Friday November 13th, 2009
Meeting Hall, Helsinki Orthodox Congregation
Unioninkatu 39,
Helsinki

Present

Paul Hopkins (Executive Officer)
Hugo Verkest (Treasurer)
Marit Svare (Secretary)
Lesley Prior (UK)
Outi Raunio-Hannula
Genevieve Locqueville

Apologies

Marianna Szabo, Hungary
Sonja Danner

1. Welcome

Apologies from Sonja Danner and Marianna Szabo.
Warm thanks to Outi Raunio-Hannula for organising, and to the Orthodox diocese for letting us use their rooms.

2. Election of chair for the meeting

Paul Hopkins was elected.

3. Minutes from the last meeting: corrections, amendments and acceptance

• The dates for the next meeting are confirmed to be 23-24 April
• We will do a practice run of workshops, no mini seminars that time
• We will have a two days meeting
  • Friday for the practice run of workshop, Starting at 1200 hrs Friday
  • Saturday the Exec meeting till 1600hrs

4. Report from the treasurer

• € 12 356,49 in our account. Only invoice sent for 2009, no reminder.
• Few have paid.
• For 2010 deadline on invoice will be 1 March, reminder will have deadline 1 May 2010.
• UK: 2 friends, 10 organisations paid for 2009, this is funding Paul’s travel, lunch at the London meeting, leaving a balance of £ 1,000.

To do:

• Hugo contacts Hans Fijn van Drat to see if some money got sent to him.
• Hugo send invoices with deadline 1March, and reminders with deadline 1 May

5. Membership status

Some corrections need to be made, as does pushing individual memberships.

6. Conference 2010 - status update

General

• Update on conference preparation, Paul makes PDF file.
• Exec arrives Tuesday evening, Hugo look for accommodation for us.
• Paul has a template for presentation from Budapest.

Veune

• All OK

Programme

• School visits not possible as schools still on holiday
• Official invitation to new commissioner via Sonja. Paul drafts a letter to circulate.
• Change dinner from first night to second night, and move dinner to 1800 with General Assembly at 1900.
• Meal tickets in conference pack - Paul to prepare
• Language groups find leaders in advance.
• Ypres, Museum and regional groups alternate. Dinner at 1800-1930 , Hugo look for place. Report back before April meeting. If not possible, return to Bruges for meals. No formal entertainment but informal in Bruges
• For last group meeting: What will you do?
• Paul redo the program within the next few weeks

Keynote Speakers

• Paul arranges Prof Jackson’s travel.
• Paulina will not charge for travel, Outi will double check, we pay max € 100 a night in hotel.
• Speakers make questions for groups

Workshops

• Workshop 90 min, max speaking 30 min.
• 10 workshop themes, run 8 at the time.
• Holding the workshop twice, getting the conference free, but cover travel self.
• Make list of requirements for the workshop leaders.
• Sign up in advance for 3 choices: Museums, worship, small groups 15 + guide+ member of board to make sure the theme is raised,
• 2 places max, local students to guide, MUST link with the theme. Hugo organising this BEFORE the April meeting, so that we can use the time well.

Offers from others for Workshops Paul, Sonja, Tiina, Genevieve, Lesley, Dzintra., Denise 2 spaces left , 4 offers. A discussion was held over the offers through the offers and choosing Chis Callus and Susan Leslie.

Posters

• It was decided that there would not be an offer for posters but that there would be space for display

Field Trips

• 2 buses for Field trip, using Ludo and students from Eng dep
• Circulate draft plan before meeting in April. DVD in buses to prepare for the visits, both fiction and historical.
• Remembering the various backgrounds for WW1.

Briefing Sheets

• Make briefing sheets for various groups, take this up in meeting April
• Key words, Marit will make a brief to circulate before Feb 1. (language, key words, keeping track of theme, Not RE in school is one, economical, various emphasis acc to place) language groups possible. Sign up at conference.

