Chairman’s Blog, Thursday 19th September 2013.
Attendance levels were maintained after last week’s meeting, 26 in all with 3 visitors David Appleyard, Phil Cummings and Laura White.
Brian Painter stood in for the holidaying David Plumley as Education and Development Officer.
Brian Painter also delivered the Education Slot announcing the “New Member November but in October” visitors push. In the run up to the last week in October it is incumbent on everybody to produce at least 1 visitor. Most desired vacant categories have been bandied about in emails and in comments to my earlier Blog. Brian encouraged us all to look for both these categories and any others that might be suitable. Brian also explained the stick and carrot behind the visitor push. Here at EBF we like to concentrate on the positive, which was, that if you bring a visitor who joins, that visitor will get an extra month for an annual membership and the introducing member will get a month added to theirs as well.
That’s the carrot; the Stick will be an obligation on the gentlemen members who fail, to wear a dress for the next following EBF meeting after October. Apparently these will be purchased from a charity shop, and presumably returned afterwards. For the women, Brian suggested moustache and beard but I suspect, some of the dresses that you get from a charity shop would be equally galling for a women to wear. Hopefully nobody will qualify for this dubious privilege.
The Performance League yielded a leader well in advance of everybody else, namely Dawn. Congratulations to her. Let us see if in the succeeding weeks we can successfully chase her down.
It was perhaps with relief that we reached the 60 second round. No particular theme emerged. Some of the offerings were slightly bizarre. Alan Shaw has apparently been engaged in a Coach House Scheme and is looking for people who might need feasibility studies carried out as a prelude to a planning application. Presumably they need this because planning authorities have a habit of driving a “Coach and Houses” through applications prepared in an unprofessional way.
Adrian Crosdale was, as always, trying to cast light into the shadows. He mentioned “day light bulbs”, something about them warming up quickly and Nick Morgan, indicated that he was looking for people who needed vehicle graphics added to their vans or cars. There is apparently a “Morgan Look”. It apparently turns you into a pillar of salt.
Kim Redwood-Lee seems to be getting involved in education in the broadest sense. She sent both Danielle and Laura to the meeting and is apparently also funding courses for them to assist with their training.
Graham Thurston told of his quickest order and indicated that he was looking for communal staircases, don’t know what for but it seemed to be one step too far. Equally out of step was Kevin Brooks who told of a topsy-turvy night dressed up suitably in ladies attire. He and his mates had got the wrong night, but they “pulled” anyway. This appeared both amusing and probably not the most effective use of 60 seconds although as a builder he would have benefited from a good foundation and therefore a testament to his skill.
Scott is looking forward to Christmas. This is something he starts doing in February; he is setting up his Lapland Letter Box on a Santa website. It could have been depressing (thinking of Christmas!) but we quickly moved from Santa to a heavy weight boxer, a metal detector and a paint box with Brian Painter explaining indicating how he can assist people in coping with stress. His services in this field were fast becoming the most attractive option for all of us when Jason Nortey stood up with a carrier bag to illustrate how little mess he made after making any installations in a car.
Ed Crocker told how “Nationwide” Same Day Couriers were in fact “International”, Hamburg was mentioned so was Shipley. Anything, anytime, anywhere was somewhat reminiscent of the Martini advert and I thought this was pushing for the Oscar but it was finally awarded to Brian Painter because we all need to have stress relieved from time to time.
Richard Reed’s very well organised Synergy Team met on Monday of this week and he duly reported upon how useful it had been to the 9 members who attended. I was one of these and I can vouch for how well run this meeting is and how useful other members whose categories fitted into Business to Consumer it would be.
Finally we were led us into the 10 minute presentation which this week was Ed Crocker’s. It was a meeting for fun and games. Ed had set up a scalextric circuit which we all played with prior to the meeting. This is apparently called “slot racing” and we came to learn of his fixation or rather enthusiasm for this form of entertainment. We now know what he does in his spare time……wrap up parcels, one of which he sent around as a “pass the parcel” which gave us all a Kit Kat. With all this sporting activity it seems hardly worth mentioning that there followed, after the meeting, a putting tournament. No doubt, in his comments to the Blog, Scott will reveal the winners.
Ed stayed on his feet and passed round the referrals in testimonials round. The numbers were good this week, 27 referrals and in excess of £37,500.00 recorded business passed.
Last month was good with £130, 000.00 being passed, this month might well run it close.
Terry Maylin announced to the meeting that the selection of a Christmas party venue is underway and so ended an effective meeting. It’s nice to see the visitors starting to come in and we are hopeful of at least one new member from this week’s crop.
I look forward to seeing you all next week with an increase in numbers brought about by further visitors.
Excellent meeting again this week with plenty of business past. Big thanks to Ed for my prize, i’m still working on building it now 🙂
Brilliant meeting this week. Unfortunately owing to previous engagements (and being late due to my wife letting the oil in her car get low and having to dash to the garage) I was unable to take part in the scalextric or the putting competition. Scott was slightly upset when one of the waitresses poured out the coffee for me, perhaps she will do the same for him next week.
excellent meeting pass the parcel scalextric and putting competition I am surprised to see we still had time to pass a substantial amount of business between us!
Very entertaining meeting. I am hoping to bring a 1st time visitor in the first or second meeting of October. Well done to Scott for organising the putting competition.
Plenty of energy at the meeting and good number of referrals. Delighted to have won the Oscar and it only took the promise of a half pint of shandy to persuade the delightful Danielle to award it to me!
I agree another great meeting and that’s Ed for the 10 minute slot, I also enjoyed the racing track although I kept coming off the rails LOL Hope to have a visitor next week who has her own F1 Simulator. Have a good weekend.
Yes Guys & Gals we excelled ourselves this week – Scalextric, Putting Comp, funny stories AND lots of referrals. Def the best networking group around.