PLYMOUTH BRIDGE CLUB

MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

18th FEBRUARY 2009

1.Attendance Attendance - 38

2.Minutes of the last AGM on 27th February 2008

Copies of the minutes of the last AGM were circulated to all Members present. It was proposed by Fred Sommer and seconded by Elizabeth Horton that the minutes be approved. This proposal was approved by the Members. The minutes were then signed by the Chairperson. 

3.Matters ArisingNone

4.Presentation of Accounts

Although Sue Dillingham was present, she was too ill to present the accounts. Therefore Peter Espig (the Treasurer) presented the accounts for the year ended 31st December 2008. 

Members drew attention to the loss on food and drink after wages were taken into account. But Members generally agreed that having staff serving food and drink was a service they wanted to keep even if a loss was made. However the incoming Committee was asked to consider increasing prices to minimise such losses.

Peter drew attention to the positive impact on the Profit & Loss Account of the income from teaching and the rent of the room to the Plymouth Chess Club - see later for the discussion on the Chess Club. 

Peter pointed out that there had been no increases in the Annual Subscriptions and Table Money for at least 7 years. He therefore proposed that the Annual Subscriptions should be increased from 15 to 17 per year; and the Table Money from 1.50 to 1.70. Both increases would be effective from 1 January 2010. 

After a general discussion, it was proposed by John Vaughan and seconded by John Lankshear that the accounts be accepted subject to audit. This proposal was approved. The proposal to increase the Annual Subscriptions and the Table Money was also approved by the Members.

5.Appointment of Auditor

Following Sue Dillinghams decision to resign, it was proposed by John Vaughan and seconded by Ivor Moore that Sarah Lyons be appointed as the Auditor for the coming year. This proposal was approved by the Members. 

6.Chairpersons Report

The Chairperson opened by thanking the Committee for their great support during the year. She also thanked John Richards, Cynthia Sherrell and Val Manicom who were leaving the Committee. She reminded Members that John had served two terms as Chairman and that Cynthia had been on the Committee for a long time. She also thanked Sue Dillingham for her work as Auditor over the years. 

She also thanked Gloria Sommer and Jack and Jenny Thompson for running the popular bridge classes. The Committee was looking at the possibility of re-instating duplicate sessions over the summer for students and interested Members of the Club.

She then thanked Gerry Warren (for provisioning the bar), Sue Gregory (EBU Master Points), Bill Chapman (Honours Boards), Ruth Edmondson (the website), Barbara E. Campbell (the Tuesday afternoon sessions), and Sandra Bennett and her team (Club Nights). The Chairperson reminded Members that Sandra would need more support to keep the Club Nights going in 2009.

She thanked all the Directors for their work in directing the competitions during the year. But she said that more Directors were needed and pointed out that the Club would pay the costs of the necessary training courses.

She welcomed the renting of a room by the Plymouth Chess Club. She noted that the new Committee would enter negotiations with the Chess Club by May 2009 for an extension of this arrangement. 

Regarding the EBU Strategy for the future of bridge, she had hoped that a meeting of all Club Members would have been held by February 2009 to debate all the issues. However this meeting had been delayed to at least June 2009 when the proposed contract between the EBU and Plymouth Bridge Club would be available. Members would have the opportunity of voting on this in due course.

She finished by wishing the new Committee well.

On behalf of the members, John Lankshear thanked the Chairperson for making the last year a successful one for Plymouth Bridge Club.

7.Presentation of Cups and Trophies

The Chairperson presented the cups  see list for details.

8.Election of Officers

The Members approved the election of the following as Officers of Plymouth Bridge Club:-

ChairpersonJohn Vaughan Prop. Ivor Moore, Sec. Bev Dickinson

SecretaryJack Thompson Prop. Geoff Langdon, Sec. Gloria Sommer 

TreasurerPeter Espig Prop. Mair Preston-Jones, Sec. Elizabeth Horton

John Vaughan then thanked the Club for electing him as Chairman. 

9.Election of Committee

The following were elected as members of the Committee:-

Elizabeth CalderProp. Ivor Moore, Sec. Bev Dickinson

David DenbyProp. Ted Beadell,? Sec. Jenny Thompson

Bev DickinsonProp. Ivor Moore, Sec. David Atkins

Ruth EdmondsonProp. Ivor Moore, Sec. Pat Meade

Ivor MooreProp. E;lizabeth Calder, Sec. Sue Gregory

Mair Preston-JonesProp. Sandra Bennett, Sec. Gloria Lankshear 

10.Re-election of Trustee

Elizabeth Horton agreed to continue as a Trustee of Plymouth Bridge Club. She was proposed by Jack Thompson and seconded by Peter Espig.? The proposal was approved.

11.Any other Business

  1. Ivor Moore proposed his motion for the need for Club Members to be consulted on the EBU Strategy. After a discussion the Chair summarised by stating that the new Committee would present a case when all the information on the EBU contract and the charge by the DBA were available. The new Committee would then hold an Extraordinary General Meeting for Club Members probably after June 2009.

(ii)Ann Husk then proposed that the Members discuss the arrangement under which the Plymouth Chess Club was renting a room twice a week for 30 weeks for its members. Several Members contributed their views. Most thought that the arrangement was a good idea but felt that the amount paid by the Chess Club should be increased. This increase would bring the cost to the individual Chess player more into line with what the individual PBC member paid. The Chair promised to keep these comments in mind when the contract with the Chess Club was renegotiated in May 2009. 

There being no further business, the Chairman closed the meeting at 7.40pm.





Annual General Meeting18th February, 2009

Presentation of Cups and Trophies



Tudor Mixed TeamsVal Manicom, Ann Husk, Pat Meade & Andy Tooley

Heffernan CupSarah Lyons and Claire Hamon

Allan HughesIvor Moore and Sue Gregory

Pellow CupJohn Beard and Mike Hamon 

Walter ParsonsJohn Lankshear and Gloria Lankshear

Spring TrophyGeoff Langdon

Summer CupJohn Beard

Winter CupMargaret Flanagan

Ladies PairsSue Gregory and Val Manicom

Northcott CupIvor Moore and Geoff Langdon