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Bath Saracens Committee Minutes 2004-2005 Season |
| Click here to see last season's minutes |
| AGM - 17th June 2005 |
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Present: 15 Club Members
1. Minutes of the last AGM: Agreed as a true and accurate record of proceedings. (Proposed L Garton / Seconded G Hind) 2. Club Captains Report: Martin said he would be very brief as he had covered everything at the Club Dinner. He did however reiterate the playing record which included 9 wins and said that in this respect the season had been reasonably successful, especially given the limited number of players at his disposal. It was on the point of player numbers that he stressed the importance of ensuring that a few new players were recruited before next season. (Proposed P Oliver / Seconded R Garton) 3. Secretary's Report: Mike reported the following to the meeting :- - the Committee had met without fail every month of the season with an average attendance of 9 members. - the Somerset 2 League had again operated under the "de-regulation" rules and he outlined these for those present. This would now seem to be a permanent feature for this league. - The only problem the Club had with the authorities this year was in ensuring that the match card was submitted on time. - On the playing front because we failed to fulfil our Powergen Junior Vase round one match the previous year we were debarred from entering the competition this last season. The Committee have also decided that although we have been re-invited this coming season we will decline the offer. This does of course mean that we will be invited again in 2006/07. - This season Somerset Two will again consist of 7 teams with Cheddar not even making the starting gates this time. Blagdon and Avonvale will return after just one season in division one with Old Sulians and Martock taking the step up to replace them. - On the social front thanks were due first to Brendan for his efforts throughout the season, but a special than you was called for in respect of Rob Garton who had worked tirelessly off the field and his efforts culminated in a very successful end of season tour to the south west. - The Club Dinner was once again well attended and the choice of the Bath Rugby Club for its venue does seem to well meet our requirements. - Thanks were in order once again to Gareth Hind as editor of the Club newsletter, and to Hugh Sawyer who combined his Treasurer role with that of managing the Club's web site. Hugh's technical ability went from strength to strength. - At the National level the only matter of note was that the post of RFU Management Board Chairman went unexpectedly to Martyn Thomas, who backed heavily by grass roots clubs defeated the RFU's own candidate Jack Rowell. - The Club awards for 2004/2005 were :- 1. Players' Award John Catchpole 2. Captain's Award Rob Lawrence 3. Clubman of the Year Rob Garton 4. Most improved Player Steve Hiscox (Proposed P Cavanagh / Seconded M Ellis) 4. Treasure's Report Members unanimously agreed that under the provisions of the RFU Rule 21.5(c) the Club would as usual opt out of formal audit or examination by a qualified accountant of the Club's annual financial statement. Hugh Sawyer went through the details of his accounts the main points being :- - although donations were down on the previous season we had enjoyed a £420 rebate from the Bath CSSA who waived the previous years pitch hire charges. The Club also received £1000 from the RFU. - Subscriptions were collected from 22 members although not all paid the full £20 fee. - the Club had moved its account and was now receiving a much higher rate of interest on its capital. (3.66% at present) - The Dinner resulted in a very large loss of £470. This was because the price was pegged at £15 per head when the cost of the dinner itself was £17.50 on top of which was the hire charge for the disco. - The clothing account showed an expense of £477 for ties, but most would be recovered as and when they were sold. - The Toor broke even. - Fund raising produced £480, most of which came from the Xmas raffle (£372) Hugh concluded by saying that overall there had been a season loss of £379, primarily due to the Annual dinner. However we were holding a significant amount of clothing stock which should produce revenue next season. The Club still maintained a healthy bank balance so there were no concerns in that respect, and it was recommended that the annual subscription fee remain at £20. (Proposed M York / Seconded L Garton) 5. Annual subscriptions It was unanimously agreed to maintain annual subs at £20 and to continue to charge students and any others on low income a reduced amount. 6. Election of Officers Chairman - David Pyles (P Kavanagh / R Garton) Secretary - Mike York (P Oliver / P Kavanagh) Treasurer - Hugh Sawyer (P Cheese / M Ellis) Fixture Secretary - Rob Lawrence (M York / D Pyles) Membership Secretary - Steve Hiscox (P Oliver / D Pyles) Social Secretary - Brenden Hodkinson (M York / R Garton) Club Captain - Tudor Croft (L Garton / M Ellis) Committee Members - Phil Cheese, Paul Kavanagh, Pete Oliver, Rob Garton, Lee Garton, Mark Button, Martin Ellis, Gareth Hind. 7. Any Other Business a. It was agreed to purchase a number of items of training kit ACTION: Lee Garton and Phil Cheese
b. A new set of club shirts for the backs plus 3 others were to be ready for the start of the season ACTION: Phil Cheese
c. A cricket social for the 10th July ACTION: Bren Hodkinson
d. The Club to contact all the University players who played last year and also attend the 2005/06 Freshers evening and identify and take any other opportunity to recruit from that source. ACTION: Committee
e. The Chairman thanked Martin for his efforts during his year of Captaincy which prompted Lee to remark that no one had thanked him the previous season, although by then there was already a move towards the bar. |
| 4th May 2005 |
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Present: Hiscox, Garton, Pyles, Ellis, York, Cheese, Hind, Sawyer, Oliver, Kavanagh.
