Cheadle and Gatley District Bowling League

Contents

Spring Gardens

There has been an arson attack on the bowls pavilion at the Spring Gardens. For this season the club expect to have a portaloo available, but no other facilities. It may be worth bringing a flask.

Evening League composition, 2010

Northern Etchells (currently memebers of the veterans’ league) have applied to enter a team in the evening league. Cheadle Kingsway have resigned (they are moving to the Alderley Mixed league).

This gives us 29 teams. There has been a suggestion that the first division should be at full strength (i.e. ten teams). We currently have divisions of 9, 10 and 10 and wish to get to 10, 9 and 10. We can do this by placing Northern Etchells in Division C, promoting three from Division B and otherwise promoting two and relegating two in each case. So we have the following proposed composition:

Division A
Heald Green Social A
Ladybridge Pk
Robinsons
Thorn Grove A
Ryecroft A
Northenden Social
Bungalow
Waggon & Horses
Burnage Garden Village
Cheadle Cons A
Division B
Stockport CC
Crowcroft Pk
Heald Green Social B
Gatley Rec A
Didsbury
Longsight CC
Ladybridge
Hazel Grove
Cheadle Cons B
Division C
West Heaton
Shaw Heath
Friendship
Green End
Ryecroft B
Edgeley Cons
Bramhall Q'gate
Thorn Grove B
Gatley Rec B
Northern Etchells

Veterans’ League composition, 2010

Great Moor Conservative Club have renamed themselves Great Moor Sports & Social. Torkington Park have joined the league and Royal Oak have re-entered their second team. LMRCA have also applied to join the league. However their club will not be open during matches, so this application will be discussed at the AGM.

This gives us 69 or 70 teams.

Second teams of existing clubs have generally gone in the bottom division (and that’s where Royal Oak B were when they last played in 2008). Based on an assessment of the likely strengths of the others, I recommend placing LMRCA in Division 4 and Torkington Park in Division 5. Division 4 should have 12 teams including LMRCA. Other divisions need to have 11 or 12 teams, with the 11-team divisions available for new entrants. Divisions of 12, 11, 12, 12, 12, 11 fit the bill, and can be achieved by promoting three teams from each division (four from division four) and relegating two.

So we have the following proposed composition:

Division 1
Crown Hotel A
Grange BC A
Houldsworth WMC A
Victoria A
Great Moor S&S A
South Manchester RBL A
Cheadle Cons A
Nursery A
Waggon & Horses A
Stockport CC A
Spring Gardens
Fallowfield
Division 2
Didsbury
South Reddish A
West Heaton A
Marple Park A
Bungalow
Great Moor S&S B
Klondyke
Thorn Grove A
Northenden Social
Withington
Heald Green Social A
Division 3
Houldsworth WMC B
Royal Oak A
Heaton Norris
Hazel Grove
Levenshulme Cath
Poynton WMC
Victoria B
Wythenshawe Park
SW Manchester CC
Friendship A
Wilmslow Cons
Shaw Heath A
Division 4
Debdale Park A
Gatley Rec A
Northern Etchells A
Nursery B
Woodley Sports
Crown Hotel B
Great Moor S&S C
South Reddish B
South Manchester RBL B
Waggon & Horses B
Vernon Park
(LMRCA)
Division 5
Grange BC B
Heald Green Social B
Debdale Park B
Longsight CC
Ladybarn
Cheadle Cons B
Cheadle Park
Stockport CC B
Northern Etchells B
West Heaton B
Poynton RBL
Torkington Park
Division 6
Parkville
Houldsworth WMC C
Shaw Heath B
Marple Park B
Heaton Mersey Cons
Nursery C
Thorn Grove B
Heald Green Social C
Friendship B
Gatley Rec B
Royal Oak B

Minutes of Annual General Meeting, 2010

25 January 2010

Held at Cheadle Conservative Club

1. Silent invocation

The President asked delegates to stand for few moments in silence in memory of colleagues who had passed away in the last year. These included Jack Barratt of Bungalow, Tom Edwards and Vincent McDermott of Cheadle Kingsway, Brian Clapham of Didsbury, John Edwards of Fallowfield, Vic Broster and Garth Snape of Heald Green Social, Ernie Lewis and Alf Waddington of Houldsworth WMC, Richard Stewart of Levenshulme Catholic, David Berry of Nursery, Geoff Carrol of Royal Oak, Les Bownas and David Walker of South Reddish, Stanley Scott of Stockport CC, Barry Johnson and Les Salt of Thorn Grove and Ronnie Bownas and Harry Edwards of Victoria.

