AGM Tuesday 21st October 2008

From Tennis

Revision as of 19:35, 14 October 2008

Notice of the 123rd Annual General Meeting

September 2008

Dear Members

The Club’s AGM will take place at the Tennis Club on Tuesday 21st October 2008 at 7.45pm. The meeting is open to all paid-up adult Members.

The purpose of the AGM is to update members about the Club’s performance over the past year, as well as outline plans for the coming season. It is also your opportunity to stand for a committee position. With a number of vacancies on the incoming committee and all committee positions up for election, you will have a great opportunity to contribute to the overall performance and direction of the Club. Committee vacancies include:

• Vice Chairman
• Club Secretary
• Membership Secretary
• Social Secretary

Please don't hesitate to talk to any recent committee member if you want to find out what any of these roles involve.

The Agenda, Minutes from last year, a list of all Directors standing for re-election, nomination forms and proxy voting forms are enclosed. The Club’s accounts for the financial year ended 30 April 2008 will also be presented at the AGM.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Kind regards,

Martha Gordon

Club Secretary

Agenda

1. Apologies for absence
2. Minutes of the 122nd Annual General Meeting
3. Chairman’s Report
4. TDLTC Accounts (year ended 30 April 2008) and Forecast
5. Club Coach Report
6. Club Groundsman Report
7. Elect Club’s Directors/Committee Members for the year 2008/09
8. Founder Member’s Prize
9. Any Other Business

Nominations for the Committee

Your club is a Company limited by guarantee. It is run by volunteers who carry out a substantial range and volume of work and attend Club committee meetings. Each committee member is a Director of the company. Each year all the members stand down although they are eligible for re-election.

Please find enclosed a nomination form for any adult club member willing to stand for election at the AGM and serve on the committee as a Club Director.

The duties and responsibilities of Directors of the club are not onerous and do not involve any substantial financial risk; no special qualifications are required. However, the Club’s policy does require all Directors and club coaches to sign a Child Protection Declaration which allows criminal record checks to be carried out. Our insurance policy requires Directors to provide employers’ references.

The progress and development of the Club depends on the efforts of an effective committee. Members are encouraged to put themselves forward for any committee position where they feel they could contribute, even if a current committee member is seeking re-election for that position. Healthy competition will be welcomed. For further information please contact Andrew Meatyard (Chairman) or any other member of the committee.

Directors standing for re-election:

• Andrew Meatyard—Chairman
• Mike Simpson—Ground Secretary
• Anne Simpson—House Secretary
• Steve Banham—Bar Secretary
• Gavin Wilson—Information Secretary
• Gavin Wilson—Treasurer
• John Hutton-Attenborough&mdashJunior Secretary
• Graeme Boddy—Match Secretary

Vacancies on the Committee:

1. Vice Chairman
2. Club Secretary
3. Membership Secretary
4. Social Secretary

Nomination Form for Election to the Committee

If you wish to stand for a committee post, or nominate another member, please click on the link below, print off the page, complete it, and send it to Martha Gordon:

• Nomination Form for Election to the Committee

Proxy Voting at the AGM

If you wish another to vote on your behalf at the AGM, please click on the link below, print off the page, complete it, and send it to Martha Gordon:

• Vote-by-Proxy Form, for all Resolutions at the AGM, 21st October 2008

Minutes of the 122nd Annual General Meeting Of Thames Ditton Lawn Tennis Club

held in the Clubhouse on 6th November 2007

Present:

• Andrew Meatyard (Chairman)
• Martha Gordon (Secretary)
• Club and Committee members

1. Apologies for Absence

Noted

2. Approval of the Minutes

The minutes of the previous year’s Annual General Meeting held on 7th November 2006 were approved and signed by the Chairman.

3. Report from the Club Chairman

Along with five new members of the committee, the Chairman worked hard this year to set a new vision for the club and work about achieving it.

The primary objective this year was to halt declining Club membership. To that end, the committee worked hard to promote a ‘feelgood factor’, including the Christmas party, a family tournament, American tournaments, the Summer Ball, the Vets Finals Day Barbecue and the annual quiz night, all of which were well attended and enjoyed.

