Badenoch and Strathspey Orienteering Club AGM

Badenoch and Strathspey Orienteering Club AGM

Minutes of the meeting held on 17 December 2011

Present: Fiona Johnson, Alistair Johnson, Peter Lamb, Marion MacCormick, Gavin Miles, Hilary Quick, Callum Scott, Hilary Scott,

Apologies: Judy Ballard, Terry Ballard, Alex Campbell, Adrian Hope, Andy Hyslop, Libby Lamb, Bill McCarthy, Caroline McCarthy, David Machin, Val Machin, Margaret Quick, Steve Salem

Minutes of 16 November 2010 duly accepted (Proposed Hilary Quick, seconded Hilary Scott)

Chairman’s Report

The Chairman reported that things in the club have changed since his report last year that 2010 had been a year when the club ticked over. He reported that the Tuesday series of events in 2011has been a resounding success with number attending doubling since its beginning in 2009 and many different people turning up each week. The Tuesday = Orienteering logo has brought the weekly meets to the attention of a wider audience and many make it a regular training event. He continued by giving thanks to Hilary Quick for all of her efforts in making sure that the programme runs from April until end September without a break and said that it is this series which holds the club together. He urged all members to step up to help with these events saying that it gives individuals a very good opportunity for improving their own O skills and expressed the hope that each club member would take on at least one in the series. Hilary Quick thanked all the participants saying that without them there would be no events or sense of competition. In addition to the success of the series the Chairman highlighted the fact that membership of the club has risen in terms of new people coming forward with more involved in the SOL events. However we need more members and he urged each club member to bring one new person to an event in 2012. The Chairman drew attention to the updated website which has been more used and which has helped with the spread of information in particular for the Tuesday series. The Chairman then thanked Andy Hyslop for all his efforts in taking on the running of the site. Further indications of increasing activity in the club have been the appointment of two new level 1 coaches and with Hilary Quick this now gives us 3 coaches.

The club was able to record a number of successes in 2011 and has been punching well above its weight in this season. In the Scottish Relay event the team of Alex Campbell, Andy Hyslop and Callum Scott came 1st in 12+-handicap class and the team of Hilary Scott, Hilary Quick and Marion MacCormick came 2nd in the

18+-handicap class.

In the SOL series we had 4 first places: M14B Alistair Johnson,

W55 Hilary Quick, M45S Steve Salem and M80 Adrian Hope

Other club members also took part and all improved on previous year’s performances.

Looking ahead to 2012 the Chairman pointed out that we are well placed in this area for outstanding events. He drew our attention to the JK to be held in the Dunkeld area over the Easter weekend 2012, to the Moray 2013 6 Days event and to the World Championships which will be held in Inverness in 2015. For our own club the lasting legacy of this must be to raise the profile of the sport and for us all to engage in getting new membership encouraging in particular whole family groups. As previously it is suggested that the Cairngorm Runners Club is a source of members. Hilary Quick will offer a short series in the Spring directed particularly at this group.

Finally the Chairman highlighted the success of particular individuals and presented awards to them.

Most improved senior Hilary Scott

Most promising adult Gavin Miles

Most improved Junior Alistair Johnson who was awarded the club trophy

The club champion (from the BOF ranking lists) was

3rd Hilary Quick

2nd Callum Scott

1st Alex Campbell

All of these successes were attributed to the regular training encouraged by the Tuesday evening series.

At the end of the report Hilary Quick thanked the Chairman for his full report.

Treasurer’s Report

The accounts accompanying these minutes were submitted but as these had not yet been audited they will be formally accepted at a future committee meeting.

This year money was spent on the website, a laser printer for maps for the Tuesday series and on official jackets for 3 coaches. Profit to the club was small. At the end of this year the club funds were reduced by £1042.77 and the reserve now stands at £5209.30.

The Treasurer reported that surplus is being kept as follows:

£1500 is in reserve as these were the funds taken over from LOCHOC and will continue to be held for activities to take the club further to the west.

