Archive

Minutes of the committee meeting held at Llandrindod Wells on Saturday November 27th 2004

Meeting opened at 10:10

All members were present except Bry who sent apologies. Also present Mike Wigley, John Ward, Roland Massett, Sue Gatehouse, Keith Harrison.

Matters arising.

London organiser has withdrawn events from the calendar.

National SR Series

GM will give information to the AGM about it the under AOB. It was agreed that badges would be provided to riders who completed the series as the cost of medals was prohibitive. It was mentioned that there are 31 National 200 medals still in stock. Mike Hunting has offered to provide designs for medals and badges. Off-the-peg medals were mentioned asan alternative, but it was pointed out that the quality of these was found to be poor when previously investigated.

Action PP, GM

There was some comment about the amount of travelling which would be involved in completing a National SR series.

RT has still to complete the legals for incorporation. He said it was a simple procedure.

Action RT

Permanent Events.

RW had removed some defunct ones from the list, and confirmed a number of others. Permanent results now received. It was pointed out that they arrived too late to invite some winners of trophies. RW said that would not be a problem next year. It was mentioned that it had in the past been necessary to claim for points. Some members were worried about the provisional status of permanent events; they were unsure whether they counted for points. Cards for some events appeared to be missing.

Action RW

There had been a suggestion that accommodation expenses should be paid for trophy winners. An alternative suggestion was that the money should be used to reduce overall charges. But the amount of reduction would not be significant. Suggested that the costr of meeting rooms be paid for separately to reduce the direct cost on members who attended. This matter to be raised at the next meeting

Action IH, PP

Perm Sec's workload.

RW said all results were comfirmed on the web. He explained his problems with work, etc. In his report to the AGM he would ask for delegates and explain email access (using 'audax' or 'auk' in the subject line to avoid his spam filter). There were some problems outstanding with Shawn Shaw's permanent events.

Action RW

IH had not contacted Terry Bateman regarding the archives. Thev security of archives when they were with a third party was questioned, but the risk was felt to be unavoidable.

Action IH

Correspondence.

PC had received some calendar queries. PM had an enquiry about EL and some early enquiries about foreign events (none of which have appeared yet). NS had received the programme of Swiss events to go in Arrivee. Item for next meeting: to clarify which foreign events are recognised by AUK. NS had responded to the German complaint about lack of qualifying standards for EL. No reply has been received. 2005 is ACP's centenary year and Bob Lepertel's 80th. NS will send congratulations on behalf of AUK. Agreed to accept Alan Stirk's offer of photographs from 1979 PBP and others.

Actions NS

GM had been in correspondence with Rocco regarding the EL route. PP had received invitation to attend the Triathlon show in 2005. IH had receivedapologies for absence for the AGM. DKB had correspondence from member objecting to long events such as EL.

Action PP

Reports for the AGM.

BM would tender his usual list. NH said he would seek a delegate and suggested BM. Agreed the post should be advertised.
PC would add to his printed report that there were a record number of events again for next year.
SS would ask the editors to introduce themselves to the meeting.
PM said he was waiting for updates from overseas organisations. He expected them shortly.
RW, GM, PP would distribute reports. PP wished to add that card production showed a decrease over several years in long distances and an increase in shorter ones. She would introduce JW.
GG would distribute report and introduce those present of the membership team. The question of a profit made on last PBP entries was raised. This was due to currency fluctuations. Decided that it was not significant, especially as the reverse could happen in future years.

Discussion about proposals. Suggested that if times were to be published for EL, they could be in hour bands. Discussion about secret controls. PC to speak for regulation changes. Validation secretaries to have one vote on a job share system. Some discussion about where to send returns for early events.

Next AGM will be at Cober Hill near Scarborough, on 7th January 2006.

Agreed that DKB mention the deaths of Ron Sant and Alan Brazier at the AGM. Also Bry.

Recipients of awards were agreed after discussion..

AOB.

GM said that it was difficult to get publicity for the National Series. Both CW and C+ showed greater interest when advertising was promised. Also advertise in CTC Cycle. Because of change of title of CTC DAs, regulations would need to be amended (item for next meeting). Affiliation fee to the CTC had doubled. Discussion of the benefits of this. PP asked for a new jersey design as sales were falling. RT said he had a design proposal.

Actions IH, RT

Next meeting Birmingham Monday 21st Feb [since amended to 18th Feb]

Meeting closed at 12:35

1) To record the names of those present at this meeting. A list will be circulated around the hall: Please add your name to it and pass it to your neighbour.

