AGM Minutes

19th November 2021

1.       Thanks

The Organisers thanked all for attending the meeting and for playing, monstering and reffing during a difficult year.

2.       Update from the Organisers

·         Transparency:  Biggest aim at present

·         Making the club robust

·         Covid Changed Everything

·         Get events up and running

·         Payment Changes: Pre-payment and non-refundable deposits

·         Shorter events will be reduced in number

·         2022:  Fully costed and the sites are booked.  Projected to break even.

·         2023 site bookings will start to be firmed up early in 2022 based on feedback from events and this meeting.

·         Site fees have increased a lot and the Organisers are negotiating reductions where possible.

·         Event numbers: 14 players.  May increase if monster numbers for an event allow with the refs on an event having the final say.

3.                   Discussion Topics

·         Payment Changes:  50% non-refundable at time of booking.  Remaining 50% to be paid 12 weeks before the event.  No refunds will be made but players can resell on their spot if they are unable to attend.  Cannot move money to another event.  Holiday insurance is often applicable to these bookings and can be had for approx. £75pa.  HQ Admin to issue receipts for payments by default.  If HQ cancels an event, players will be refunded 100%.  

·         Place Management:  Some places will be held as priority for those who (for example) can only attend one event per year.  Organisers feel 16 players is the absolute limit for a normal event.

·         Event costs:  Suggestion to break cost into HQ Cost + Catering Cost + Site Fee for each event so we see the reason costs go up.  Events total cost will vary from event to event.  Currently, averaging out the site costs over the year.

·         Monstering.  Cross-promotion for monstering through HF works well.  No benefits needed for Festers as they have their “keen on”.

·         Fest/Quest crossover:  Plot crossover will be fully bidirectional.  The next Time of Reckoning will be a Fest-driven event and will occur over a year.  HQ and HF teams to work on allaying any lingering resentment at HF for HQ system.  Good progress via the Guild systems but needs to be restarted?  Better communication by both HF and HQ organisers is in place and should help.  Combined events may be run (as site share) at Huntley Wood.  Interaction to be worked out but will likely default to 100% Fest rules in Fest areas.  Plot will be influenced in both systems by both Fest and Quest.

·         Food:  Changes trialled at last few events are experiments.  Suggestion that it’s better to maintain quality and coverage by increasing costs than to save money by cutting back.  Probably going to restore the food on the first night but may lift out the Sunday breakfast.  For admin:  One size fits all – customisation is impractical.  Concerns around adequate cleaning if Sun breakfast removed?  Organisers think this is unlikely to be an issue with proper planning.

·         Event length:  Specials make a loss.  Either we need to run more 5-Days or pay more for Specials.  The weekend portion of the site fee is disproportionately expensive.  Also, some events may be more/less expensive depending on the days of the week they run over, site cost and, perhaps, extra catering or other factors.  Likely to run only one Special maximum per year.

·         Event Dates:  Plan is to keep the approximate dates the same every year going forwards.  (Feb, Easter, Summer, October, etc.)  Balance to be struck between in- and out- of academic year.  Some (e.g. teachers) only able to go in holiday time while parents of schoolchildren may find holidays difficult.  Also, leave booking in holidays can be difficult.

·         Theme Events:  Perhaps once per year.  Lots of sections and flexibility.  Sections will be pre-booked by player and level so you will know which sections you go on.  Also allows good opportunities for ref mentoring.  Current thinking is that High levels likely to be at base and lower levels on overlands?  All present happy to experiment and see how it works.  Have it in Feb so many refs can setup for the year of plot ahead.  Suggestion: Given the other changes coming should we defer Theme event debut to 2024.  Organisers suggest 2023 as there has been a lot of positive interest.

·         Monsters:  Monster numbers are the issue now, player numbers are good.  Suggestions welcomed for ways to get monsters not to cancel.  Welcomed the influx of Fest monsters.  Suggested putting regular annual bloodline type points.  Consensus was this should be for playing and monstering equally to encourage HQers to attend all events even when not playing them.  Proposal for Monster Raffle:  Tickets allocated per section monstered.  Each event will have a free place for the monster that draws a free event.  Event Bookings:  Suggestion to prioritise player bookings for regular monsters.  

·         Refs:  6 per event:  4 event refs plus 2 organisers.  Organisers will have a veto on content to ensure campaign integrity is maintained.

4.                   Any other business

·         Suggestion that players and monsters use grey rather than black make up for drow.  Also review use of brown for orcs and use of eye make up for orientals.  Also  look at changing the DFD greeting.  Organisers planning to look at changes for monsters but allow players to make individual choices.

·         Fest request for HQ involvement on their events:  Overlands, NPCs, briefs etc.  Good support from the room.

·         Thanks to SFB.  Organisers and members thanked SFB for all the work he has done to keep HQ going during a difficult time.