Stadium Manager

[Grissles Oleary]

So a meeting called by FOTL is not FOTL meeting ?

Nope, FOTL open evening, open to all fans who wish to come along and have a beer or socialise a bit, maybe make a few suggestions about how they would like to see the FOTL go forward?

...we have nothing in the pipeline yet to speak of. This is one of the reasons for having an open evening,this gives fans an opportunity to make suggestions and put ideas forward,not just for possible ways to raise funds but also to make suggestions as to where those funds could be spent.

Griss, if it not to be a 'proper meeting' then perhaps this needs to be explained to fans before people spend their time and petrol in going to a 'social' event.  I expected (hoped) the meeting to be an opportunity for the committee to explain to members and non-members alike what they have planned for the future and to listen to fans about the sort of things they would a) like to support and b) give direction for where future funds raised could be spent.  Given how few fans (as a proportion of the average crowd) were members of the FOTL in prior years I would have thought this would have been a key requirement if the goal of expanding the membership is to be achieved.

I think the words 'open evening' would be enough to sort of say that it is not a"meeting"?

[m a hill]

Tony M that’s exactly what the night will be all about,getting the fans to meet the committee and to discuss the way forward

[Blue_and_Gold]

Tony M that’s exactly what the night will be all about,getting the fans to meet the committee and to discuss the way forward

That sound like a FOTL's meeting to me!   

[TonyM]

MAH, Griss, thanks for clearing that up, I guess you won't be surprised that I won't now be wasting the fuel in travelling to Lynn for a 'social drink' on the 7th.

[Kevin Holland]

MAH, Griss, thanks for clearing that up, I guess you won't be surprised that I won't now be wasting the fuel in travelling to Lynn for a 'social drink' on the 7th.

Isn't that where the best business gets done Tony?

Informally, over a few beers, where everyone gets a fair say rather than a formatted meeting controlled by someone who loves the sound of their own voice?

If you have 30 people in a bar, who all share a common goal,  add a few smiles and a little alcohol and watch what happens.

And remember, it's what happens between meetings that's important.

Meetings about meetings get sod all done other than ticking boxes and wasting everyone's time.

[TonyM]

MAH, Griss, thanks for clearing that up, I guess you won't be surprised that I won't now be wasting the fuel in travelling to Lynn for a 'social drink' on the 7th.

Isn't that where the best business gets done Tony?

Informally, over a few beers, where everyone gets a fair say rather than a formatted meeting controlled by someone who loves the sound of their own voice?

If you have 30 people in a bar, who all share a common goal,  add a few smiles and a little alcohol and watch what happens.

And remember, it's what happens between meetings that's important.

Meetings about meetings get sod all done other than ticking boxes and wasting everyone's time.

Guess we are going to agree to disagree and I have been involved in enough organisations and on committees to have a fair idea of what good and bad looks like.  A get together 'informally over a few beers' will, at best, give you a few anecdotal examples of things that 'could' be done which I suppose may be preferential to a badly run formal meeting (the type you describe). 

Whilst I appreciate what happens 'between meetings' is important, this isn't a committee meeting.  When the fans evening was originally proposed it was sold as a chance for current and potential members to come along and be part of setting the direction and agenda for the FOTL going forward and imo this would be best done with a proper 'open meeting' with a good chair, who says little, but controls the meeting to enable all voices to be heard and proper discussion of the issues raised

[m a hill]

Tony M I hope that’s exactly what I want to happen,the idea is to get the fans feelings of what we need to do going forward and to swell the membership after all we are a Surporters club