The Sobell Bridge Club

The MINUTES of the 16th ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING held on Sunday 11th May 2008 in the Michael Sobell Centre, Mount Vernon Hospital at 6.00 p.m.

Present: -      Ken Short                    -           Vice Chairman
                    Ron Hooker                 -           Hon Treasurer
                    Geoff Gray                   -           Hon Secretary
                    Michael Tucker            -           Assistant Treasurer

Joan Prior                     -           Vice President

Brian Simmonds           -           Honorary Auditor

Rod  Lacey                  -           Guest, Chairman of the Friends of Michael Sobell House
Mike Hancock             -           Guest, President and Membership Secretary of the HBA
Mike Minting                -           Guest, Tournament Secretary of the HBA

And 53 other members.

1. Welcome by the Vice Chairman. Ken Short as Vice Chairman opened the meeting with a welcome to all present.
2. Apologies for absence were received from President Len Turner and 40 other members.
3. The minutes of the 15th AGM, held on the 20th May 2007, were approved without alteration, proposed David Kilby, seconded Brian Simmonds.
4. Election of New Chairman. Doug Edmonds had been proposed by Rob Pyburn and seconded by Brian Simmonds. Doug had been Acting Chairman for some time. Given that there were no other contenders for the post, it was agreed that Doug should become the new Chairman, nem con. At this point Doug took the chair for the meeting.
5. The Chairman’s Report. Doug Edmonds started by Welcoming Rod Lacey, Mike Hancock and Mike Minting as guests to the AGM.
   
   He said this is a year of change.
   He had written to Kevin Colling to thank him on behalf of the club.
   
   George Howlett has announced he is standing down from Weekend Organiser at the end of 2008, although he will continue to direct the weekends he attends. Doug will take over. Similarly Joan Prior will be ceasing her role of Weekend Secretary. Martin Isham is taking over. Neither George nor Joan is ceasing to work for the club, witness George’s work as a director and Joan as catering manager.
   There are two weekends to go this year, Bournemouth and Basingstoke. Joan and George will be pleased to hear from you.
   Shirley Tucker is taking over as Membership Secretary but Geoff continues as Club Secretary.
   Phil Ryan is joining the Euro, in Ireland; Fiona Frais will take over his Monday role.
   Catherine Stafford is taking as Playing Secretary from David Kilby; once again thanks for your work.
   
   Doug thanked the Bridgemates operators – Rob, Mike, George, Moira, Lynne and others.
   
   This year we contributed to the Friends the same as last year, but to continue at this level we must: -
   
   Revive our Bridge Suppers. We have two planned, for 27th September 2008 and 4th April 2009. Thanks to all for offers of help.
   Continue our Sunday classes, thanks to Colin Thomas for his efforts in the last course. Jacquie is preparing posters. We should all spread the word.
6. The Treasurer’s Report. Ron Hooker went through the account summaries (see Income and Expenditure Account, Statement of Affairs, Comparison with Previous Year). He pointed out the following:
   
   We have made donations to the Friends totaling £38,000 this year.
   Table income was down by 2.2%, and there had been no bridge suppers.
   Income from the Sunday tuition was very good, thanks to Jacquie North. Jacquie commented that Colin Thomas’s efforts should also be recognised, as the tutor.
   Ruby Stiles asked if there copies of the accounts, Ron replied they will be on the web in due course.
   Alan Chalmers said we needed new, young players to boost the membership of the club. Jacquie responded that most of the beginners, once the course was over, come to our Sunday evening sessions. Brian Simmonds asked if we reduce the fee for entrants for the course, Geoff Gray said yes, they pay £10 joining fee and a reduced annual sub of £2, this to cover them to April 2009.
   
   Ron finished by informing the meeting he was stepping down as Treasurer. He said he had been well supported by Shirley and Michael Tucker, Ruby Stiles, Joan Knaggs and to George Howlett and Joan Prior for organising the weekends away.  
7. Motion to Approve the Accounts. Doug Edmonds expressed his thanks to Ron Hooker, and informed the meeting that Lynne Mathys has volunteered to become the new Treasurer.
   The accounts were approved, proposed Alan Chalmers, seconded Mike Gentry.
   
