12^th August, 2024

Present:  John Long, Martin Relton, Nick Johnson and Stuart Jones.

Apologies: Felix Martin, John Sutton, Steve Graham, Eddie Haughey, Sean McGhee

The meeting was held at the Legh Arms, started at 19:00 and finished at 21:30

Actions

• Stuart to
  •  Check with Felix about arranging a date for a Recollection at Thorneycroft
  • To confirm details, including route, for the bike ride for the SVP which will finish at the Legh Arms
  • To inform Pat Flood and Jean Sutton about the charity ride and ask how best to collect sponsorship
  • To ask Felix to confirm arrangements for the bowling and if he can arrange a recollection and to provide Fr. David with newsletter item about the talk for the beginning of September
  • To ask Steve to put an article in the School newsletter about the talk at the start of the new term
• Felix to:
  • Work with John Long on a top 5 list of candidates for VP.
• Nick to:
  • Check with Father David on the proposed time for the Mass for deceased brothers (2^nd Nov at noon)
  • Manage arrangements for the Catenian support for the Crib and refreshments at the Carol Concert.
• Martin to:
  • Make arrangements to have a Knutsford Circle pull-up banner produced
• **John Sutton to find out if Pat Flood would be happy to speak after the Circle meeting at our September meeting.
• ** All to be proactive in asking brothers how we can make the monthly Thursday drinks sessions more popular (e.g. by having a speaker). Ongoing

Those actions starting with a ‘*’ are outstanding from previous meetings. The number of stars indicates how many months.

Completed Actions

• Stuart to
  • Communicate the latest list of events once we have confirmed dates
  • *Confirm a date for his SVP bike ride – likely to mid Sep.
  • Process the resignation of Mike Dobson
  • Send out reminders about the Sutton Walk (including an invite to Macclesfield Circle)
  • Send out a reminder about paying the subs.
  • Produce a brief for a group to review how to make Circle meetings more engaging.
• Sean to
  • *Send to Stuart a communication about the Avro Heritage Site Visit to forward to the Circle and Province
• Felix to:
  • Contact the Railway Inn to confirm the date for the bowling (and food options)
  • Talk to Fr. David about using the parish hall for the talk about catholic family life on 14^th Sep
• Nick to
  • Liaise with Simeon and confirm the date and details for the July Pub Walk
  • Co-ordinate with Alfonso and Felix on the date for President’s Sunday/Garden Party (possibly to be held at Stuart’s house) – see notes below
• Eddie to confirm arrangements for a meal at Sigiriya restaurant on August 18^th.
• Steve to make arrangements for raffles to start at Circle meetings
• Martin to
  • Contact Mike Hosker
  • Look at producing a newsletter for the Circle

Decisions

Matters arising from the last Circle Meeting

Stuart has asked brothers to vote on the proposal from GBNC about incorporation of GBNC.

Welfare

• We noted that Peter Philips had recently had to go back into hospital and is not well, though is recovering.  He continues to need our prayers.
• We noted that Peter Lowe continues to need our support.
• Martin has been in contact with Andrea Hosker.  Mike is physically OK but is becoming increasingly forgetful and has curtailed many of his social activities.  We will keep in touch.
• We noted that John Hurst’s wife Wendy has returned home from being in care and is recovering but continues to need our prayers.
• Our sick list is: James O’Dude, Joan Shaw (wife of Brother John), Wendy Hurst (wife of brother John). Also Bro Jim Flood’s niece’s child Finn, Peter Phillips (former President of the Circle), Mike Diver and George Moon (great grandson of former brother Peter Kerr).

Social Events

We discussed the following future events:

• Meal at the Sigiriya restaurant – 18^th August.  Cost is now £35 a head (excluding drinks).  25 are already signed up.
• President’s Day Saturday 14^th September.  A complementary buffet in Church followed by a talk from  a well-known speaker on catholic family matters.  This will be a parish event organised by the Catenians.  This will be followed, at 4, by a bowling and garden party at the Railway Inn. 
• Sponsored 100 mile Bike ride Stuart and Nick– Tuesday 17^th Sep ending at the Legh Arms
• Children’s mass – 11:00 on 20^th Oct – consider what we can to do to mark this
• Beartown brewery visit – Wednesday 23rd October 7:00pm a guided tour of the brewery and beer tasting in the tap room. Transport provided.  Cost is £25
• Mass for deceased brothers – aiming for 2^nd November at noon
• Recollection at Thorneycroft – Date tbc
• Christmas Dinner – now booked for 6^th December at Cottons. Cost will be £40 a head including a welcome drink.
• Crib and Refreshments after the Carols – 7^th December (tbc)
• Refreshments after Church Carol concert – December (Date tbc)
• Beer and Curry Night will be on Thursday, 19^th December
• Charter and Clergy Dinner – Jan/Feb (Date tbc)

Membership

No update

Finance

No update

Province and national

No update

Officers for 2024/25

We still need a Vice President.  John Long and Felix agreed to focus attention on a ‘Top 5’ list of candidates.

AOB

We all agreed that Martin’s new newsletter was great, it was a bit disappointing that there had been no feedback form Circle members.

We discussed the brief for a review of how we do circle meetings.  John Long proposed that rather than have a sub-committee do the review that we should have a workshop open to all circle members.  Stuart will update the brief accordingly and we will agree date after the next circle meeting.