Apologies: Hodkinson, Guthrie, Lawrence 1. Previous Minutes 1.1 Accepted. 2. Actions Arising 2.1 All covered under subsequent agenda items. 3. Secretary's Report 3.1 On the recommendation of the Somerset County RFU the Club had cast its vote for Jack Rowell to become the next Chairman of the RFU Management Board, but he was defeated by Martyn Thomas. The Secretary however advised that as far as he could see from the statements issues by the two candidates prior to the vote it did not appear that either of them would be following an agenda which would be prejudicial to the interests of lower division clubs like ourselves. 4. Treasurer's Report 4.1 Hugh advised that all monies for international tickets had now been received and in addition he had also received a VP donation from Danny Avery. On the expenditure front he reported that he had paid bills for new ties (£477), other clothing (£81), shirt embroidery (£40), and new balls (£40). Pitch hire for the season had cost £450. He was however expecting around £200 from sales of Club clothing. 4.2 Overall it was anticipated that the Club would break even over the season although he was warned that the Club Dinner would almost certainly be run at a loss of a few hundred pounds. 5. Membership and Publicity 5.1 Gareth warned that after three years he would not be volunteering to handle membership and publicity next season although he would still stand for the committee. 5.2 A final total of 21 membership subs had been collected. As students were not asked to pay this was agreed to be a reasonable figure. 6. Captain's Report 6.1 The Skipper reported that since the last meeting the final league encounter against Old Morganians had been won and we had also defeated a Haverfordwest touring side. We had however lost both games on tour. 6.2 Hugh asked for point scorer details for the web. Martin agreed to provide them. ACTION: Martin Ellis
6.3 Martin continued by saying that he hoped that next season we would again have a number of students in our ranks and to that end we would be attending the start of season coaching course at the University in an attempt to recruit new members. 7. Fixture Secretary's Report 7.1 Rob Lawrence had agreed to remain Fixture Secretary next season if elected. 8. Clothing & Equipment 8.1 Phil reported that the new shirts were about to be ordered and would be here well in time for next season. He was requested to order an extra (number 7) shirt. ACTION: Phil Cheese
8.2 Phil stated that he intended to clear out the shed and he also gained the committee's agreement to purchase a number of training aids (hurdles, skipping ropes, dumb bells, steps and bench) ACTION: Phil Cheese
8.3 The Treasurer requested the usual end of season clothing and equipment financial statement. ACTION: Phil Cheese
8.4 It was suggested that a complete set of red jerseys be purchased for next season as the existing ones were well past their best. Although the Committee were not against the idea they agreed that it should be left for the 05/06 Committee to decide at their first meeting. ACTION: Mike York
9. Social Secretary's Report 9.1 The Committee asked that a couple of events be organised for the summer. A further Sunday lunch + one other function was suggested. ACTION: Incoming Social Sec
9.2 Numbers for the Club dinner stood at around 55 and there was one vegetarian request. 9.3 Mike was asked to confirm all the details with the Bath Club. POST MEETING NOTE - Bath Club contacted and following arrangements made :- time - 7.30 for 8pm venue - upstairs room (as last year) disco after meal + license extension Menu: Starter - Leek and potato soup Main course - a buffet choice of either chicken fricasse or sweet and sour chicken Sweet - Blueberry cheese cake Coffee Total menu price £17.50 per person. 10. TOOR 10.1 The Committee thanked Rob for all his hard work in organising what turned out to be as a very successful tour. 11. AOB 11.1 It was suggested that the membership and publicity terms of reference be amended to encompass the role of maintaining ongoing regular contact with players who were out with long term injuries. ACTION: Mike York
11.2 The Secretary was asked to advertise the AGM and also arrange for it to be held at the RAM on 17th June at 7.30pm. ACTION: Mike York
11.3 Hugh was asked to also publicise it on the Club's web site. ACTION: Hugh Sawyer
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| 6th April 2005 |
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Present: Hiscox; Garton; Lawrence; Pyles; Ellis, York,
Apologies: Hodkinson, Guthrie, Cheese, Hind, Sawyer, Oliver, Kavanagh 1. Previous Minutes 1.1 Accepted. 2. Actions Arising 2.1 All covered under subsequent agenda items. 3. Secretary's Report 3.1 The Secretary had spoken to the Chairman of the Bath Civil Service Sports Council regarding the long term future for clubs currently using the Sulis Club. At present all had security of tenure thanks to the 10 year agreement struck when the site was sold to Bath University. Although there was still over 4 years of this agreement to run the Chairman of the Bath Area CSSA was attempting to open discussions with Bath University so that all clubs could formulate longer term plans. To date he had been unsuccesful and although he will continue to press for discussions it appears that the University themselves have not looked that far ahead. This matter is one that future Saracen's Committees will need to continually watch and monitor. 3.2 The results of the Grand RFU draw had been received and once again the Secretary pointed out how easy it was to make a significant profit from this annual event. Certainly it would prove far more lucrative than the annual Christmas raffle. Chippenham Rugby Club, for example, had raised almost £6,000 for their club coffers. 3.3 Regarding the three £15 fines that the Club had paid for late submission of match result cards, the Committee, and especially the Captain, were reminded that as well as phoning in the result of league games immediately after the match, it was also necessary to post the result card within 48 hours as well. 3.4 As requested the Secretary produced an example of the Bath Saracens two sided (credit sized) card that the Committee intended to have produce and distributed as quickly as possible after the AGM. The example is attached. 4. Treasurer's Report 4.1 In his absence the Chairman stated that the Treasurer had the task of preparing 3 stone plaques well in hand and one would be ready to present to the visitors (Haverfordwest) on Saturday. 4.2 The Committee also wished the minutes to record the fact that Hugh had agreed to produce a recruitment poster in good time for next season. ACTION: Hugh Sawyer
5. Membership and Publicity 5.1 A further couple of questionnaire responses had been received and as a result of comments on one the Committee decided to take immediate action. (see clothing report) 5.2 It was suggested that the Club get their details included on the quarterly Bath Council magazine (Motivation) under the Rugby Clubs section. (Post meeting note: The Secretary had spoken to the Editor of the magazine and Club details were given for inclusion) 5.3 See Secretary's report re the idea to produce BSRFC calling cards. 6. Captain's Report 6.1 The Skipper reported that since the last meeting the final two league games had been played. A draw against Castle Cary and a win against Old Morganians being the results. Two other (friendly) games had been called off by the opposition. These two results saw the Club finish joint 4th in Somerset Division 2. 6.2 Martin expressed his delight at the performance of the forwards against Morganians. This was a club whose pack invariably pushed us all around the park. On Saturday this was not the case and this time we proved dominant. He added that much of the credit for this performance must go to Pete Oliver whose recent coaching resulted in the packs improvement and it was most heartening to feel the whole eight pushing in unison at times. 7. Fixture Secretary's Report 7.1 Rob Lawrence had arranged toor fixtures for the 23rd and 24th April. 7.2 Haverfordwest had confirmed for Saturday and 2 lots of food had been ordered. The Committee also agreed to spend £50 on jugs of beer. 7.3 The 16th April game was in doubt because of Bath Rugby's involvement in the Cup Final at Twickenham. A decision would need to be made on Saturday. 7.4 Rob would arrange 2 lots of food for the President V Chairman game on the 30th April and he confirmed that Roland Bartlett would be the ref. ACTION: Rob Lawrence
8. Clothing & Equipment 8.1 The Committee decided that a set of 10 backs shirts should be purchased immediately. Numbered 9 to 15 + three un-numbered. Tudor Croft would be asked to advise what weight should be ordered. ACTION: Phil Cheese
9. Social Secretary's Report 9.1 The second "Sunday Lunch" had been held and was again enjoyable. 9.2 The Committee agreed to release £50 for beer for the President V Chairman game. 9.3 Concern was expressed that apparently no action had been taken regarding numbers for the Annual Dinner although the previous minutes had stressed the urgency of this. Rob Garton had started a contact list and the Committee added further names. All on the list were to be contacted without any further delay, and a poster advertising the event was to be in place by Saturday. ACTION: Rob Garton / Dave Pyles
9.4 The Bath Rugby Club catering manager would be contacted to confirm arrangements (disco and extension) as well as being informed of the menu requirement. The cost would be held at £15 although it was recognised that this might well result in the Club having to subsidise the event. ACTION: Mike York
10. TOOR 10.1 23 was the current number of people definitely tooring although there were possibly one or two more to come. 10.2 The Toor would "Officially" commence at 2pm in the Ram at Widcombe. The coach would depart at 3pm. Date of Next Meeting: Wednesday 4th May, 7.30pm, Sulis Club. |
| 2nd March 2005 |
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Present: Sawyer; Hiscox; Garton; Kavanagh; Lawrence; Pyles; Ellis, York, Oliver.
