Knutsford Friday Bowling League

Minutes of meeting held Thursday 24th January 2019 at Mere Bowling Club

The Chairman opened the meeting and welcomed everyone and wished them a Happy New Year.

  1. Apologies for absence
    Mike Grocott (Oughtrington) Ken Heaton (Goostrey) Ann Penson (Railway) & Ron Dawson (Mere) Railway & Victory Hall were not represented
  2. Minutes of previous meeting held 16th August 2018 were posted on the website and it was agreed they were a true and proper record
  3. Officers Reports
    The Chairman had nothing to report this being the closed season. The Secretary said that the 2018 season went well with all matches completed until the last match of the season when all but one game was cancelled due to the biblical quantities of rain that fell on the day. With the need to rearrange so many matches and with green closures imminent it was decided to cancel the Jack Bryning Team Pairs for 2018. The Treasurer presented the annual accounts, which showed a balance in the bank of £849.38. He said that bowling income and expenditure was much in line with previous years and explained that the increase in profit was from the change in the way presentation evening was run. He explained that by not providing a buffet, and raffle prizes being funded from a levy that the evening contributed to the increase in profit over previous years. As he anticipated that expenditure would be in line with previous years’ he would propose that greenage, entry fees and prize monies stay at 2018 levels. He went on to inform the meeting that he intends to propose at the AGM a rebate of £18 per team be paid to all teams competing in the 2018 season. This would leave a bank balance of £417.38 and comply with rule 6.3 which says that the bank balance be restricted to £400.
  4. Competition Venues
    The Secretary advised the dates and venues for the 2019 competitions and asked the delegates to confirm that their clubs were prepared to host them.
    Individual – Chelford Bowling Club – Sunday 2nd June
    Pairs – Railway Inn Bowling Club – Saturday 29th June
    Mixed Pairs – Victory Hall Bowling Club – Sunday 1st September
    Jack Bryning – Mere Bowling Club Quarter-finals on from 23rd to 29th Sept
  5. League Vacancy
    Knutsford Bowling Club have advised that they will only field one team for the coming season. It’s always sad to lose a team, but, Willmslow Bowling Club have expressed an interest in joining the league and will be deciding at their forthcoming AGM at the beginning of February.
  6. Proposals for AGM
    No proposals had been received.
  7. Future of Jack Bryning Competition.
    Officers are concerned that entries are declining for the Jack Bryning competition and asked the delegates if the format was right. Was a team pairs what members wanted? Would they prefer to revert to a singles team knockout – maybe 4 a side? Derek Hurdle (Goostrey) made a valid point that as our membership age was increasing, many people took the opportunity for a holiday at the end of the season and are not available to join in.
  8. Succession of Serving Officers.
    The chairman said she was prepared to stand for the next two seasons and would retire at the end of the 2020 season, and as previously indicated the Secretary will retire at the end of this season. She went on to say that Ann Penson (Railway) has volunteered to take over as Treasurer and Chris Grice has been nominated as President. We urgently need a volunteer to take over as Secretary and she urged the delegates present to ask around their members. The Secretary said that if no one would volunteer to take on all the secretarial duties it would be possible for the role to be split into general secretary and competitions secretary. The workload isn’t massive and is well documented. He said that he will help the new incumbent/s as needed through their first year, but better still if we can get a volunteer/s to shadow him during his final year, and learn on the job as it were. All expenses are reimbursed and additionally there is a small honorarium.
  9. Presentation Evening
    A short discussion took place regarding the “no food” option for Presentation Evening with views both for and against. The Chairman asked the delegates to ask around their members and a decision will be made at the AGM
  10. Any Other Business
    The Secretary said that he had received an e-mail from Warford Park B informing him that they were currently struggling to find a captain and also were short of players. The Warford A team delegate felt that between the two squads a solution could be found.
    The meeting was reminded that each club had to have a trained safeguarding officer in place by 1st March this year, and of a rule passed at the recent CCBA meeting “Suitable footwear must be worn. Hard or block-heeled footwear, sandals or other open-toed footwear must not be worn whilst on the green in any match played under the CCBA jurisdiction.”

    The meeting was told of the death of Margaret Bryning after a long illness. The funeral will take place on Tuesday 5th February at Vale Royal Crematorium.

    There being no other business the meeting closed at 8.45pm with the Chairman reminding the meeting of the AGM on Thursday 28th February commencing at 8pm.