Secretary's report
It becomes almost tedious to report that we have had another record year. There were more events than ever before, and more people rode them. Paris-Brest-Paris hosted a record number of riders, and the largest ever number of British riders. The club is prosperous, and growing steadily. We seem not to have difficulty in finding volunteers for committee posts. New organisers are coming forward all the time.
However (there’s always a ‘however’), there are a few rain-clouds on the horizon. The continued growth in membership and of events imposes ever-increasing demands on committee members. Many of them are now assisted by delegates working in the background, so that there are at least 22 people running AUK’s affairs, and this number is set to increase further.
You will have noticed stories in the media about public events being cancelled because insurance cover was prohibitively expensive or even refused. It happened earlier this year to Audax Australia, and nearly wrecked their preparations for P-B-P. We are working hard to anticipate any demands that our insurers might make of us. The dreaded Risk Assessment is one of the ways we are doing this. It enables organisers to show that they have taken reasonable care in planning their events - written proof of which is now vital to answer any accusation of negligence.
As the membership increases, it is also necessary to keep a weather eye on our main activity, that of promoting long-distance cycling. There are a huge number of cycling clubs in this country, covering nearly every possible combination of three or four letters of the alphabet, but only one is devoted to distance. We shouldn’t lose sight of that.
Ian Hennessey
Chairman Report
see Arrivee
Treasurer's Report
There has been no significant increase in expenditure in the last year and, otherwise than as noted below, no significant increase is expected in 2004. As such, I am not therefore proposing any increase in membership rates or in fees for card production and validation. I have proposed an increase in the honorarium paid for producing Arrivée (see the AGM agenda) and I have made a provision for this in the 2003 accounts together with certain other items of future expenditure, principally in relation to the 2005 LEL where the cost of securing suitable accommodation for controls is significantly higher than in 2001. Apart from these items, we do not foresee any major changes in expenditure in the coming year.
A reminder that commuted membership is available and is a great help in cutting down the annual administration which Gerry and her team undertake on your behalf. It also stops Lloyds having a fit when I try to bank 3,000 £9 cheques on a busy Monday lunchtime.
Finally, special thanks to Bill Carnaby and Pam Pilbeam for their excellent work in dealing with the time consuming tasks of returns and clothing sales respectively which makes my job so much easier.
Ritchie Tout
Membership Secretary Report
see Arrivee
Validation Sec Report
see Arrivee
Permanents Secretary Report
see Arrivee
Events Secretary Report
The number of Organisers was 189; many thanks to all of you, and to the Helpers who make it all possible. Some Organisers are retiring, with many handing on to new ones and also acting as Mentors, thereby helping new Organisers to avoid the early mistakes - my thanks to them for this. This year the Organisers’ Packs are a little more comprehensive and have a logical format, for which I thank Sheila - shows what a real brain can do!
Please get in touch with me if you fancy running some events. We now have a scheme for covering the Organisers of longer (above 200km) and new events against financial loss; also all Organisers and Helpers are covered by AUK's insurance for third-party claims (note that BC/CTC events' insurance still applies where relevant).
Risk Assessment forms have raised the most queries; basically 'keep it simple'. Most circumstances are covered on the Entry Form and in Control Measures by AUK. The important thing to bear in mind is that the risks are relative, i.e. if it's 'normal' for the activity then the risk must be low.
The figures for 2003 are:
Cat. ‘50’ 100+ *150+ 200+ *300+ 400+ 500+ 600+ 1000+ Totals BP 43 170 49 -- -- -- -- -- -- 262 BR -- -- -- 94 7 6 -- 2 -- 109 BRM -- -- -- 31 19 15 -- 17 -- 82 Totals 43 170 49 125 26 21 0 19 0 453
* includes Arrows and Darts.
As usual there’s been an increase in BPs; 400s and, especially 600s, were well up for some reason.. Finally - very many thanks for all the BRM, PBP Qualifiers, this year. We did seem to avoid the 'feeding frenzy' of '99, although there were, overall, more riders.
Peter Coulson
International Events Secretary Report
From my viewpoint, it seemed that not very many AUKs rode events abroad this season. At any rate, few of you contacted me directly for information. Of course, a sizeable minority of us had our attention firmly fixed on one particular foreign event starting from St. Quentin-en-Yvelines...
I tried to ensure that information about a reasonable sample of accessible continental rides was made available to AUKs via Arrivée and the AUK website as early as possible. So that may be one reason for the relative dearth of enquiries. Bear in mind that I always have information about more rides than I have time (or inclination) to upload, and I'm happy to try to match your holiday to an event. So don't be shy about giving me a call or sending me an e-mail. Interestingly, about half the enquiries I received were from non-members. I answered their questions, and subjected them to a brief commercial break on the joys of AUK. Also interestingly, the overwhelming majority of queries related to cyclo- sportives and L'Etape du Tour. With that in mind, next year's Tour of Flanders will be on 3 April...
As ever, please let me know your impressions if you've ridden an event abroad.
Peter Marshall
ACP/RM Correspondant Report
Preparation for the PBP 2003 began well before Xmas with the publication of updated guidelines for new riders [a large number of 'PB virgins' rode] and in answering many queries from home and as far abroad as S. Africa, USA, Greece and Japan. Disaster loomed when the ACP official dealing with foreign brevet validation and entries, and with whom deadlines and procedures had been agreed, disappeared from the scene - We are extremely fortunate that Suzanne Lepertel, new to emailing and 'retired' since 1999, ably took his place. And how on earth did we cope without email in the past?
