The Marches Petanque
ChairmanSecretary
Ian WilliamsMelanie Williams
GwylordyfainGwylordyfain
CraswallCraswall
HerefordHereford
HR2 0PPHR2 0PP
Draft Minutes of AGM held at Seven Stars, Clehonger on 18th October 2017 at 7pm.
Ian declared the meeting open and Steve Bradley spoke about Jim McNally’s enormous contribution to the Marches, finishing with a toast to Jim.
Present: Jordan de Burgo, Pete Allen, Roger Marshall, Alan Watkins, Eric Acton, Stella Acton, Barbara Clarke, Peter Clarke, Michael Hewitt, Joan Hewitt, Helen Reeve, Adrian Reeve, Clive Lennard, Ron Farr, Phil Brown, Pat Duckett, Graham Bufton, Mark Jones, Andrew Preece, Tom Jolly, Colin George, Kara Smith, Andy Wright, Stephen Powell, Jerry Davis, Roy Wilkes, Jens Bryan (results secretary), Steve Bradley (vice-chair), Bill Wood (league team captain and PRO), Ian Williams (chair), Melanie Williams (secretary), Ian Clark, Ken Davis
- Apologies: Iain Purce, Alan and Barbara Turner, Alan Fowler, Tracy Adams, Ben Thomas, Susie Cox
- Minutes of Committee Meeting 22nd August 2017: these were approved and signed by the chair.
- Matters Arising: Michael explained that some names for award certificates had not been received so they were left blank for players’ names to be added.
- Reports:
- Chair: Welcome to our AGM this evening. I’d like to thank Les and Kay for hosting us again. It has been a busy year with three divisions and a knockout cup. Michael resigned after last year’s summer league. Jens kindly stepped in at short notice to do the results and Gemma initially the PRO and website. This proved difficult for her to juggle with full time work. Fortunately, Bill took over in the spring and has formed a good team with Jens. I’d like to thank them both. Thanks also to the two Steves, Mr de Burgo for looking after the finances and Mr Bradley for all his sound and solid advice. Thanks also to Melanie for all her work and effort put in over the last year. And finally, thanks to all of you, the players, for making the game of Petanque such fun.
- Secretary: I have very little to say really. Thanks to all the people who have informed me of updates to their contact details during the year – it really helps with email communication. Whilst I am willing to stand again as secretary, I feel no particular attachment to the role so if anyone else would like to take it on, please feel free, even if it is something you might be considering for next year.
- Treasurer: We are again in a sound financial position. Last year ended with £2120 in the bank; with trophies and engraving coming in at just over £300, we currently have just over £1800.
- League Team Captain: Competitions were well supported again. Entries in the Triples were slightly down with only 7 teams; Pairs and Pointing were also slightly down on numbers; the Pointing Competition is proving popular and fun as well as being a very useful practice exercise; Singles and Shooting competitions were also fun but again, slightly fewer numbers than we have seen previously. However, this year, with the exception of Mark Jones, all the names on the trophies for Closed Competitions are new ones. The Marches Cup, which went down to the last event before being decided, was won by Ian Williams. There is a Christmas Melee planned again this year for Sunday 17th December at the Seven Stars and this will be the first event counting towards next year’s Marches Cup. Marches players have been active at regional and national level; 2 players did well in the regional singles; 2 were in the regional pairs, which they won and ten went on to represent Heart of England in the national Champion of Champions competition where they reached the semi-final; 10 players from the Marches represented Heart of England at the Inter-regional competition at Hayling Island; Jordan made up a third of the junior squad which Melanie also managed throughout the summer. Hereford Petanque Club, all of whose members are Marches players, won Round 3 of the Euro Cup so are now in the last 16 nationally to qualify for the European Cup.
- Results Secretary: Jens extended thanks to all players for playing games promptly and getting results in; there is a rule change regarding submission of results to be discussed later this evening.
- Election of Officers: Michael pointed out that the role of Website Manager is not in the constitution of the club and that it was not the same thing as PRO. If it is to be a new, separate, post he would wish to put himself forward for that as well as for Results Secretary. It was agreed that Website Manager would be removed from nomination list and this item be discussed at future Executive meeting.
Offices of Chair (Ian Williams), Vice-Chair (Steve Bradley), Secretary (Melanie Williams), Treasurer (Steve de Burgo), League Team Captain (Bill Wood) and PRO (Bill Wood) were elected without opposition. A vote took place for the post of Results Secretary for which both nominees left the room. Jens Bryan received 11 votes, Michael Hewitt 6. Steve Bradley and Bill Wood did the counting and ensured no more than two votes from each club. Jens Bryan was duly elected as Results Secretary.
Action: role of Website Manager to be discussed at next Executive meeting with options to be presented at next Committee Meeting.
- Rules Interpretation: Bill explained that historically, although Marches plays to EPA rules, there has been some local leeway around sweeping/filling divots between ends. Clarification has been sought from EPA and this is not allowed. However, we already have some local rules in place and if feeling is strong, we could do the same here. A vote for EPA rule, whereby no alteration of the terrain between ends was voted overwhelmingly in favour so this will continue to be the formal rule in place for all games.
- Results date submission rule change: Peter Clarke asked if the penalty associated with this rule would then apply after the new deadline. It was agreed that this would be the case. It was unanimously agreed that the new timescale of results being with results secretary by 12 noon on Saturday following Wednesday matches in the Summer League and 12 noon on the Wednesday following Sunday matches in the Winter League should be adopted and this will take immediate effect.
Action: Bill to ensure this is publicised on website.
- AOB: Steve Bradley suggested that many pubs have photographs of winning teams on their walls; should winning teams like to have photographs taken during the season, these could be framed by the Executive and presented at the AGM annually for display in pubs. This was put forward as something for general discussion.
Clive Leonard asked whether the Knockout Cup would take place next year and suggested if it does, the format could be slightly changed from that of the Summer League, rather as the Beeline is a different format. It was suggested that three sets of Pairs could be played or a format similar to that of Euro Cup with two triples and three doubles.
Action: format of knockout cup will be discussed and brought to the next Committee Meeting in March.
The AGM was followed by presentation of trophies and certificates.
Winter League WinnersStars on 45
Winter League Runners UpStrand and Deliver
Triples WinnersAndy Wright, Colin George, Mark Jones
Triples Runners UpIan Williams, Roy Wilkes, Melanie Williams
Triples Plate WinnersSteve Bradley, Carol Bradley, Pete Allen
Pairs WinnersIan and Melanie Williams
Pairs Runners UpAndy Wright, Colin George
Pairs Plate WinnersGareth Smart, Tony Griffiths
Pointing Winners=Luke Morris and Brian Baugh
Singles WinnerIan Williams
Singles Runner UpGraham Bufton
Singles Plate Winner Mike Baker
Shooting WinnerMike Baker
Summer League Div 1 WinnersStrand and Deliver
Summer League Div 1 Runners UpSundowners
Summer League Div 2 WinnersStars on 45
Summer League Div 2 Runners UpPortway A
Summer League Div 3 WinnersBarristers
Summer League Div 3 Runners UpNew Nags
Beeline Trophy WinnersStars on 45
Beeline Trophy Runners UpA Bridge Too Far
Beeline Plate WinnersBrecon
Beeline Plate Runners UpPortway A
Summer League Knockout Cup WinnersStars on 45
SLKO Plate WinnersBellringers
Marches CupIan Williams
Presidents CupIan and Melanie Williams