Board of Governors Board Room

[BanaBatGirl]

"Hogwarts' School for Witchcraft and Wizardy's highest authority, the governing board consisting of 12 elected members of the community, will periodically and when necessary hold meetings and events in a provided room on the school premises."

-Hogwarts School Charter & Founding Documents

It just so happens that the room the BoG has been given used to be a dusty old classroom and practice room for student use. The dust is gone, the desks have been replaced by an elegant business table, and the governors all have comfortable, reclining executive chairs now. The long, green chalkboard on one side of the room is all that remains of the historic Classroom Eleven.

This room has remained pristine despite the state of the rest of the school. Clearly, whoever is left to do Hogwarts' cleaning was told to make this room a priority.

OOC NOTE: Only current Board of Governors Governors and Hogwarts Staff are permitted in this thread unless express permission has otherwise been given.

[AlwaysSnapesGirl]

Time to get down to business. Good.

It seemed they were all on the same page for the most part with the turnstiles in the Great Hall and common rooms. Those needed to go and soon. There were other, much better ways to raise funds. The event idea was good, for example. "I like idea of a fundraising event. Many people might enjoy a holiday ball." Students included. They'd surely enjoy that much more than paying money just to get into their common rooms and the Great Hall. He wasn't so sure about students cooking food for it, however. How many students actually frequently cooked their own meals enough to be skilled at it? Probably not the vast majority. The Three Broomsticks catering didn't seem to be a bad idea though, and he didn't oppose students helping decorate for it. So he nodded at those. "Asking for donations from alumni sounds like a reasonable idea as well." Every little bit helped, and surely a good number of the people who had graduated from Hogwarts was willing to help out even in a small way.

As for the elves, he did have a few questions about them. The idea of them resigning was odd, as Althea also seemed to notice. "Did we pay our elves?" There were obviously some exceptions in history, but the majority of elves didn't accept payment for their services. They were naturally inclined to do all their work without it. "Or was there money in the budget set aside that typically took care of them, and we had to let them go because we don't have the funds to ensure they're also fed enough to follow their duties?" Aside from a little one, apparently. Those seemed more likely options than the elves actually willfully resigning from their posts and leaving a young one behind. It wasn't in their nature. It had to be this or...they were taken, as Althea also asked.

Also. "I don't have an elf myself." He cleaned his house himself. "I believe I have a few friends who might have an elf or two to spare, however, if need be?" Atticus was not sure if they wanted the house elves brought in to be only among their group, but it didn't hurt to offer.

He remained silent and listened to the discussions about communication with Gringotts and Magical Law Enforcement, the idea of sending out and apology, and what exactly should be made in a public statement. He did not have much to add on those topics at the moment, but he didn't pay any less attention.

Now, the idea of putting payment centers elsewhere...that was not an entirely horrible idea. Certainly better than where they were now and hindering students from necessities. Places required for participation in classes and homework weren't the best ideas either, but extracurriculars? That seemed somewhat reasonable. "A small fee to watch the Quidditch games wouldn't be too bad." There were much fewer games during the year than there were times students would need to use the Great Hall, common room, and classrooms. "Would this be something students, staff, and the public would have to pay?" That was what he was assuming, but it was best to make sure before he fully agreed or disagreed.

[LilFox06]

Carter cocked an eyebrow at Ivy’s comment. ”I wasn’t at all suggesting we apologize for being robbed.” This woman was capable enough of a listener to teach, right? ”I believe that the situation was handled poorly. Springing unexpected payments on children so that they may eat and sleep is uncalled for. If we simply asked families that wree able to donate to do so, I’m sure everyone would be completely agreeable about the situation.”

But what was done, was done, right?

And he was glad that he had someone that agreed with him. He flashed an appreciative smile to Sherman. ”Plus, we’ll need to make sure the school is in good standing if we intend for a fundraising ball and alumni donations to be successful.”

He glanced around the room and nodded a few times. ”Quidditch would be a good place to do that.” he agreed with a nod. Plus, knowing people paid to see the match would surely amp up the energy. ”I think the observatory, the student gardens, and the potions store would be good opportunities to raise a bit of money with the students. Not necessarily a turnstile, but maybe… charging for ingredients, or having students buy a plot in the garden or prime positioning for their telescopes.” It made sense, right? Okay. Maybe not the observatory bit. But they could… maybe rent out that space?

[Cassirin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tegz

Feel free? So essentially Cassandra here was passing on taking point on that and dropping it on Althea? She raised one eyebrow. "I'm sure I could chat with her about it. Is she planning on dropping in on this meeting?"

