NZLARPS SGM and Nov 06 Committee Meeting
1 November, 7.15-9.45pm
Agenda:
Special General Meeting
- Apologies
- Constitution change
Committee Meeting
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Financial update
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Previous larps
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Upcoming projects/larps update
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Gear update
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Website update
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Venue catalogue
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Project pitch: Nibelungen
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Project proposal: Grand Battle
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Other business
Newsletter
Membership fees & discounts -
Society members present: 14 (Mike, Gareth, Rhiannon, Craig, Erin, David, AJ, Edward, Anna, Julianne, Adam, Nikki, Malu, Ryan)
Apologies: Steve -
Constitution change
From:
To:
Option One
Which means
= Membership lasts for 12 months from payment, and not until the next AGM as is currently. This change means your membership is simpler to understand and you know you are getting a full year out of your money.
= The fee is set by a general meeting and is not hard coded into the constitution. A general meeting can the AGM(annual general meeting) or a SGM(special general meeting) such as this meeting. Note a standard committee meeting is not a general meeting
= The discount fee and who qualifies is now set by a general meeting and is not set as only students (and what qualifies as a student is not currently defined anyway)
OR Option Two
Which means
= Membership lasts for 12 months from payment, and not until the next AGM as is currently. This change means your membership is simpler to understand and you know you are getting a full year out of your money.
= The fee is set by a standard committee meeting and is not hard coded into the constitution.
= The discount fee and who qualifies is now set by a standard committee meeting and is not set as only students (and what qualifies as a student is not currently defined anyway)
There are several requirements that need to be meet for a constitution change.
=> Society members need access to the change 2 weeks before the meeting. From the date of this post members are getting 15 days notice.
=> Need a quorum of 20 % of the members to hold the general meeting. So the more people that turn up the better
=> Need 2/3’s of the people at the meeting to vote ‘Yes” for the change to have effect.
Points brought up in discussion:
Having a value on the membership (fees) means you expect something back.
A full year’s membership from date of issue means you get the full value of your money.
It may be a pain to form a big long line at the AGM every year to renew membership – and as larpers tend to be individuals its possibly better to rejoin as individuals and also it gives the desk staff a break.
It’s easier to recruit new people when they know they’ll get the full year’s benefit of their money.
The AGM to AGM way we had it made sense in the first year because it was easier for a brand new administration to deal with. Now the society is fully operational we can think about changing it.
Issue here is whether or not we want the committee to have the power to change discounts etc.
If a new committee is going to do devious stuff, it will manage to get around rules anyway.
The point of electing a committee is in electing people they can trust not to do these things.
If NZLARPS gets a lot bigger, then the representation will be smaller because the committee size is set in the Constitution.
Why is fee structure different to anything else the Committee gets to decide?
Are we likely to need any fees structure changes that cannot wait until an SGM can be arranged?
If we need a quorum of members to change the fees structure, because of say inflation… could be hard to get one to agree especially if the population bigger, could be downvoted.
This is not a get rich quick scheme so will not be raising fees unless needed.
Make the committee bound by constitution – otherwise no safeguards in place. If it is done, committee MUST make the changes widely known in advance… this does need balancing.
Major changes to society structure should be notified.
If fees set in constitution – can’t offer specials or event discounts (like Join now at Battlecry for only $10!)
Now must vote one of these three options: Not pass change; Vote option 1 (change fees by SGM); Vote option 2 (Change fees by committee) or abstain.
Voting: Not pass – 0. Option 1 – 0. Option 2 – 12. Abstain – 2.
Motion passed to change constitution to option 2.
Committee Meeting commences.
1: Financial Update
Steve absent. Has put game budget form together, will be emailed to Craig and Ryan for the forum.
2: Previous larps
Stargate: Good, having missions elsewhere was fun. Cost NZLARPS $5, next game should make a profit. Has been some discussion about gun shooting system but the main rules seem to work.
Nightmare Circle – last minute venue change, was very lucky to be replaced by Nikki. Reports good. Players paranoid and morally decrepit.
3: Upcoming larps
Mordavia: Endgame (Ryan and Nikki) – Venue booked, cook hired, S&S trailer booked for hauling gear. Need gear workshop.
Stargate (Julianne) – Game on 18 November. Buying one $30 prop which we are not to know about.
No Mans Land (Marc) – Been on hold a bit due to exams, study. Cultural writings started.
SAIL (Anna, Craig) – Started working again. Venue the biggest barrier. Budgets at $-5 overall (better than previous budget of $-400). About 60% of game done, theory worked out. Jan-Feb season.
Og (Steve) – indefinitely on hold as father too busy. Another person could get in touch with Steve to run it for him.
