Management committee member, Brian Davison, presented a very informative presentation about the success of The Piccabeen Bookshop at yesterday's general meeting. The presentation was on behalf of bookshop volunteers, Jean Cowls and Laurie Mullins who contributed photos and information. Jean and Laurie could not be present at the meeting due to a special working bee at the bookshop.

Sharing a similarity to the aboriginal meaning for 'piccabeen' (translation 'collecting tray') it appears the bookshop is our most valued collecting tray for funding. Piccabeen is also the name of the local native palm tree.

Income is averaging $300 per week and volunteer hours over 2,500 per year. Sales include many varieties of books with the peak sales being current non-fiction. Tamborine Mountain Landcare's own publication - Snakes of Tamborine Mountain by Jaap Vogel achieves the highest in sales by quantity overall.

The presentation explained the laborious process from receiving the cartons of donated books to presenting them on the shelves ready for sale. Each book is sorted, cleaned and graded then priced and categorised. This is a huge task well performed by the fourteen volunteers on a rotating roster.

Improvements to the bookshop includes many new shelves and other conveniences designed and built by Ray Mullins who has volunteered his time and effort.

The presentation ended with a spontaneous and very enthusiastic applause from the attendees of the general meeting. Well done volunteers of The Piccabeen Bookshop!

The general meeting was further highlighted by a presentation from Rebecca Castley, an accredited digital mapping expert and manager of TM Landcare's digital mapping survey. Rebecca commented on the crucial need for the mapping project and the proposal for an additional device of recording equipment for accurate data entry.

(See the full details at http://www.tamborinemtnlandcare.org.au/news_detail.php?ID=175 )

Further discussions from the floor prompted the attendees at the meeting to formulate a proposal that the recording equipment be purchased after further considerations as to the viability and affordability by the management committee. This was carried by majority show of hands.

Jaap Vogel presented an entertaining overview of his TM Landcare experiences and announced that former Chamber of Commerce president, Tony Lambert has offered to chair meetings and maintain communications with community leaders, as president, until the AGM. The management committee will discuss this proposal and the constitutional requirements for appointing a new president at the next meeting.

Treasurer: Current treasurer, John Tiley, will hand over to current banking and accounts payable/receiver volunteer, Anthony Bailey. This proposal is also to be formalised at the next management committee meeting. 

The financial statements again showed a strong financial status with the Piccabeen Bookshop income continuing to be a consistent standing. An appointment of a new auditor has been signed by the management committee. The appointment includes a recent decision by the management committee to outsource the MYOB book keeping  to Stephen Hall & Associates, due to Michele Andrews' business commitments.