GLOUCESTERSHIRE BOWLS ASSOCIATION
A Member of Bowls England.
WOMEN’S DIVISION.
Minutes of WD Management Meeting held on Friday 7 November 2014, 10.30 am
Venue – Falcon B.C.
Present: President Gill Hodder (GH), IPP Anne Beaven (AB), Secretary/BE Delegate Lindsay Collin (LC), Treasurer Maddie Hale (MH), Match Secretary Myra Savage (MS), area representatives Trish Nunn (TN), Christine Magee (CM), Anne Watton (AWa), Angela Wildsmith (AWi).
President Gill opened the meeting at 10.35 a.m by welcoming those present.
1. Apologies. Trish Nunn (TN)
2. Amendments to minutes of 6 and 8 October 2014 - None. Signed as a true record.
3. Ratify minutes of 6 and 8 October 2014
4. Matters arising
a. Benevolent Triples – LC is prepared to run the event in July. Will be July 19 if Glos City/Spa can fit us in; MS awaiting confirmation.
b. Enquiry re first aid cover at events. Still need to seek information from BE; quite possible that not necessary. After this, if required, approach St John’s to get cost. The days involved would only be Finals Day, the Benevolent Triples and the 2-Wood day.
c. Letter concerning selection passed to selectors had been dealt with by IPP AB.
d. B.E form concerning ‘regional’ or ‘open’ competition options. Results so far look like retaining the ‘regional’ draws.
e. WD Presidential matters :
i. Investiture of incoming President. Will be at Joint Council Meeting, 15.11.14. Please support by attending.
ii. Senior and Junior Vice-President. Solutions needed, both in continuing to seek nominations and, if required, in covering responsibilities if no nominations forthcoming. Felt that the latter should be possible by using WD officers and past presidents. President GH intends a non-extravagant approach, which suits her and she also feels is the way forward in terms of persuading new VP candidates in future. The presidential role has changed in recent times, and the financial commitment is, and needs to be, much less demanding. Possible candidates need to know this.
iii. Discussion on giving presents at matches. MS would contact the MEL secretariat and reinforce that this must not happen. GH would not be giving presents in any games, other than top rink in friendlies. She also noted that she wished that nobody else go on the green at the introductions and rink announcements before each game.
iv. Dates of Delegate meetings for 2015. GH indicated that she was obliged to be away on 25 March. Totally agreed that the President should be there, especially with only three Delegate Meetings in the year, so LC to check with Whitminster Hall if possible to change date to 11 March.
v. 2014 President’s AB’s comments. IPP Anne voiced her extreme disappointment at two matters :
1. The confusion surrounding when her term of office ended. This was accepted, and Secretary LC apologised, but pointed out that this largely stemmed from the confusion and ambiguity in the present GBA Constitution & Rules, which is partly what proposals to the GBA AGM in January were intending to put right.
2. Even more so, AB’s unfortunate treatment at the GBA Presentation Dinner on 12 October. Though both the printed programme and the normal/expected procedure indicated that she and the Men’s President should be presenting the trophies, this had not happened. She felt this to be a sad and extremely disappointing end to her year of office, a view with which the Committee agreed. On behalf of the GBA Joint Executive, LC apologised again.
f. Coaching. Presentation at Joint Council Meeting by David Rolls.
g. Attendees at BE Presentation Dinner (22.11.14) would be - LC, AB, Angela Harris + 1, MS + 1, Sue Latham + 1
h. Former President Pat Stiley Concern expressed about Pat’s health issues. AB would be seeing and would pass on the Committee’s best wishes.
5. Correspondence
a. BE Board minutes. Passed this by for now, but some comments implicitly in item 12.
b. Sport England ‘Inspired Facilities’ grant aid – 7 bowling awards. Should be brought to attention of our clubs. LC would include in an e-mail to clubs, with several other items coming out of today’s meeting.
c. BE Counties Meeting, 22.11.14. Broad agenda noted by LC. No motions to AGM in Feb 2015, but discussion sessions expected on BE Web site, coaching and possibly on National Championship feedback, amongst others. 2 hour limit to that meeting noted.
d. Laws of the Sport of Bowls – Crystal Mark 3rd Edition. Now in stock with BE. Individuals and clubs must contact BE themselves. Noted that BE had circulated an information sheet about changes from 2nd Edition.
e. BDA Newsletter. Main points - new member gains; information package for recruitment; safeguarding training; Coach Bowls.
f. Thanks from AB for monies for her charity in 2014.
6. Treasurer’s report
· As at 30th October 2014 we have £2K in the current a/c, £5K in BIA a/c & £15K on 6 month deposit – total £22K.
· Affiliations – still many to come. LC will include in e-mail.
· Competition money paid in for 2015 amounts to £2540. Prize money paid out in October was £875 but 4 x prize money cheques had not been presented as at 3rd November, so I have followed them up by email/telephone.
· 19 clubs have still to send in their request for handbooks. I sent a reminder out on 3rd November to all of them & a few have responded. So far 296 free copies + 33 paid for have been ordered.
· There are 12 entries for the Benevolent Triples.
· 11 people have put their names forward as BE Patrons.
· Only 20 clubs have so far sent in their affiliations & BE Yearbook orders.
· Luncheon – 159 persons + 2 guests attended. Good feedback generally – good venue, good food, but took too long and too much noise from some tables. Finance details below.