She continued to listen. "Do we have a media statement prepared? I believe we need to get on that sooner rather than later, and today so that we are all on the same page." She wasn't going to volunteer to buy back the china by the way. Someone else could do that.

"I want to know what else was taken. There was more of value than just money in the vault. Do we have an official inventory? Additionally, I'd like to know if Magical Law Enforcement have been brought in yet or if are we hoping to address this autonomously. I'd also like to know if the goblins been questioned and if we have records of the last visits to the vault before it was discovered empty. And as for the house elves, were they not technically chattel and not free to actually resign, so the use of that word seems odd. Were they also taken?" Yes, she had a lot of questions.

Althea took a sandwich from the tray and looked around at the others. "I think there are two main areas of concern: firstly what are we going to do going forward so that the students are not inconvenienced any further, and secondly, what are we going to do to find what is missing and get back what belongs to Hogwarts? Neither aspect can be easily swept under the carpet and we need to be proactive both here at Hogwarts and within the Wizarding community to restore things to how they should be."

Althea got a calm look from Cassandra, although she felt a little rise of impatience at the woman's imperious manner. Normally, she appreciated the alpha female in this Division Head, but considering they were all on the same team and puzzling through this together, it was best to proceed in the spirit of unity and cohesion.

"I hope the Headmistress will join us later in the meeting, but I don't feel an interview with the entire Board is ideal. Perhaps you should take someone with you... feel free to select whomever you feel is best suited for that conversation. Someone politic and in agreement with the majority of the board." Or perhaps Cassandra should just go herself? She never did like divvying up tasks when she was capable of doing them herself.

Moving along to some of Althea's other questions, Cassandra gave tight nods at each point. "I'd like Board members to act as liaisons with the media, Gringott's, and the Ministry, specifically Law Enforcement. Ideally, we want to handle as much of this as possible on our own, but we were robbed. I imagine that we want professional assistance, and that we need the Ministry to be aware of more sensitive items that were kept in that vault." And thank Merlin it wasn't their turn to watch the Book of Mysteria. "Please let me know if you're willing to act on behalf of the Board." That comment went to the entire Board.

"As for the question of the house elves, you'll have to take that up with the Headmistress. During my tenure, they were not free to leave, but I admit to not understanding the finer workings of the house elf psyche. We may need to confer with the Ministry experts on that as well."

Quote:

Originally Posted by Harold Lagerty

"If it's not too much, I would like to agree with Cassandra here, and I assume with yourself, Miss Schrimer." He didn't want to assume anything but by the tone behind her question he assumed she was disliking the turnstiles as much as the rest of them.

It obviously wasn't one of the Headmistress's brightest ideas. "They need to be removed as soon as possible but in order for Madame Truebridge to continue to comfortably feel her autonomy as leader of this school and to preserve the working relationship we have with her administration I think that if we plan on removing the turnstiles we must first come up with at least one other form of fundraising to replace them."

Removing one of their prime fundraising vehicles without replacing them would just leave them feeling as if they were abandoned, high and dry.

No fault, that was correct.

At this statement Harold's eyes darted around the room quickly before settling on the tea that Phillips had made. He leaned forward to make himself a cup as the President continued to lay out their agenda.

"I can speak with the other shopkeepers in Hogsmeade and have them help me keep a look-out in the village for the china. Saul's shop sees its fair share of pawns and trades." he said calmly to the others in the room.

As for the House Elves he couldn't help there. Harold had always cleaned the Broomsticks with his own efforts. Surely though the witches and wizards around him who were able to afford running for office so recently would have the means and perhaps a spare Elf in their homes.

"Thank you, Hops. Coordinating with the shopkeepers in Hogsmeade is very helpful," Cassandra gave him a small smile. Thank Merlin her Treasurer had a level head on his shoulders... considering their Secretary hadn't even been bothered to show up yet. "Perhaps you can work with another Board member and see if any of the shopkeepers are willing to provide foods and services to the castle? They're as dependent on the school as we are on them, really, and it would be a boon to their name."

Fundraising, though... that was such a touchy subject. They'd raked in SO much money for the library last term that it was almost criminal to be asking for more money so soon. And yet... "I think we must swap funding for funding, absolutely. We can't take away something like the turnstiles without having some very effective fundraising plans to offer the Headmistress in exchange."

