ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
7.00 pm
MINUTES
1
Registration of
proxies: The following members signed proxy forms.
Gordon
Rainsford, Roger Morton, Chris Watkinson, Carlos Dabezes, Dean Swallow, Tim
Pelling, Ryan Stephenson, Adrian Rogers, Roger Fellows, Charles Moore, Simon
Prager, Kit Jackson, Toby Naish, Mike Stanton, R Balchin.
2
Apologies
for absence
Present: Mike Hill (MH chairman), Ian Payn (IP), Brian
Callaghan (BC), Susi Behrman (SB), Paul Lamford (PL), Chris Duckworth (CD),
Nigel Freake (NF), Carol Regulski (CR), James Smith (JS), Stefanie Rohan (SR),
Sati McKenzie (SM), Simon Cocheme (SC), Carolyn
Murphy (CM), Ned Paul (NP), Steve Eginton (SE)
and 15 members by proxy.
Apologies: Cecil Leighton (CL), Kit Jackson (KJ), Roger Morton
(RM), David Muller (DM).
3
Minutes of the AGM of 3rd
July 2008
No
points of accuracy were raised.
4
Matters arising from these
minutes
None.
5
Chairman’s Report
The
EBU’s proposals to introduce “Pay to Play” continued to generate activity in
2008, although perhaps not as much as in 2007. There was still a need to keep
individual members and member clubs fully informed and receive their feedback –
and the latter eventually led to one of the very rare cases of the committee
mandating its shareholders voting, splitting the LMBA’s votes on the final
proposals into one for, one against, and one abstention.
Perhaps
the focus on such matters affected the ability of London members actually to
play the game! There was nothing positive to report on our performance in the
Home Counties League and Metropolitan Cup and our team in the Tollemache Cup
failed to qualify for the third successive year. However, we did manage to
retain the Committee Cup in our annual match against the Surrey committee,
although it was reduced from teams-of-twelve to teams-of-eight and this does
rather detract from its original purpose of individual exchanges to share ideas
and practices for mutual benefit, as well as playing bridge.
People
Christine
Duckworth has, as always, continued to shoulder the bulk of work for the
Association as county secretary and editor of the newsletter. Roger Morton has
done sterling work on membership (including ensuring that all our competition
organisers are in a position to establish that all participants are paid up
members of London and/or the EBU as appropriate) and has continued to develop
the Association’s website. Stephanie Rohan took over responsibility for
organising the Lederer Memorial Trophy, helped by Paul Lamford handling the
“play with the stars” event that runs in parallel with it, but Simon Cocheme
remained involved to provide the experience needed. Almost in the background, Sati McKenzie
continues to do sterling work running the leagues, the Champions Cup and the
London Championship teams of four, whilst also acting as the committee’s
minutes secretary.
Sadly,
shortly after taking on the task of treasurer in the middle of the year,
Marijke van Beesten was taken ill and, after due consideration, felt she was
unable to continue in the role and resigned from the committee. Our hopes go
out to her for a full recovery.
Finance
The
underlying financial position seemingly remains stable. However, we remain
somewhat exposed as a result of the several handovers of the role of treasurer
over the last three years. During 2006, Steve Eginton handed over the role to
Stefanie Rohan and, during 2008, she handed it on to Marijke van Beesten.
Following the latter’s resignation through ill-health, the county was without a
treasurer for several months (a situation rectified early in 2009 when Ian Payn
volunteered to take it on) but the handovers and gaps have left a number of
loose ends and we do not as yet have final accounts for any of the last three
years. This is not satisfactory and, although the individual competition
reports and the LMBA’s bank balances indicate that we remain financially sound,
we do need action from the new treasurer to rectify matters.
The
impact of the EBU’s “Pay to Play” implementation remains a longer-term concern.
The Association’s unique position tends to give it a significant membership to
service but few clubs within its aegis to generate its income. In the short
term, the committee has decided to implement a number of cost-reducing measures
in order to set a competitive rate for its “county element” of “Pay to Play”
whilst maintaining overall financial stability. This may not be best in the
longer term and we shall need to keep the matter under constant review for
several years.
Sponsorship remains a critical part of the Association’s finances. The Lederer could not take place without generous sponsorship from our President, Bernard Teltscher, and the Young Chelsea Bridge Club. Similarly, the Fox Shammon Trophy, the finals of the London Trophy and the Della-Porta Plate and the London Trophy Pairs continue to benefit from venues being provided by Queen’s Club and the Royal Automobile Club. Our thanks are due to them all.
The
Future
Now
that the “Pay to Play” proposal, the first step in a strategy for a complete
review and overhaul of the EBU’s activities and practices aimed at revitalising
the game in England, has been approved, there will need to be a lot of activity
at county level to help to make it work. The Association is committed to being
part of the ongoing process, but will need the full support of its members,
both individuals and clubs, and their willingness to put forward positive,
practical suggestions for further ways in which the Association can help them
in the process of developing the game.