Apologies: Hodkinson, Guthrie, Cheese, Hind. 1. Previous Minutes 1.1 Accepted. 2. Actions Arising 2.1 All covered under subsequent agenda items. 3. Secretary's Report 3.1 The Secretary had yet to discuss the long term outlook for Sulis Club tenancy with the Bath Area CS Sports Association. ACTION: Mike York
3.2 The Committee agreed to send £50 in respect of two recent requests for donations from Clubs who each had a member that had suffered serious life affecting injuries as a result of playing rugby. ACTION: Hugh Sawyer
4. Treasurer's Report 4.1 The action on Phil Cheese re outstanding debts for clothing sales last season remained. The Treasurer would very much like to settle this account asap. ACTION: Phil Cheese
4.2 Hugh had recently paid the Toor deposit (£350) and the bill for referees to date. 4.3 The Club had recently been fined 2 times £15 for late presentation of match cards, although the results had been phoned through immediately after the games. The Secretary said he would find out exactly what was expected of Clubs. ACTION: Mike York
4.4 All International tickets (except for one) had been paid for. 4.5 Debts currently stood at £230, although apart from £22.50 still due from Mr Weeks, all were expected to be collected without difficulties. 5. Membership and Publicity 5.1 The Treasurer had paid for the Club's web site capacity to be increased from 50 to 100 Mbytes. 5.2 The Chairman had received 13 questionnaire responses and he went through them with the Committee. It was hoped that more would be received and that some helpful conclusions could be drawn from comments made. 5.3 However one immediate decision taken as a result of the questionnaire discussion was to ensure that next season the post of Team Manager MUST be re-introduced so as to take some of the load off the Club Captain, especially when it came to the weekly chore of getting a team together. Their were also volunteers to help the Captain for the rest of the season and it was left to him to take up these offers of help. ACTION: Martin Ellis
5.4 Next discussed, and by no means for the first time, was the question of possibly holding some training sessions in the Bristol area because of the number of players who worked there. However, as before in response to this idea, and after some debate, the Committee did not consider it be a viable proposition. 5.5 The Committee next decided that a laminated credit card sized Bath Saracens card should be produced. This would contain details of all relevant telephone contact numbers for Club officials as well as the Club's Web address and any other useful information that could be squeezed on. The Secretary agreed to take the lead and produce a sample in time for the next meeting. The idea being that as soon as the AGM had been held and officers elected the card could be massed produced and a number given to each member both for their own use and for handing out to prospective members. ACTION: MIKE YORK
5.6 Again on the Club advertising front the incoming Committee for 2005/06 would be requested to ensure that posters were produced and displayed in as many buildings as possible. ACTION: MIKE YORK(for AGM)
6. Captain's Report 6.1 The Skipper remarked that a number of University players had helped us out recently especially in the league match against Old Sulians. Although no one could be faulted for effort there was, as one would expect, a distinct lack of organisation about many of our moves. Martin added that he had not, and did not intend to charge the students. 7. Fixture Secretary's Report 7.1 Rob Lawrence said that a game against a touring side from Havorford West on the 9th April had yet to be confirmed. 7.2 He had also asked Mr Clive Roland to once again to ref the annual President V Chairman game. 8. Clothing & Equipment 8.1 Nil report. 8.2 The Chairman said he would contact Phil Cheese to ensure that ties were ordered without further delay, and a couple of new balls purchased. ACTION: Dave Pyles
9. Social Secretary's Report 9.1 There would be another "Sunday Lunch" on the 3rd April and Rob would send an e-mail reminder to everyone. ACTION: Rob Garton & Bren Hodkinson
9.2 Should the game on the 9th april against the Welsh touring side go ahead it was thought that a social event that evening should be arranged. ACTION: Bren Hodkinson
10. TOOR 10.1 The theme was to be "SUPER HEROS" 10.2 11 deposits had been paid and 28 had expressed an intention to tour. 10.3 Fixtures were still to be arranged although Perranporth on the Saturday with a match somewhere mid way back to Bath on the Sunday was a likely combination. ACTION: Rob Lawrence
11. AOB 11.1 Hugh agreed to produce three further stone plaques. Two for tour and one for the 9th April game. ACTION: Hugh Sawyer
11.2 The Committee tasked the Social Secretary with producing a list of people who should receive invites for the Annual Dinner. They would like this done immediately. Especially important was to contact ex players who were not on the VP list. ACTION: Bren Hodkinson
Date of Next Meeting: Wednesday 6th April, 7.30pm, Sulis Club. |
| 2nd February 2005 |
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Present: Sawyer; Hiscox; Garton; Hind; Kavanagh; Lawrence; Pyles; Ellis, York
Apologies: Hodkinson, Guthrie, Cheese, Oliver 1. Previous Minutes 1.1 Accepted. 2. Actions Arising All covered under subsequent agenda items. 3. Secretary's Report 3.1 The Secretary had taken all the necessary annual actions re registration under the Lottery and Amusements Act in respect of the Christmas Draw. 3.2 There had been no takers for tickets for the Lions V Argentina match on the 23rd May. 3.3 International tickets had been sent to all those successful in the Club draw. Monies were to be paid direct to the Treasurer. 3.4 The Secretary had written letters of thanks to Both Exclusively Kitchens and the Somerset RFU Development Officer. (Copies are attached). 4. Treasurer's Report 4.1 The action on Phil Cheese re outstanding debts for clothing sales last season remained.. ACTION: Phil Cheese
4.2 Hugh had paid £47 to maintain the Web domain name for two more years, and he had also returned the RFU draw ticket stubs having bought them on behalf of the Club. 4.3 There were now 18 paid up members. 4.4 A bill for 12 shirts (£495) had been paid. They had now been sent for embroidery. 5. Membership and Publicity 5.1 A number of additional features had been added to the web site and as a result the Committee agreed to pay for its storage capacity to be increased. ACTION: Hugh Sawyer
