Minutes of the Beaumaris Bowling Club Pre-Season Meeting held at the Bulkeley Arms Hotel in Beaumaris on Friday 13th March 2020 commencing at 7.30pm.
Present.
Chairman – Mike Ormond
Deputy Chairman – Alan Caughter
Secretary – David Mathias
Treasurer – Barry Harris
Life Members – Robin Davies – Mike Ormond
Members: - Dave Baxter – Martin Davidson – Peter Evison – Councillor D T Evans – Adam Harris – David Jones – Daniel Owen – Geraint Owen – Trevor Ashenden J P – Arfon Jones – Ken Thomas – Brian Begley.
Agenda:
1 Welcome by the Chair.
The Chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting, before sadly confirming that Life Member, Ken Parry (Clogs), had passed away peacefully in his home in the early morning of the 12th March 2020. He confirmed that his funeral had been set for Wednesday 18th March 2020 for 10.00am at the Bangor Crematorium, with refreshments then being served after the service at the Liverpool Arms in Beaumaris. He hoped that as many Beaumaris bowlers as possible would attend.
He then asked all in attendance to stand for a minutes silence in his memory and perhaps take a moment to reflect on the memories they had of him.
2 Apologies for Absence:
Apologies were received, recorded and accepted from, Life Member Derek Stanley – Andrew Stanley – Mal Burns – Tim Williams – Geraint Booth – Bobby Williams – Keith Bailey – Mrs Olga Evison – Stuart Thomas and Gwyn Thomas.
3 Minutes of Pre – Season Meeting held on the 15th March 2019.
As these Minutes had for some-time been displayed on the Beaumaris Bowling Club page they were proposed as a true and correct record by Robin Davies, seconded by Geraint Owen and unanimously accepted by all present.
4 Matters arising from the Minutes.
There no matters arising from the Minutes
5 Hon. Secretary Report.
The Secretary confirmed the following:
5.1 – He had over the winter submitted a Donation Request to the Beaumaris Town Council to purchase a new electric fertiliser spreading machine to the value of around £650.00. He was therefore pleased to confirm that the spreader had subsequently been purchased by the Town Council themselves and that the Green Keeper – Leighton Jones could have free use of it when required. He had thanked the Town Council via an E mail, but again thanked The Beaumaris Town Clerk (Trevor Ashenden) who was in attendance.
5.2 – He confirmed that the Happy Valley Pavilion had been re-painted, after consultation with C.A.D.W. in a grey white and turquoise green colour.
5.3 – He confirmed that the Happy Valley Car Park was unlikely to be open for parking for the commencement of the season on Saturday 4th April 2020.
5.4 – He confirmed that as well as many other management duties he had now also been elected as the Deputy Secretary of the Gwynedd Senior Citizens League and Treasurer of the Anglesey and Bangor and District Bowling Association. He was also in 2020 to stand as the Past President of the Welsh CGBA.
5.5 – He confirmed that a number of the Club players and their partners had met together at the Liverpool Arms on Saturday 29TH February for a meal and a good time was had by all.
5.6 – The Secretary confirmed that he would, after the meeting, be renewing his DBS Enhanced Certificate with D T Evans, as he had been designated the official Safeguarding Officer for the Beaumaris Bowling Club.
5.7– He like, the Chairman, spoke about the passing of his great friend of over 36 years Ken “Clogs” Parry. He, like Mike, had visited him weekly over the winter months and extended his great appreciation to the other bowlers who had taken the time to visit and chat to him at his home.
The Chair went on to again thank him for the work he did for the Club.
6 – Hon Treasurer Report.
The Treasurer confirmed that the current Bank Balance stood at - £1479.79 cr.
There had been little outgoings over the winter months other than the purchase of thank you presents for Kim and Dave at the Happy Valley Pavilion and the purchase of a meal for Lotti Summers in appreciation of the fact that she audits the Clubs accounts free of charge each year.
He confirmed that subscriptions for the 2020 had been received from the following:
Alan Caughter
Mrs Sheila Graham
Mr Arfon Jones
Mr Martin Davidson
Mr Peter Evison
Mrs Olga Evison
Mr Geraint Owen
Daniel Owen (Junior)
He reminded all present that the fees were as in 2019:
Full Members - £35.00
Social Members - £35.00
Junior Members - £20.00
Country Members - £20.00
And that all subscription should be paid by the 30th April 2020
7 Reports from AGM’s of Associations and Leagues 2019/2020
Welsh CGBA:
The Secretary confirmed that at the Welsh CGBA Annual General Meeting held at Prestatyn in February, he had stood down as the President and had now taken on the role of Past President of the Welsh CGBA for 2020. He went on to confirm that:
Simon Walker (Flintshire CGBA) had been elected as President for 2020 and
Jack Hunt (Glyndwr CGBA) had been elected as Deputy President 2020.
Also that that the player subscription charge for 2020 had been reduced from £4.00 to £3.00 per player.
