South West London and Surrey Iyengar Yoga Institute.

Notes of Working Party Meeting

8 November 2009

Attending: John Shirbon (JS) chair, Judith Richards (JR), Anita Phillips (AP), Jane Howard (JH),
Solomon Adler (SA), Peter Kosasih (PK), Lesley Whiteley (LW) note taker.

Apolgies: Karen Dunne, Ursula Schoonraad, Rachel Lee, Joy Shillingford, Diane Drain, Diane
West, Elaine Morrison, Janette Brown, Leo Sharma, Lesley Saltmarsh, Louise Cartledge, Penny
Boylan, Sarah Guerra, Tehira Shafiq, Tracey Rissik, Indira Lopez-Bassols, Delia Gold.

1. The brief of each of the 3 task groups was reiterated for those who were not at the last meeting
and that the co-ordinators are:

Formalities and Finance: John Shirbon

Membership and Database: Jane Howard
Media/Pr/ Marketing/Events ( Website) : Janette Brown

2. It was recommended and agreed that we use Iyengar Yoga Association (UK) membership
database rather than create our own. Being an affiliated member institute, our members will
automatically become IYA (UK) members.
3. We will charge £16.50 for membership on an annual basis, the same as IYA. From this we
would pay IYA £6.50 per member and members of our institute, becoming members of IYA, do
not have to pay again.
4. The start date for our membership will need to fit in with IYA’s subscription year, starting 1
April, so we will be aiming for a start date of 1 March 2010, which gives us time to recruit and
collect fees etc.
5. Recruitment will be by email with e-membership.
6. In advertising ourselves we will need to communicate the advantages of local membership,
rather than of IYA alone, for example, non-members would be charged more for attending
events than members.
7. Names for the institute had been discussed in Website Group. A final decision is needed swiftly
in order for us to open a bank account so we can start recruiting members. The favoured
suggestion is:

• London ( south west ) and Surrey Iyengar Yoga Institute ( LSIYI )

8. To make payment as uncomplicated as possible, the preferred options are BACS or direct
debit, with possible discount for DD. Telephone banking will be possible and cheques will not
be excluded.
9. In order for the setting up of institute to proceed, certain matters needed immediate decisions.

• The registered address will be :

North Surrey Yoga Centre, 25 Effingham Road, Surbiton, KT6 5JZ

• An interim committee was formed:

Chair: John Shirbon
Vice Chairs: Diane Drain and Judith Richards
 Membership secretary: Jane Howard
Treasurer: Peter Kosasih
Secretary: Lesley Whiteley

10. Constitutions of other yoga institutes will be looked at for, among other things, what is required
to formalise the choosing of committee members and officers.
11. Setting up a bank account is a priority and Peter will investigate various possibilities bearing in
mind the committee’s views about ethical considerations, costs and being user friendly.
12. Issues about the website were discussed in detail with the following consensus reached:
• To be set up with relative speed
• To be kept simple, accessible and user-friendly
• To be designed with a view to capturing non-members
• Newsletter should have own page, not via ‘Join Here’
• Too ambitious to have merchandise ourselves but possibility is link to eg
Yogamatters
• ‘Find a teacher’ is an important inclusion with links to other teachers’ websites.
13. Solomon Adler, Karen Dunne and Indira Lopez Bassols to join Formalities and Finance Group.

ACTION:

Formalities and Finance Group:

1. by 30 November, to have canvassed for views of ‘interested others’, concerning proposed

name. ( N.B. see appendix attached ) JS
2. to check with IYA that name is acceptable. JS
3. to circulate a draft constitution to interim committee. JS
4. to investigate which banks meet our criteria. (See 10 above). PK
5. Formalities and Finance Group to choose which bank to use and to communicate decision to
interim committee.

Website/ Media etc Group:

6. Website Group to continue with design and creation of website bearing in mind 11 above.
7. to liaise with Yogamatters to check what, if any, benefit accrues to our institute or individual
members if purchasing their goods through link on our website. JR

Membership Group:

8. Once decisions reached as to institute name and bank account opened, to access IYA (UK)
membership, and start recruiting for our own members. LW et al.

Date of next meeting: 10 January 2010 . 10.45am-12.45pm.

Iyengar Yoga Studio (Tooting),
Unit 6 , 89 Bickersteth Road,
SW17 9SH ( 020 8355 3498 )
www.iyyoga.com
Appendix

19 November 2009.

Dear All

The name of the Institute.

Following discussion at our recent interim committee meeting and the suggestions of the
media group, the favourite name seems to be emerging as :

London (SW) Surrey Iyengar Yoga Institute.

I am checking with the IYA but there are quite strict rules on the territory you cover and
how this is expressed in the name, so I fear just calling it London and Surrey will be too
general. How it is expressed finally in a letterhead or logo context will be guided by the
experts in the media group but a main header London & Surrey with a strap line
underneath with the south west may be the best option if it meets with IYA approval.
If you have any suggestions or comments on this as a way forward please can you direct
them to Lesley Whiteley no later than the 30 November.
Many thanks.

John Shirbon
Interim Chair.