/ GLOUCESTERSHIRE BOWLS ASSOCIATION
A Member of Bowls England.

G.B.A Joint Executive Committee

Minutes of meeting of Saturday 3 October 2015

Falcon B.C. : 10.00 a.m.

  1. Members present: Chair - Peter Langley (County Administrator) PL, Lindsay Collin (Deputy County Administrator and WD BE Delegate) LC, Glyn Marriott (MD Delegate) GM, Anne Beaven (WD co-opted Delegate) AB, Roger Harrison (MD Fixture Secretary) RH, Maddie Hale (Asst County Treasurer) MH, Myra Savage (WD Fixture Secretary) MS.
  2. Apologies. Bryan Fox (MD BE Delegate) BF, Peter Bowles (County Treasurer) PB, Angela Harris (WD Delegate) AH.
  1. Joint Executive Meeting Minutes 25 July 2015

Accepted as a correct record. Ratified.

  1. Matters arising from Minutes of 25 July 2015

4.1 [ Item 6.3 ] LC confirmed that MH Had taken over from PB in handling the applications for Presentation Luncheon tickets.

4.2 [ Item 7 ] PL confirmed that Cotswold BC had been booked for the GBA Joint Council Meeting in November, but not yet for the 2016 AGM in January, though he anticipated no problem with this.

4.3 [ Item 3.1 ] The Gloucestershire member proposed by their club as Bowls England JVP had not received the support of the GBA, so could not be accepted by BE. Thus Bill Smith (Bowls Leicester), as the only acceptable nomination, would be installed as BE JVP in February 2016.

4.4 [ Item 5 ] The debate over the future of the GBA Presidential Teams was resumed. It was eventually accepted that further decisions would be deferred until the GBA Constitution and Rules was rewritten during the coming year. In essence, the Men’s Division would in fact be able to operate in 2016, and possibly for several more years, under the existing rules (see Item 6 ), though the Women’s Division remained in some difficulties, with problems of obtaining nominations to their 2016 Presidential Team. When the Constitution & Rules is rewritten by LC, the flexibility for the two divisions to adopt solutions suitable to their own situations would be specifically included. (Action LC)

  1. Correspondence

5.1Umpires Association running a markers course at Cotswold on 30th January 2016. Details would be circulated to clubs in due course. (Action PL)

5.2Letter of resignation as MD Treasurer (and thus on Joint Executive Committee) had been received from PB on 1st August 2015. This was accepted

5.3The previous item brought about a thorough and objective debate on the position of GBA 2010 Treasurer, with all members expressing their views. Most significantly, MH suggested that the GBA should have a separate Treasurer, to handle purely GBA 2010 finances. This would take pressure off the two Divisional Treasurers. The following positive recommendations resulted from the lengthy discussion :

  • The GBA Treasurer would be independent, there firstly to handle the GBA 2010 accounts, but could also liaise with the Divisional Treasurers, encourage them, ensure procedural uniformity and helpout with any problems that arose
  • The effect would also be to take the pressure off the Divisional Treasurers, which would be useful as the coming 2015 elections would produce two new appointees, with plenty for them to otherwise deal with at a divisional level
  • The Divisional Treasurers would retain their positions on the GBA Joint executive Committee and would both be described as GBA Assistant Treasurers, either able to act if the requirement arose. They would both continue to have voting rights as per the Constitution
  • The new GBA 2010 Treasurer would normally attend GBA Joint Executive meetings (unless a specific agenda items suggested that their attendance was unnecessary), but would have no voting rights (this would thus maintain the 5:5 balance in divisional representation on the Joint Executive)
  • The new GBA 2010 Treasurer would be designated an ‘officer’ to ensure that they were covered by our indemnity insurance
  • LC would look at the changes necessary in the existing Constitution and R & R, to enable the change to be enacted, and report to committee members for their comment
  • The principle of this change, and also any changes then required inthe existing Constitution and R & R, would be firstly discussed at the GBA Joint Council Meeting in November and then, if generally accepted, would be the subject of a dedicated Special General Meeting to be held immediately prior to the GBA 2016 AGM in January. This would enable a nomination to the new position be made at the actual 2016 AGM, and an appointment made from 2016 onwards
  • The principal concerns of the new GBA Treasurer would be the Annual Affiliations, the handling of the finances for the Annual Presentation Luncheon and the finances of GBA Mixed county games, though any other financial matter of purely GBA 2010 relevance would naturally be included
  • To enable clarity, the new appointment would be known as the ‘GBA Joint Executive Treasurer’

Concern was expressed that no nomination might be forthcoming for such a new position, however desirable it might be. MH said that she would be prepared to act in this capacity for 2016, which might make it more straightforward to bring in the change.