2) TO RECORD APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE.

3) TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE LAST AGM as a true record of that meeting.
(These were published in Arrivée edition Number 83. Copies are available at the meeting)

4) MATTERS ARISING from the last meeting.

5) TO CONSIDER OFFICERS’ REPORTS.
All either published in the Autumn Arrivée, distributed on separate sheets, or given verbally to the meeting.

5a) TREASURER’S RECOMMENDATIONS
Membership fees
Expenditure is expected to increase in the next year (for example with higher insurance costs, separate handbook, etc). To ensure current expenditure is covered by current income, I am therefore proposing an increase in membership rates of £1 per person. The single member rate will therefore become £10 for the 2006 season. In addition, the household second member rate will increase from £2 to £5 although each additional household member will now receive their own copy of the handbook.
Commuted membership (effectively 5 for 4) will remain at £40. No increase in fees is proposed for card production and validation.

Renewal date cut-off
It is also proposed that the renewal date for membership fees will be fixed at 31 January. Members failing to renew by that date will now be liable to the £5 new member joining fee. We currently also send the missing back copies of Arrivée to late joiners. This practice will also cease. The main purpose of this change is to reduce the time the membership team currently spend on membership renewals by encouraging members to renew on a timely basis. However, late renewal incurs direct costs as well as Committee members’ and delegates’ time costs which the joining fee was itself introduced to cover.

Honoraria I am also proposing an increase in the honoraria paid for selected Committee posts. The proposed increase is £50 per honorarium.
At the same time, I would like to change the way we pay honoraria. Currently, I am authorised to pay the recipient a pre-set cash amount. To deal with the income tax payable on the honoraria, I account for this separately to the Inland Revenue. To simplify the administration of the honoraria but ensure we continue to comply with our legal obligations, I propose that we pay future honoraria inclusive of income tax. This is illustrated in the following:
Old arrangement new arrangement
Net cash honorarium 500
Gross cash honorarium 641
Tax paid to Inland Revenue 141 141
Total paid by AUK 641 641
Recipient total cash net of tax 500 500
The change simply moves the responsibility for tax from AUK to the recipient. This will not increase the amount of the honoraria we currently pay but means we can deduct a flat rate amount from the payments we make and do not need to investigate the recipient’s personal tax position.

To operate the club through a company Members passed a resolution last year permitting the Committee to investigate incorporating the club with a view to minimising as far as possible the risk of litigation affecting individual club members. The Committee has concluded that the club should be operated through a company limited by guarantee set up for the purpose.
The change will not affect the rules and regulations of AUK (validation of rides, voting, etc) although its constitution will need to be adapted in a small number of specific areas to comply with company law. Everyone who is currently a member of AUK will become a member of the AUK company. The individual liability of a company member (that is, the amount creditors could call on in the event of AUK being wound-up for example) will be limited to £1.

6) TO ALLOW PUBLICATION OF RIDERS’ FINISHING TIMES in prestigious events such as Edinburgh-London.
Proposal: Add to the end of reg. 2.11: ‘This prohibition shall not apply to BRM events of 1200km and above.
Rationale: Events of 1200 kilometres and above are perceived as the Blue Riband of randonneur achievement and attract international interest. It is now commonplace for such events worldwide to publish riders’ finishing times, and there is keen interest in these. Unfortunately, present AUK regulations do not allow the publication of finishing times for Edinburgh- London, the second most prestigious such event after Paris-Brest-Paris. This prohibition amounts to an anomaly in the international world of Audax and randonneur cycling. The amendment removes this anomaly by allowing publication of these times.
Proposed by Chris Crossland, Seconded by Andrew Clarkson

7) ALTERATION TO REGULATIONS TO REFLECT THE INSURANCE COVER FOR RIDERS DURING EVENTS
Revised wording for 2.5:-
2.5 Riders’ Insurance Requirement: Riders must provide evidence of thirdparty insurance cover by giving their current AUK or relevant CTC or BC membership number on the entry form or must pay the current fee to give them Temporary AUK Membership.
The period of insurance for both full and temporary members of AUK is to the time of finishing or abandonment whichever is sooner. The Entry Form must explain this requirement to entrants.
AUK members are covered under the above conditions for AUK events and Permanent rides in the UK and abroad (for all other purposes adequate travel insurance is desirable).
Addition to 2.9:-
Participants are on a private excursion on the public highway and their behaviour is governed by the law of the land.
Proposed by Peter Coulson, Seconded by Ian Hennessey.

