Help the Hatters Update 20

As a slight departure from the norm, this weeks Update will concentrate on last night Help the Hatters meeting.

The meeting opened with the usual confident and reassuring Treasurers Report from Mike Hopper, which confirmed the sound footing which the group was in. This was largely based on continual hard work via Car Boots and other regular activities and needed to be maintained if success was to continue.

 

James Gannon.

A departure from normal procedure came next in the form of James Gannon  who Fitzy had asked to address the meeting.

James gave the meeting an interesting and heart felt delivery, in which he indicated sadness at the demise of professional football in Stockport with the Club`s steady fall down the football pyramid. James felt that the Club was being run into the ground via a monumental inertia on the current Boards part, and that pressure should be put on the Board members to relinquish their ownership of the Club.

A lively discussion followed ranging over the Asset of Community Value issue, the Supporters Cooperative and the position of both Brian Kennedy and SMBC  in all this, after which Fitzy was authorised to contact the Stockport Express giving the groups views.

The next meeting of the `Stronger Together' group was arranged for Thursday 19th September 2013 at the Bungalow starting at 19.30.The chair asked  anyone wanting to raise a question for that meeting,  to email it to him beforehand. This would not preclude any question being asked on the night .

Yearbook.

It was noted that so far 435 had been sold bringing in £894.50.

We had printed 1000 , but Mike advised us that breakeven point had been reached thanks to Fitzy`s excellent work in bringing in advertising for the book.

It was agreed that a big push be made this coming Saturday before the Leamington game. Both myself and Fitzy will be on the Club  Car Park from 1.30 ready to sell. Should you be able to assist please seek us out. If I am not on the car park I will be outside the Cheadle End turnstiles.

Fund Raising.

Mike confirmed he is working on different items amongst them Hoodies which are a HtH regular favourite. After discussion if was agreed that we consider holding an `indoor car boot sale' ....hmmmm......yes....I know.....I thought the same when I first heard of it! No it is serious and a seriously good idea as well it turns out! The venue is likely to be the Masonic Hall and the date sometime during Xmas. The possibility of providing an `alternative Match Day Hospitality' was discussed - it was agreed that further consideration be given to this for the next meeting, although it did not seem to be an `earner' which had to be a consideration.

Further Working Party`s.

All the jobs inside EP had now been done and it was with pride we could look on HtH handy work on match days and see a stadium to be proud of. Fitzy raised the issue of painting the frontage on Hardcastle Road. This had been thought about and cancelled twice now, but it was agreed we have another go at it. We would need 10- 12 people to make a decent fist of it, and I will be sending details of time/ date etc when the paint is bought! Await the call Hatters!

Vernon`s Kids Initiative.

As per usual HtH were ready and able to organise this activity and to this end Mike Smith was to liaise with Karen to sort arrangements out.

Please note that, along with yer actual organising of the event, we will be filling goody bags this Saturday prior to the Leamington game. If you can assist please meet at the Insider Suite at 13.15.

Car Boot Sale- Sunday 22 September 2013- Booth Street Car Park.

This was being organised in typically excellent fashion by Angela and if you can help out any time between 06.00 and 13.00 then please advise her on angela.moore53@ntl world.com

Consideration was given to a later start for future Car Boots ,and 07.00 was thought to be the bees knees as far as ideas in this respect were concerned.

Lottery.

A reminder was given that HtH were still involved with this and we encourage supporters to support the County lottery via ourselves.

That was the end of business , but the fact that I had not chaired a meeting for about a millennia  began to show, but too late did I come to realise the full extent of my ineptitude.....

I had missed 2 items off the agenda thus , having donned sack cloth and ashes I give you them now.....

Blog and Twitter.

Had I been fully awake I would have reported that page views were nearing 24000( 23711 actually) which was excellent bearing in mind the Blog only got off the ground in mid June 2013.

I think that the variety that our diverse range of writers offer is but one reason for the buoyancy of the site. Whilst Adrian was out of the country( and missed a County win)Pauline Coddington`s `I Have a Dream'   racked up 140 hits at last look whilst Graham Privett entertained us royally with  his pants piece. Both the afore mentioned have articles pending and the second in the series` Witness to County History' is awaiting publication too, so plenty of stuff on the way!

My attempts meanwhile to open a third Help the Hatters Twitter account are thus far foundering adjectly. I will report on this again!

Roles Within Help the Hatters.

The jobs being done are being done well but by a relatively small number of people. If anyone out there is willing and able to take on any roles that might come up  possibly of a linking variety with Coop  then please let Natalie know.

That`s all for now.....I promise to buck up!

IO County.

Ian Brown