GCN AGM 2009

[dave3]

I have recieved notification of the GCN AGM on Sun 24th Jan. As it is a Sun, I will be going, here is the agenda

Gaming Club Network Annual General Meeting 2009
This year, the Gaming Club Network Annual General Meeting will take on Sunday 24th
January 2009, at Warhmmer World in Nottingham. All GCN Officials and member club
representatives are entitled to attend in person. Alternatively, your club may vote on the
proposed motions via the postal vote form included with this notice.
Please note, you must inform the Castalain of the Seal by the 10th January if you wish to
attend in person for security reasons.
The agenda for the day will be as follows:
10:00 Meet in Bugmans
10:15 Start AGM in 'The Moot'
• Presidential Address
• International GCN
• GCN Knights
• Events in 2009
• Marketing
• Financial Statement
• Motions to be voted on
• Any other
12:00 Lunch
13:00 Gaming in 'Rotuna'
16:00 End
This year, the following seven motions will be voted upon by the membership. These are
all related to the GCN Constitution and represent a tidying up of the existing document.
If you wish to use a postal vote, simple tick the "agree" or "disagree" box for each item
bfore returning the entire form to the Castalain of the Seal at the address or e-mail
given on the annual return form.
Only GCN Council Official, Castalain Knights and Membership Club Representatives may
vote at the AGM. Please remember that as a Membership Club Representative, you
should vote in accordance with the club's wishes rather than your own.
Modifications to the Constitution
Name of Council Official, Castalain Knight or Member Club:
___________________________________________________________________________
1. Allow ALL GCN Officials (Council Members, Knights and Squires) to stand for
Council Positions (point 6.4 in the Constitution. This point in the constitution
predates and idea of GCN Squires. As these volunteers do put alot of time and
effort into the organise, it is only right to allow them to stand for stand positions.
☐ Agree / ☐ Disagree
2. Replace point 6.5 in the Constitution with "GCN Knights and Squires are
appointed by a majority vote of the GCN Council. Any member of a Member Club
stand for these posts." This represents the reality of how Knights at appointed.
Recommendations for the election of knights will be included in the GCN
Volunteer Guide. ☐ Agree / ☐ Disagree
3. Remove voting rights for Castalain Knights (point 6.6 in the Constitution. This is
connected to the update of the Knights scheme which which will be presented at
the AGM. As the Knights should vote in accordance with the wishes of the clubs
they represent, some clubs are over represented during AGMs today. ☐ Agree /
☐ Disagree
4. Officials resigning should provide one month's written notice to the president or
acting president. (point 8.4 in the Constitution) ☐ Agree / ☐ Disagree
5. Reference to the Knight Guidelines to be changed to the Code of Conduct (point
9.1 in the Constitution). This replaces an outdated document that referring to
the GW Hobby Managers (who no longer exist). The Code of Conduct (for GCN
Officials) is included as Appendix 1 to this notice. ☐ Agree / ☐ Disagree
6. The detailed responsibilities of some Council Members (specifically the Castalains
of the Sword, Watch and Seal) to be moved to Appendix 1: Council
Responsibilities. This is to try and make our constitution more concise. In
addition to this, Council member roles do change slightly over time as different
people with different skills take different positions. This way if the council needs
to change a council role, we do not need to change the constitution. ☐ Agree /
☐ Disagree
7. Running AGMs/EGMs moved into Appendix 2: AGMs/EGMs. Again, this is to make
the constitution more concise as these are operational details. ☐ Agree / ☐
Disagree
This AGM, only one position on the Castalain Council is due for re-election, this is the
Castalain of Seal (Secretary). As only one person, Geoff Gibbs from Oxford Gaming Club,
has been put forward for this position, his appointment will be ratified at the AGM.
Yours sincerely,
Richard Kerry
On behalf of the Castalain Council
Appendix 1: Code of Conduct for GCN Officials
GCN Code of Contact
Section 1/General Conduct:
1.1: All volunteers working in a formal capacity for the Gaming Club Network (GCN) are
expected to act in a manner considered reasonable by with regards to social interaction,
physical activities encompassing a chance of risk of physical harm/nervous shock and
regarding personal factors such as dress or personal hygiene.
1.2: Volunteers are asked to refrain from wearing items of clothing while engaged in
formal voluntary activity printed, embroidered or otherwise embossed with offensive,
profane or religiously/racially intolerant/sexist/homophobic language or imagery.
1.3: All volunteers working in a formal capacity for the GCN are expected to represent
the membership and must not seek to control, or become in anyway territorial.
Volunteers should be open, honest, and clear at all times; not negative, cynical or
devious.
1.4: GCN Officials are expected to declare any conflicts of interest between their role
within the GCN and other aspects of their lives; conflicts of interest would include any
financial or organisational commitments related to wargaming, model making, board
games or other hobby aspects covered by the remit of the GCN but separate to that
Official’s duties within the GCN. They would be expected to refrain from bias in favour of
their own interests.
1.5: GCN Officials acting in a formal voluntary capacity are expected to refrain from
acting in a manner that undermines the proper functioning and healthy operation of the
GCN: any activity motivated by objectives such as personal gain, interpersonal conflicts
or the destabilization of the effectiveness of the GCN council/organisation as a whole
that is harmful or calculated to be harmful to the GCN is considered unacceptable.
Section 2/Discrimination and Abuse:
2.1: Volunteers are expected to operate free from bias, intolerance or prejudice to
members of the opposite sex, opposite sexuality, people of different racial origins,
people with some physical or mental disability and refrain from age discrimination.
2.2: Volunteers operating in a formal capacity are expected to treat minors with due
care and respect and refrain from unnecessary/inappropriate physical contact.
2.3: Volunteers operating in a formal capacity are also expected to refrain from
unnecessary/inappropriate physical contact with members of the opposite sex/sexuality
or uninvited romantic/sexual advances.
2.4 Volunteers operating in a formal capacity are expected to refrain from the use of
profane, blasphemous, religiously intolerant, derogatory or otherwise discriminatory or
insulting language and gestures, especially in relation to minors.
Section 3/Legal Conduct:
3.1: Volunteers operating in a formal capacity are expected to adhere to all relevant
laws, by-laws, regulations and safety guidelines in the prosecution of their duties.
3.2: Volunteers operating in a formal capacity are therefore also must refrain from
breaking laws while prosecuting their duties, particularly assault, substance/drug abuse,
alcohol abuse/operating machinery and/or driving while under the influence of alcohol
and supplying alcohol/prohibited substances, especially to minors.
Annual Return