Brikkes are now aging and will require to be replaced at the cost of c. £40.00 each. Due to the smaller attendance at our events it is now anticipated that only 50 new brikkes will be replaced as required which would be a cost of approximately of £2000.00

The accounts were accepted.

Proposed: Callum Scott Seconded Hilary Quick

Points arising from this report were as in the previous year:

1.  The club fee will remain at £0.00 for 2013

2.  Units will be replaced at the rate of 20 as required until we have 50 replacements

3.  Brikkes will be the simplest available

4.  New brikkes will be marked to indicate the year of their purchase

5.  It is also the intention to use funds to support development work in Invergarry

6.  More members are now joining us from Fort William and this may involve more expenses drawing on the LOCHOC funds to put on events closer to that area.

Election of Office Bearers.

The following were re-elected:

Chairman Callum Scott

Secretary Marion MacCormick

Treasurer Peter Lamb

Vice Chairman Bill McCarthy

Committee Members re-elected: Bill McCarthy, Caroline McCarthy, Gavin Miles, Nigel Williams,

Andy Hyslop stood down

The Secretary indicated that she wishes to stand down and will do so at the AGM in 2012 or before if a replacement can be found.

Hilary Quick offered a vote of thanks to the secretary for her work over a number of years.

The following jobs were allocated to committee members:

Events: Callum Scott, Hilary Quick

Equipment: Marion MacCormick

Membership: Bill McCarthy

Website: Andy Hyslop (co-opted)

Mapping: Andy Hyslop (co-opted)

Child Protection: Nigel Williams

Events 2012

Tuesday series. This will run from the beginning of April until the end of September. Requests are made to all members to help out at these events.

In the discussions with the North Area BASOC decided not to bid for any dates for major competition due to the large number of embargoed maps in our area and to the constraints of the capercailzie. Callum Scott and Hilary Quick as Events coordinators may be able to negotiate a date at a later time once this situation is clearer.

Some input will be requested for the JK event in April and individuals will respond to this.

Winter Training and Social Events

These will take place roughly once per month.

The first proposed date is December 22/23. Venue will be Kincraig.

For this and all other winter events members should check the website.

Local Membership

The Chairman pointed out that it is of benefit to all orienteers to join BOF if they intend to run at a number of national events such as the SOL series and the Scottish Championships. However the new BOF regulations do not allow for members to make use of local club membership if they are interested only in taking part in a local series. A club allowing local members who do not join BOF will be excluded. This puts a club like ours in a difficult position as the sums involved for individuals joining BOF is quite large and off-putting to many local runners. As a result we wish to introduce a category of Friends of BASOC. These will be runners who intend only to run locally but who wish to take part also in the social activities of the club. The hope is that after a season such friends may wish to join BOF and in the first year they will receive free membership. Thereafter there will be a strong possibility that the interest of the individual in the sport will have grown and full membership will be sought. The category would also apply to older members who no longer wish to participate as runners but who wish to remain involved in club social activities and even in the running of the club.

A meeting of the committee will be held to discuss this issue and to amend the constitution accordingly.

Mountain Bike O

Fiona Johnson raised the issue of Mountain Bike O. This had proved popular with younger people in the area and she felt it should be used more. However the question of insurance for such events remains outstanding. BASOC is now registered club in bike O but the committee will require look further into this.

Club publicity

Fiona also asked if advertising for the club is wide enough but it was pointed out that our Tuesday series is not really appropriate for casual runners on holiday looking for a one-off activity and that it is directed at those wishing an introduction to the sport or to those who are already involved.

Club O tops

Andy Hyslop will be asked to take on this project.

Acknowledgements

Gavin Miles thanked Hilary Quick formally for her work in organizing the Tuesday series and emphasized the benefit of the regular Tuesday run.

Thanks were offered to Margaret Quick for hosting the event and to all who provided the food and the run.