Quote:

Originally Posted by LilFox06

Carter nodded as the topic was turned to the turnstiles. He agreed that those needed to be removed right away. And it made sense they'd need to come up with another solution to raise the funds. "A way that doesn't take away from the students." he agreed with a nod. "Considering how well the library fundraiser went last term, perhaps we ought to reach out to the community in general." It made sense. Of course, there'd have to be some kind of assurance the money and funds would be better taken care of this time around.

He then nodded again at Althea's next point. A media statement. "Perhaps something in combination with... the bank or law enforcement. Assuming we're cooperating and trying to get this all figured out." Of course, that was an assumption. "I'd even suggest an apology to the students and their parents. I've received a few letters from concerned students..." (or at least his sister and her boyfriend, but that was beside the point) "I can understand that Hogwarts needs the money... but a collection blocking their beds and their meals?"

They sold china. Important china? He didn't quite see why they couldn't just buy more when they had more money. But. He wasn't a girl. He assumed it was a girl thing. "I could look around." he said with a shrug. He had a wife he could just casually hint at pawn shopping to. Destiny would probably even think it was her idea. Unless this wasn't something that was supposed to be secret. Then. Yeah. It would be kind of fun to see if he could convince her anyway.

"And I've got a house elf as well." In fact, Destiny would probably be glad to have it gone for awhile. He was pretty sure that she was still convinced house elves were out to poison her.

"Excellent! That's the spirit, Carter. That's two house elves now - yours and mine, and I assume you're willing to assist Hops in searching shops for the Hogwarts items that were sold. These are treasured parts of our school history and should be restored. I'll see if we can't get a complete list of what was sold as quickly as possible." Cassandra beamed at the younger man... first to really step up and volunteer. And people complained about the youth of today!

"I'm not certain about an apology, but acknowledging lessons learned in our media statement would not go amiss. It implies that we did as much as we were able at the time, and we will prevent this from happening again in the future." And more thoughts on fundraising. Cassandra would have to really address the topic soon.

Quote:

Originally Posted by lemon

"Has the bank already contacted Magical Law Enforcement themselves, even if we're handling this autonomously? We should check up on that. Has there been any communication between us and those at Gringotts?" Sherman fidgeted with his hands at all the bank talk, his thoughts still flickering to his wife, who he STILL hadn't interrogated about this all yet. And he needed to. Did they know he was married to the bank manager? Did that help any? No? Okay.

Turnstiles, though, right. "I agree. I like Carter's idea of reaching out to the community again, since our last fundraiser seemed to go especially well. Also, I'm sure parents will be more than willing to assist, seeing their children's educations are at stake, but I politely disagree with ideas of directly extracted payment from the young ones." So Mr. Clark wasn't in favor of the paying, along with everyone else, not to mention the WHINING letters he'd received (Merlin, those were a pain).

No house elf to offer up, but Sherman still had words. "I'm with Mr. Phillips on that one, as well. An apology to the families seems to be in order." The amount of trouble this could be causing some tight budgeted folks was heartbreaking to the elderly man. "I'll have my wife keep an eye out for the cutlery and will do so myself, as well. I'm elfless, though, unfortunately." He slumped a bit in his chair, rolling the wheels back and forth anxiously.

"So we've got to work on a media statemenf, possibly with DMLE and/or the bank, as well as brainstorming for fundraisers?" He started wracking his brain for ideas almost immediately, frowning thoughtfully at the sandwiches in the center of the table, no longer hungry.

This was difficult.

"We're not yet in communication with the bank or DMLE. I know you have a personal connection... is it inappropriate to ask you to liaise with Gringott's to get some answers to our questions?" It might be a conflict of interests for the gentleman, but if he was willing, there was no one better positioned to get to the heart of how they'd been robbed... and why. It wasn't as if they had the richest vault in Gringott's, and people tended to give pause before ripping off a school.

"I absolutely agree with you, Mr. Clark. There is no reason we should expect young children to pay for their own educations. It's distracting and it's mean-spirited to those who don't have the ability to pay. Do we now force children to sleep in corridors if they haven't a knut to their name? There must be some other way."

Quote:

Originally Posted by sarahlooo

Clasping her hands on the table, Ivy listened to her fellow board members rattle on about the impracticality of the turnstiles, particularly in the common rooms. "In all honesty, the idea wasn't that absurd," she objected to everyone. "Desperate times call for desperate measures, do they not? Like Cassandra said, we are flat broke, we have to start somewhere. But, the other hand, I do agree that we shouldn't keep them for much longer. I expect we'll start receiving more parent complains soon about their children's money being wasted on such things."