8) ALLOW SECRET CONTROLS ON EVENTS
Proposal: To permit organisers (at their own discretion) to warn entrants that there might be secret controls rather than, or in addition to, information controls.
Rationale: This motion is designed to alleviate the problem on certain rides of there being more info controls than riders.
Proposed by George Hanna, Seconded by Danny Fisher

9) ELECTION OF VICE-PRESIDENT
Proposal: To elect former chairman and committee member, John Richardson, as vice-president in view of his past and present contribution to AUK.
Proposed by Bernard Mawson, Seconded by Mike Sadler.

10) ELECTION OF OFFICIALS.
All members except the Validation Secretary are standing for re-election. No competing nominations have been received.
CHAIRMAN: Keith Benton, Proposed: Graham Wanless, Seconded: Mike Fielding/ Tony Anderson
PERMANENT EVENTS SECRETARY: Rob Webb, Proposed Alan Jones, Seconded: Richard Phipps
SYSTEMS MANAGER: Francis Cooke, Proposed: Mike Wigley, Seconded: Richard Phipps
INTERNATIONAL EVENTS SECRETARY: Peter Marshall, Proposed: Chris Beynon,Seconded: George Hanna.
ACP/LRM CORRESPONDENT: Noel Simpson, Proposed: John Evans, Seconded: Gerry Boswell.
SECRETARY: Ian Hennessey, Proposed: David Stevens, Seconded: Anne Learmonth.
EVENTS SECRETARY: Peter Coulson, Proposed: Peter Hansen, Seconded: Mareve Hansen.
PUBLICITY SECRETARY: Graham Mills, Proposed: Lowri Evans, Seconded: Ifor Jones.

VALIDATIONS SECRETARY: Two people are nominated to fill this post on a job-share arrangement. Susan Gatehouse & Keith Harrison. Proposed: Bernard Mawson, Seconded: Neville Holgate.

TREASURER: Richie Tout, proposed: David Lewis, Seconded: Anne Learmonth.
BREVET CARD PRODUCTION: Pam Pilbeam, Proposed: Graham Brodie, Seconded: Kevin Gibson
MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY: Gerry Goldsmith, Proposed: Julian Beach, Seconded: Mike Wigley
PUBLICATIONS MANAGER: Sheila Simpson, Proposed: Mike Wigley, Seconded: Ray Smith
RECORDER: Nev Holgate, proposed: Richard Abram, Seconded: Terry Seanor

11) TIME AND PLACE OF NEXT AGM

12) ANY OTHER BUSINESS

13) CLOSE OF MEETING

Minutes of the Annual General Meeting of Audax UK held at the Metropole Hotel, Llandrindod Wells, on the 27th November 2004 to be read in conjunction with the agenda published in Arrivée issue 86.

Meeting commenced at 14:07
Chaired By Keith Benton

1) Those present were asked to record their names on the list circulated.

2) Apologies for absence were read out including those from John Richardson, Liz Creese, Bry Ferguson, and Mick Potts who was ‘on his way’..
KB mentioned the deaths of Ron Sant, an early member of AUK, and the first to go from 100k to Paris-Brest-Paris in one year, and of Alan Brazier, an organiser for Victoria CC, Saffron Walden.

3) Minutes of the previous AGM were accepted as correct. John Radford proposed, Tim Wainwright seconded. None opposed.

4) There were no matters arising from the last meeting.

5) Officers’ Reports presented at the meeting or with additional comments given at the meeting.

Validation Secretary, Bernard Mawson presented a verbal report: It was his final report before retirement. Neville Holgate had taken on a portion of the work and had validated about half of all cards. There were 15,032 validated rides during the season, 695 fewer than the previous one. Shorter events showed increased numbers; 200ks were about the same. 300s were down by 20%; 400s were down to half the previous season’s total; 600s, with 155 validated rides, had ‘almost disappeared’. Roger Philo asked whether BM had, as in previous years, calculated a figure for what constituted a long distance, but BM said he had not.

Recorder, Neville Holgate said he had been helping with validations. He had also been dealing with end-of-season claims. He showed the meeting an envelope which had been delivered unsealed and empty, and suggested that any members who had not been credited with all their rides should contact him.

ACP & LRM Correspondent, Noel Simpson said his job was to represent ACP (Audax Club Parisien), LRM (Les Randonneurs Mondiaux), and AUK to each other. He informed the meeting that he might be moving to France next year.