Please inform mee of any points you have an opinion for, so I can vote accordingly, or anything you would like me to bring up.
Dave

[Stephen Mawson]

I don't know if you've noticed but the 24th is actually a Saturday not a Sunday. I've already asked Geoff to confirm which day the GCN AGM is on, but no reply as yet.

Phoenix Gaming is also going to be attending the GCN's AGM, so it might be worth looking at going up together and sharing the petrol expenses, rather than both groups driving up separately.

[dave3]

The thought had crossed my mind Steve. Anyhow, you know the way, having been there before. Is the place open on Sundays? if not then it will be the Sat.....I guess??? I will email and ask too!
Dave

[Stephen Mawson]

As it's a 10am start, I guess I'll be seeing you a little before 8am on Saturday morning.

[dave3]

At the AGM today we were quite pro active in voicing our opinions on the GCN's direction. For our troubles, both Steve Mawsonand I have been co opted as Knights (That is GCN speak for area club liason)
I did put a proposal to drop all the funny names, such as Castellan of the Seal, and so forth. This is minuted and will be discussed at the next council meeting.
there was discussion about a £10 per annum membership fee for member clubs. this is to give the GCN a bit more independance, and ability to do more for member clubs. Although not yet enacted, I personnaly think this is, in principle a good idea.
the full minutes and so on will be posted on the GCN membersite in due course.
Dave Wilkin

[terrywarden]

Dave do you happen to know how many clubs are currently members of the GCN? How would you like to now be addressed; Knight or just Sir?

[Stephen Mawson]

According to the GCN records it's a 134, although they're reasonably sure that a small number of those are clubs that have probably folded.

[terrywarden]

Thanks Steve; I was just interested to see what sort of a pot £10 per club was going to give them.

[Stephen Mawson]

Probably somewhere in the region of £1000 to £1200 I would guess.

[dave3]

All very good, It could be used for a GCN tournament in an independant venue, so that non GW games can be played. Incidentally they now have Battlefront as a partner too, so FoW is in the offing as a tournie match with possable fringe benefits!
Dave W