Ah, yes, the house elves. "My house elf is already here, assisting the young one when needed." Or, in other words, assisting Toddles when Ivy wasn't using her. Aaand Ivy shut her mouth for the rest of the house elf discussion.

The thought of a fundraiser had already crossed her mind, so she wasn't going to give Mr. Quaffle-Brain-Phillips any credit for that idea. "I've been brainstorming, actually. Maybe we could hold a sort of Ball or a Holiday Gala and invite the general public, charging them a fee for entry. The students could earn points for decorating the Great Hall or trying their hand at cooking with magic for the event." How FUN would that be? Ivy loved a good party and showing off her fancy dresses. And the students got to practice their magic, as well.

The one thing that definitely did not settle with Ivy was the idea of an apology to the parents. It didn't matter whose side she was on, that idea was just... shameful. She shook her head in response to Carter and Sherman. "No, no, no, I completely disagree. We have nothing to apologize for - we are not at fault. We did not willingly empty the contents of our vault and send ourselves into debt. Yes, it may have been careless to keep it all in one place, but we do not owe anyone an apology for getting robbed."

"Our public statement should be firm and confident. We will recover from this tragic event and we will not let our students' educations be affected by this terrible crime. Life has many bumps in the road, and this is one of them. We are trying our best and we will come out conqueror." No reason to apologize. Merlin's beard, were they all spineless?

So that was a third house elf. Excellent. "Thank you for giving so much this school year, Ms. Knox. I know how much it has really cost you in time and energy," Cassandra acknowledged the woman's contribution with a polite nod of the head and a smile. "And I appreciate your thoughts on the media statement, although I'm not sure they really differ from what Mr. Phillips was saying. Perhaps you can draft something and owl it to me. I'll submit it to the Daily Prophet." After she edited it, because that is what Presidents did.

"Rest assured that no one faults you or the Headmistress for making decisions that kept the school open. I think we all agree they are untenable in the long run, but no one can criticize you lot for decisions made under extreme pressure." And honestly, Cassandra wasn't sure exactly what steps she would have taken in Annie's place.

"I must politely disagree with any fundraising plan we have that might take place at Hogwarts. If the point is to showcase the school and get funding, how can we invite people in when the place looks so shoddy? It's an embarrassment and it will actively invite the media to criticize and the community to balk at funding. More to the point, we don't have the resources to throw a ball. It takes money we don't have to put on an event like that." Was that too negative? It was a very good idea, but it wouldn't work in this environment.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lissy Longbottom

"At this point, I don't even think it would be that out of line to ask for a small donation from parents before we do anything like planning a fundraiser, which will of course cost us a bit of money to hold, I'm sure," he said. "Muggle universities do it all the time - they ask their alum to give a small donation from time to time. Would it be that uncalled for for US to do that as well?" he suggested.

"That could be done hand in hand with a ball or something of some sort, to give people something to look forward," he added. "Both of those are options. Considering that parents are probably aware of the situation, I don't think many wouldn't be willing to donate a few galleons here and there if we sent a nice owl to them asking them for a favor. We can always hold a ball or party, free of charge, as a thank you when we finally have the money," he added.

He knew that if Scarlett's school needed some money, he'd be more than willing to toss in some galleons to help the cause. Surely other parents were that willing too!

"Asking the parents to pay is a thought. Would it be a sliding scale, though? Parents who can pay more are asked for more and those with little are asked for little? Or is it entirely voluntary? Donations only?" Those were important questions to answer, especially because not a SINGLE student should have to leave the school for want of funds.

"Are you suggesting that we hold an event after we are solvent for those who contributed? So the event wouldn't be a fundraiser itself?"

Quote:

Originally Posted by Erik Vinteren

"I vhink the idea of a fundraiser sounds fine," Erik remarked. "It vould be a nice distraction for vhe students, give vhem something to look forward to. To save on costs, ve could ask for sponsors from Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade. Perhaps even vhe Three Broomsticks vould be willing to cater vhe event." He glanced at Hops with that suggestion. What was wrong with having the students cook their own food and make their own beds though, he didn't know. Muggles had to do that too and they turned out fine and educated enough.

"Vot about putting in different payment centres if ve remove vhe ones in vhe Great Hall and Common Rooms?" he added after a moment of thought. "Ones in places vhat aren't necessary to students' basic needs? Such as vhe astronomy tower, the extracurriculars, vhe...greenhouses, potion stores..." Just a suggestion.

