BMcB: How can we balance between ownership of events and committee involvement? - Delegation is important, but the committee this year remained vocal and active. BMcB: Should hosts chair parts of the committee? - Yes, somewhat. LB: Is a lack of tech training a barrier to hosting karaoke? - Yes, but it is very easily rectifiable. AN: Should we consider a move of karaoke? - There are ongoing discussions about this. TK: BWNPQ faced PR issues. There was almost no advertising in Semester 1. - In term 1 it was the work of the leftie, who did as much as they could and it was appreciated. Our social media has improved. SB: Regarding committee attendance, should some people be required to attend committees? - There are agreements with the hosts. It is hard to justify work in a meaningful sense. MS: Are some events successful because of individuals? - Absolutely. Committee members can drive and build events. EA: How did you perceive the collaboration between social and C+C? - There is scope for it. I regret not pushing more of it this year. Vote of thanks for A. Stearn Proposer – B. McBride Seconder – S. Briscoe

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PASSED 13. Announcement of the Election of the Executive Committee: President – Lauren Hinton. Honorary Secretary – Yasmynn Lloyd. Honorary Assistant Secretary – Jack Smith. 14. Announcement of the Election of the Members of the Board of Management: Campaigns and Charities Convenor – Emma Anderson. Events Convenor – Tom Frost. Publications Convenor – Max Sefton. Social Convenor – Patrick MacDonald. Current Student Representatives – Calum Barker (12 Months), Celia Varela-Sixto (12 Months), Jack Taylor (12 Months), Rachel Dobson (12 Months), Lesley Fraser (12 Months), Roanna Simpson (6 Months), Kelsey Mills (6 Months), Chris Steven (6 Months), Peter Dobbins (6 Months), Cameron Frew (6 Months). Former Student Member – Kirsty McLeish. 15. Nomination and Election of the Honorary President: 5 nominations: A. Begg, A. Stearn, E. Boldry, E. Murphy, S. Briscoe. Votes cast. A. Stearn deemed elected. 16. Nomination and Election of the Honorary Vice-Presidents: 7 nominations: A. Begg, S. Briscoe, T. Kelly, A. Mulcahy, E. Murphy, K. Simmons, E. Boldry. Votes are cast. A. Begg and E. Murphy deemed elected. 17. Nomination and Election of Honorary Life Members: 8 nominations: Paul Ross, Andy McLeish, Craig Hennan, Tony Watt, Anthony McConachie, Emeli Sandé, Bill Blackstock, Simon Neil.

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Votes are cast. Paul Ross, Andy McLeish and Emeli Sandé deemed elected. 18. Nomination and Election of the Honorary Treasurer: 1 nomination: Terry Murphy. Proposer – S. McFadden Seconder – E. Anderson DEEMED ELECTED 19. Nomination and Election of the Auditors: 1 nomination: Alexander Sloane Ltd. Proposer – E. Jewson Seconder – A. Begg DEEMED ELECTED 20. Nomination and Election of Solicitors: Motion to empower the Executive Committee to select at a later date. Proposer – S. McFadden Seconder – E. Murphy PASSED 21. Nomination and Election of Bankers: 1 nomination: RBS Proposer – E. Jewson Seconder – L. Fraser DEEMED ELECTED 22. Constitutional Amendments: 22.1 Constitution Section VII: Equality and Diversity: Proposer – C. MacInnes Seconder – E. Jewson

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CM: This is to ensure that we have a more proactive approach to Equality and Diversity. We hope this will encourage a more open, welcoming atmosphere in the Union. Some of the particular points to note:

– It covers gender as well as sex. – It has a defined complaints procedure. – Its narrow definition protects from different kinds of discrimination. – Does not apply to staff in their terms and conditions of employment.

BMcB: ‘Protected characteristics’ is a loaded term. It should be replaced with ‘any’. CM: It is not intended to be loaded, it reflects the language of the EU Recommendations.

B. McBride proposes that Paragraph 3 be brought forward to Paragraph 1, with the rest of the amendment remaining the same. It would make sense to define the terms used throughout the section at the beginning.

CM: It would be better if Paragraph 3 be brought forward to Paragraph 2 than Paragraph 1.

B. McBride proposes that Paragraph 3 be brought forward to Paragraph 2, with the rest of the amendment remaining the same. Seconder – S. Briscoe PASSED

SB: How do we define gender? CM: Gender is a catch-all term. If we attempt to narrow the definition, it might become exclusive. This is future proofing. TK: In regards to point 3.1(g), what about philosophical beliefs that contradict our own discrimination rules, particularly in relation to clubs and societies? CM: The Board can decide in regards to affiliation and use of the building. It commits the Board, not the members. It is not a license to tell people what to think. KA: Should the term ‘gender’ be changed to ‘gender identity’. SB: Gender identity would be apt. People this applies to might be more comfortable with the term ‘gender identity’. SMcF: So, gender identity encompasses gender, but gender does not include gender identity? KA: Exactly.