5.2 It was reported that two new backs had recently joined the Club. This was most welcomed news. 6. Captain's Report 6.1 The Skipper commented on results since the last meeting as well as reporting that there had been a slight improvement in those attending training and that for the coming Saturday the prospects of fielding a full team looked promising. 6.2 However the Committee remained concerned that although there appeared to be more than enough players to ensure that a full 15 could be fielded each week, it was often the case that less then 15 made themselves available. Whilst the long term viability of the Club was now becoming a major concern, the questionnaire about to be sent out to all members was an attempt to address, in the first instance, the medium term concern re availability. 6.3 Rob Garton had spoken to the Sulis Club re use of the Gym on training nights and had been informed that it would cost £3 per head, or £2.50 per head if there were 5 or more. The Committee agreed that the Captain could use his discretion re charging individuals who might express difficulty in paying both for training and matches. 7. Fixture Secretary's Report 7.1 Rob Lawrence asked that every effort be made to honour the fixture away to Weston-Super-Mare on the 5th March. 8. Clothing & Equipment 8.1 The Committee were not satisfied to approve the new Club tie based on the evidence of a photo of the sample. They required to see an actual sample but were content for it to be approved out of Committee so as to ensure no further delay. 8.2 The action on Phil to purchase some new rugby balls remained. ACTION: Phil Cheese
9. Social Secretary's Report
9.1 The "Sunday Lunch" gathering was a success and it would be repeated (3rd April possibly) . There would be a quiz sometime in March and the "Real Ale Trail" was still in the frame for this season. ACTION: Bren Hodkinson
10. TOOR
10.1 Rob Garton had been forced to switch the toor (common name for a weekend piss up) to Newquay because Torquay hotels had been fully booked by Young Farmers attending a convention (posh word for a week end piss up). The Committee were happy with this. 10.2 Cost would remain at £90 and £20 deposits were now required. The toor theme and T-shirt decisions would be made at the next meeting. 10.3 It was agreed that a game on the Saturday in Newquay should be followed by one on the way home on the Sunday. ACTION: Rob Lawrence
11. AOB 11.1 The question of the long term future for the Club at the Sulis ground was once again raised. The Secretary said he would seek the latest views of the CS Bath Sports Committee. ACTION: Mike York
Date of Next Meeting: Wednesday 2nd March, 7.30pm, Sulis Club. |
| 12th January 2005 |
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Present: Sawyer; Hiscox; Garton; Hind; Cheese; Kavanagh; Lawrence; Pyles; Oliver; Ellis
Apologies: Hodkinson, York, Guthrie, 1. Previous Minutes 1.1 Accepted. 2. Actions Arising 2.1 None 3. Secretary's Report 3.1 The forms for next year's Lottery and Amusements Act registration were to be returned. ACTION: Mike Y
3.2 Because of the delay in sending a shirt to the squaddie in Iraq it was decided not to proceed, and the shirt is to be returned to stock. 3.3 Mike has said that he can obtain tickets for the Lions/Argentina match on 23rd May at a cost of £56. He will also acquire the international tickets for those who won the right to purchase them at the Christmas Draw. ACTION: Mike Y
4. Treasurer's Report
4.1 Mike was due to send a letter of thanks to Exclusively Kitchens for their ongoing financial support. ACTION: Mike Y
4.2 Payments in the month include the Morganians coach bill (£295), the raffle prizes and the next lot of international tickets (Hugh was passed a cheque on the night for the balance of the last lot). The main income was from the Xmas Draw which made a surplus of £372, compared to £331 last year. The committee showed satisfaction at the result of members' efforts. 4.3 Phil was reminded that there were debtors outstanding from last season's clothing sales. ACTION: Phil C
4.4 Hugh was passed cheques for 5 further memberships on the night, totaling 17 paid this season. G is pursuing 5 others. ACTION: G Hind
5. Membership and Publicity 5.1 Rob Lawrence had provided Martin with a write-up for the Somerton game, which will be put on the website. 5.2 Phil has burned a CD of players photographs for the website, and will pass it to Hugh. ACTION: Phil C
5.3 Hugh reported that the website had been unavailable for a short while after Christmas, but was now reinstated. An e-mail had been received from someone interested in the history of the Anchor Club - mentioned in our website - and Wilf was providing some details for a reply. 5.4 Martin was still working on the points scorer table, for inclusion on the website. ACTION: Martin E
6. Captain's Report 6.1 A letter of thanks was to be sent to the Somerset Rugby Development Officer, Nevil Jeffery, for his assistance with coaching skills. ACTION: Mike Y
6.2 In general, attendance at training is not good although was better at the latest session. It was agreed that more motivation might be generated by getting access to the gym, and Rob Garton agreed to speak to Karen about this possibility. ACTION: Rob G
6.3 The committee also discussed the availability crisis that was resulting in team shortages for most games, despite a large number of registered players. It was obvious that more encouragement was needed, and it was agreed that we should write to all members to find out whether there were any issues affecting their commitment. G would also contact the VPs for ideas. ACTION: Dave P/G Hind
7. Fixture Secretary's Report 7.1 The vacant fixture on 9th April has been filled with a home game against Havorfordwest 2nds. 7.2 Because of their non-availability, the game against Cheddar on 22nd January will not go ahead and a pool game will be arranged instead. 8. Clothing & Equipment 8.1 The new club shirts had been ordered, but had not yet arrived. Phil has also stocked up on general clothing supplies. 8.2 Regarding a new design for a club tie, Phil has made arrangements for a proof to be provided, which should be available for the next meeting. ACTION: Phil
8.3 Phil was requested to purchase some new rugby balls. ACTION: Phil
9. Social Secretary's Report 9.1 There was no news from Bren on the possibility of a "Real Ale Trail". ACTION: Bren
9.2 The committee asked for something to be arranged on January 29th, preferably involving partners. ACTION: Bren
10. TOOR 10.1 Rob Garton is still continuing his search for suitable accommodation in Torquay, and will start approaching members for their availability. ACTION: Rob G
11. AOB 11.1 None. Date of Next Meeting: Wednesday 2nd February, 7.30pm, Sulis Club. |
| 1st December 2004 |
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Present: Sawyer, Hiscox, Garton, Pyles, Oliver, York, Ellis, Lawrence, Cheese.