   Rod Lacey now spoke. He gave his thanks to the club for the £38,000. He went into details of the Friends’ expenses, and said our donation keeps them going for two weeks of all their services. If we could arrange it, Gift Aid would be useful.
   He noted that some of the club members acted as volunteers, he thanked them. He also gave particular thanks to Eddie O’Sullivan for his services as volunteer Treasurer for the Friends, he has £1.3 million to cover.
   Rod finished by thanking the club.
8. The Secretary’s Report. Geoff Gray stated that membership now stood at 440, rather less than the 465 we had last year. He thanked Shirley Tucker and Ken Short for collecting the membership renewals in his absence.
   He noted Alan Chalmer’s point about getting new members; it was a very difficult subject where we should all be thinking of how to tackle this.
   Geoff thanked Joan Prior and her helpers for providing the buffet after the AGM. He also gave special thanks to our Webmaster, Asaf Ersoy, who deserved special thanks.
9. Proposed Changes to the Constitution. No changes were proposed.
10.  Election of Committee Members. Doug asked that the committee, with the proposed changes as reported in the Chairman’s report, be elected en bloc. This was agreed, nem con.
11. Election of Honorary Auditor. Brian Simmonds agreed to continue and was accordingly elected, proposed by Doug Edmonds, seconded by Rob Pyburn.
12. Discussion of Proposed changes to the organisation of the EBU. At this point Doug Edmonds invited Mike Hancock and Mike Minting to the top table to join in the discussion.
    Doug said the purpose of this item was to express and find out views on the EBU proposals. He stressed there were no proposals present for any club action at this point.
    The Herts Bridge Association will be holding their AGM on May 18th, and an Extraordinary General Meeting of the EBU will follow this on June 4th.
    There was a show of hands among the members on who are members of the EBU, the approximate result was 50/50.
    We have roughly 14,000 attendances, and pay to the EBU roughly £1,800 for masterpoints.
    It would be roughly an extra 24p per person per session. Michael Tucker commented we would probably round up.
    Mike Hancock picked up on Alan Chalmers’ comment about recruiting young members; The EBU has a Youth Officer. Volunteers could go into schools to spread the word.
    Regarding universal membership, all members of affiliated clubs will themselves become EBU members; this to stem the tide of falling membership.
    The EBU itself is changing its structure.
     Regarding timing, the strategy, if agreed, would come into being in April 2010.
    If the club disaffiliated, existing EBU members may have to rejoin.
    Regarding P2P, the HBA would wish to add 8p to the EBU levy, making, on current proposals, a total of an extra 27p. The Sobell club is an important and prestigious club, the second biggest in the HBA. Say the club changed its table money from £2.50 to £3.00. This change would increase our income.
    Mike Minting then spoke, regarding the change in strategy behind EBU thinking, The EBU foresee double or even triple membership, as a result the EBU anticipate extra outside sponsorship.
    
    Alan Chalmers asked what had the EBU done for us as a club; Mike Hancock said there would be more support in the future.
    Terry Butfield said he liked the club, and liked supporting the hospice. Nothing the EBU does would support the hospice; therefore he had no support for the EBU.
    Mike Hancock responded that it was not a large sum of money. The EBU is a national organisation supporting international events.
    George Howlett asked what would he gain, it felt like a trade union organisation.
    Helen Schapira commented that an extra 27p per play might be hard for those on a fixed income.
    Martin Isham asked if charitable events need not pay, Mike Hancock said he was unsure, but Doug said he believed they would have to.
    Doug reported there was a proposal on the table for the HBA AGM opposing the EBU proposals.
    Rob Pyburn said it was unreasonable to consider the EBU proposals as holding a gun to the club’s head. He thought the reception Krys had received was confused and unsatisfactory.
    Brian Simmonds commented that the EBU is useful to us, partly as an umbrella organisation. We use the EBU in the background.
    Mike Hancock commented that the EBU can obtain discounted insurance for clubs.
    Christine Leek asked if charitable Sim Pairs events would be exempted, the answer was no.
    Geoff Gray felt that there would be administration problems in setting up and maintaining EBU membership numbers for reporting entries to the EBU. Mike Hancock said he would look into what could be done.
    A show of hands of those who opposed was taken, the result was about 27. A further show of hands on the proposal at the HBA to oppose the P2P proposals resulted in a roughly 50/50 split.
    Doug asked Geoff to provide individual labels for members at the AGM to indicate in writing whether they were in favour or not. This was done, for distribution after the AGM. 
13. Any Other Formal Business. Michael Wiles said he felt the decision to exclude non-members from the Sim Pairs competitions was a bad idea; Doug Edmonds said he would refer it back to the committee.
    
    Doug then announced that it was proposed that George Howlett be given the honorary position of Vice President. This was received warmly and George expressed his thanks.
    

The formal meeting closed at 7.15 p.m., and was followed by the presentation of Championship Prizes.
George Howlett announced the prizewinners for the main sessions:

Broughton Trophy (Monday evening):
                       
                        1st Catherine Stafford & Mike Gentry
                        2nd Jane Harris & Len Bartlett
                        3rd Stan Figiela & David Kilby

The trophy and plaques were presented by Dot Howlett
 
President’s Trophy (Tuesday evening):

                        1st Sue Sheldon & Alan Chalmers
                        2nd Chris Richmond & Mike Gentry
           
The trophy and plaques were presented by Ken Short
 
L and R Trophy (Thursday evening):

                        1st Hanna Broomberg & Michael Wiles
                        2nd Alison Montague & Lynne Mathys
                        3rd Leslie Edwards & Bob Batchelor

The trophy was presented by Brian Simmonds
             
The trophies for the Friday afternoon sessions:

                        Pairs Trophy (Lucy Rees Trophy)

                        1st Hazel Jessen & Martin Isham
                        2nd Susan & Neil Frais

                        Individual Trophy
                  
                        1st Martin Isham
                        2nd John Walsh
                  
The trophy and plaques were presented by Daphne Santon

                        Graham Trophy (Friday Evenings):

                        1st Catherine Stafford & Mike gentry
                        2nd Audrey Mace & Chris Richmond

The trophy and plaques were presented by Doug Edmonds

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Last Modified: 09 August 2008