Gen Sec's unofficial minutes

So we're ten minutes in, flown through stand in chair Raechel Mattey's welcome, no one's spotted any hideous errors in the minutes and Ross has congratulated and commiserated sabbatical candidates in the space where he was suppose to give a report of what he’s been doing as education officer.

We’re onto the sticky subject of banning chewing gum and I’ve just recycled opinions from Tuesdays Exec meeting for which I received, what I would call a second hand round of applause, due to the fact I was merely summarising points made by other exec members on Tuesday.

They all count though.

Just as we’re coming to a consensus that the Uni can shove their solidar….in walks two suited gentleman who proceed to have a stare off with societies and services Queen Raechel Mattey before explaining they have booked the room and want us out.

Thankfully the ever tactful Steve Cushen was on hand to ascertain our guests names by asking in his soothing Merthyr valley tone: “who are yooo?”.

Which gave the game away as to why Cush didn’t run for sabb – he has nailed a job with the world renowned North Korean Diplomatic Service.

It turns out they were lecturers from the Engineering Department. Not in Faraday surely.

Anyway long and short of it we have to tramp downstairs to finish the debate and decide the students’ union will be facilitating chewing for a while yet.

Onto the Emergency Motion – a review of part-time officers positions which will cut the number of positions to 13.

Simon Darvill proposes, gets a good reaction and the exec members present Tuesday have already agreed with the motion. I reckon this will fly through and I might catch the end of the Fulham game.

After ten minutes of clarifications on the motions have been given the forward defensive by Darvill we move on to a vote if there is no one to speak against…

Not likely! Up steps the ever present Tom Lake of SGM fame to level some good arguments and ask people to vote against.

So six speeches in three rounds of two minutes each later and were ready for a vote.

Gilman asks for all in favour – a decent 17 hands, not a clear majority. Gilman asks for all those against – after a thorough count, a close 12, but no cigar.

There were some pretty notable abstentions too.

So the best SGM in recent memory leaves you minus an accommodation officer, communications officer, Ents officers, Erasmus rep, Department of Adult Continuing Education rep, village rep, library rep, two non-portfolio officers, race relations officers and undergraduate rep.

But in my view with a more workable executive…only time will tell who is right.

MORE OF THE SAME NEXT TIME PLEASE!