  1. Financial Report (by GBA 2010 Assistant Treasurer)

6.1The GBA 2010 accounts for the 2014/5 years were presented by MH (these laid out on a separate sheet). She drew attention to various points, including :

  • Affiliations slightly down this year, though additions submitted by clubs during year decreased the gap
  • Competition fees were slightly down
  • The Bowls England contribution to National Championship expenses was down, but probably due to the move to Leamington by the men (from Worthing)
  • Mixed matches better funded this year, with a surplus
  • The Presentation Luncheon surplus, rather too large to justify in 2013/4, was down
  • Officers’ expenses down, as three officers do not claim

6.2GBA 2010 has a new Examiner ; Andrew Brooks of Kingscott Dix, Gloucester

6.3MH would meet PB on 15th October to assist in the preparation of the MD 2014/5 accounts

6.4MH said that Barclays Bank were a ‘nightmare’ to deal with, and suggested switching to Lloyds Bank for the GBA 2010 accounts. Agreed. (Action MH)

  1. GBA Autumn 2015 divisional meetings

6.1 The WD meeting would be next Wednesday, 7th October, and the MD meeting on Saturday 31st October

6.2MD had all necessary nominations, including the possibility of Presidential candidates for up to four years. Most sectional nominations also now in

6.3WD was still in difficulties obtaining a Presidential team beyond this coming year, but approaches were being made to possible candidates. The 2016 Team Manager was also a matter for on-going discussion

6.4 PL commented on a favourably altered atmosphere within the MD, where the setting up of an Under-25 team was a welcome development, and some of the younger players were also gaining recognition at a national level. This seemed to feed into a willingness for more men to get involved administratively with the division

  1. Annual GBA Presentation Luncheon

7.1 LC ran through an update of the Luncheon, due shortly. Numbers now at 158. Most arrangements in hand; details given

7.2A discussion took place on the organisation of the actual presentations. After a quite lengthy debate it was agreed that (a) the presentations would take place in ‘reverse order’, and (b) the men’s and women’s presentations would be ‘interleaved’ [to maintain interest and to enable a young man who had many trophies to receive to regain his next place in the queueing/waiting recipients !]. (Action LC)

7.3Agreed that no wine would be provided gratis for the two tables to which the Presidents were allocated

  1. Proposals to GBA 2016 AGM, and thus firstly to GBA 2015 Joint Council Meeting

8.1 Noted that the GBA Constitution & Rules is in the process of being rewritten. Some of the reasons why this is necessary were expanded upon by LC, with examples summarised for the committee. Comments were invited from other committee members. Also presented were copies of the ‘Bowls England Guidance on County Constitutions’ (2015) on which the rewriting process would be based

8.2Of particular value was the ability to simplify and shorten the existing GBA Constitution and the GBA Rules and Regulations, by establishing ‘schedules’ or ‘protocols’ within which would be enshrined many of the day-to-day procedures and operations of the Association. Most of these would be capable of being amended or updated by specified committees, rather than needing to be the subject of AGM resolutions

8.3Given this situation, felt that changes to be made at the 2016 AGM – and discussed at the 2015 JCM – should be kept to a minimum. Although a substantial number of possible clauses were identifiable within the existing GBA Constitution and the GBA Rules and Regulations, felt that most of these were not vital enough to require immediate change and could await the writing of the new GBA Constitution & Rules. Two would, however, be proposed for change this year :

a)The major and important introduction of a ‘GBA Joint Executive Treasurer’ (see item 4.3 in these minutes). (Action LC)

b)A modest increase in the time allowed to clubs to consider proposals to the AGM, at the Joint Council Meeting. This to be increased form 21 days to 28 days. (Action LC)

  1. Agenda for 2015 GBA Joint Council Meeting

LC offered a draft agenda for the 2015 GBA Joint Council Meeting in November, for confirmation or amendment as necessary. After various changes discussed, the following was agreed :

  1. Apologies
  2. Minutes of First Annual Joint Council Meeting of the Gloucestershire Bowls Association, 15th November 2014
  3. Matters arising
  4. Investiture of GBA Men’s Division President 2016, Mr Roy Walker (Cheltenham BC)

Investiture of GBA Women’s Division President 2016, Mrs Madeleine Hale (Fairford BC)

  1. Reminder of the roles of the GBA Joint Executive Committee and GBA Divisional Management Committees
  2. Debating proposals for changes to the GBA Constitution and GBA Rules & Regulations
  3. Any other business as previously notified :
  4. Bowls Development Alliance update, including ‘Coach Bowls’
  5. Marker courses
  6. Matters arising from the minutes of the GBA Joint Executive Committee

This, and any related paperwork, to be circulated by 24th October 2015 latest. LC to prepare and circulate to committee for comment. (Action LC)

  1. Bowls England Report

In view of shortage of time, LC limited this item, but made brief comment on :

  • Changes in National Competition fees for 2016
  • Possible creation of new Bristol County, recently being raised again
  • Themes being considered for BE Counties Meeting on Saturday 21st November, including discussion on the process of ‘unification’ as it had been undertaken by counties
  1. Dates of future meetings

Bearing in mind known dates for Delegate and Divisional Management Meetings for the rest of 2015 and for early 2016, the following dates were agreed for Joint Executive Committee meetings :

Wednesday 18th November 2015, Saturday 23rdJanuary 2016, provisionally Saturday 12th March 2016

An April 2016 meeting date would be agreed at the November 2015 meeting and anything beyond this at a later stage

  1. Any other business

None

Date of next meeting - Wednesday 18th November 2015 - 6.30 pm - Falcon B.C