There
is a danger that concerns about the current recession in the UK economy will
have a negative impact on plans for the growth of bridge. No-one can be sure of
the short-term impact (views that people will be short of money and so less
able to afford to play bridge are finely balanced against views that bridge may
gain at the expense of more costly pastimes and that early retirees may need
bridge to fill their time) but, at both national and county levels, it is vital
that we do not lose sight of, and motivation for the longer-term aims.
Expanding participation in the game of bridge is a desirable aim for all
players, whether “social” or highly competitive, and we should all continue to
put effort into it.
6
Treasurer’s Report
The new
treasurer (IP) started in March 2009, having taken over from Marijke van
Beesten. Owing to several changes of treasurer over the last 3-4 years, the
accounts are in something of a disarray – but the finances remain reasonably
healthy Over the 3-4 months prior to IP’s taking over, RM attempted to restore
order as much as possible, by paying in cheques, settling invoices, reconciling
bank transactions with event reports and preparing a summary profit and loss
spreadsheet for 2008. Using that as a basis, IP was able to say that at the
start of 2008, the LMBA bank balance stood at £7700, and at the end of the year
at £6800. However, there are a few items still to be added/reconciled, such as
the income from Lederer and missing cash of £200 which is being followed up.
Taking all those into account, indications are that 2008 showed a small overall
surplus (although a surplus was expected given that 2008 was a relatively low
expenditure year for the Lederer. In broad terms, we
have liquid reserves equal to approximately twice the annual subscription.
The
cash balance today (including income from current year subscriptions) stands at
£9860 (£9500 and £360 in the two accounts), but there will be two major items
of expenditure (Tollemache and the newsletter, estimated at £1400) plus extra
costs for the Lederer. IP hopes to present audited accounts for 2008 and 2009
at the next AGM in 2010.
Uncertainties
as to the impact of P2P still remain. The committee is trying to reduce costs
by discontinuing loss making competitions and reducing the number of
newsletters. The P2P levy for London is set at 8p for 2010-11, but the
committee will be monitoring the situation carefully.
7
Adoption of accounts for
2008
The accounts will be presented at the next AGM i.e. 2010.
8
Subscriptions (inc. P2P)
for 2010-2011:
Pending
a clearer understanding of the impact of P2P, the committee asked the
membership to authorise an increase of up to £1 in the subscription for
2010-11. This was proposed by CD, seconded by CM and agreed nem con after a
lively discussion.
NP felt
that LMBA should engage more with its membership and also with London clubs;
two newsletters per year is not enough. He suggested that LMBA charge more, but provide bimonthly
newsletters with articles and information of interest to ordinary members. His
view was that LMBA should operate more as a commercial venture with
advertising. Direct involvement with clubs is also essential if they are not to
disaffiliate.
Counter
arguments from CD and others included the difficulty of getting enough material
for even two newsletters per annum, lack of advertisers, the cost of postage
and finally, the practical problems in collecting the subscription. Also, LMBA
subscriptions should be collected only from EBU members, which adds to the
complications. NP suggested a two tier membership of LMBA, with a special
category for non EBU members. This aroused opposition from some members and it
was pointed out that the LMBA was not allowed to have members who were not EBU
members; however, some sort of arrangement to supply services such as the
magazine to non-members in return for a contribution was possible. The chairman
finally ruled that the issues were too important, complex and fundamental to be
dealt with at the AGM. Further discussion is needed both at committee level and
with the general membership.
Until
such discussions can be put in place, direct and dual members will pay the
subscription set by the committee within the amount authorised above (but there
is unlikely to be any change from the existing £5). It was confirmed that the
P2P levy for 2010-11 has, perforce, already been set - at 37p (29 p for EBU and
8 p for LMBA).
9
Elections to the Executive
Committee
There was one
vacancy on the committee after the last AGM and one resignation from the
Committee during the past year, that of Marijke van Beesten. Paul Lamford and Ian Payn had been co-opted onto the committee to fill these
vacancies. Paul Lamford
declined to stand owing to work pressures but had indicated willingness to
complete the work he had agreed to do for the 2009 Lederer
(so will continue to be invited to attend committee meetings for the remainder
of 2009).
Ian Payn stood for election and Roger Morton and Stefanie Rohan
stood for re-election. Ned Paul agreed to stand to fill the remaining vacancy.
In the absence of other candidates, all four were declared elected.
10
Appointment of honorary
auditor
Mike
Scoltock was proposed by IP, seconded by Carol Regulski and reappointed nem
con.
11
EBU Shareholders’ Report
CD
reported that P2P subscription amounts had now been formally set and contracts
have gone out to clubs. Responses were due by the end of July.
One day
and green pointed events – the capping of the license fee will be advantageous
to London.
12
Any other business
CR
asked how leagues will be affected by P2P for the 2009-10 season, given that it
starts in September, 2009 and most matches will have been played by April 2010.
It was assumed that transitional arrangemenst will be
put in place as P2P cannot really be applied part way through an event.
However, confirmation from EBU is needed and MH will follow that up.
There being no
other business, the meeting closed at 8:00 pm.