AGM Minutes 2006

Wednesday, 22 February 2006

ATTENDANCE

See Minute Book

APOLOGIES

• Denise Kemp
• Santa Zeiss
• Judy Vine
• Michelle Mbaco
• Carol Hall
• Bev Gold
• Mandy Myers
• Carleen Arends

MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING & MATTERS ARISING

Minutes taken as read from Wednesday, 9 February 2005

TREASURERS REPORT

Financially BWA PE had another good year. Our net income or surplus for the year was R 74 000.00. We started off with a favourable bank balance of R 114 000.00 and ended the year, after having paid all possible expenses, at R 100 000.00. This was in line with our non-profit organisational rules.

Our good net income figure was due to an increase in membership, as well as having some fabulous functions like the Mohair Show and Women's Day with Shaleen Surtie-Richards. We were also able to contain our expenditure and received some wonderful sponsorship from our members.

2006 will be another challenging year, but we are a great team with fantastic members, so I foresee that we will only become stronger and stronger financially.

Regards
Orscilla Haggard, BWA Treasurer

BUSINESS PLAN PRESENTATION

Jane presented the Business plan for 2006 introducing the different portfolios that the committee and coordinator will be managing over the next 2 years.

Businesswomen?s Association Vision:
"Together we create a dynamic forum to inspire and grow all women in business."

To achieve our vision, we will focus on the following areas:

Strategic

• Client relations: Membership
• Client relations: Events
• Education / Skills Development
• Mentoring / Women in the Community
• Finances
• Media / Publicity
• Regional Business Achiever Awards
• Upskill BWA employee
• Strategic Portfolio

Objective

• Ensure that our local strategy and vision is in line with the National Strategy.
• Keep the local Strategy and direction alive and on going in the region.
• Make use of alliances from various sectors to build the credibility and reputation of BWA.

Through these alliances we would like to:

• Grow black membership
• Become recognised as the voice for women on various issues
• Work with other membership bases
• Co-host functions with other organisations
• Membership Portfolio

Objective

Grow, retain and nurture our current membership.

To achieve this we will have tasks teams who oversee:

• Retention of current membership: divide the membership into the 4 categories ? Professional, Corporate, Entrepreneur, Start-up
• Create a network database that is user friendly and accessible to all
• Target networking events
• Send birthday wishes to every member
• Create awareness of the website
• Encourage members to share experiences and put out newsflashes
• Put an annual planner out early in the year
• Encourage members to do write-ups of events for website, welcome at the door and host tables
• Send out standard letters
• Update the business card holders regularly
• Ensure that we keep in touch with what the members need

Growth of new members

• Secure more corporate / group accounts for PE
• Strategise as to how to attract new members - retain current and ensure we don?t lose many members
• Put together a package of networking topics that will educate and nurture our members
• Show ?Who is BWA? presentation to relevant audiences

            a. PE ? New & Existing

            b. Grahamstown

            c. Uitenhage

Grahamstown

• Offer all events and offerings to our Grahamstown sub-branch
• To fully support Cathy and her team

Value Add Package:

Put together a package that offers members discounts / specials from other members

a. PE ? New & Existing

b. Grahamstown

c. Uitenhage

Events Portfolio
Objective:

To excite and attract members to our functions ? ensuring we cross the 4 sectors of members: start-up, entrepreneur, professional and corporate.

Events include:

a. Networking
b. Buzz Hour
c. Dinners
d. Fun events
e Book club

To achieve this, we will:

• Ensure that the venue is safe and accessible by all
• Create a database of venues with pricing, offerings, etc
• Make use of members venues for networking functions
• Appeal to good speakers to educate / entertain / motivate / inform our members on relevant topics
• Co-ordinate all venue, speaker, accommodation, travel arrangements necessary for the event
• Ensure all equipment required is available at the event
• Co-ordinate seating plans where necessary
• Liase with relevant parties regarding costs
• Source gifts / giveaways / etc for events
• Arrange media representation/ publicity at all events
• Committee to host tables and encourage / sign up members

Business Book Club:

Ensure Book Club has the full support of the committee. Create a roster for committee members to attend one book club per annum. Books to be displayed at all events ? plus announcement of latest books, book reviews, etc.

Education / Skills Development Portfolio

Objective:
To run various projects throughout the year that focus on growing women in the Eastern Cape

Bursary:

• Make the necessary contacts within educational institutions and encourage them to obtain as many nominations as possible
• Interview all candidates with an open mind and fair manner
• Contact all candidates after
• Ensure that the 3 finalists are invited to the RBAA event
• Develop & communicate BWA expectations of winner

Matric workshop:

• Confirm speakers and topics that will reach the target audience
• Contact all schools (especially in rural areas) to encourage the Matric students to attend this free workshop
• Host the event in a professional manner during the July holidays

Incubations:

A plan of action will be put in place once we have a better understanding of the process.

Mentorship / Women in the Community Portfolio

Objective:

• Utilising the skills and experience of our members, we will grow women in the region.
• Set up and facilitate a ?formal? mentoring programme in the Eastern Cape.
• Explore the needs of women in the Community and how BWA can play a role in mentoring / working with them
• Expand the objectives and activities with our new committee members

Finance Portfolio

Objective:
Ensure that the Port Elizabeth / Grahamstown branch run at a profit.

To achieve this, we will:

• Cost all functions correctly
• Advise the committee where necessary on financial savings
• Advise committee of financial areas where members may benefit
• Have 2 members who are in sync with the finances
• Ensure correct Budgets are drawn up annually
• Compare Budget to actual monthly at meetings
• Handle monthly accounting procedures

Media / Publicity Portfolio

Objective:
Create a relationship with the media that encourages positive and regular coverage of all our events

To position BWA as a ?voice? in the media

Regional Business Achiever Awards Portfolio

Objective:
To publicise and encourage nominations for this prestigious award

Create a media campaign
Assist the nominees in preparing for the interviews
Utilise the winners as true ambassadors
Identify and communicate BWA expectations of winners
Create presentation for the Awards evening
Encourage membership through participation in the award

Upskill BWA employee

Objective:

To grow, support and nurture our Branch Coordinator

• Each committee member to spend time with our Coordinator to understand how BWA office runs
• Committee to offer support to our Coordinator
• Coordinator to communicate regularly with committee and assist / advise with task teams when necessary
• Chairperson to ensure that training and development needs of Coordinator are being met
• Chairperson and Coordinator to communicate regularly and meet monthly

Role of the Committee member

• Committee?s role will be to head a portfolio and form a task team from within the membership:
• Take ownership of portfolio
• Monthly committee meetings to feedback on task teams
• Various meeting with own Task Team
• Leadership & direction to task teams
• Co-ordinate the task team
• Ensure deadlines are met
• Not the ?do-er? unless desired
• Be part of the strategic visioning for the region

Committee members remaining on the committee

Current committee:

• Jane Stevenson (Chairperson)
• Anita Palmer (vice Chairperson)
• Laura Bekker
• Katherine Zenios
• Orscilla Haggard

Co-opted members:

• Mandy Myers (Nedbank)
• Cathy Braans (GHT)

INTRODUCTION OF NOMINEES

• Vicky Nickisson, Business Partners
• Sonja Szczawinski, Pick n Pay
• Yolande de Vos, PSG Konsult
• Hannah Sadiki, Standard Bank

CALL FOR MORE NOMINATIONS FROM THE FLOOR

Caroline Morgan

VOTING

Not necessary as we had 7 spaces on the committee & 5 have been filled.

We then continued with our Champagne breakfast & Networking.

The meeting closed at 9:30am