Present: Geoffrey King (Chair), Brian Smale-Adams (Treasurer), Barry Higgs (Secretary). Apologies for absence were received from Michael Craven, Rosemary Davidson and Dick Baxter.

1. Previous Minutes.

a. The minutes of the 25th October meeting were approved.
b. The Minutes of the 3rd November FoMC meeting with Councillors and officials were also acknowledged as a true record.

2. Draft Publications and Website Content.

These were discussed in detail and the Chair would now produce final texts.

3. Flyers.

It was agreed that 500 copies of the flyer introducing FoMC and inviting people to the 24th January Open Meeting should be published at an approximate cost of £150 together with about 20 posters at an, as yet, unknown cost.

4. Meeting.

The room would be set-up for about 100 people and FoMC would need to provide helpers to serve tea and coffee. Provisions such as tea and coffee and biscuits and tea towels must be provided and the room and crockery, etc. left as found. Brian Smale-Adams would advise Wesley Methodist Church on the lay-out we required and investigate the possibility of a PA system being available both for top-table speakers and a roving (preferably cordless) microphone for the hall.

5. Speakers.

The Chair would decide on the FoMC speakers at the Meeting but his initial thoughts were that he would like Michael Craven to explain 'Why FoMC?', he would himself cover the historical and legal issues and the Secretary would summarise the Constitution and how to join FoMC. He would also invite and introduce Councillors and officials having cleared with them previously their topics.

6. Membership Forms.

The Secretary was asked to draw-up and have duplicated membership forms available to hand-out at the meeting. Membership would simply be noted in the books. Cards would not be issued and information would be provided to members, actual and prospective, via the website.

7. Costs.

In addition to 'flyer' costs, see above, and the meeting room hire charge of around £70, plus extra for a sound system, the Committee approved approximate expenditure on the website of £30 p.a. and £329 for 7 pages on the website.

8. Financial Assistance.

The Chair had been informed by Ms Chris Freeman that Council grants were available for expenditure of the type covered above and the Treasurer had been provided with the necessary forms. He would complete and submit these once he had firm quotations, etc.

9. Grazing.

It was still intended to re-introduce grazing cattle on the Common but these were now likely to be Red Polls.

10. FoMCs Policy Position.

Research shows that very few, if any, of the events currently held are consistent with the legislation covering use of the Common. Moreover, it would be a lengthy and costly process for the Council, or others, to obtain a change in the law. This presents FoMC with a dilemma. On the one hand it might wish to cite the law to seek to prevent or restrict certain activities on the Common and yet, on the other hand, it would be unreasonable of FoMC to seek to ban everything that was not within the letter of the law. Considerable thought is needed if FoMC is to arrive at a principled, consistent and defensible position with regard to events on the Common.

11. Tea Party.

It was decided to defer any decision regarding a FoMC Summer Event on the Common until after the Open Meeting and a better idea of likely support had been obtained.

B Higgs: Secretary.
Approved: G King; Chair.