Minutes of General Meeting
Sunday 19th December

HELD AT 7 NULLUM STREET, MURWILLUMBAH ON SUNDAY DECEMBER 19^TH , 2004 AT 10AM

Present:
Ragunatha Dasa – Chairperson
Paramandanda Dasa – Vice Chair
Capala Devi Dasi – Secretary
Lilavati Devi Dasi – Treasurer
Tarun Krsna Dasa – Committee member
also present:
Sahadeva Das
Karuna Mayi Devi Dasi
Paurnamasi Devi Dasi
Baladeva Dasa
Srimate Devi Dasi
Braja Kishori devi Dasi

QUORUM:
The chairperson noted that a quorum was present and declared the meeting open at 10.15am.

MINUTES:

1. Bhajana/Kirtana and prayer for Srila Gurudeva’s blessing to conduct a successful meeting in line with Vaisnava etiquette.

2. Discussion/voting regarding the loan for the land purchase.
Capala informed the community of the following loan details:

Westpac has approved the loan – max. $80,000 draw-down with repayments of $1,008.00 per month whether the total of $80,000 or less is drawn down.
.According to Building Account Bank Statements, a total of $13,396.10 was donated in the last financial year.
Service fee of $105.00 per quarter and $820 Loan establishment fee
Approx. $240.00 per week need to service the loan
Loan is over a period of 10 years
We need approximately $40,000 to repay Mahaprabhu’s Veridan Account
GGGM also has to re-imburse Mahaprabhu for any legal fees, capital gains tax, rates, interest etc. GGGM should be able to apply for an exemption on the stamp duty for the purchase as we are a non profit charitable organisation. Capala will organise letter to Stamp Duties Office when figures are confirmed.
If GGGM were to have max re-draw facility on $40K or $50K interest rates would be less. Capala will contact the bank for figures.
Solicitor – Mahaprabhu wants GGGM to use the same solicitor as himself for the sale/purchase of the Land. Discussion on disadvantages followed.

PROPOSAL-CAPALA. SECONDED BY LILAVATI.
THAT GGGM HAVE A DIFFERENT SOLICITOR THAN MAHAPRABHU.
VOTING: UNANIMOUS - 11YES

Financial commitment is needed from members of the Community – Forms were distributed to members present. Sahadeva & Paramananda are to co-ordinate loan commitment from devotees not present. Param also to contact and organise completion of membership forms with devotees.
Sahadeva informed the community that in order to gain support/donations from the Indian Community that the Indian Devotees need to see building plans and need regular updates on what is happening. Sahadeva has agreed to be the contact between GGGM and the Brisbane Indian Community.

PROPOSAL – RAGUNATH, SECONDED BY LILAVATI
THAT GGGM BORROWS ENOUGH MONEY FROM THE BANK TO REPAY MAHAPRABHU PLUS ENOUGH TO HAVE PLANS DRAWN UP AND PASSED THROUGH COUNCIL
VOTING: UNANIMOUS - 11 YES

3. Discussion/voting regarding re-locatable building/demountable building to be erected on the land.
Devotees then discussed the following points:

Cost of demountable/queenslander style home – would be more than $40,000
Option of a shed
Prohibitive cost of concrete slab – Karuna Mayi informed community of acid/sulphate soil – piers would have to be put down and a floating concrete slab would be necessary – (Sik temple) & Council requirements.
Sahadeva mentioned details of the devotee who is an expert builder – he will contact and ask if interested. Also will contact his relative who is an architect.
Paurnamasi – if temporary building is erected, will probably end up being the permanent structure.
Possibility of using a large tent (Pandal) for festivals etc until building is constructed.

4. Discussion regarding temporary premises for programmes/festival days.

Financial commitment for the rent – cost prohibited
Home programmes better alternative at present
Hire of premises for festival days
Public Liability for festival days – event insurance
Keep home programmes simple – no prasadam

PROPOSAL – CAPALA, SECONDED BY RAGUNATHA
THAT FOR THE TIME BEING HOME PROGRAMMES BE ORGANISED AND A HALL HIRED FOR FESTIVAL DAYS.
VOTING: UNANIMOUS – 11 YES

5. General Business.

Srimati – Advise Gurudeva of what is being done. Ragunatha suggested that minutes of the meetins be send to the Bhakti Trust.
Brief discussion on community split – Capala informed devotees that Mahaprabhu and Braja Ballabha have been asked to join us however timing is not right at present. We will keep the doors open for future reconciliation. Sahadeva stated that “Service to Gurudeva binds us together, He is the centre of all of our lives”
Letter from Subal Krsna Dasa was distributed to the devotees to read and discussion followed.
That a feast be organised by GGGM on Boxing Day 26/12/2004 to say thank you to the Brisbane Indian Community for their generous donations. Paramananda is going to contact the Brisbane Devotees and Ragunatha is going to contact Braja Ballabha to ask if he would like to attend/give class.

PROPOSAL – RAGUNATHA, SECONDED BY LILAVATI
THAT A FESTIVAL BE HEND ON THE LAND WHEN THE PURCHASE IS COMPLETE. (Devotees to bring prasadam)VOTING: UNANIMOUS – 11 YES

THE MEETING CLOSED AT 11.55AM WITH ANOTHER KIRTAN LED BY SAHADEVA.

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In other news, recently Kesava dasa Brahamacari and Lalit Krishna dasa Brahmacari have recently returned from their 6-months of world travel. (More on this here soon)

Local Book Distribution and Harinam Sankirtan are now on their minds.... contact them here for further info!