Waltham Chase Trials MCC - AGM 2017
The Waltham Chase AGM was held at the Ship Inn, Old Redbridge on 11th October 2017 with 22 members in attendance.This was a sufficient number for a quorum and to agree any proposals or changes.
Annual Report
Waltham Chase currently has 191 named members, 1 more than in 2016. This is made up from 139 family and single memberships.
161 members have used the affiliation codes (Magic Numbers) issued by Waltham Chase. Other members will have obtained their competition licence through other clubs or renewed directly with the ACU at Rugby.
2017 has been the first full year where “ACU One Day” Competition Licences have been available; Waltham Chase have issued 22. This may have impacted on Club Membership?
In the last 12 months Waltham Chase MCC has held a total of 22 trials, two Camping Weekends, a Quiz Night, the “Awards Presentation” at the Roddington Forge, displayed at the Netley Marsh Country Fair for three days, held two practice days and celebrated with a “Club Forty Fifth Anniversary” party. There have also been two fencing and tidy up days at Hut Hill
Waltham Chase MCC has a very active committee, but is looking for new members to get more involved to keep the momentum going for the future.
Ideally, we need members to help with marking out, signing on, observing, locating new venues, helping with the Netley Marsh display, the Camping Weekend and other social activities, etc. etc, with the longer term aim to have members in place to take over the running of events.
We will also look to recruit additional Clerks of Course.
The number of entries for some events has been lower than in previous years, mainly because of too many events being held on the same day.
By way of example our 2017 Club Championship entry was:
Round Adult Youth Total
R1 59 17 76
R2 72 15 87
R3 48 12 60
R4 38 11 49
R5 30 14 44
R6 30 12 42
Total income from events has increased slightly over the full year however we need to be mindful of the reduced numbers of entries towards the end of the season and the mix of riders when setting fees for 2018.
Centre Championship Rounds have been poorly supported by riders and observers. We will review the future of these events and take a decision if we should take part in the Centre rounds in the future.
This year the main Camping Weekend, held for a fourth year at Cadnam, attracted over 50 campers, including some from outside of the Centre.
All enjoyed two days’ sport, the “Strictly Challenge”, along with Gary and Tony’s BBQ and a campfire singsong.
Our second attempt at Camping was less successful!
Thanks to Mark Parry-Norton for allowing us to use his land and to Nikki Seaman for providing the Marquee.
We displayed at Netley Marsh and despite the bad weather had a reasonable weekend. We have been asked back in 2018. Perhaps this is an opportunity for new members to “get involved”?
The problem of finding “Observers” has again continued to be an issue throughout 2017, and we hope to come up with some solutions at the AGM. Or, we just accept the fact that we are not going to solve the problem?
Sam, our mobile caterer, has kept us well fed and watered throughout 2017 and will be attending our full day events in 2018. However, we do ask all members to support the caterers. Sam does need to make a profit to keep attending our events.
Our Website continues to get regular use and is undergoing a little winter “review and enhancement”. We would ask members to suggest any updates or enhancements they would like.
In the last 12 months the site has had 17k user sessions and 47,500-page views.
Email communication has replaced conventional post due to the cost of postage. With second class postage now being 55p a group mailout would cost over £75.00
We are indebted to Andy Withers for his excellent photography at our Trials and production of reports for TMX. We would ask that members purchase copies without the watermarks to help with Andy’s expenses
We would also thank Pete Brown for providing secure parking for the “Lugger” and to all who move it to and from our events.
Ian Bird has compiled the Doreen Earle and Championship tables in 2017, for which we thank him.
For the rest of this year we have five more events booked and will add a Hut Hill day to give the woods a much-needed tidy up.
We are in the process of planning events for 2018, and have submitted our list of proposed dates, after liaising with local clubs, for the ACU 2018 calendar.
The 2018 Awards Presentation is booked at The Roddington Forge on Saturday 17th February.
Financial Report
The key elements from the 2017 accounts are:
Total income: £ 23,785.96
Total expenditure: £ 23,196.47
Operating surplus £ 589.49
The major income was from Entry Fees (£18,201.00) and Memberships (£2,254.00)
The major items of expenditure were: ACU and Insurance payments (£8,349.50), Land (£2,990.00), Officials expenses (£2,300) and Awards (£1,917.00)
Charity donations totalling £1770.00 were made to the ACU Ben Fund, Muscular Dystrophy, and the Alan Sansom Brain Tumour Charities. Some by way of payment for land payments.
In summary, Waltham Chase MCC is currently financially secure, with reserve funds of £6,871.16 held in the Nationwide Treasurers Trust deposit account to cover emergencies and exceptional situations.
