Annual General Meeting

30^th March 2004, at the Sports Pavilion, Benner Lane West End, started at 8.00pm

Present were - P. Bates (President); D. Lowe (DL - Chairman); H. Turner (HT - Captain); B. Pudney (BP); J; Stephens (JS); M. Weston; J. McDonald (JMcD; A. Barrett (AB); P. Dawson; J. Greathead (late again).

Apologies (for whatever reason, you know who you are) - I. Brown (hard at work); C. Weston (hard at play); A. Horn; A. Lamberth ("is it that time of year again?"); M. Oliver; R. Tedder ("where are you?"); M. James; N. Howarth (taken the King's Shilling).

     First off, the Treasurer presented his report for the last year or so. We say "or so" as the clubs operating year now mirrors the financial year, April to April. While it makes future running of the club a bit easier this report runs for a fifteen-month period and thus introduces a few anomalies where some payments appear twice. This is just for this report - in future a normal twelve month time span comes back into operation. For example - payments made to the Club Cricket Conference, nets and insurance occur in the three month period after New Year. Some of this, of course, can be offset against imminent income such as membership subs and current net payments. Where the season shows a £662 loss this is entirely attributable to the President's Pith Opening Day on May 4th, which was well worth the expenditure considering all the positive feedback and support received as a result. The largest bill was for pitch maintenance although during the first part of 2003 we didn’t get our money’s worth and switched vendors as a result. The tour managed a slight profit, conversely there was one unpaid membership - but we know who that was and will put the Treasurer on his tail without delay!

     The remarkable point about the forecast for the twelve months of 2004 is that although excluding fundraising, the club’s normal running costs should just about break even, and that's allowing for a pitch maintenance figure of £2,000. As we now run to the financial year, so as costs are virtually the same from year to year, this forecast can be taken as April 2004 to April 2005 with little discernable difference. After the Treasury bit had been dealt with, the Chairman presented the Committee Report on 2003. These aren't the Chairman's exact words, however we'll feel sure they'll do.

     The Committee consisted of five posts - Chairman; Secretary & Fixtures; Captain; Fundraising & Development; Team Representative - and mainly due to changing personal circumstances changes are imminent. The proposal to expand the Committee and re-assign responsibilities in a six-man Committee was voted on and was unanimously accepted. As all present agreed the new structure, all posts were voted as one and accepted unanimously. They are as follows:

     Everybody expressed disappointment (!) at not needing to do daily leaflet drops around the village. This was sadly wholly attributable to the overwhelming success of the 2003 Spring Recruiting Campaign and everyone stayed. We will have another couple of new players for this season so the loss of Neal Howarth - sad though we knew it was going to happen - means there's only one alteration to the team. Adie Barrett is stepping down due to time constraints, so the Captain appointed Phil Dawson to accompany Ben Pudney in this role. The Captain suggests that setting up a Selection Committee may be necessary should we be overwhelmed with available bodies on any one (or more) weekend(s). Despite that possibility, players pulling out of a match with at the last moment will now be fined to the tune of a fiver. The Club Rules allow for this, also for anyone not organising teas when it is their turn on the rota when it is published. Swap by all means, but sort it. A budget of £200 has been allocated for club equipment, and nets at the Surrey Cricket Centre were finally sorted with an intensive month in April lined up. Phew.

     In the Ground Development stakes ServiceTeam have done us proud with their re-inventing of the pitch, looking excellent after a winter's rolling and weeding. It's the nets that need doing, and the upshot is that over to weekends - unforeseen delays notwithstanding - We will hire a bloke and his minidigger to dig holes on Saturday 24th April, with pre-mixed concrete filling them in the following Saturday, May 1st. The nets will be affixed with velcro strips to the new frames, not the supplied hooks which, it was deemed, will attract vandals. The nets are of course removable, to be stored in the garage, still shared with the Woking Cougars football team. What we can do is have a Bar in the pavilion as all permissions have been granted although again, we need to store the beer offsite. Basil may be persuaded to cut us a deal to supply beer and lager as part of his sponsorship of WECC - we'll have to see on that one. What we do need is some sort of presence in the Pavilion, like a Captain's Roll of Honour, and maybe a trophy cabinet. It would make us all feel at home, after all.

     Fundraising always needs support and so far Woking Hospice has done us proud, they have got tickets sold at Recenights over the past few years, and we have been able to reciprocate with donations. The Racenight often happens around May, but we'll have to move it to July 17th as that is all Chobham Rugby Club had available to us. Last year saw 70-80 attendees; if we can increase this to around 100 we will be laughing, as will the whole room on the night! A second Racenight would be good, but would tap the same people. So we need to vary our events and target audiences. Other modes of income include Vice-Presidents who will need contacting soon. On the sponsorship front we have Basil at the Hare & Hounds, plus now Vickary's Estate Agents. The latter are especially keen to continue our association and both parties are aware of the mutual benefits it can bring. We both need to discuss a joint plan of action.

     A sheet of fixtures was distributed to all present, the actual fixture cards will follow in the next few weeks. We'll have to watch out for the old European Cup games this season, as a few will encroach onto cricket playing time and we must try to start earlier as a result. President's Day is yet to be arranged, but one cancelled game should not cause any ongoing problems. The tour is a-coming and hotel bookings must be made soon. The Ponsmere want definite bookings and none of the messing around we had to give them on account of disorganised personnel. Money must be paid up front this year - no pay, no pay. And that as about it for the fixtures.

     And just about it for the A.G.M. as there was no A.O.B. to discuss. The meeting was declared closed at 21.30 but as Basil down at the Hare doesn't declare closing time just yet, We suspect a few of us were to be found lounging somewhere within its hallowed walls drinking axle grease or something a tad stronger. Cheers!

The Committee.

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