WITNEY LAKES SENIORS’ SECTION
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING held at Witney Lakes on 23rd October 2019 at
7.00 pm
PRESENT:
Committee: Kevin
Timms (Chairman) Rod Rapley (Captain) Brian Rollerson (Treasurer) James Barnatt
(Secretary and Competitions Secretary) Tony Ward, Cliff Smith and Declan Jordan
(Committee Members) Malcolm Saunders (Fixtures Secretary) Terry Edmunds
(Handicap Secretary)
Members: Bill
Ford, Rod Bools, Dave Morgan, John Ordish, Roger Bates, Christopher Curd, Mike
Smith, Nigel Pitchforth, Alan Jones, Martin Hinkley, Martin Buckingham, Eric
Wearing, Brian Trotman, Brian Floyd, Barry James, Phil Smart, Peter Cartwright, John Courtney, Ron Feasey, Bob Kirkwood, Glyn
Rees, Richard Gent, Alex Tyrell
Company
Representative: Simon.
1.
Minutes
of last year’s AGM. Approved.
2.
Maggies
A presentation of a cheque for
£2,500 was made to Maggies and their representative said a few words about the
Charity
3.
Simon
Rod introduced him as a true
golfer with a handicap of 3 who had come from Woburn. Simon said they had taken
on Alistair and they were looking for another golf assistant. There were 500
members now. They now had 5 greenkeepers. A course report was provided. The path
on the 17th had now been tarmacked and completed after a few issues.
£5,000 had been spent on re-seeding some fairways. Upcoming programme included
tarmacking the path on the 6th, running water to the starter’s hut
on the 1st so water bottles could be filled and moving some trees.
The Top Tracer on the driving
range was already attracting a lot of attention.
We would move towards more
frequent use of Intelligent Golf. Players can sign in to competitions online or
at the Club. If it was a roll up we would simply sign in and play. If it was a
formatted competition they would like us to sign up ayt least a day in advance
so the schedule could be prepared. It can be set up for 9 hole competitions and
team games. Simon would be on hand at the first few to assist.
Club polo shirts (discounted to
£28.20) Jumpers (discounted to £39.20) and Chilli tops (discounted to £43)
would be available with Seniors logos in Navy Blue. He was taking orders and
would leave a sign up sheet in the Sports Bar.
4.
Chairman’s
comments.
Kevin thanked Rod Rapley for surviving a
second year as Captain and indicated that the Committee were attempting to make
this year’s golf more fun by reducing the amount of matches
5.
Captain’s
report.
See attached report.
6.
Vice
Captain’s report.
None as no Vice Captain
7.
Treasurers
Report
See attached sheet. The usual
issue of approving the Accounts was discussed. Brian would like someone to
scrutinise his figures for his own peace of mind. The Chairman complimented
Brian on his running of the books.
8.
Fixture
Secretary’s report
We had lost Carswell as they had
folded, Bicester and Naunton Downs but we had 22 fixtures. The away days were
well attended. A deposit had been paid for Cirencester on 8th April
and would cost £35 with the Section subsidy. He would welcome suggestions for
the August away day. The costs had increased generally.
9.
Handicap
Secretary’s report
Terry stated that handicaps were
reviewed regularly and, for example, if someone was seen to have played 7 games
above the buffer zone, their handicap would be increased. Everybody’s handicap
would be reviewed in January. Simon will do all he can to incorporate the
Carswell members. Terry re-iterated that it was perfectly possible for a 9 hole
round to qualify for handicap treatment.
10.
Election
of Seniors’ Committee
James said that the Nominations
for the Committee had been posted and, unremarkably, there had been no
nominations other than by Committee members. Kevin Timms would continue as
Chairman, Rod Bools would automatically become Captain. There were no
nominations for Vice Captain as such but Phil Smart had indicated that he would
act as Captain’s Assistant. Having taken the Members’ views, whilst strictly
speaking the Vice Captain had to be appointed at the AGM, the Members were happy
for the Committee to continue to look for a Vice Captain who would take over as
Captain the following year. This was particularly because we had new members
from another Club who might want a role. Brian Rollerson is resigning as
Treasurer and Julian Marks would take over.
James Barnatt would continue as
Secretary and, unless he could get anyone else to do the job, as Competition
Secretary as well, Malcolm Saunders would deal with Fixtures as before. Terry Edmunds would be handicap secretary and
Cliff Smith, Declan Jordan and Tony Ward would continue on the Committee.
11.
Incoming Captain’s report
Rod Bools said that he was
terrible at remembering names so wanted people to introduce themselves so he
could get to know them. He was finalising the Schedule but there would be a 9
hole competition on 9th November. The difficulty might be in
deciding which 9 as the current 9 hole players didn’t like the 8th.
At the moment he thought he would
give the 6th a go as the Charity hole. Same basis as the 18th
i.e worse than a net par or in bunker or out of bounds. Concern expressed by
Mike Smith that some people did not get a shot on that hole. Rod would review
this.
He had not yet decided on his
Charity as he was waiting on some phone calls but, as he had a services background,
he wanted it to be related to that.
12.
Any other
business
1.
Mike Smith raised issues about qualification
criteria for the Club Championship and expressed the concern that anyone could
come along without really joining in the Section but compete in Boarded
competitions. James re-iterated that qualification depended on either playing
in 3 seniors qualifying competitions in the previous year or hitherto having
won a boarded competition. Mike raised the point that, when the rules were
drawn up, there were fewer qualifying competitions and they were more serious
ones, whereas now all roll ups off a measured course were qualifying
competitions. Concern was also raised by Mike and Alex about people playing in
very few roll ups and thus not putting that much money into the section but
still being able to win trophies. He was assured that everybody who played for
us had to pay the same dues. He and
other members were invited to put forward proposals for the Committee to discuss.
2.
Alan Jones requested that the website be updated
more frequently. Rod Rapley accepted that it had been let slip but felt that
emails provided a more instant form of communication. James suggested that the
Captain should not have to bear that burden and someone on the Committee should
take responsibility. This would be discussed.
13.
The Chairman concluded the meeting by thanking
everyone for coming.
Meeting closed at 9.00