Events Secretary, Peter Coulson added to his written report that the new calendar would be out before Christmas, that there were a few new events, and thanked all organisers for getting information to him on time.

Publications Manager, Sheila Simpson added that there were now six publications per year, four in full colour. She introduced editors Tim Wainwright and Maggie Lewis to the meeting and said that the future of Arrivée was in safe hands.

Systems Manager, Francis Cooke added that he had had a quiet year.

Permanents Secretary, Rob Webb reported that he had validated 834 brevet cards, including 70 over 600k. There were new events and new organisers, and some old ones had dropped out. Permanent events which were still under review would not be eligible for championship points, but would otherwise count towards personal totals. He asked for volunteers to help with producing maps to accompany website details of events.
He advised that emails to him should have the words ‘audax’ or ‘auk’ in the subject line to avoid being treated as spam.
He thanked organisers, riders, and those who wrote legibly.
John Walker asked about risk assessments for youth hostel darts and arrows. RW replied there were no risk assessments because no fixed routes, but organisers were asked to mention exceptional hazards. KB referred JW to Safety Officer, Steve Cockram. SS said that she and PCo were working on statistics from AUK accident reports and hoped to be in a position to come up with a generic risk assessment based on these figures. This would take some of the onus off organisers in the future. PCo mentioned that he was doing a form of RA for his permanents ten years ago and invited JW to contact him or look at the Mesh web pages.

Publicity Secretary, Graham Mills distributed his report at the meeting. It was more difficult this year to get items about AUK published in the cycling press. Cycling Plus had concentrated on l’Etape, and Cycling Weekly on competitive events. However CW would be publishing names of Super Randonneurs and of finishers of the Gourmet 1000 event. The committee had decided on a budget for advertising, and mention of this had made journalists more willing to accept news items. With a view to raising the profile of long distance cycling and AUK, a National Series consisting of events form 100 to 600k had been instituted, with gold, silver, and bronze badges awarded according to distance attained. Derek Slann expressed support for the idea and suggested a nickname of ‘Mills the Hills’.

Brevet Card Production Secretary, Pam Pilbeam said the number of cards produced had dropped against 2002 (ignoring 2003 because it was PBP year), especially for longer distances. John Ward had assisted by producing 705 permanent cards this year, and exchanging over 1000 old cards. JW volunteered that ‘I do what Pam tells me’. GM thought that the national series might help reverse the decline in participation in longer events.

Membership Secretary, Gerry Goldsmith reported that membership had risen to over 4000 for the first time. She thanked her team: Mike Wigley, Julian Beach, Nick Windle, and Findlay Watt. Membership cards would be sent with the renewal form and calendar, and she asked members to look out for them. Richard Phipps asked what happened regarding cards and commuted members. GGo replied that they would get a new card each year with a renewal form telling them their membership status.

RW advised the meeting that the unofficial Permanents Champion was Brian Callow with 63 points, and that Peter Mennicke had ridden both Roscoff-Nice and the reverse event in quick succession.

All the above reports were accepted without dissension.

Treasurer, Ritchie Tout drew attention to the accounts published in the agenda.
He was looking at the costs of membership, and how to make membership easier. Neville Chanin asked why the cost of Arrivée had dropped dramatically from the previous year. RT explained that it was an apparent drop caused by the printer submitting invoices too late to be included in this year’s figures. NC asked what Membership surplus was. RT replied that it was the sum of income less expenditure. Gavin Greenhow asked about the net worth of the club. RT explained that the net worth was £92,000 approx, and that the figure of £65,000 was cash. He said that this was less than the year’s turnover and thus a minimal cushion against sudden financial difficulty.
Anne Benton said we should congratulate the treasurer and membership. She mentioned cancer-sufferer, Jane Tomlinson who is attempting an End-to-End ride and hoping to raise a large sum of money for a cancer hospital. As the club was affluent would it consider making a donation. Previous donations had gone mainly to the CTC action fund. Phil Chadwick asked what would be done with the money otherwise. RT mentioned the club’s sizable operating expenses. DS asked what the figure might be [no recorded answer]. SS said that a donation should generate some publicity for AUK. Ray Smith suggested JT could ride the National Series. An informal show of hands showed support for the idea, with 6 against. AB asked that the committee take the idea on board.
The treasurer’s report was accepted, none opposed.