"No, the payment centers have to go," Cassandra shook her had. "I won't have any students lacking in educational opportunities because we made them pay for them. Think back to your own time at Hogwarts, to the moments that taught you the most, and now put a turnstile in the way. You'd be lacking so much right now.... I fear we're cheating out students out of education even as we speak, and not necessarily lessons out of a textbook." She was really feeling quite adamant about the turnstiles. They had served their purposes.

"I do like the idea of looking for sponsors for a fundraising event. Perhaps we can even hold the event on the premises of one of businesses. Or on Diagon Alley... much more accessible if we're trying to pull in donors." She mused over the possibilities. Wasn't there a way to fundraise without holding an actual EVENT?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lissy Longbottom

"What about the Quidditch games?" he suggested. Seemed reasonable to him - you paid to get into professional games, why not this one?

Well. Merlin. What ABOUT Quidditch games? Cassandra nodded slowly as she warmed to the idea. "Yes, definitely. Students can still attend for free, but any visitors will have to pay for entrance to the game from here onward."

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlwaysSnapesGirl

It seemed they were all on the same page for the most part with the turnstiles in the Great Hall and common rooms. Those needed to go and soon. There were other, much better ways to raise funds. The event idea was good, for example. "I like idea of a fundraising event. Many people might enjoy a holiday ball." Students included. They'd surely enjoy that much more than paying money just to get into their common rooms and the Great Hall. He wasn't so sure about students cooking food for it, however. How many students actually frequently cooked their own meals enough to be skilled at it? Probably not the vast majority. The Three Broomsticks catering didn't seem to be a bad idea though, and he didn't oppose students helping decorate for it. So he nodded at those. "Asking for donations from alumni sounds like a reasonable idea as well." Every little bit helped, and surely a good number of the people who had graduated from Hogwarts was willing to help out even in a small way.

As for the elves, he did have a few questions about them. The idea of them resigning was odd, as Althea also seemed to notice. "Did we pay our elves?" There were obviously some exceptions in history, but the majority of elves didn't accept payment for their services. They were naturally inclined to do all their work without it. "Or was there money in the budget set aside that typically took care of them, and we had to let them go because we don't have the funds to ensure they're also fed enough to follow their duties?" Aside from a little one, apparently. Those seemed more likely options than the elves actually willfully resigning from their posts and leaving a young one behind. It wasn't in their nature. It had to be this or...they were taken, as Althea also asked.

Also. "I don't have an elf myself." He cleaned his house himself. "I believe I have a few friends who might have an elf or two to spare, however, if need be?" Atticus was not sure if they wanted the house elves brought in to be only among their group, but it didn't hurt to offer.

Now, the idea of putting payment centers elsewhere...that was not an entirely horrible idea. Certainly better than where they were now and hindering students from necessities. Places required for participation in classes and homework weren't the best ideas either, but extracurriculars? That seemed somewhat reasonable. "A small fee to watch the Quidditch games wouldn't be too bad." There were much fewer games during the year than there were times students would need to use the Great Hall, common room, and classrooms. "Would this be something students, staff, and the public would have to pay?" That was what he was assuming, but it was best to make sure before he fully agreed or disagreed.

"I'll leave the questions about house elves to you, Atticus. Use whatever resources are available to you, but help us find out why our elves departed from Hogwarts. I would start with the Ministry and with Toddles the elf, but the Headmistress may have had a more in-depth conversation at the time of resignation." And she trusted the staid Atticus in the same way she trusted Althea. He would get things done.

The rest of his suggestions were helpful, although she once again harkened back to the impracticality of a ball or party on Hogwarts grounds. They simply could not afford it. Still, he supported charging for Quidditch games and fundraising in general, so it seemed most of them were on the same page.

Quote:

Originally Posted by LilFox06

Carter cocked an eyebrow at Ivy’s comment. ”I wasn’t at all suggesting we apologize for being robbed.” This woman was capable enough of a listener to teach, right? ”I believe that the situation was handled poorly. Springing unexpected payments on children so that they may eat and sleep is uncalled for. If we simply asked families that wree able to donate to do so, I’m sure everyone would be completely agreeable about the situation.”

But what was done, was done, right?

And he was glad that he had someone that agreed with him. He flashed an appreciative smile to Sherman. ”Plus, we’ll need to make sure the school is in good standing if we intend for a fundraising ball and alumni donations to be successful.”

He glanced around the room and nodded a few times. ”Quidditch would be a good place to do that.” he agreed with a nod. Plus, knowing people paid to see the match would surely amp up the energy. ”I think the observatory, the student gardens, and the potions store would be good opportunities to raise a bit of money with the students. Not necessarily a turnstile, but maybe… charging for ingredients, or having students buy a plot in the garden or prime positioning for their telescopes.” It made sense, right? Okay. Maybe not the observatory bit. But they could… maybe rent out that space?

