PEMBROKE COLLEGE WINNIE-THE-POOH SOCIETY
MINUTES OF THE ELEVENSES MEETING, 26/4/97
Held in U9, Pembroke College.
Present: Ben, Jon, Vicky, Stephen, Andrew, Anthony, Rob, Sibylle, Alasdair, Shamal (dodgy old-school friend of Jon and Ben), Piyush Shukla (dodgy Dansoc person trying to scrounge the use of Ben's new computer), Dave Henderson (who has forgotten an important part of being A Man with No Name).
Apologies: Claire, Tapani.
- Ben has gone overboard and purchased Earl Grey for the meeting! We are suitably wowed. Jon also produces cake but refuses to do the Tor pronunciation on the grounds of fatigue.
- Rob is caught reading Vicky's book on Neolithic farming.
- Anthony is extremely concerned about Sibylle's work crisis - significant glances cross the room, and a tiff breaks out when we begin to comment on it. They both go red, with no tea having been consumed whatsoever.
- Andrew is annoyed by Ben's pager.
- Vicky attempts to read the minutes of the last meeting, but fails: Sibylle has to take over.
- Sibylle has the same socks as Vicky at home, apparently.
- Sibylle informs us that: "It's always lovely to have someone talking in the background." I think a vote of thanks is required to Sibylle for providing so many of the minutes so far...
- Ben drops the biscuits!
- Sibylle is collapsed by the suction pump (in the minutes, obviously, not a real one; that would be silly, and probably against EC law).
- The reply from Sainsbury's is read. We are collectively horrified at the omission of hyphens, the mis-spelling, the poor grammar, the blatant self-advertising and most of all the clear unawareness of the original works evidenced by the mention of 'Gopher'. Dire action must be taken, and we spend most of the rest of the meeting trying to decide what, on and off.
- We vote to allow Shamal to vote for the duration of the meeting: F., 5, Ag., 1, Abs., 3; motion carried.
- Piyush arrives and starts playing on Ben's computer with barely as much as a by-your-leave.
- Vote to censure Jon for mentioning politics (despite being provoked): F., 5, Ag., 2, Abs., 2; motion carried.
- Vote to allow Piyush to vote for the duration of the meeting: F., 4, Ag., 3, Abs., 3; motion hung, so the visitors decide, who are of course Piyush. Startlingly, he votes for, so the motion is carried.
- Rob cracks one of his classic jokes. Ben suggests putting him on television, so that we could turn him off.
- Jon, having completely failed to write the Expotition Report he promised, extemporises a heroic narrative telling the members of the trip, the places we went, the game of Poohsticks (won outright by Vicky), and the shop, where we bought a secret item for the Society. The item is produced, and is a packet of Winnie-the-Pooh coasters, for the use of the members on a first-come, first-served basis. They are put into immediate use, after having been admired by the members.
- Anthony reads a draft letter to be sent to celebrities asking for a celebrity Poohstick. We are very impressed, and vote to congratulate him: F., 4, Ag., 3, Abs., 2; motion carried. We decide to send the letter to Anne Campbell (Hon Memb.), Paddy Ashdown, John Major and Tony Blair, as well to the Reverend David Jenkins.
- Sibylle is apparently two-timing Anthony by going to the ballet with Rob!
- Ben asks if they do operas in theatres. Andrew observes that he's never seen one in a phone-box.
- The reading is "In Which Eeyore Loses a Tail and Pooh Finds One," read by Anthony in a Somerset accent. Ben has previously declared it 'Be Nice To Anthony Week', so there is nothing we can do about this. Andrew is asked to adopt a BBC English accent for Wol's notices, which produces results that simply cannot be reproduced in Roman script.
- Ben knocks the teapot over! Consternation, Uproar!
- Pooh apparently has a small something about this time of the morning.
- We finally decide on the matter of Sainsbury's - they are clearly heretics, and moreover we suspect that they might be taking the piss. We decide therefore to complain to Head Office: F., 4, Ag., 3, Abs., 2, one ballot spoilt by the game-playing Piyush; carried.
- The letter to Shirley Pays asking her to switch on the Pem is read, and we vote to send it once the date has been suitably altered: F., 8, Ag. 1, Abs., 1; carried.
- Rob does his suspect cough for the first time this term.
- Ben suggests we start a league-table for the person who has been most censured.
- We decide to put something in the minutes stating that Angela and Sarah need to come to more meetings, since they both read the website more often than they turn up and this is probably the easiest way to reach them.
- Next week's meeting will be at 6 Grange Road. Vote to close this week's: F., 5, Ag., 3, Abs., 3; closed. Sibylle, who has now left, had left a vote to close but since we didn't need it we decide to save it for another week. We also note that 'Be Nice To Anthony Week' is now over. Bastard.
- We reopen the meeting to decide who will be custodian of the coasters - or, as we prefer it, Coastguard. We nominate Vicky, and vote her in once, but Ben nullifies this by voting despite his James-ship. The new vote is: F., 6, Ag., 1., Abs., 1; carried, even though one of the Fors was Shamal's and his vote was only valid for last meeting. Who cares, anyway? We've got homes to go to.
Return To Easter 1997
©The Pembroke College Winnie-The-Pooh Society 1997.
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