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K. Anderson proposes that all instances of the word ‘gender’ be changed to ‘gender identity’. Seconder – S. Briscoe PASSED

TK: Political beliefs are no longer covered. CM: Philosophical beliefs encompasses political beliefs. The Board should continue to work on this. It should be changed over time, and additions can be made through Bye-Laws. SMcF: Any other issues? None. C. MacInnes proposes Constitution: Section VII: Equality and Diversity, with two changes to the original text

Paragraph 3 is brought forward to Paragraph 2. All instances of the word ‘gender’ be replaced with ‘gender identity’.

Seconder – E. Jewson PASSED 22.2 Gender-Neutral Language in the Union’s Legal Documents: S. McFadden proposes that all instances of gendered language in the Union’s legal documents be changed to gender-neutral language, e.g.: all uses of the words ‘he/she’ be replaced with ‘they’ or similar. AS: Are these some or all of the instances? CM: All. BMcB: Could ‘they’ be considered offensive? SB: No. Seconded – C. MacInnes PASSED 22.3 Amendment to Section III: Point 2.5 Bye-Laws and 2.6 Policy: C. MacInnes proposes that sub-paragraphs 2.5 and 2.6 of Section III: Board of Management be amended to include definitions of Bye-Laws and Policy, respectively.

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EM: Based on these definitions, certain items of Bye-Laws and Policy are in the wrong document. Will Policy become quite light and Bye-Laws heavy on content? CM: Not necessarily. Seconder – S. McFadden PASSED 22.4 Amendment to Section II: Membership Paragraph 3: Duration of Membership: [AMENDMENT MISSING] EM: Could wejust remove everything after the word ‘year’? Proposer – Y. Lloyd Seconder – L. Hinton PASSED 22.5 Removal of 1st Year Seats: S. McFadden proposes to remove the Board of Management seats reserved exclusively to first years. TK: Direct negative! - There are 5 first years in the Board of Management, two of whom did not run for a first year category. CM: Why do first years need their own category? First years aren’t encouraged to stand for election by us having designated first year seats. It does however limit other people from running. We need to encourage everyone to run. - Agreed. CM: I didn’t run good enough elections. These need to be open to as many people as possible. KA: Could the first year restriction be removed if no first years run for it? - That’d be too complicated. TK: This is unacceptable. It will reduce the number of first years, and it is important for the Board to have them. AS: Removal will not deter first years from running if they really want to. EA: The first year position is a detriment to more people than it benefits first years. There are plenty of capable Board Members.

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EM: First years running in March become second years for most of their term. KA: Should we compromise and remove the first year protection for one category or both? - I worry about making an arbitrary distinction between constituencies. I want everyone to be able to run for the 5 year-long seats and the 3 6 month-long ones. KA: Could we have one protected first year seat in each category, try it and see how it goes? TK: Why is compromise bad? We shouldn’t just do what makes it easier to run elections. - Not what I meant. AB: People are making assumptions about first years not being able to run and win on a non-first year reserved category, and these aren’t the case. EA: We want people that are running for the position because they want it, not because it is easy to get on. TK: How many first years attend committees? AB: Many, we’ve had significant numbers of first years from almost week 1. Seconder – Direct Negative – T. Kelly A vote is held. 18 people vote in favour of the amendment, 12 vote against it. The amendment is PASSED. 23. Any Other Competent Business: 23.1 Sean “Removing the Bar” McFadden: For S. McFadden to be known as Sean “Removing the Bar” McFadden. Proposer – E. Murphy Seconder – A. Stearn PASSED 23.2 Removal of Lazarus Chang: For the amendment that states that C. MacInnes shall be inscribed on the Past Presidents’ Board as ‘Lazarus Chang’ upon finishing his term as President to be removed. Proposer – E. Anderson Seconder – A. Stearn PASSED

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23.3 Retiring Allegiance to the King of the North: For the Union to officially rescind its allegiance to the King of the North. Proposer – L. Hinton GUILLOTINE 23.4 Quidditch as Official Sport: To declare quidditch the official sport of the Union. Proposer – K. Simmons Seconder – M. Schwab MOTION FALLS 23.5 New Latin Motto: To make the official motto of the Union “Get in comitatu hype” (get on the hype train). Proposer – M. Sefton Seconder – T. Kelly MOTION FALLS Motion for a Vote of Thanks for C. MacInnes, E. Jewson and S. McFadden for serving as the 2013/2014 Executive Committee, and to everyone who attended the AGM. Proposer – A. Stearn Seconder – E. Boldry PASSED