Luncheon finances / Oct-14 / Oct-13Tickets / 159 x £20 / £ 3,180.00 / £ 2,980.00 / 149x£20
Raffle income / £ 327.96 / £ 297.20
Total income / £ 3,507.96 / £ 3,277.20
Cost meal 161 x £18 / -£ 2,898.00 / -£ 2,220.00 / 148x£15
Miscellaneous :
Printing programmes / £ 30.00
place names / £ 6.19
table decorations / £ 31.96
flowers MT / £ 15.50
Wine corkage / £ 20.00
wine cost / £ 20.00
raffle tickets / £ 5.00
£ 128.65 / -£ 128.65 / -£ 173.37
SURPLUS / £ 481.31 / £ 883.83
· GH and LC to be added as signatories for WD Lloyds Bank account.
· Auditors/examiners. Many problems this year, so need to look for new examiner (in Chelt, Glos or Stroud areas). Felt that we should ask clubs for recommendations for efficient examiners, preferably those who are familiar with the needs of bowling clubs. October the time that required. Tetbury a possibility; AWi will enquire.
7. Secretary’s report / GBA update /BE
a) Delegate Meeting 8.10.14
· All nominations agreed, but lack of VPs. .
· Propositions : Amendments to Competition Rules :
“Finals will be arranged by the Competition Secretaries, on a green nominated for the finals, played during the day, normally with a 10.00 for 10.30a.m and 1.30 for 2.00p.m start times. Carried by 1 vote
o “If finals day occurred during inclement weather a re-arrangement of the event would be needed rather than have a decision made with a toss of a coin.” Unanimously carried
· Dates of 2015 Delegate Meetings - 25.03, 15.07, 7.10. But note suggested change in 4 (e) (iv) .
b) Executive meeting 14.10.14
o Peter Langley elected Chair, until the AGM. LC expressed view that cannot do both Chair and Secretary in meetings.
o Thanks recorded to Joy Sheward.
o Changes to Constitution and R & R. Long session. Introduced by Glyn Marriott and LC. Ready for JCM
o JCM arrangements decided. Peter Langley and LC to circularise clubs.
o Data Protection. Now registered. PL responsible for the County now, as Administrator.
c) Joint Council Meeting 15.11.14
Information circularised 21 days in advance: Covering letter; agenda; committee roles.
d) Presentation Dinner 8.10.14
· Certificate of Merit for Margaret Tully.
· Thanks to Joy Sheward. Future guidance offered.
· Feedback previously noted (in Treasurer’s Report).
· Discussion on future venue. Several possible ideas noted, for LC, MH and MS to take to Joint Executive. Now urgent. GH and AB offered to look (as a sub-committee) at possible venues, though may need written communications firstly from Administrator. £20 thought to be the upper limit.
e) BE update West Region Meeting. 4.11.14. Clevedon. LC described a few familiar points discussed.
f) Club information sheet Many responses still awaited. 15 November deadline.
g) Affiliation payments Required by end of month.
8. Match Secretary’s Report.
I have not got a lot to add to my last report :
· Still awaiting fixture confirmations, namely Worcester, Glamorgan (both their matches) and Cambs. Cambs MEL is our match but I thought we had it all arranged until their costs came in and they wanted in total £9 per player. This was obviously a ‘no go’ so had to start again. Hopefully we will be going to High Wycombe for this game. All seems promising there and I am just awaiting confirmation on this venue.
· Also still awaiting confirmation for Benevolent Triples date in July (19th). A lot of clubs have to take requests for matches to their whole committee instead of their Match Secretary dealing with the request. This causes hold ups as they have to wait for committee meetings.
· Maddie has decided we shall be needing 6 coaches next year so I will be asking Applegates for quotes if we are happy to stay with them. 4 games need cars.
· Maddie and I attended the MEL meeting on Wednesday 5.11 and I reluctantly handed over the MEL shield to Warwickshire. Hopefully we shall be getting it back again next year. Not much to report from this meeting. There was a discussion over BE directive re county competitions. All of the counties attending this meeting already play there comps up to finals in the evenings if required, the only problem seemed, to be with the two wood comp. Counties attending decided to put in a request to BE about having the Amy Rose in the middle weekend of the Leamington month as it had meant the officers having to come back again after the ladies 2 weeks there. They also thought the Johns, Middleton Cup, Walker, Balcomb, etc should all be played on the middle weekend.
9. 2015 Competitions
· Draws held on Wednesday 29 October.
· Organisers have views on 2016. Suggest that all competitions will need to go through to semi-finals on weekdays, but clearly with neutral greens in semi-finals.
· CM would like to report more fully at next meeting in January or February.
10. Meeting dates 2014/5
· LC requested that meeting dates should please take her availability into account. Also thought desirable that dates be agreed for the year, rather than from meeting to meeting. Presented summary of 5 years of meeting dates in a table, to assist choice of 2015 dates.
· Agreed dates : Friday 6 February; Monday 13 April; Friday 19 June; Monday 7 September. All at 10.00 am, Falcon.
· Noted that 31st August last date for proposed WD rule changes.
11. Uniform
· Vote on county baseball cap at WD Delegates Meeting had been over-ruled by Joint Exec. Exec said that actual players involved in County games should be consulted, and should also be a County decision.
· MD had come forward with some alternative designs. Thought to be better than the originals.
12. AOB
a. Selection dates. Need to stick to similar dates next year, with extra meetings for John’s and Walker. MH (Manager) would like to start in January, by picking a squad. Those involved to get together after meeting.
b. Handbook. LC sought ideas or requests for content :
· Mixed matches should be on main fixture list, as tend to be overlooked .
· Replace Web site in ‘club information’ by club telephone number.
· Include Margaret Tully in honours list.
c. National Championships.
· Feedback had been very good.
· Commercial tent would only have access from Green 1, not from main park.
· BE merchandise would be out-sourced next year.
· No county badge for ‘hospitality marquee’ next year, due to abuse in 2014 by a few counties.
President Gill wished all well for 2015.
Signed ………………………………………….. Date …………………………..
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