5a) Treasurer’s Recommendations. RT said that we had to match expense with income, and that insurance had gone up by 25%. He was therefore suggesting the increases as published, to take effect from 2005. Simon Jones questioned why the premiums had risen so much and asked whether the insurers were aware of the risk assessments the club had in place. RT replied that RA does not have a bearing on what might be claimed. KB said that the insurer expects us to have RA in place. He said that cover had been increased from £1m to £5m. RT said he was taking advice from the insurance co. GGr asked why it was necessary to cover expenses when the club was worth so much. He felt too much money was tied up. RT replied that money was needed for cashflow as the club got bigger, and that the current amount had been built up slowly over a long period. JW asked about the history of the funds increase; had the increase occurred recently? KB replied that the club had lived ‘hand-to-mouth’ at first, and had difficulty paying creditors. A surplus in the bank made our financial position more secure. He added that GGr was right to raise the query. John Pearce spoke in favour. SS asked what proportion of fees were commuted. KB replied 1 in 4. John Curtin asked if commuted fees could be kept separately. RT said it was approx £70,000 annually.
Recommendations accepted, 5 opposed.

Renewal date cut-off.
RT explained that it would make the membership team’s job easier and encourage members to renew within a reasonable time. Hugh Harrison asked if it would be possible for life members to pay by standing order. GGo asked those present if they wished to use standing orders. RT explained that direct debit was not an option open to the club, and that standing orders would only be viable if enough people were interested. It need not be restricted to life members. JC asked whether commuted membership or standing orders would be better for the club. RT replied that commuted was best.
Proposal accepted, 1 opposed.

Honoraria.
RT said the proposal was an administrative matter to avoid creating revenue or tax problems. It would not financially affect the club, just alter the way tax is paid and accounted for. Linda Johnston asked how non-taxpayers would be dealt with. RT replied the same way as far as the club was concerned, but they would file a self-assessment return.
Proposal accepted, none opposed.

To operate the club through a company.
Last year the AGM gave authority to look at turning the club into a company limited by guarantee to give some protection against litigation. RT explained that the club stays functionally the same but would be structured as a legal entity to take advantage of the status thus afforded. Members cannot take salaries, and are not allowed to personally benefit from running the club.
Jon Jennings asked if members were personally liable at present. KB replied that the committee was more exposed than the members, which was one reason for raising the amount insured to £5m.
HH asked if all members would have shares. RT replied that there would be no shares and no certificates. LJ asked if the company could reduce the insured amount. RT said no, the members liability would be limited to £1 each, but the assets of the company could be taken, which would mean it would fold. KB said that in the event of a claim for £6m the total liability would be the assets of the club plus a pound from each member. JW asked if cover needed to be increased. RT replied that the amount was reasonable at the moment but would be monitored.
GGr said he was an organiser and asked what the position of an organiser would be under the new company. RT replied that it would be unchanged. KB said there would be an explanatory note in Arrivée. FC asked if voting was to go ahead. He said he was concerned that there was little documentation. KB answered yes, and that there would be safeguards in the documentation. RT said articles would be drawn up and sent to lawyers after the committee had seen and approved them. Regulations would remain unchanged. KB said that this proposal formalises the start of the procedure and that all steps would be scrutinised by the committee.
PCh suggested that directors of a company might have onerous liabilities. RT said he had warned that committee members who were already directors might not want the extra responsibility and risk. However the responsibilities were less because it was not a commercial company. PCh suggested directors would need to complete tax returns. RT said that self-assessment would be adequate. IH said it was the difference between a standard limited company and a company limited by guarantee.
Rod Dalitz asked if the meeting should vote on specific changes to the constitution. RT replied there would be no change to the regulations and that the constitution would only be adjusted to comply with company law. The new company would be run as a cycling club. SS said the constitution could not be changed without a 2/3 majority vote in favour.
The proposal was accepted, 1 opposed.