2. Roll call

Present: President, Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer Vets’ Match Secretary and delegates
Absences: Northenden Social, Wythenshawe Park

3. Minutes of previous annual general meeting

The minutes of the previous annual general meeting had been circulated. There was one correction: in the Obituary the name Graham Robinson should read Ray Robinson (Heald Green Social). The amended minutes were taken as read and approved.

4. Minutes of previous annual general meeting

The half-yearly meeting scheduled for November 2009 had not been necessary. The minutes of the previous meeting (November 2008) had been circulated in November 2009. They were taken as read and approved.

5. Correspondence and Secretary’s and Match Secretary’s report

Evening league

Cheadle Kingsway have resigned from the league. They have decided to play in the Alderley mixed league instead, so that their lady members can play. We have one new team this year: Northern Etchells. I suggest putting them in Division C to replace Cheadle Kingsway.

Last year we had nine teams in Division A and ten in the other divisions. There has been a suggestion that the senior division should be at full strength where possible. So I propose promoting three from Division B, and otherwise promoting and relegating two. [There was some discussion on this point. The consensus was that the same division should not be the smallest every year.]

Last year we tried running the Bob Newlan Trophy on Tuesday evenings after the league season. This was a reasonable success: only two teams scratched out, both in the first round. We also has a somewhat chaotic but enjoyable Merit at the end of the season. So I suggest keeping the same programme for this year. If you agree with this plan, I should have the fixtures available in the next week or so.

Veterans’ league

We have applications from three teams: Royal Oak are re-entering their second team (they scratched at the start of last season). Torkington Park is a new club to us. The third application, from LMRCA, was withdrawn at the meeting.

Royal Oak B were in Division 6 before they dropped out, so they should go back there. Torkington Park’s teams in the Parks Vets’ league finished bottom of bottom of division B and mid-table in division D (the lowest division). So I suggest putting them in our division 5.

A place had been reserved for LMRCA in Division 4, which would now have 11 teams.

Great Moor Conservative have changed their name to Great Moor Sports & Social. I expect the old name will linger until I find all references to it.

Green Rotas and Player Registrations

You should all have a copy of the green rotas for the evening and vets’ leagues as appropriate. Please make sure your greens are available as required. Also you should have a list of your players from last year to help you register players for this year.

Great Moor Sports ‘C’ Home matches

The meeting agreed that these matches may be played at 10.30am.

Next meeting

The next meeting will be on 29 March This is a short but important meeting when we distribute the handbooks and other paperwork you need for the season. I expect to distribute the fixtures in the next week or two.

6. Treasurer’s report

The treasurer summarised the accounts. Because of the way the invoice was presented there was a transfer of expenditure from Engraving to League Average Prizes, but no material change. The secretary’s expenses for 2009 actually covered two years, and also included the costs of running the web site. The web site costs were mostly offset by payments from other leagues..

7. Auditor’s report

The auditor commended the accuracy of the accounts and the thoroughness of their author.

8. Election of officers

Mr J Forrest announced his retirement as treasurer. Mr Tom Forsyth was willing to take this job on. There were no other nominations, and the other officers were willing to continue.

President: D Walker
Chairman: DJ McKnight
Hon Secretary and Match/Results Secretary (evenings): ER Kavanagh
Hon Treasurer: T Forsyth
Hon Veterans Secretary: vacant; no nomination received
Hon Results Secretary (Vets): A Bligh
Management Sub-committee: S Alsop, T Bills, J Pearson, A Rowlinson, H Beech, N Dewey

The Chairman spoke on Jack Forrests’s retirement. He summarised Jack’s extensive bowling career and praised his contribution to the league. He noted especially the presentation nights, when Jack and Greta organised huge and popular occasions, including all the catering. The Chairman presented Jack with an engraved fruit bowl to remember us by. The meeting joined in his thanks.

9. Fixing of honorariums

The meeting approved honorariums conforming to the five-year plan. The new honorariums were as follows.

Treasurer £420
Secretary £420
Match secretary £250
Veterans’ secretary £250
Veterans’ match secretary £250

The honorarium for the veterans’ secretary would be split between the secretary and the veterans’ match secretary.

10. General discussion of matters affecting the league

There was no further business and the meeting closed at 8.15pm.