Apologies: Guthrie, Hodkinson, Hind, Kavanagh. 1. Previous Minutes 1.1 Accepted. 2 Actions Arising 2.1 None. 3. Secretary's Report 3.1 Forms for next years Lottery and Amusements Act were to hand and needed to be signed and returned. ACTION: Mike Y
3.2 Tickets for the Annual RFU Grand Draw had been received. The Committee had however already decided at a previous meeting that the Club would continue with its own Christmas draw and not partake in this one. But, as last season, the Club itself would purchase the £50 of tickets supplied as a starter pack because as we were entitled to keep 90% of sales they would therefore only cost the Club £5. If the Club were to win a prize the Committee would decide how to deal with it. 3.3 As a number of people had requested International tickets for the 6 Nations a draw would be necessary. This would be held alongside the Xmas draw on the 11th December. 3.4 The Committee agreed to send a Club Shirt to the serving officer in the Gulf who had requested one. ACTION: Paul K
4. Treasurer's Report 4.1 The RFU had recently given the Club £850 as part of its Annual Grant. The Secretary explained that the formula for calculating the annual amount was not known but it was based on information supplied in the lengthy on line questionnaire that each Club had to complete in order to be eligible for a grant in the first place. 4.2 The Treasurer remarked that only 12 annual subscriptions had been received to date. 4.3 The list of debtors was now at an all time low although Steve Weeks continued to hold the record for the longest outstanding debt. 4.4 Although verbal thanks had been given, the Committee requested that a formal letter of thanks be sent to Exclusively Kitchens for their ongoing financial sponsorship. ACTION: Mike Y
5. Membership and Publicity 5.1 Gareth had produced and distributed the VP newsletter along with a supply of Xmas Draw tickets. As a result around £150 had already been received from VPs. 5.2 The Committee were still keen to get regular match reports on the web and Rob L promised to supply some for past matches. ACTION: Rob L
5.3 It was suggested that photos of players along with their profiles be placed on the web site. ACTION: Phil C
6. Captain's Report 6.1 Martin said that the Club had attended the "Freshers Evening" at the Bath University and apart from Walcot we were the only Club represented. Although a discussion had taken place with a view to University players who were unable to get a game at any particular weekend being channelled in our direction nothing had so far materialised from this idea. However, a more profitable contact at the evening was that made with the Somerset Rugby Development Officer Nevil Jeffery. He had subsequently held a very enjoyable coaching session at the Club and had given details of the many various coaching schemes that were available for existing or prospective coaches. There was also every chance that we could secure his services again later in the season. 6.2 The Committee requested that an official letter of thanks be sent to him and that we should consider inviting him to the Annual Dinner in the New Year. ACTION: Mike Y
6.3 As a result of talking to Nevil Jeffery, Pete Oliver requested that the Club contribute towards him and Les Garton attending a phase 1 coaching course. The Committee readily agreed to fund the total cost of the course for the two. (£75 each). 6.4 The Captain that said that numbers at training the night before had been good and were definitely an improvement on the previous weeks. He did however thank all of those who made the effort to attend when Nevil Jeffery was there. Although the Club were beset by injuries at present the attitude of players on match days was excellent and perhaps it was only to be expected that until some of the injured returned getting out a full 15 for other than league games remained a challenge. For Saturday's game at Old Morganians things were however looking good. 7. Fixture Secretary's Report 7.1 As Old Edwardians had offered to supply some players to boost numbers it had been decided to go ahead with the match on the 18th December against a touring vets side from Rosslyn Park. 8. Clothing & Equipment 8.1 Phil had ordered 12 new shirts and he would attempt to get the manufacturer's logo removed. ACTION: Phil C
8.2 A number of tie designs and samples of material were examined by the Committee. A design not dissimilar to the current one was selected and the 59 inch version in a herringbone material was chosen. The Committee asked if a proof could be ready by the 11th December. ACTION: Phil C
8.3 Phil also informed the Committee that he was about to order fresh stocks of clothing especially woolly hats and T-shirts. ACTION: Phil C
9. Social Secretary's Report 9.1 The Chairman agreed to purchase the usual £300 worth of prizes for the draw on the 11th, for which the star prize would be the usual £100. Rob G agreed to book the lounge. ACTION: Dave P & Rob G
9.2 It was agreed that two trays of food should be ordered for both the 11th and 18th December ACTION: Rob L
9.3 The possibility of a Wessex Trains sponsored "Real Ale Trail" for the New Year was being investigated. 10. TOOR 10.1 Rob Garton confirmed that TOORQUAY (get it ?) would be the venue and that he had already started the process finding accommodation. The Committee stressed that he should do everything possible to keep the cost below £100. ACTION: Rob G
10.2 Rob L would wait until the New Year before looking for toor opponents. 11. AOB None Next Meeting: Wednesday 12th January 2005, 7.30pm. |
| 3rd November 2004 |
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Present: Sawyer; Hiscox; Garton; Hind; Cheese; Kavanagh; Lawrence
Apologies: Hodkinson, Pyles, Oliver, York, Guthrie, Ellis 1. Previous Minutes Accepted. 2 Actions Arising 2.1 The generator has now been found and will be tested and serviced. The action to implement it is ongoing. It was also noted that a duff bulb in the existing spotlights had been replaced. ACTION: Rob L
3. Secretary's Report 3.1 In the Secretary's absence it was noted that a letter had been received from a squaddie in Iraq asking for a free shirt. It was not clear whether this was genuine, or indeed whether he had mistaken us for Bath, but it was agreed anyway to send him a polo shirt. ACTION: Paul K
4. Treasurer's Report 4.1 The sponsorship donation of £200 had been received from Exclusively Kitchens, for which thanks were voiced. 4.2 The catering bill for last season has been paid. It came to £1325, which was more than anticipated - mainly because the price had increased, and extra provision had been made for some social occasions. The bill for Xmas draw tickets has also been paid. 5. Membership and Publicity 5.1 Rob Lawrence isn't able to do match writeups for the website because of computer problems. It was considered that a spectator would be the best option anyway, because they had a wider perspective of the action. In the meantime, if there are no volunteers we will watch for writeups done by any of our opponents and post those. Rob to give Hugh the one by Martock. ACTION: Rob L
