24 January 2005, 7.30pm
Held at Cheadle Conservative Club
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 Tony Barnett of Bramhall Queensgate, R Kenyon of the Crown, Tom Shepherd of South Manchester British Legion and Ronnie Williams of Thorn Grove.
Present: President, Secretary, Treasurer and delegates
Apologies: Green End, Ladybridge Park, Poynton RBL, Withington.
Absences: Bungalow, Didsbury, Heaton Norris, P.C.S., Wythenshawe Park
The minutes of the previous annual general meeting had been circulated. The minutes were taken as read and approved.
Gerry Hall / Vets’ Match Secretary
A letter had been received from Gerry Hall, resigning his post as Veterans’ Match Secretary and thanking all officials, club secretaries and captains for the assistance and forbearance over the years.
The secretary thanked Gerry for the work he had done over the last ten years or so. He had done quite a lot more than the job title suggests, especially since Les Shinner passed away. Last year the secretary had most unfairly passed the running of the Merits over to him at short notice and he coped admirably.
The secretary reiterated that we need bodies to help running the league, to avoid getting too dependent on a few people.
Evening League
Number of teams
Crown had resigned, saying that they could not continue with team size remaining at 12. We started last year with 35 teams, so that leaves us with 34.
Proposed compositionThe secretary did not think it sensible to continue with four divisions. There would be only eight teams in two of them, giving a programme of 14 league matches. So we had to bite the bullet and go to three divisions. This meant one division of 12 and two of 11. He had circulated a proposal for these three divisions, based on relegating the bottom teams in divisions A and B to the new divisions B and C, then promoting as necessary.
Proposed programmeEleven or 12 teams meant a league programme of 22 weeks, which made lack of light a problem at the beginning and end. We also had to fit in with the Stockport & District league. It was not feasible to have two weeks without league matches as we did last year, but we will have one week off, making the season 23 weeks long.
Newlan - R1 on Tuesday
So we will play round 1 of the Newlan on a Tuesday evening - 21 June.
Merit - Wednesday/Saturday qualifying
We could not have Merit qualifying on a Tuesday this year, so he proposed to have a qualifying round on a Wednesday evening. There would also be qualifying on a Saturday for those who play in other leagues on Wednesdays.
Callison Cup
Entries to the Callison Cup had been declining steadily over the years. For the last two years we had tried it as a pairs handicap, but we got only 13 entries in 2003 and 14 last year. The secretary did not think we could really go on subsidising a competition with so little interest. The cup was originally run by the Cheadle and Gatley Urban District Council, and passed to us in 1974 at local government reorganisation. Stockport council are now more disposed to promote bowling, so he suggested we offer the cup back to them, perhaps for the Bowls Festival.
Vets’ League
Number of teams
We had one new team this year – a second team from Debdale Park. Silverwings had struggled to find a green, and had finally packed in. Several of their players had joined Wythenshawe Park Bowling Club, so one team from them replaces the two from Downs.
Proposed composition
He suggested that the Wythenshawe Park team went in division 3, and the Debdale Park second team in division 6. This worked quite nicely, with two relegations and three promotions in each case. The proposals had been circulated.
Organisation of Merit and Jennison R1
We had problems running the first round of the Jennison Shield, because we needed nearly every green. He proposed to try this year having some matches on a Tuesday and some on the following Wednesday. Both these days would also be available for Merit qualifying.
He also suggested playing the Jennison semi-finals and final on a single day. The Alderley league had tried this and found it successful.
Green Rotas
Green rotas had been circulated. For the first time this included the vets teams. The secretary asked clubs to make sure their greens were available as required, or if necessary to inform him in good time. There were occasions last year when teams turned up to find greens closed and deserted. He hoped to avoid that this year.
Presentation night
The treasurer would give you the financial details, but essentially the presentation night lost money this year. Numbers have also been dropping, so he thought it time to call a halt. Cups et cetera would be distributed at next year’s half-yearly or annual meeting.
News from BCGBA
There was a new law this year, banning smoking on the green.
There was also a new form that clubs have to fill in with all sorts of detail – players, with their BCGBA numbers, insurance and so on.
They were still tinkering with the dress code. Now trousers with studs or zipped pockets are banned.
Next Meeting
The next meeting was on Monday 21 March, Cheadle Conservative Club at 7.30.
Great Moor Conservative Club
The meeting approved the proposal for Great Moor Conservative C to play their home games at 11am.
The treasurer summarised the accounts, which showed a deficit for the year of about £25. Club fees were notably higher following the decision at last year’s AGM. Entries were down in all the individual competitions – Merit, Vets’ Merit and Callison. This seemed to be a general trend.
The presentation night had cost £66 – previously it had always made a profit.
With the reduction in evening divisions from four to three he would be able to increase prize money.
The Treasurer thanked Mike Broome of Deanprint for help in producing the handbook at favourable rates and the presentation night tickets for free.
The auditor commended the accuracy and the thoroughness of their author.
In rule 3.8 (Doubling-up), delete the sentence “For the purposes of this rule, all matches shall be considered to have been played on the original dates specified in the fixtures.”
Proposed by Stockport Cricket Club.
The proposal was approved nem con.
All the existing officers were re-elected, except for the Vets’ Match Secretary.
President: D Walker
Chairman: DJ McKnight
Hon Secretary and Match/Results Secretary (evenings): ER Kavanagh
Hon Treasurer: J Forrest
Hon Veterans Secretary: vacant; no nomination received
Hon Results Secretary (Vets): vacant; no nomination received (post meeting note: Mr D Newman volunteered to fill this post)
Management Sub-committee: S Alsop, J Barratt, T Bills, R Cheslett, J Pearson, A Rowlinson
The meeting approved honorariums conforming to the five-year plan. The new honorariums were as follows.
Treasurer £300
Secretary £300
Match secretary £180
Veterans’ secretary £180
Veterans’ match secretary £180
There had been a request last year that the veterans’ fixtures should avoid the Waterloo final. The secretary said that he and Alan Bligh had tried to do this, but the season was crowded and he regretted it was not possible. He suggested that if possible the match be brought forward, rather than postponed.
There was a brief discussion about the Callison Cup, and a suggestion that it be opened to veterans as well as evening players. However the suggestion of offering it back to Stockport MBC was generally popular.
There was no further business and the meeting closed at 8.30pm