"We must be careful not to target wealthy families or less than wealthy ones. I think we're better served to let people choose their level of giving for themselves. Certainly there will be no resentment in the long run." But again, Cassandra liked that Carter was so well spoken for one so young. He somehow managed to not jump across the table when his idea was put down... which was a mark of maturity. "Perhaps you'd be interested in heading the campaign for alumni donations, Carter. Hops can help with the logistics of funneling donations into a new account."

Cassandra picked up her now cool tea and took a small sip, mostly just because she needed time to gather her thoughts. "We have much to do, but many hands make light work. If everyone is willing to take some role in all this, I think we will find answers more quickly and I hope we will resolve some of our issues quickly. I believe we're all in agreement that the turnstiles have to go, although we probably need to wait on the donations to help cover those costs. We also agree a fundraiser is ideal, although the shape and form of it is still unclear. I'm interested to hear more ideas for fundraising, as well as other thoughts on making money for the school."

[LilFox06]

SPOILER!!: Cassandra to Carter

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cassirin

"Excellent! That's the spirit, Carter. That's two house elves now - yours and mine, and I assume you're willing to assist Hops in searching shops for the Hogwarts items that were sold. These are treasured parts of our school history and should be restored. I'll see if we can't get a complete list of what was sold as quickly as possible." Cassandra beamed at the younger man... first to really step up and volunteer. And people complained about the youth of today!

"I'm not certain about an apology, but acknowledging lessons learned in our media statement would not go amiss. It implies that we did as much as we were able at the time, and we will prevent this from happening again in the future." And more thoughts on fundraising. Cassandra would have to really address the topic soon.

.....


"We must be careful not to target wealthy families or less than wealthy ones. I think we're better served to let people choose their level of giving for themselves. Certainly there will be no resentment in the long run." But again, Cassandra liked that Carter was so well spoken for one so young. He somehow managed to not jump across the table when his idea was put down... which was a mark of maturity. "Perhaps you'd be interested in heading the campaign for alumni donations, Carter. Hops can help with the logistics of funneling donations into a new account."

Cassandra picked up her now cool tea and took a small sip, mostly just because she needed time to gather her thoughts. "We have much to do, but many hands make light work. If everyone is willing to take some role in all this, I think we will find answers more quickly and I hope we will resolve some of our issues quickly. I believe we're all in agreement that the turnstiles have to go, although we probably need to wait on the donations to help cover those costs. We also agree a fundraiser is ideal, although the shape and form of it is still unclear. I'm interested to hear more ideas for fundraising, as well as other thoughts on making money for the school."

Carter nodded in acknowledgement. Yeah. He could deal without a house elf without any trouble. It was just him and Destiny and a million animals. And the needs of the school definitely outweighed his own.

He nodded again. "Yeah. I could actually focus on searching Diagon Alley if he'll keep an eye out in Hogsmeade." That seemed fair enough. "And I can start as soon as I get that list of items." Because... he really didn't remember what the cutlery or tableware looked like. He was always hungry while eating... not admiring history.

He nodded again about his suggestion of an apology letter. Just something to acknowledge the surprise and concern and to ease tensions was all that was really needed. And... hopefully things weren't too hard on any of the less fortunate families.

"Right. I agree that any type of donation should be voluntary." he said with a nod. He nodded. "I'd love to." he said looking over at Hops. He'd just get together with him later. Alumni donations. He'd seen his parents get those letters all the time. It wouldn't be too hard to come up with things for those.

He then thought of fundraising ideas. "If we still wanted a winter ball... could I suggest an outdoor one in Hogsmeade?" he said. "The snow, and any holiday decorations already up, would make a great atmosphere. A tent and a few air circulating spells should be enough to make things comfortable."

"As for other ideas, I'm sure this will probably work better as an owl based alumni campaign, but, I know people like knowing specifically what their donations are going toward. So we could send owls based on sponsoring a student, or a subject, or an area." He went quiet for a few seconds trying to think of something clever to illustrate his point. "Like... 'Knuts for Nutrition' to raise funding to improve the food selection. Or 'Sickles for Student Stores'. 'Donate a Dinner'." His voice trailed. He should probably stop talking now, shouldn't he? "But just to include specific options for those that feel more comfortable specifying than giving a flat donation." And sure... things might be uneven at first, but there should be enough alumni out there with specific interests to get everything stable. Plus, this way was bound to draw in more donations, not only by those that doubted where the funds were going, but also by those who realize they want to support more 'causes'.