5.2 The Skipper had supplied details of points scorers for the website, but is yet to resolve some discrepancies. The website has been prepared to show the data. ACTION: Martin
5.3 Raffle tickets will be sent with the next VP newsletter. G will send a draft out soon for any additional comments. ACTION: Gareth
5.4 One contribution (only!) has been received for the website 'caption contest' - and that was from the Secretary! 6. Captain's Report 6.1 In Martin's absence, it was generally considered that performances were good, but training was disappointing. Work is needed to gee everyone up so that training becomes an automatic routine. 6.2 Regarding numbers, there has been a couple of new faces, and the return of some others that had been absent. 6.3 Pete Oliver and Martin Ellis attended the "Freshers' Coaching Evening" on the 12th October but there were no new recruitments that anyone present was aware of. One of the attendees can give a more positive feedback at the next meeting. ACTION: Pete/Martin
6.4 The committee discussed Mark Button's severe injury the previous Saturday, while standing-in to fill a shortage of numbers, and wished him a speedy recovery. 7. Fixture Secretary's Report 7.1 There was no game arranged for 20th November, because of the intended trip to Cardiff. It was confirmed that 7 are booked to go to the Millennium Stadium, so a match would not be feasible - hence that weekend will be left with no fixture. 7.2 There is also no fixture for 18th December, which is the weekend before Xmas. There was a worry that there may be insufficient availability, but as the next fixture isn't until 8th January it was considered that this would be too long a break. Rob will speak to Martin. ACTION: Rob
8. Clothing & Equipment 8.1 The match balls have been purchased. 8.2 There was a discussion of the various options regarding the purchase of team shirts, and as the minimum order is 12 it was agreed to purchase 8 for the forwards and 4 for sale. ACTION: Phil
8.3 Phil presented a large selection of samples showing the different possibilities of a new design of club tie to the Committee. After lengthy debate, it was reduced to 3 styles, and Phil will contact the supplier to get some modifications made to the designs for the next meeting. ACTION: Phil
9. Social Secretary's Report 9.1 12 turned up for the Curry Night, which went well, and there will be a firework display at the Skipper's house on Saturday 6th November. 9.2 The next planned trips are the Millenneum Stadium, Cardiff on 20th November, and a coach trip for the away game to Morganians on 4th December (which will have a club-sponsored beer-pot). 10. TOOR 10.1 The result of Rob Garton's consultations was that Torquay is the front-runner for next April's toor. He will now look for suitable accommodation alternatives. ACTION: Rob G
11. AOB 11.1 Xmas Draw raffle tickets will be distributed to players within the next 2 weeks. 11.2 2 e-mails had been received from Old Sulians members regarding Mark's injury. Hugh to pass them on to him. ACTION: Hugh
Date of Next Meeting: Wednesday 1st December, 7.30pm, Sulis Club. |
| 6th October 2004 |
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Present: Sawyer; Hiscox; Garton; Pyles; Oliver; York, Guthrie, Ellis
Apologies: Cheese, Hodkinson, Hind, Kavanagh, Lawrence. 1. Previous Minutes Accepted. 2 Actions Arising 2.1 Xmas Draw tickets collected and passed to Bren . 2.2 Rob Garton still trying to find generator for the lighting system. Once it was located lights themselves will not be that expensive. ACTION: Rob L
3. Secretary's Report 3.1 The Autumn draw tickets had been allocated to members. There would need to be a draw at a future Committee Meeting for the Home International allocation. 3.2 Mike had had 2 spare keys cut for the kit shed lock. 4. Treasurer's Report 4.1 Two generous donations from VPs had been received. 4.2 The Fixture card bill for £119 had been paid. 5. Membership and Publicity 5.1 Gareth had produced and distributed the VP newsletter. 5.2 There were some more subscriptions that would be handed to the Treasurer shortly. 5.3 Another VP had contributed his club history to the Web Site and a further one was expected soon. 5.4 The Committee were keen to get regular match reports on the web. ACTION: Rob L
5.5 The Skipper agreed to supply details of points scorers so that a record could be maintained on the web. ACTION: Martin E
6. Captain's Report 6.1 Martin said that unfortunately the last two training sessions had been cancelled. However results to date had been good with 3 wins and 2 defeats. The students were back and it looked as though we had 4 new playing members, one of whom could well be a prop. 6.2 It was confirmed that Pete Oliver and Tudor Croft would be accepting the University's offer of attending the "Freshers' Coaching Evening" on the 12th October when they would attempt to recruit players. Pete's idea of a can of beer wrapped in a recruitment poster was well received and the Treasurer endorsed the scheme. 7. Fixture Secretary's Report 7.1 Nil report. 8. Clothing & Equipment 8.1 As Phil was again absent his actions were carried forward :- a. Purchase of a further 12 Club Jerseys. ACTION: Phil
b. Purchase a further 2 match balls. ACTION: Phil
c. Show new tie examples to Committee. ACTION: Phil
8.2 Although there was no pressing need for new jerseys and balls the Committee were keen to get a new stock of ties without further delay. Phil would be contacted and if he was too busy Mike York agreed to arrange matters. ACTION Dave P and then possibly Mike Y
9. Social Secretary's Report 9.1 At the "Mexican evening" the Chairman said that one Mexican and Zorro turned up. 9.2 There would be a trip to the Bath Beer Festival on the evening of Saturday 16 October. A curry night may be held on the 30th October and the Skipper intended to hold a social at his house on the 6th November. 10. TOOR 10.1 Rob Garton would hand out some flyers re toor. They would explain that Portsmouth or Torquay were the current front runners but that if there were any other ideas they should be handed to the Committee so that a final decision could be taken at the next Committee Meeting. ACTION: Rob G and then Committee
11. AOB 11.1 It was agreed that monies collected as "fines" after games should be saved in a "toor kitty" fund. ACTION: Rob G
Date of Next Meeting: Wednesday 3rd November, 7.30pm, Sulis Club. | 1st September 2004 |
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Present: Sawyer; Hind; Hiscox; Garton; Lawrence; Kavanagh; Pyles; Oliver; York.