The AUK entry was disappointing as I had expected 400 to500 riders but the total of applications processed was only 366, a small increase on 1999. The team consisted of Bernard Mawson [brevet checking], Francis Cooke [communication with Paris and technical wizardry] and Peter Coulson who did the majority of the entry checking, leaving me to cajole and bully by phone and email PB hopefuls whose forms were inaccurate, or just plain incomplete [most!]. The guidelines for completion of entry forms and the checklist of accompanying documents, have already been modified for 2007! And we must thank our new Treasurer Ritchie for the provision of the all important global cheque required by ACP. Also Peter Land and Ivor Meissen for invaluable help at the Sunday registration in St. Quentin. On the whole the process was conducted fairly smoothly and efficiently and the forms arrived in Paris before the final date for receipt.
Audax Club Parisien expressed their gratitude for the AUK entries which were correctly completed: they had to deal with 4,000+ forms from 26 countries. Their ambition to have equal numbers of riders from France and from abroad was finally achieved: foreigners were just in the majority.
I enjoyed trundling my trike across to Paris and helping with the cheerful ACP team manning the start and finish controls. Though I was quickly taken off gate duty when I barred entry to the car park to 2 official guests: "But I’m the Mayor/ Prefect of St.Quentin" "You can’t be; I am". A disappointment was the 'official' AUK hotel where the food was excellent but the facilities not so. I’ll be seeking another hotel for 2007. And the fact that 'our Jack' Eason came off his bike after completing 800 kms of the 1225 ride and although not seriously injured, had to pack and so failed to receive the cup for the oldest rider. As I had to compile a report on the event for ACP on behalf of AUK and was not riding this time, I am deeply grateful to the many riders who sent details of their experiences. Many thanks also to Rocco., Liz, Ann and Keith Benton for inducing some occupants of Graham Baxter coaches to make contributions. And Rocco wishes it to be recorded that the same coaches, gratis, transported back to the finish from Brest an assortment of riders who had packed, and from a variety of countries, a real Tower of Babel.
The report is necessarily a compendium of selected items; apologies for omissions: but I believe it represents a reasonable summary of opinions and experiences of our riders.
Noel Simpson
Brevet Cards Production Secretary Report
see Arrivee
Publication Secretary Report
We have found a third Arrivée editor, Maggie Lewis, who is at present training herself to produce the next edition, after which she will take over the Autumn issues. AUK has purchased InDesign for Maggie to use and Tim Wainwright and myself will also change to this publishing program, thus making the team compatible at last.
The number of photographs in our magazine continues to increase (especial thanks to Cliff Shakespeare, Graham Brodie, Nigel Hall and Ian Hennessey for their regular contributions), though the quantity of articles provided has decreased, sometimes resulting in an edition which is not well-balanced in terms of the wide variety of randonneur interests.
Our advertising revenue has increased, with some worthwhile advertisers encouraged by Tim, our advertising manager, who would be interested to hear from members who can recommend their local bike shop. Tim continues to produce the spring and summer editions and myself the winter edition and Handbook, this latter with the aid of Peter Coulson and Francis Cooke. A move to separate the Handbook from an enlarged publication of calendar events and permanents foundered in its infancy due to a change of Permanents Secretary but I hope to develop the two publications in 2004. I have also produced the Organisers’ Guidelines and new events pro forma, with help from Peter Coulson, along with the accident report form and risk assessment form, these latter with input from Steve Cockram, AUK’s new Safety Officer. These four latter publications are not necessarily in their final form and input from organisers has been, and is, most welcome.
Sheila Simpson
Press Secretary Report
AUK has developed a good relationship with Cycling Weekly who for the first time printed the names of all members who completed an SR Series in 2002. There have been regular reports on AUK events including coverage of PBP qualification and a brief report on some of AUK members performance on PBP. Despite sending reports to Cycling Plus and speaking to the editor we have received virtually no coverage this year, this was apparently due to them concentrating on l’Etape qualification. AUK has received some coverage in the CTC magazine Cycle and there has been some coverage in the local press including an article on Roger Bolton’s ride on PBP and his ride to and from Paris.
AAA Contact: Quite a lot of members are riding AAA events, and there has been a lot of discussion on the chat line concerning Mike Sadler’s proposal to alter the way AAA points are calculated. Opinion is divided as to whether the system needs changing with last years champion Laurent Chambard writing from America in support of the existing system while others favour a system which rewards longer rides more highly. It is hoped that soon after the AGM it will have been decided whether to change the way AAA points are calculated or to keep things as they are.
Graham Mills
System Manager Report
Now that personal computers are as common as toasters, the original raison d'etre of the Systems Manager - sorting out equipment and software for committee members, and overseeing compatibility issues, has largely gone away.
Instead I put a lot of effort into AUK's one huge new hardware asset - our dedicated web server. I tend to think of it as 'Big Brother' - in the Orwellian sense, not the tabloid TV sense. Much of Big Brother is beyond my wit and the day-to-day running, nuts-and-bolts, and security aspects, is all capably handled by Simon Ward, to whom many thanks.
Although the obvious 'face' of Big Bro is AUK's website, he does a lot more for AUK behind the scenes which enables us to bring added value to our Calendar, our Member services, and our Records and Archives. A lot of our processes have been opened up to public or Member scrutiny, and this is invaluable in spotting, reporting and correcting day-to-day errors and keeping committee members on their toes.
A particularly satisfying development, from my point of view, is the way that increasingly, more people are getting directly involved with feeding information into Big Bro - as I write, Peter Coulson, Peter Marshall, Nev Holgate, Mike Wigley, Gerry Goldsmith, Graham Brodie, Tim Wainwright, Ian Hennessey and Graham Mair are all able to deal with Big Bro direct, without any reference to Simon or myself. The result is faster and more frequent updates of background information, and a dynamically growing website. I look forward to seeing this trend accelerate over the next 12 months.
Francis Cooke