[Erik Vinteren]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cassirin

"No, the payment centers have to go," Cassandra shook her had. "I won't have any students lacking in educational opportunities because we made them pay for them. Think back to your own time at Hogwarts, to the moments that taught you the most, and now put a turnstile in the way. You'd be lacking so much right now.... I fear we're cheating out students out of education even as we speak, and not necessarily lessons out of a textbook." She was really feeling quite adamant about the turnstiles. They had served their purposes.

"I do like the idea of looking for sponsors for a fundraising event. Perhaps we can even hold the event on the premises of one of businesses. Or on Diagon Alley... much more accessible if we're trying to pull in donors." She mused over the possibilities. Wasn't there a way to fundraise without holding an actual EVENT?

"I can liaise vith vhe media," Erik volunteered quietly. The Daily Prophet had sponsored him during his campaign and he got along well enough with their editor in chief. He figured it would be better to volunteer for something he wanted to do rather than end up being stuck with something he really didn't want to do, such as talking to the law enforcement.

He raised his eyebrows as the President suggested he 'think back' to his 'own time at Hogwarts.' "Vith all due respect, Madame President," he straightened up in his seat and gave her a level look, "I did not attend Hogwarts. Even vithout vhe certain comforts vhe students of vhis school have come to rely upon, Hogwarts is still a finer institution vhan vhe one I attended and I for one am confident vhe instructional education vhe students are receiving is not being effected by vhis turn of events."

None of the teaching staff had been fired, had they? Students always had been and were still required to purchase their own books and cauldrons, were they not? So what if they couldn't go stargaze every night because of a turnstile in their way. She could dismiss his ideas but then she had better come up with ones of her own if she wanted to see this school running.

He drummed his fingers on the table for a moment as he was thinking and then stopped. "I do like the idea of someving in Hogsmeade," he gave a nod toward the man-boy, Carter. Then no one would have to see the state of the school. Happy, Rae-Branxton? Erik was not.

[Lissy Longbottom]

"I was thinking we could do a combination of both," Nolan said, clarifying his earlier statement for the president so should could understand exactly what he was asking. "And yes, donations I think would be best on just a 'whatever you can give us' basis. Some people would probably drop 100 galleons at a drop of a hat, but some families can't afford that and it wouldn't be fair to give them a dollar amount, I think. I was thinking we could also do a fundraiser as well if people would rather GET something for their money, but that's of course up to you," he added with a small nod. If it was too extreme to do both, he understood.

He leaned back in his chair and listened to the rest of the statements. Everyone had such good ideas!

[Steelsheen]

Corin listened intently to the discussions all around. “I wouldn’t mind helping in any which way I can—media liaison, investigation.... and I suppose I can consider lending a few of our house elves for the time being.” He just needs to tell his mother, since well, its going to be her houselves.

As for the fundraising, he thought Ivy’s idea was pretty viable—until Cassandra pointed out fancy gigs also need money to put up to begin with. He sighed quietly, they really didn’t have much options do they. “I suppose if we are to have a fundraising it would be best not to have to bring it inside the castle.” Because that requires cleaning and beautifying and... yeah resources they don’t have. “How about something we can just hold outside on the grounds? Something that the students or the faculty doesn’t have to strain themselves having to put together or look after? Something like.... a school fair? Hogwarts has wide open spaces— plenty of room for merchants to push their wares on their target market’s front doorstep. All we really need to do is open the gates, secure places the outsiders aren’t allowed to go into and let them bring their gear and set up shop. And as an incentive, we don’t charge them rent space—provided of course that Hogwarts gets a cut of all their earnings. Minimal cost, maximum income.” That’s the name of the game right? “And perhaps, we can open this as something of a small event—students and faculty can bring their family and friends; Parents and guardians can come in free--”because after all, they are already paying for the student’s education “—everybody else pays a small entrance fee. Small. After all you want them to spend their money on the merchants.”

[sarahlooo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cassandra

So that was a third house elf. Excellent. "Thank you for giving so much this school year, Ms. Knox. I know how much it has really cost you in time and energy," Cassandra acknowledged the woman's contribution with a polite nod of the head and a smile. "And I appreciate your thoughts on the media statement, although I'm not sure they really differ from what Mr. Phillips was saying. Perhaps you can draft something and owl it to me. I'll submit it to the Daily Prophet." After she edited it, because that is what Presidents did.

