Minutes

1. Welcome and Apologies for Absence:

Present: Ann McIntosh, Chair (AM), John Cowie (JC), Dorothy Jones (DJ), Dave Ferguson (DF), Colin Crawford (CC), Neil Rodan (NR).
Apologies: Marnie Gauld (MG),Ewen Honeyman (EH).

2. Minutes of the previous meeting were agreed and signed.

3. Treasurer's Report £7074.21 in hand. £765 received from CLLD. £3800 claim made for CC & joiner for January. We have to do a Company Tax return by 29-Feb. NR has applied for a code which HMRC send as a letter. Once received NR will do the return. CC offered to advise if necessary.

4. Project Expenditure Review Committed Funds to March 2024:

5. Project Plan 2024/25

1. Accelerate OD Report The outputs of Margaret O’Connor’s Accelerate report should feed into
2. Business Plan / Business Development Plan. Which should consist of:

• Short term action plan covering the next few weeks
• Medium Term covering next 6 months.
• Longer term for next year.

3. We should wait to make our plan for EOI as we still have some time for that. We should also look at other sources of funding such as Gannochy, Awards For All etc.

6. Branding Review. NR to download branding assets per link from Annie at BOLD. We should look at having Tote Bags and Mugs made up in time for opening. CC arranged for Ken Campbell who is in that business to meet some trustees at OTH at 10:30 on Tuesday 20th. DF to contact David & Iain Robertson regarding possibly selling their books and also giving a talk.

7. Preparation of Opening Displays.

1. Lady’s Room etc. DJ was of the opinion that there was not enough exhibits of sufficient quality to make a lady’s dressing room and perhaps a salon-style display would be better.
2. Justice / Punishment. MG not present.
3. Drovers. DF to arrange some interpretation boards using the material he has developed.

8. External Repairs. No update. NR to check on cost of obtaining a dehumidifier. AM to try to get Meanrns to fix the slates. There was some discussion on having it done ourselves and billing the council.

9. Building Management:

1. NR to contact Scottish Water to ask them to disconnect one of the water meters. NR to complain to EDF about their incompetence. Consider switching our energy supplier.
2. Lorraine is going to put JC in contact with the insurers directly.
3. Fire Alarm Zone 5 has been disconnected. Needs a new battery / alarm.

10. Forthcoming Events

1. Better Place to live fair. We have asked for the same stall as last year. We should have our branding in place. We should get more membership forms filled out.
2. Spring Fair It is at Taylor Park. Will we get a gazebo?
3. John Harding Edgar Talk This talk could be a fundraiser for us. AM to ask him for suitable dates in the autumn.

11. Building Advisor The arrangement with Andrew should be left as-is
12. Tartan Registration/Purchase. JC spoke to Nicky in House of Tartan. You can get 6 sashes from 10m of cloth apparently. We will order 30m lightweight tartan with selvage edging. MG should write up the story of the tartan - meaning of colours etc.
13. Purchase of VueScan Software. DF to go ahead and order this.
14. Accessioning We need a team effort to clear the shelving areas in the cellar so we can store accessioned items. We also need to purchase plastic storage boxes to put items in. We will start work on the cellar at 10:00 on Ruesday.
15. AGM To Agree Arrangements. The 22nd or 23rd May. In upstairs room at OTH.
16. Benefits in kind: DJ and NR 16 hours each. JC 10 hours. DF 4, AM 6 hours each.. Total for January = 52 hours.

17. AOCB:

1. J & H Mitchell Solicitors are running a talk in Perth for charitable trustees. DJ, JC and (possibly) DF to attend.
2. Peter Flett who is involved in immersive technology at Stirling University would like to meet us. AM to arrange a couple of dates.
3. Jane & Cindy can advise us on accessibility issues. DF to arrange access after work is done.
4. DF can borrow the projector for his signals group.
5. Roddy MacDonald (joiner) has offered to lend us some artefacts for our displays.