Sponsorship

• Martin Rogers (FREE) - Paul to chase
• Bags, pencil, paper etc - Paul draft EFTRE letter , Gen find good persons.
• Conference bag, € 3 - € 4,55 - € 8 - Article of faith can pay 50% of costs [Paul shared designs]
• Finnish Church sponsored last time as did Orazio- Sonja write new letter+

Conference Pack to include

Map of Bruges	Bag	Pencil
Block of notepaper	Post-its	Name Tag
Pen	Key Ring	Programme
Brussels Map	Local Leaflets	Map of Venue
Small box chocs	Info of speakers/workshops	List of delegates
Meal Tickets	Reading List	Country Reports - access

Non-European participants

• Welcome if they do not need visas or financial support

Advertising and promotion

• Need 70 paying participants to break even [see Paul's cost model for more information]
• Board member must take responsibility to promote the conference. Send out info to relevant organisations in each country.
• E-mailing contacts.
• Paul looks into easier address for the info
• Locate countries where we don’t have contact, try to identify people who can spread info on the conference.
• Get advertisement in the target language in each country in relevant
• Contacting institutions / organisations that would be relevant for promoting the conference. Paul make a draft email that board members can use, and if they have these contacts we need..
• Send info directly to teacher training universities in countries where we do not find contact persons

Registration of participants

• Paul will resend the link for spreadsheet. Booking hotels done by agency, sending Hugo monthly update.

Cancellation

• Cancellation by 30 June for full refund, otherwise …. Hugo needs to look into when EFTRE must cancel without paying anything.

To do list for the April Meeting

• Genevieve tries to organize pencil and pen /paper/ note pad / Post it/ Key ring and Brussels map from the European Parliament.
• Genevieve finds good person within the EU system for ask for financial support
• Paul updates PDF-file with program
• Paul drafts an email board members can use for promoting the conference
• Paul will resend the link to the registration spread sheet
• Paul drafts a letter inviting the new commissioner
• Paul arrange Prof Jackson’s travel
• Paul drafts EFTRE letter asking for financial support
• Hugo to look into accommodation for the Exec arriving early for conference
• Hugo finds out the last date we can cancel without having to pay for venue, etc
• Hugo writes contract with venue with the price and what is included
• Hugo look for place for dinner when in Ypres
• Outi double check with Pauliina Arola on her requirements
• Marit draft a briefing sheet for various groups
• Sonja official letter to new commissioner
• Sonja writes new letter to ask for financial support from Orazio

7. Constitution

Updated from last meeting. Adjusted to our membership policies

8. EFTRE Leaflet

• £250 (GBP) for 2500 copies, in English
• Adjust the map.
• Paul mail the text to check for details that go out of date. Print in Jan/Feb
• Paul can also provide the template for translation.

9. Newsletter

The newsletter is looking very good and professional.

• Autumn: Hugo’s title corrected. Paul send it out together with reminder for money for 2010.
• Spring 2010: Reminder sent out soon, Marit will do review on one of the German books Paul will send
• Paul send out Autumn letter together with invoice for 2010
• Paul send out reminder for Spring 2010
• Marit write a review of German books

10. Web site

All fine but country reports need to be updated

11. Any other business

• Conference 2013 - discussing various aspects. Go back to Orazio (Sonja) and Nils (Marit) on their offers, if still stand. Need more info to decide. Report back before the April Exec meeting.
• Ask Board if other suggestions.
• RE Olympics Explore potential financial support.
• Need to identify our objectives for EFTRE.
• To do:
  • Sonja contact Orazio on 2013 conference
  • Marit contact Nils on 2013 conference

12. Future meetings

• Bruges: April 23-24 2010, beginning Friday at 1200 hrs – till 1600hrs on Saturday
• General Assembly - August 2010 - Bruges
• Board meeting March 2011 - Seville ?

Trondheim December 28, 2009 - Marit H Svare