"Rest assured that no one faults you or the Headmistress for making decisions that kept the school open. I think we all agree they are untenable in the long run, but no one can criticize you lot for decisions made under extreme pressure." And honestly, Cassandra wasn't sure exactly what steps she would have taken in Annie's place.

"I must politely disagree with any fundraising plan we have that might take place at Hogwarts. If the point is to showcase the school and get funding, how can we invite people in when the place looks so shoddy? It's an embarrassment and it will actively invite the media to criticize and the community to balk at funding. More to the point, we don't have the resources to throw a ball. It takes money we don't have to put on an event like that." Was that too negative? It was a very good idea, but it wouldn't work in this environment.

Ivy gave the President a nod and a small smile. "It's my pleasure, really." In a way, she was sort of getting paid, heh, so she couldn't really complain that much. It was very interesting to see how much the school had changed since her time here, which, actually wasn't all that much.

"I would be glad to do so," she said, in response to her request to write a draft for a media statement. She would begin on that soon.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carter

He then thought of fundraising ideas. "If we still wanted a winter ball... could I suggest an outdoor one in Hogsmeade?" he said. "The snow, and any holiday decorations already up, would make a great atmosphere. A tent and a few air circulating spells should be enough to make things comfortable."

Ivy still thought a fundraiser was a good idea, even if the castle looked 'shoddy', as Cassandra had put it. Unfortunately, Mr. Phillips had a rather good idea of hosting it in Hogsmeade. "That actually may be a good idea," she said, reluctantly agreeing the the boyman.

"Hogsmeade has supported Hogwarts since the beginning. Maybe they would be willing to pitch in for a fundraiser. I understand that we just lost all the money we raised last term, but if we take away the turnstiles, we have to find another way to raise money. We could ask for simple catering, decorating, and we would provide good advertisement for them in return." This would be an inexpensive way to raise money.

[Droo]

Merlin's Beard he was late... Branxton would surely demand his membership. In her dreams would he give that up. He was elected so he'd stay.

"I'm soooo sorry," He said walking in. Though he should have nothing to be worried about, Merlin, he was the Senior Undersecretary. "I was meeting with the Senior Undersecretary of the Greek Ministry, that man is a hoot, but does he speak slow... He's 130 you know... looks good too. For his age. He's hoping to get minister! I'd be looking to retire. ANYWAY... So... Did anyone take notes for me?" He WAS the secretary, and should have been keeping the minutes of the meeting. "Can someone give me the highlights?"

[Cassirin]

Amoroso got a look for his late arrival. Imagine showing up late and then asking to be caught up like that. Perhaps someone else would take pity on him, but Cassandra was far too busy. "I think we've made some excellent progress today. Unfortunately, we all have other responsibilities calling our attention, so I don't want to keep you lot much longer. I do think we should continue to consider a fundraiser, although Hogsmeade might offer a better venue." Or Diagon Alley. She gave a nod to those who had proposed those locations.

"Perhaps Mr. Phillips can continue working on our owl campaign for contributions, and Mr. Vanderbilt and Mr. Reynolds can get some ideas down on paper for an in-flesh fundraising activity. I've heard several fantastic ideas from you both..." She gave them each a warm smile before continuing.

"Mr. Vinteren and Ms. Knox both offered to liaise with the media... can you work that out among yourselves? Please be very circumspect in what you share, but I trust you implicitly to speak on behalf of the Board," she nodded to them both. As far as Mr. Vinteren's comments... "And I appreciate that perspective, Erik. I know how we're inclined to get carried away in these meetings and lose sight of the fact that we're still doing something marvelous here. All the money in the world can't take away the fact that we have a passion for what we do, and that's where the real power lies."

She looked back at her notes. "So that leaves Mr. Aldridge doing research into the house elf issue. Mr. Carter is going to liaise with Gringott's. Mr. Vanderbilt, since you've offered, if you can work with Mr. Amoroso and liaise with the Ministry, that would be very helpful. Ms. Schirmer will chat with the Headmistress. And Hops and Mr. Carter are going to do some scouring of local shops in Hogsmeade and London for Hogwarts goods. Please don't feel like you have to buy back those goods yourselves, gentlemen. It'll be good just to know where things are at the moment."

That seemed to cover all her notes, and Cassandra glanced up to smile warmly at the group. "I appreciate everyone coming today. If you have a comment or question, feel free to stay after for the meeting, but we will reconvene in a few weeks. Good luck to all of you!"