News from Newton

OLNEY NEWTON LINK COMMITTEE NEWTON  SIERRA LEONE

 

Minute of meeting held 23 rd August 2006:

 

Agenda Attendance

 

  1. Prayers 1. Dominic Usman
  2. Opening remarks 2. Abu Bakarr Fofnah
  3. Reading of last meeting minutes 3. Mohamed Kamara
  4. Matters arising 4. Mariatu Kamara
  5. Correspondence 5. Osseh Jones
  6. Items from Olney 6. Mabinty Sesay
  7. AOB 7. Momoh Sesay

8. Valicious King

9. M.J.Showers

 

Absent

 

1.       James Kabbia

2.       M.S. Koroma

3.       Rosaline Elba

4.       Claude Kamanda

 

  1. Prayers – Individual silence prayers were observed.

 

  1. Chairman's opening remarks – The chairman welcomes the members after a long break. He expressed that the absence of meetings is not his fault neither the secretary but due t to the poor response of other members to meetings and can attest that the secretary always pass on circulars. He emphasized on the need for a quorum before the starting of the meeting so that we could reach unanimous decision. He said he is disappointed and unhappy on Claude's letter and attitude of writing against his administration because he is always sure that members are present in meetings before decisions are taken. He said that committee's matters are not a one man decision. Regardless to what influence the person may have. He is paying his personal money fro the provinces to Newton to have meetings and the secretary is always sparing his time to go around for meetings. He said to the committee that he is always satisfied with the minute of the secretary because the secretary is writing with his approval and the committee based on decisions taken. If anyone is absent at a meeting and decisions taken that individual should ask the chairman, secretary or any other member present in that meeting for briefing rather than just writing abroad to disregard the reputation of the committee and its members. We therefore advise that all information sent must be in his known for proper advice.
  2. The minutes of last meeting was read , corrected and adopted

 

  1. Matters arising: After a long debate we agreed that the last ten beneficiaries should be supported to zinc their houses because we have promised to help them this year. And most of these beneficiaries who plastic proof their houses are becoming extremely dangerous due to heavy rains this year more than the previous years. Those who have received zinc supply for phase 4 are waiting for cement, iron rods, boards, nails and corner ridges for their houses.

 

  1. Financial Accountability: Some members who were not present in the last meeting asked the chairman for a financial accountability review as to the last financial expenditure. The treasurer in charge took her time with records to explain in detail last monies spent. After which members expressed their satisfaction for the clarification.

 

  1. Correspondence from Olney: An email sent by Rachel indicating justification of skills was read and discussed. We agree that the skills must go on as soon as possible for the following reasons:

 

i.                      To pass on skill education to the numerous youth unemployed, drop out of school and ex-combatants who were disarmed and are living in the community causing problems such as thieving, street fighting, gambling etc.

ii.                    The Community is also short of skilled labour to do various work needed in the community.

iii.                   Since we hope to phase out of shelter, the skill center and its activities will remain as sustainability to the link and it project. We have agreed that after the last ten houses being sponsored, we will phase out of shelter. We now believe that some of our listed beneficiaries re now able to shelter themselves besides we cannot run the skills and the shelter simultaneously due to the problem of funding The children of Newton will benefit more on the education we provide rather shelter. Not everybody in Newton can get shelter from the side of the link. People feel everybody should benefit. As this will increase more problems and ill feelings for us in the future. We have agreed to start the education next month. Bakarr has provided for the committee empty classrooms in his school for the starting of tutorials. The documents such as whole project writing will also meet you soon as agreed. It will contain the following:

 

  1. Justification of the project
  2. Photos and plans of intended center (Multipurpose)
  3. Curriculum Development (To visit Bo training center on findings recommended by Rena in her last visit).
  4. Other useful information.

 

  1. Items from OLNEY: The chairman reposted that he had cleared the goods from Robert Claire and are with him for safekeeping because we don't have a safekeeping place at the moment.
  2. AOB – STORE BREAKING – The chairman and his members were very sad to realize that the store was broken and materials looted such as zinc, some sewing machines and typewriters. The chairman said before he left for the provinces on that day he actually saw some suspected persons standing by the store side but could not identify one of the men and their purpose since the school is a public place but the committee realizes that it is a bargain in order to get us out of the school store. The matter has been handed over to the community elders and the police for community policing. We hope to start building so that we can have a place of our own to store materials.

 

We have also agreed that any member failing to attend meetings without rescue for two to three meetings the committee will not write a circular to that individual anymore and will also lead to an indefinite suspension.

 

The date of the next meeting will be Saturday September 16 2006. The meeting ends up with silence prayers.