Apologies: Guthrie, Ellis, Cheese, Hodkinson 1. Previous Minutes Accepted. 2 Actions Arising 2.1 Xmas Draw tickets produced and awaiting collection ACTION: Mike
2.2 Rob Garton said he had been informed by the University that we would not be allowed to erect lights on the building itself so he was now investigating the option of using portable lights powered by a generator. ACTION: Rob
2.3 The notice and honours boards were now in position in the main bar and the Committee agreed that they looked good. The remaining task of putting reframed photos up was in hand. 3. Secretary's Report 3.1 The question of how best to distribute the international tickets allocated to the Club was discussed and agreed by the Committee. 4. Treasurer's Report 4.1 Dinner debts were now down to £75 and prospects for early collection were good. Steve Weeks long outstanding debt remained and those who still owed match fees from last season had been informed. 5. Membership and Publicity 5.1 There had been a slight delay with the fixture cards but they would be distributed within the next couple of weeks. A newsletter had been prepared and fixture cards would be sent to VPs with it ACTION: Gareth
5.2 Rob agreed to put team names and match reports in the local paper when appropriate. 6. Captain's Report 6.1 In Martin's absence the only point raised was that on training nights players should be on the pitch and ready to train by 6.30pm. 7. Fixture Secretary's Report 7.1 Rob had written and thanked Congleton and Holmes Chapel for their hospitality, and had also formally tendered the Club's withdrawal from the Somerset Cup competition. 7.2 Cheddar had once again withdrawn from the Somerset 2 league 8. Clothing & Equipment 8.1 As Phil was absent his actions were carried forward :- a. Purchase of a further 12 Club Jerseys ACTION: Phil
b. Purchase a further 2 match balls ACTION: Phil
c. Show new tie examples to Committee ACTION: Phil
9. Social Secretary's Report 9.1 The Cricket match had been rained off. 9.2 The possibility of a Mexican themed evening on the 25th September was under investigation as was the idea of an evening booze cruise in October. 10. TOOR 10.1 Nothing new to report. 11. AOB 11.1 Keys for the repaired shed were still required. ACTION: Mike Y
11.2 A team photo for Season 2004/05 would be taken. Date of Next Meeting: Wednesday 6th October, 7.30pm, Sulis Club. |
| 4th August 2004 |
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Present: Sawyer; Hind; Ellis; Hiscox; Garton; Lawrence; Kavanagh; Pyles; Cheese; Oliver; York, Hodkinson.
Apologies: Guthrie. 1. Previous Minutes Accepted. 2 Actions Arising 2.1 The Committee decided that tickets for the Xmas draw would remain at 4 X 25p per book, and that 6000 should be purchased. 2.2 Rob Garton said that he had compiled a list of materials to enhance the training lights and that the total cost should be in the region of £100. He hoped to get the task completed soon. ACTION: Rob G
2.3 Rob Lawrence now had a notice board but he would like to check again with Mark at the Sulis Club that it remained OK for the Club to do the necessary work. Rob G said he would ask. ACTION: Rob G and then Rob L
2.4 An official response from the Somerset RFU re the "de-regulation rules" was still awaited. (Post Meeting Note: SCRFU had now replied saying that they would get a letter out to the relevant Clubs.) 2.5 The Bath Clubhouse had been booked for the Annual Dinner on the 13th May. 3. Secretary's Report 3.1 The Club insurance for 2004/2005 had been paid. However the Committee were reminded that this cover provided lump sum benefits for a range of serious injuries and DID NOT provide insurance against the financial effects of injuries. 4. Treasurer's Report 4.1 The accounts had been audited, signed and a copy sent to the RFU as per the rules. 4.2 All those who owed match fees for last season had been contacted. There were now only a few who still owed for the dinner and it was not foreseen that there would be any difficulties in collecting any of these debts. Brenden said he would remind Les and Andy whilst Rob would remind June and Evan. ACTION: Brenden and Rob L.
5. Membership and Publicity 5.1 The Fixture cards were about to go to press, and the Committee agreed that Pete Oliver should be shown as coach. ACTION: Rob L
5.2 A newsletter was to be produced during August, and a Club e-mail box was to be set up on the web. ACTION: Gareth
6. Captain's Report 6.1 Martin reported that around 12 or 13 were turning up for most training sessions and that there were a few new faces this season. Whilst Ken Hole had agreed to take a couple of pre season coaching sessions, the Club were indebted to both Pete Oliver and Tudor Croft for managing the sessions on Tuesday nights. The Captain thanked them both. 7. Fixture Secretary's Report 7.1 Rob said that he had not forgotten that he had yet to write and thank Congleton and Holmes Chapel. ACTION: Rob L
7.2 The pre season fixture against Combe Down 2nds was now fixed for Tuesday 24th August. 7.4 The Committee reluctantly agreed to withdraw from the Somerset Cup. Our 1st round opponents, Avonvale, would be informed. ACTION: Rob L
8. Clothing & Equipment 8.1 Phil reported that there were 22 wearable 1st team jerseys, and that a further 4 or 5 were just passable. He was asked to purchase a further 12. ACTION: Phil
8.2 The First Aid kit had been restocked and although there were 3 reasonable match balls it was decided to purchase 2 more before the start of the season. ACTION: Phil
8.3 It was hoped that examples for a new club tie would be available at the next meeting. ACTION: Phil
9. Social Secretary's Report 9.1 Rob reported that a few beers had been sunk to see Chris Carmichael off and although the barbeque had been rained off it was still hoped to arrange one before the summer was finished. 9.2 Although he was officially the Social Secretary, Brenden reminded the Committee that in actual fact Rob did an awful lot of the arranging and he thanked him for this. 9.2 A cricket match would be arranged. (post meeting note: 18th August at 1800) 9.3 A canal barge trip would be investigated. ACTION: Mike
10. TOOR 10.1 Torbay and Portsmouth remain the front runners. 11. AOB 11.1 Keys were still required for the new kit shed lock. ACTION: Mike
Date of Next Meeting: Wednesday September 1st @ 1930. |
| 7th July 2004 |
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Present: Sawyer; Hind; Ellis; Hiscox; Garton; Lawrence; Kavanagh; Pyles; Cheese; Oliver; York.