6) Publication of finishing times for long events.
Chris Crossland spoke for the proposal. He said it was a modest proposal, not satirical, that it could enhance appreciation of Edinburgh-London around the world. He said that E-L was the second-most prestigious event in the world after Paris-Brest-Paris. We should seek to maintain its high standing. All other 1200+ events published finishing times, and E-L times are available elsewhere in the world although AUK does not publish them. It would be only BRM events, not other AUK events. He said that PBP times had been published last year by country, not by finishing order, because of the ‘unacceptable behaviour’ of some of the ‘premiers’. AUK could do the same for E-L Andy Clarkson, seconding, said that at the end of PBP everyone talked about times, and that people liked to see data. He mentioned British riders, Gethin Butler and Mick Potts who had set out to do fast PBP times. It would help to raise the profile of E-L by getting it into the cycling press, and would attract people to AUK. RW said that there were two defences against the accusation of racing: The minimum time and non-publication of finish times. This proposal would move one of those. JW asked if the maximum speed would remain the same. PCh and George Hanna spoke in favour. Chris Beynon asked if the committee had any advice about legal or insurance implications. KB answered it had not been raised with the insurers. Ron Carlton and BM spoke against. JC spoke against. KB said a letter received from Reid Anderson said it would a nail in the coffin of AUK. JH said Audax Club Parisien had only recently published PBP times under pressure from the Americans who ‘wanted to win’. Richard Phipps spoke in favour. CC summed up by saying there were different ways of publishing times.
The proposal was rejected 15 in favour 44 opposed.

7) Alteration to regulations.
PCo said that the revised wording of 2.5 clarified the scope of insurance cover and temporary membership for events. Temporary membership covers riders to the point when they finish an event. RC mentioned that bronze British Cycling membership did not include insurance cover. PCo and KB said the onus was on the rider to make a truthful declaration. The proposal was accepted, none opposed. PC said the revision to 2.9 put the onus on riders to behave according to the rules of the road. It reinforced the point that audax events were private excursions and not special use of the roads such as racing. FC suggested that the wording was fundamental enough to deserve a regulation on its own.
The proposal was accepted none opposed.

8) Secret Controls.
GH spoke for the proposal. He said it was a ‘Hammerite’ proposal, that secret controls were memorable, whereas information controls were not. He felt they would add to the mystique of events. Danny Fisher seconded by saying that it would help organisers who had scenic routes which were part of AUK’s winning formula. PP asked where organisers would find controllers to man secrets, said that information controls did not require manning and avoided queues. JH spoke against. Annemarie Manley said they would be discretionary, said she would like organisers to produce decent route instructions especially in areas with which she was unfamiliar. RT said it would make routes compulsory.
Simon Jones spoke in favour, said he organised an event and found it tedious to have many infos. He thought the present regulations too tight and suggested that cheats only cheated themselves. Cheating was mainly relevant to the championships, and perhaps this was an argument for doing away with them. JC said that organisers could put extra controls in under current regs. RW said he found it difficult to follow route instructions and dreaded the idea of secrets. PCh was concerned about ambiguous route sheets, recalled an event where three quarters of the field missed a secret.
JW spoke in favour. IH called upon Dai Harris and Andy Seviour and mentioned a particular secret control on a DH event.
GH summed up and said it had been an interesting debate.
The proposal was accepted 33 for 25 opposed.
KB said the committee would decide on a form of words to go in the organisers’ pack. RD noted that current regs said that all controls must be notified at the beginning. PCo said that would be met by having a box on the brevet card.

9) Election of Vice-President.
John Richardson, known to all as Rocco, was elected none opposed.

10) Election of officers.
It was agreed to elect officers en bloc. Sue Gatehouse and Keith Harrison were standing for the validation secretary post as job-share. Proposed by Chris Beynon, seconded by Richard Phipps.
Accepted, none opposed.

11) The next AGM would be held near Scarborough on the 7 January 2006.
Proposal accepted , none opposed.

12) Any Other Business.
DS asked that easier events be chosen for national events. He felt that events such as the Elenith were not suitable for beginners.
GGr felt there was a general decline in long-distance rides. He noted that events had been cancelled because of insufficient entries, asked if financial support could be given in such cases to avoid cancellations. PCo replied that assistance was available for events over 300k.
FC noted that the chairman had a copy of the ‘ABC of Chairmanship’ by him.
LJ asked whether AUK events abroad carried the same insurance cover. PCo replied that they did.
KB mentioned that videos of prize presentations for the last eight years were available from John Pearce.
He said that JW suggested sending used postage stamps to the British Kidney Association to raise money for holidays for children.
SS asked for the remaining dart cards to be handed in.
GGr asked about end of year claims. NH replied that a few claims were received each year, but mostly the awards were dealt with by computer.
IH apologised for embarrassing DH and said that he ran some fine events.
Tim Wainwright suggested a vote of thanks to BM for his work over the years [applause].
JH suggested a vote of thanks to the committee and organisers. Said organisers put in a great deal of effort. He thought it appropriate that Rocco should be ‘president of vice’.

13) Meeting closed at 16:22.