This is not an ideal place to keep this money, with interest earned of just £17.96 in 12 months, however there is nowhere else we can easily invest as a “Club” to secure any reasonable return.
However, we do need to be mindful that in 2017 we did receive an extraordinary ACU rebate of £525.00 which supported the accounts.
For these reasons we will need to review our fees to make sure that we remain solvent in the year ahead.
Assets
The Club has assets of a Load Lugger, generator, chainsaw and various items stored in the Load Lugger, with a total estimated current value of £600.00
We have a stock of Club clothing with a value of approximately £300.00 and will make efforts to sell at the future Club events.
Moving forward we should consider making one or two special orders for clothing and hold no stock.
We have bulk purchased punch cards and have enough in hand for the full 2018 season.
Minutes from the AGM
Election of Waltham Chase Club Officials for 2018
One nomination was made for an additional committee member by John Denham. As a result of this nomination Steve Greenen was appointed and welcomed to the committee.
2018 Committee were confirmed as:
- Hon Chairperson Mike Wiseman
- OTC Trials Organisers Mike Wiseman
- Youth and Wobblers Organiser Steve Earle
- Closed to Club Trials Organiser Mike Wiseman
- Awards Presentation and Awards Sue Saunders
- Minutes Secretary Maureen Latham
- Club Secretary Mike Wiseman
- Treasurer Mike Wiseman
- Membership Secretary Sue Saunders
- Child Protection Zoe Earle, Helene Shergold
- Environmental Officer Gareth Plews
- Practice Trials Gareth Plews Ian Bird
Steve Earle, Tony Billingham, Bill Latham, Gary Blackmore
and Steve Shergold
- Technical Official Bill Latham, Steve Earle, John White and Steve Greenen
- Committee All above plus Pete Brown and John Denham
Nominations for the positions of additional Clerks of Course were sought and the ACU are to be asked for seminar dates.
Fees and Concessions for 2018
We have endeavoured to retain 2017 fees wherever possible, however some increases were proposed and agreed. For example, a youth rider costs the Club £5.00 for each ride for insurance and levies, leaving no margin for land or awards contributions.
It was also agreed to remove the “Seniors” rate.
The following fees and payments confirmed for 2018:
- Club Membership Single Member £15.00
(Plus £5.00 for each additional family member)
- CTC Adult Entry £15.00
- CTC Youth Entry £ 8.00
- Trophy Trial/Open Adult Entry £20.00
- Trophy Trial/Open Youth Entry £12.00
- CTC – Observer £10.00 Plus Lunch
- Trophy Trial/Open – Observer £15.00 Plus Lunch
- Youth and Wobblers or Beginners Observer No Payment made
Summary of agreed actions at AGM
· Waltham Chase MCC will remain affiliated to the ACU. MW has submitted the renewal form to the Southern Centre with the fee of £40.00.
· The Club will hold the same events as in 2017; Club Championship, Doreen Earle Series, Beginners, Geoff Chandler, Hobnail, Dick Hoyles, Alan Sansom, St Paul Trophy, The Keith Marshall.
· Waltham Chase MCC will not host Southern Centre Championship Rounds in 2018 (This will be reviewed for the 2019 season).
· Points earned from ALL rounds will be accrued for the Club Championship and Doreen Earle Series
· The Clerk of the Course for each Trial will solicit help from a pool of volunteers to assist with marking out trials. Contact details to be circulated internally.
· A “Netley Marsh” sub-committee was established to manage the organising and setting up of the arena display.
· Website: Results presentation to be reviewed to display most recent first. Mobile friendly “view” to be considered. If there are any other requests, please advise MW ASAP.
· All current venues will be used, subject to availability along with potentially new venues, after agreeing terms with land owners.
· All event Classifications will be the same as in 2017
· Facebook Group Membership is to be reviewed.
· Additional keyholders were nominate for Hut Hill to enable routine visits to check fencing and illegal use of the land to be made.
· “Sam’s Mobile Catering” will continue to be our caterer for 2018. There will be no catering at Saturday afternoon events.
· The Camping Weekend will be held at the same venue in Cadnam as in 2017.
· A tidy up day will be held at Hut Hill on the 21st October to collect rubbish and make new sections.
· The Roddington Forge will be the venue for the 2018 Awards Presentation.
· The Ship Inn will be the venue for Committee Meetings in 2018.
· MW will seek suitable dates from the Southern Centre for Clerk of Course seminars and liaise with those who volunteered to assist when arrangements are to hand. A provisional date of the 9th December is available within the South-Eastern Centre, which we are invited to attend
Mike Wiseman
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