Apologies: Hodkinson; Guthrie. 1. Previous Minutes Accepted. 2 Actions Arising at the AGM 2.1 It was confirmed that the Club would not participate in the RFU draw but would continue to run its own. The date of the draw was fixed for the 11th of December, this would be after the home game against Martock which would also be designated a VP day. The Secretary agreed to get the draw tickets ordered straight away. ACTION: Mike Y
2.2 Pete Oliver and Gareth Hind outlined their efforts and ideas to date to recruit a coach. 2.3 Rob Garton agreed to add additional training lights during July/August. The Club would then need to get them "approved" by the University. ACTION: Rob G
2.4 The Club's Boards and Photos would be house-kept without further delay. Again it was hoped to complete this task during the next couple of months. ACTION: Rob L & Paul K
2.5 The Secretary had sent a letter of thanks, as requested, to the Sulis Club. 2.6 An official response from the Somerset RFU re the "de-regulation rules" was still awaited. ACTION: Mike Y
2.7 The Committee took note of the Treasurer's appeal to improve fund raising. One immediate decision was to ensure that a scratch card was always sold after each home game. ACTION: Bren H & Rob G
2.8 An early July social event had been arranged. It was to be a barbeque at the Chairman's house on Saturday 10th. 3. Secretary's Report 3.1 The usual early season correspondence from the RFU and Somerset RFU had been handled and the Clubs officials names and addresses had been forwarded for inclusion in handbooks etc. 3.2 The list of fixtures for the season had been passed on to the Fixture Secretary. 4. Treasurer's Report 4.1 The accounts had been finalised and were now with the auditors. A loss for the season of £268 was being shown. 4.2 There were however debtors who owed £230. Outstanding match fees from the past season totalling £80 were owed by a number of players but over half the of this total was down to two players. They, in particular, would be reminded at training. A further £150 was still to be collected for the Annual Dinner. 4.3 The Committee agreed to raise the Match Fee to £5. Students would be asked to pay £2, although the Captain was advised that he could use his discretion at all times should anyone plead poverty. 5. Membership and Publicity 5.1 Fixture cards were now almost ready to be printed and it was aimed to get them distributed well before the first game. ACTION: Rob L
5.2 A newsletter was to be produced during August. ACTION: Gareth H
5.3 A more pro-active approach to the collection of membership fees would be adopted this season. ACTION: Gareth H
6. Captain's Report 6.1 Martin announced that Tudor Croft would be his vice-captain. Given Tudor's experience, he very much welcomed this. He added that 13 players had attended the 1st training session which was managed by Tudor. 6.2 With the retirement of Alex Lees and Chris Curtis the Club was already faced with a serious problem as far as props were concerned. Given also that Phil Cheese would be frequently unavailable Martin stressed that it was imperative that efforts be made to recruit players or persuade players to play in these positions. 6.3 The Committee recorded a vote of thanks to Gareth Hind for his stint as vice captain last season. 7. Fixture Secretary's Report 7.1 Rob said that he had yet to write and thank Congleton and Holmes Chapel, but he would do so. ACTION: Rob L
7.2 There were still 3 free dates on the fixture list. One of them was the 18th December, but it was decided to leave this open and only fill if necessary nearer the time. 7.3 It was decided to accept Combe Down's offer to play their second string in a pre-season friendly on Wednesday 25th August. ACTION: Rob L
7.4 Toor had been earmarked for week ending the 23rd April. 8. Clothing & Equipment 8.1 Phil reported that he would be purchasing several items of Club clothing to ensure he had sufficient to meet likely demand. As far as the shirts were concerned he would be sorting through them and would advise whether or not a purchase was necessary. He would also restock the first aid kit. The stock of balls were OK at present. 8.2 After much debate the Committee made it clear that they wished for a new design for the Club Tie and that its quality should be a great improvement on the current one. Phil would get some samples from suppliers but would take note in particular of the style that Paul Kavanagh explained and for which we had a sample. ACTION: Phil C
9. Social Secretary's Report 9.1 Rob Garton reported that he expected some 25 to 30 people to attend the barbeque on Saturday. He also would publicise a "run-ashore" to see Chris Carmichael off on the 31st July. ACTION: Rob G/Bren H
9.2 The possibility of holding a Cricket match within the next 4 or 5 weeks would be investigated. ACTION: Rob G/Bren H
9.3 A number of other ideas for social events were aired and these would be pursued once the fixture list was out. 10. TOOR 10.1 Rob Garton offered to manage this season's toor as Si Walker had asked for a break from that duty. Currently two venues were to the fore - Exeter and Portsmouth. 11. AOB 11.1 It was thought that after matches the re-introduction of "fines", "Man of the Match", etc.. should be considered. Rob said he would draw up a list of ideas for the next meeting. ACTION: Rob G
11.2 Steve Hiscox welcomed anyone along to 5-a-side football at the Sports Centre on a Thursday evening at 8pm. 11.3 The shed had been repaired but we now required keys for the two new locks. ACTION: Mike Y
11.4 Pete Oliver had been working on a training plan which he would produce very shortly. ACTION: Pete O
11.5 Next season's dinner would be at the same venue and take a similar format to the successful one recently held. The date agreed was Friday 13th May. ACTION: Mike Y
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