Held in: The Inner Parlour, Pembroke College, Cambridge.
Present: Andrew, Ben, Robert, Martin, Claire, Mad Jenny, Yasmin, Chris, Jon, Gina, Brian, Annelies, Pieter Van Mieuwenhuizen, Aidan Varney.
Apologies: Kirsten, Benedict, Michéal, Jenny
Guests: Richard M-H, Neil, Sarah Jackson, Stuart.
Walking Past The Window: Alison, David Henderson.

1. Ben finally opens the meeting at 16:14, and welcomes the freshers.
   


2. Jon arrives shortly afterwards armed with lots of Stuff.
   


3. Ben decsribes the Society in great detail but is heckled by an important discussion about tea and sugar at the other end of the table, chaired by Mad Jenny.
   


4. Claire shouts, "Cake!"
   


5. Yasmin and Jon get into the early stages of a pub brawl over whether or not angels can cook.
   


6. Annelies pays her Pooh Levy and is thus welcomed to the Society.
   


7. Granny objects to something on the grounds that it doesn't use the letter 'F' enough. Unfortunately the Secretary only noted the thing to which he objected as "I/I" and I now have no idea what I meant. Sorry!
   


8. Ben wishes it to be minuted that Aidan didn't know he was coming. He appears to be one of Mad Jenny's habitual collection of freshers.
   


9. Rob announces that since the Pooh Levy was set he has received payments from: Rob, Ben, Granny, Mad Jenny, Claire, Henry (who wants to be listed first), Annelies, Martin, Pieter (one of the freshers) and Gina. Jon notes these people down for purposes fo pigeonholing.
   


10. The Reading is: "In Which We Are Introduced to Winnie-the-Pooh, and the Stories Begin", as is traditional. However, as is also traditional, we take some time to start.
    


11. Chris isn't sure if he's up for it.
    


12. Granny announces that Yasmin is good. This occasions much curious comment.
    


13. Chris balances a lid on his nose, but this doesn't seem to be in the story anywhere so we can't censure him for actions; instead, Claire proposes we silence hecklers by inviting them to share the joke with us, and if that fails timing the wasted time and keeping them behind by that much at the end of the class. With this settled, Yamsin reads the Introduction and then the story proper.
    


14. Rob's suspect cough makes a welcome return to our meetings. He does it twice, this apparently having been enjoined upon him so that he can announce when he is clearing his throat, as otherwise people are inclined to think he's coughing at something. Claire attempts to do the same and gets trapped into a biscuit cough by mistake.
    


15. Aidan departs and Gina arrives, in reverse order. Jenny realises that by some terrible error we have failed to let Aidan join and orders that Ben go to get him back: Ben, despite putting up an effort of which the Three Stooges would have been proud, is unable to find him so Jenny is forced to do it herself and returns armed with the man, if you'll forgive the Virgilian nature of the phrase. She has prepared for the eventuality by writing, "A Member of the Comittee" [sic] on a piece of paper, and thus supported, Aidan's candidature is voted upon: F., 10, Ag., 1, Abs., 1; carried. He therefore pays up.
    


16. Rob displays his abilities as the Acting Treasurer by performing two lines from Hamlet.
    


17. Brian arrives although he nearly thinks better of it. A random fresher by the name of Stuart arrives also.
    


18. Rob reads the Minutes of 19/06/99, the last Constitutional Meeting, but Jenny pronounces them boring and he abandons the attempt, and Ben reads last week's instead. The Latin in them foxes him, and he then finds himself unable to read, so Rob takes over anew and finishes the job. Jon notes that he has mistakenly implied the presence of Yasmin and promises amendment.
    


19. Jon reports that he has handed over the cash-box to Rob, and that at that time it contained £55.16 sterling and fivepence of counterfeit money, plus an unknown number of stamps of both classes.
    


20. Jon collecst the surnames he is missing from his pigeon-holing list.
    


21. Having thus conducted all his business, Jon points out that it's no use pretending, he's not a student anymore, that Pembroke will surely notice at some point, and that therefore he'd better resign as Secretary, to take effect as soon as a successor be elected. This will necessitate an EGM: Jon asks that it be in three weeks so he has time to manage the full two weeks notice.
    


22. Jenny proposes a vote of thanks to Jon for all his work: F., 10, Ag., 1, Abs., 2; carried. Ben proposes a vote of censure for being an appalling Secretary: F., 6, Ag,. 1, Abs., 7; carried. And so justice was done.
    


23. On the agenda at the EGM therefore will be (1) a Reading, (2) elections to the posts of Secretary and Treasurer, and to any posts vacated by those applying for these posts, (3) changes to the Constitution, (4) the minutes of the previous meeting, (5) matters arising, (6) any other business, (7) venue for next week's meeting. Hurrah for organisation, now I just have to do the notices...
    


24. Brian burns his hand on the teapot.
    


25. We discuss what to do with Poohsoc's money: mugs are mooted as a distinct possibility.
    


26. Ben reports on Varsity Poohsticks: apparently the chances of a game are better than ever before this year, i.e. the same spiel we give the freshers every year.
    


27. Gina has to leave now.
    


28. Next weeks' meeting will be in AA25: we vote to close, F., 10-, Ag., 2, Abs., 2; closed.
    

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