Minutes of Committee Meeting on 19 May 2016 at Millburn Academy, Inverness. Present Alan Thompson (chair) Anne Cockroft (AMC), Anne Coombs (EAC), Jonie Guest, Duncan Kennedy, Karen Kennedy, Susan Kruse, Meryl Marshall, Lachlan McKeggie, Roland Spencer- Jones, Sue Walker. 1. Apologies David Findley, Bob Jones, James McComas. 2. Minutes of last meeting and matters arising. Amendments Project Register Tarradale Phase 1 Liaison is JG not EAC Cairn Glass Adopt a Monument should be added to the list. Archives EAC s name requires adding to this committee Action DF/JMcC Matters Arising The insurance was renewed at the end of March for a year at a cost of 324.12. Sub-committee Reports Projects Tarradale - Eric Grant had informed the committee that the funding application to SSE was unsuccessful. This is later discussed in Sub-Committee reports. Rosemarkie Caves As JMcC was not present at the meeting, no report was given. Aigas RSJ is now at draft stage writing the report on the project. Website and IT - RSJ Website is ISQ. Membership is currently 121. Activities MM informed the committee that she had written up Ormond Castle for the article to be placed in Archaeology Scotland magazine. This also could be placed in the forthcoming newsletter. MM asked KK if she would like to join the committee and KK agreed. Skills and Training The Lead here to be noted is JG who reported that the qgis beginners training was now in progress. Equipment review this is still ongoing. Action LMcK Newsletter AMC agreed this would be despatched very soon. Action AMC Archives - DK has agreed to help digitize any archive material. Action DK NMS Celts visit it was a good visit with Fraser Hunter giving a talk explaining everything at the beginning. Thank you to LM. 1
Projects Register Isle Maree MM explained that it was necessary to make arrangements to visit to the island later in the autumn months. A boat would be required, so that more information could be obtained. She will continue to pursue finding archive material. MM was informed that she might like to approach Anne MacInnes as she has been on Loch Maree. Action MM David s Fort Marion Ruscoe s blog could be used in the Newsletter and EAC has also some material. Action AMC/EAC Ardjackie Point EAC has still yet to write the report or blog about the shell midden. Action EAC AOCB MM had not yet arranged the Ben Wyvis distillery visit but it was decided to incorporate this with a winter walk. 3. Treasurer s Report DF was not present at the meeting but he had previously circulated his report and he asked to be noted that there was a negative of 56 against the Tarradale Project. A member had given a funding pledged to cover the cost for the carbon dating. In his report email dated 14 May he asked for the committee s view about idea to set up a small independent fund of the NOSAS main funding so that more carbon dates could be obtained. Discussion took place on this and it was decided that Chair would reply to the Treasurer of the committee s decision. The committee supports the TTT project. 4. Secretary s Report The Secretary s Report was approved. 5. Sub-Committee Reports Tarradale Through Time Eric is proposing to apply for HLF funding. The committee discussed that NOSAS should now apply for HLF funding (Eric to completed applications papers and before being posted they should be seen by the NOSAS committee). It was suggested that a pre-application should be submitted before a Project Plan is completed. The Chair will contact Eric to discuss about the application. Action AT Loch Hourn Joanna Hambly of SCAPE had approached John Wombell to give a paper in November at the conference of SCAPE/NAS in Glasgow. JW has agreed to this and the monies left in the account could be used to digitise all the slides professionally. The committee agreed that this should be done and JW being given support with Power Point if required. Action AMC Scottish Rock Art Project The Chair reported that the Scottish Rock Art Project had now received funding for 5 years. Tertia Barnett hopes to be contact with NOSAS on her return from abroad. NOSAS has been chosen as the First Pilot Region which may possibly take 2
place in the winter of 2016. John Wombell already has a variety of sites which may be suitable. Shieling Project - EAC has not yet done the project design and no decision has been reached when to start. Activities these are now being planned for the winter months. The June weekend which is being organised by Elizabeth Blackburn is all in hand. Skills and Training Lead is JG. EAC said that Malcolm Standring had agreed to a follow-on intermediate course possibly in September. The Chair agreed to run a second Photogrammetry. Plane Tabling The committee expressed gratitude to MM and said that people had enjoyed and been interested. There was a side effect from this in that people s interpretation of sites were different. In future a valuable exercise would be to walk sites taking a good look at the ground and have discussions. MM suggested that it would be advantageous to plane table more unusual sites and will add this to the activities list. Action MM Equipment More equipment is required some of which could be added into a future funding project. The list is 100 m tape, Tent, Shovels, Separate Tool box for excavations, VHF Radios and a Total Station. The committee discussed whether a total station would be used and yes it was agree it would be very useful. 6. HAF 2016, SAM and Community Heritage Conference ARCH has now been employed by Highland Council to organise the annual Highland Archaeological Festival from 1-16 October 2016 with the seminar 15-16 October. A website will be developed which will include payment details for the Seminar. SK hoped that this would invigorate the festival and help it grow even larger. SK presented lots of ideas and at the moment discussions are taking place on what to include in the programme. SK invited the committee members to send suggestions to her for the HAF as the deadline is quite soon on the 10 th June. JMcC to send out to the membership HAF Festival s email of 9 th May. Action JMcC Community Heritage Conference This has now changed and there will be three conferences this year, Ayr, Oban and Aberdeen on 12 th November 7. AGM 2016 The Chair asked if there were going to be any changes to the Constitution or subscriptions at the AGM. The committee replied no changes. The Treasurer will be retiring at the AGM and now is the time to be thinking of a replacement. The Chair commented that it there 3
was no one willing to become Treasurer then he would step down as Chair and become Treasurer. This would then leave the post of Chair vacant. 8. NOSAS Winter Programme MAD MM and Beth Blackburn will arrange the dates or September, November, December, January, February and March and book the hall as usual. Winter Walks MM said that Winter Walks will be from November to April and suggested that others should be encouraged to choose a walk and lead. Christmas Dinner It was decided instead of a Christmas Dinner that we should have a Burns Night this was agreed and a date and venue has as yet to be arranged. Action MM/KK 9. Safety Guidelines and Risk Assessment Forms The Chair discussed the three Health and Safety forms which JG had prepared for the visit to Islay as there was not generic forms on the Members area of the Web site. a) Risk Assessment b) Safety Guidelines c) Attendance and Disclaimer Form The committee discussed these and it was agreed that templates should be developed. DK agreed to do the templates and asked the committee to email kinds of activities that these would be required for. Action DK 10. Tick Up-date It was agreed to circulate to the membership the information on Ticks. Thank you to John Wombell and RSJ. Action JMcC 11. NOSAS and UHI The Chair had prepared an email after his meeting with UHI but had received no reply. It was decided to circulate to the committee and that KK should chase up why there had been no reply. Action AT/KK 12. Islay Follow-up The Chair thanked JG for all the organising and preparation and for a successful week on Islay and handed her a card and gift. JG thanked the group who were on Islay trip for their very generous gift. JG read out the email received on 10 th May from Sheila Clark thanking the Islay contingent for the book vouchers and commented that she had a really great time. 13. AOCB 4
Library It was suggested to buy two books each @ 25.00 The Celts catalogue David Taylor The Wild Black Back Region The committee agreed that SK could purchase these. Action SK SK also mentioned that JMcC had requested a Pre-history Seminar book which was 10 years old. SK to ask JMcC to make a case for this purchase. Action SK The meeting closed at 9.30 pm. 14. Date and Venue of Next Meeting The date of the next meeting will be on 13 th July at 7.00 pm at Millburn Academy, Inverness. 5