Gwynedd CGBA.
The Secretary confirmed the following points of interest;
- That he had been elected as a Hon. Life Member of the Association to replace the late Emyr Buckland.
- That D T Evans had been re-elected as one of the three Gwynedd CGBA representatives to serve on the Welsh CGBA Governance Board.
- That two Beaumaris teams had been entered into the 2020 Gwynedd Knockout Cup Competition, with the draw taking place on the 26th March 2020.
North Wales Coast League Bowling Association.
The Secretary confirmed that there was nothing of real relevance to report other than the season was to commence on the 4th April with the A team away to Rhos Park A and the B team home to Rhos Park B.
Gwynedd Senior Citizens League.
The Secretary confirmed that three new teams had applied to play in the league – Benllech B – Caernarfon – Bangor, which meant that for the third year in a row that the B team would not be relegated and would continue to play in Division 1, which would now consist of 12 teams. However in the last few weeks Bangor, due to lack of players, had decided to withdraw, which meant that Division B would continue with 11 teams and not as per the fixtures 12 teams.
North Wales Super League:
The Secretary confirmed that over the winter months three Wrexham Clubs had decided to withdraw from the league – Gresford Colliery – Esclusham and Cuncliffe. With Craig y Don joining, it meant that the league would continue with only 9 teams.
Anglesey and Bangor and District Bowling Association.
The Secretary confirmed the following:
Monday Night League.
With Penygroes applying to join the league it would mean that it would consist of 12 teams in 2020.
New playing rules had been passed meaning that teams, turning up 1/2 players short, would be allowed to double up, with said players retaining their aggregate scores, but would then result in the team having 1/2 points deducted from their final combined winning score.
The Pairs Competition rules had also been changed, with qualifying nights still being in midweek, but with only 4, and not as in last year 8 pairs, going through to Finals Night.
Wednesday Night League.
With Menai Bridge and the Academi Llanfair coming into the league, it would now consist of 9 teams in 2020.
The draws for both the Whitworth and Festival Cups taking place on the 19th March 2020.
8 Fixtures for 2020 season
The Secretary confirmed that as the full set of Fixtures for all Leagues had not, as yet been displayed, he recommended in due course that all members checked the North Wales Bowling Website. He confirmed that copies would be displayed at the Happy Valley Pavilion and would print copies off for Club Captains and members who did not have computer access to them.
9 Any Other Business.
9.1 – The Secretary confirmed that Geraint Booth on behalf of the Super League players had provisionally entered the national Arthur Land Knockout Cup at an entry fee of £50.00. He therefore wished to know whether the Club would pay the fee or did they expect the players to pay the fee themselves. After some discussion Mike Ormond proposed, Arfon Jones seconded, that the fee be paid by the Club. This was then agreed unanimously by all present. The Treasurer confirming that he would transfer the funds in due course.
9.2 – Geraint Owen recommended that the Club purchased new tapes, both long and short before the season commenced. This was agreed and the Chair confirmed that he personally would instigate the purchases as soon as possible.
9.3 – Coronavirus Update – Councillor D T Evans, speaking in his capacity as Chairman of the Welsh CGBA Governance Board, confirmed that he was now in receipt of guidelines from the CEO of the British CGBA, in which all Clubs had been recommended to introduce, in relation to basic hygiene. All Club Secretaries would, in due course, be in receipt of these guidelines.
He went on to confirm that the Clwydian Senior Citizens Bowling Association had now decided to cancel the first half of their 2020 Fixtures to hopefully complete the second half of their Fixtures from July onwards. He was also therefore strongly recommending that the Gwynedd Senior Citizens Bowling Association called an EGM with immediate effect to consider doing the same, as of course the men and women playing in that league were now being classed as the most vulnerable in succumbing to the disease. Mike Ormond confirmed that he personally would take up the matter with Reg Chapman, the Chair of the Gwynedd Senior Citizens Bowling Association.
9.4 – Dress Code – Alan Caughter brought up the matter of Club playing shirts, as currently the teams playing in the majority of the leagues, other than the Super League, were dressed unfittingly and were not a good advertisement to the Club when playing on the bowling green. After some discussion it was unanimously agreed that the Club look to purchase burgundy playing tops incorporating the Beaumaris Bowling Club motif. Mike Ormond and Adam Harris agreed to liaise and in due course order shirts for the players that required them, but that the said players would be expected, firstly to purchase them themselves and secondly to wear them when representing the Beaumaris Bowling Club teams on the bowling-green.
As there was no other business to discuss the Chair once again thanked everyone for attending and closed the meeting at 8.25.pm.
As a footnote to these Minutes it is now becoming more abundantly apparent that due to spread of the Coronavirus, all bowling leagues that the Beaumaris Bowling Club should be playing in during the coming 2020 season, will postponed or even cancelled. Once matters become clearer I shall notify all captains concerned.
David Mathias – Hon Secretary 16th March 2020.