Unity (AJ) – to be an affiliate rather than a project because can’t see it making money. Craig’s place would have been good, if it was under 100ft of rubble. A paranoia game where you are your rules – if you can hotwire a car, then your character can hotwire a car; and if your character can start a fire by rubbing twigs together, if you can’t do it, too bad it won’t get done. Etc.
Skirmish (Mike) – Remember this is monthly now, the last Saturday of the month. Probably not December.
Ravenholme (Brian) – Finalish version of rules. Will run a weekend game ‘soon’… in the next three months or so. Having trouble with venue.
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Gear update (Mike)
We need a better cleanup system and rationalisation.
What gets in the wrong boxes, and how can we stop that? Maybe clearer labelling, iron-on labels etc.
We also need a more complete description of what should go in each box.
Hanging all the costumes up would be a wish-for thing… A room with wires or poles to hang stuff on would be great for GM’s. Nikki to have a flat meeting and ask about their spare room. Problems – people randomly turning up to get stuff.
Gear workshop to be held next Saturday (4th November) -
Website
Come coding required to put the 5 next items of the calendar to appear on the NZLARPS page. Game checklist needs to find a direction in the Committee members forum. -
Venue catalogue
Being worked on by Nikki. Also suggested by Craig – a venue Wiki page where corporates etc would be able to advertise and people could comment on stuff they found good or bad. -
Project pitch for Nibelungen (Craig)
Due to scale, probably needs financiall indepence – acts as buying partner. First – weekend game – 12 players, a number of temporary characters, and a couple of variable characters (trying to get away from NPC designation) First will be by invitation and first in, first served. Will be quite expensive though.
Can imagine it getting much bigger over a couple of years. Even then it will probably have people turned away.
Will be both roaming and fixed venue, 50’s sci-fi with modern science. Sweeping space epic action scenes with aliens.
Have signed 2-year lease for premises, production stage. As it expands it would also become cheaper.
Whenever possible things will be reusable. The website will shortly be revealed, along with the forum. A video is in production, as well as other launchy treats.
- Is this to be a project, an affiliate, or something else? Would NZLARPS agree to pay to venue or other things?
Right now – will be affiliate, maybe upgrade to project later. Doesn’t need upfront funding.
Motion: accept Nibelungen as affiliate. 8 for, none against or abstaining.
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Project proposal for Grand Battle (Ryan)
Want to attract a large amount of public to familiarity with the concept of larp.
Target high schools – networking environments.
Large scale Grand Battle easiest way to get this across? To be centralised – they come to you – but promoted in schools.
Medieval themed battle – money comes in from selling swords or weapon kits (maybe food, drinks, costume etc.) Conflict of nations, dramatisation. Minimal costuming, characterisation, equipment requirements.
Venue easy – field or park or whatever. To be a series of events. We will advertise to schools and also businesses (Paintball with swords and no big paint stains! Team building –R-Us…)
Test event – 50-100 kids, to make sure it works. Initial funding needed $500 – then bootstrap mechanism because selling kits will bring in rest of money to buy materials to make more kits to be sold. Actual cost $2500 but input along the way… expected to make about $1000 profit on first game.
Larger games could make ten to thirty thousand dollars… Would need a lot of volunteers to marshall, make up kits and swords etc.
And part of the Grand Battle scheme is that this money will eventually go to a legally independent trust to buy and build a Medieval Venue. Other medieval interest groups and maybe individuals will help in fundraising for this idea.
Raised possibility of buying shares of the venue, so NZLARPS is getting its money’s worth… but if it’s a charitable trust that’s not possible.
Plan states that money will be left in the NZLARPS account (and kept track of) until a suitable equity is constructed. This is a win-win situation because we will get tons of new members, a lot of interest in our account, help with floats for games, and at the end of it, a cool place to play in. If the venue idea doesn’t come through, we will still have lots of members, and money. “We’ve got a plan C that’ll blow your mind.”
Will cost about $5 to attend the Battle. Ryan will not divorce the ideas of the battle day and the earmarking money for venue – says its both or nothing.
Motion to accept entire plan: Pass 7 Fail 1 Abstain None -
Other Business: Newsletter (Anna and Nikki)
We still want a cool glossy magazine – to be seasonally. A short monthly double-sided page newsletter to be posted monthly (Possibly in folded with address sticker form?)
Newsletter will be done with cheaper options! NZ Post may give free postage to charitable trust organisations…
Membership Fees Structure
Motion to keep the fees structure as at present ($20 per year with discount $10): Pass 8, Fail 0, Abstain 0. Motion passed.
Definition of ‘Discount Fees’ labelled as “Full time students, and/or community services card holders”. This description voted – Pass 6, Fail 0, Abstain 2. Motion passed.
Action Points:
Nikki: flat meeting to ask about turning spare room into costume hanging space
Craig: wiki site for venues
Nikki: keep working on venues catalogue
Someone, probably Craig because he’s best at it: make NZLARPS fancy brochure for medieval shop and others.