The committee also invested a lot of time looking towards the future of the Club and this year’s membership drive was paramount to that purpose. Setting attractive subscription rates, planning the advertising campaign and organising a successful Open Weekend brought dividends as over 40 new members signed up.

An application for floodlighting on the hard courts was made to Elmbridge Borough Council, but was rejected. An appeal has subsequently been submitted, though is not expected to return in our favour. Should we be unsuccessful, a revised application will be submitted.

The committee also increased the level of openness regarding committee processes and decisions, with minutes now posted on the website and on the notice board. Other positives include the cleaning of the hard courts and successful negotiation with a neighbour regarding the removal of some eucalyptus trees, which were damaging the courts.

The Chairman expressed thanks to Tom Kelly, outgoing Treasurer, who saved the Club considerable amounts of money, and Anne Simpson, who is retiring from the running of the bar, which she made a welcoming and hospitable place.

4. Club Accounts to 30th April 2007

Tom Kelly, Club Treasurer, presented the accounts. By the end of April 2007, the Club had approximately £26,000 in the bank. There is also a residual £11,000 payable from the Lottery Fund, which may be forthcoming on the production of a report by TDLTC. There is still an £8,000 annual LTA loan repayment, which has three years left to run.

Income fell during this period and costs increased due to some large one-off payments e.g a new lawn mower and cleaning the courts. We are not building up a great surplus for investment or contingencies. The Treasurer had, however, also embarked on a cost cutting exercise. All expenses were closely monitored and some reduced or done away with. For example, we will no longer be using the services of the Club’s auditors, we reduced rubbish costs and we now own rather than rent fire extinguishers etc. The Club is now operating quite leanly.

5. Club Coach Report

Sunni Dimic, the Club Coach, presented the coaching review. The Junior Programme was very quiet last year with departure of the Cathy Birt, the previous Club Coach. This year we had 60/70 new kids and at present have approx 90 kids involved in the programme. We have a solid term-time programme and although the Summer tennis camps (running Monday to Friday 10am to 4pm) didn’t really get off the ground this year they should be interesting next year. The HJC Tournament was also successfully run.

New adult members get six weeks free coaching at the beginning of the Summer. However, there is no real interest in individual adult lessons, which surprises Sunni.

It was suggested that Sunday afternoons might copy the format of the successful Friday evenings, which might improve numbers and quality of weekend play during the Winter.

6. Report from the Club Groundsman

Graham Kimpton reported a mixed season. The weather was poor during the Summer, though the Autumn was very good and the last grass play was held on 8th October. It was difficult to open the courts earlier as it was the wettest Winter in decades. However, the new mower was up and running and the removal of the eucalyptus trees was a great help to the courts. We are planning to improve the fencing around the grass courts. Graham thanked Mike Simpson and Andrew Meatyard for their continued support.

7. Account Auditing for 2007/2008

The club is only in a position to remove the Club Auditors if there is a qualified accountant reviewing the accounts. Warren Watson had kindly reviewed the accounts ending April 2007. Tom Kelly volunteered his services for the coming year.

8. Elect Club’s Directors and Committee Members for the year 2007/08

The positions of Treasurer and Bar Secretary have become vacant. The newly voted committee is as follows:

• Chairman: Andrew Meatyard
• Deputy Chairman Peter Newman
• Club Secretary Martha Gordon
• Treasurer Gavin Wilson
• Membership Secretary Guy Phillips
• Social Secretary Shaun Freeman
• Match Secretary Graeme Boddy
• Grounds Secretary Mike Simpson
• House Secretary Anne Simpson
• Information Secretary Gavin Wilson
• Junior Secretary John Hutton-Attenborough
• Bar Secretary Vacant (the committee will attempt to fill later)

9. Draw for the Founder Member’s Prize

The annual Founder Member’s Prize Draw was won by Paul Randolph, who kindly donated his prize back to the Club.

10. Any Other Business

• Interest was expressed in a Christmas Barbecue.
• The use of the gate between TDLTC and College Drive by College Drive residents—nothing has so far progressed on this.
• An ambulance was called to the Club but could not enter due to parked cars. It may have found it easier to come through College Drive. Committee will investigate.
• New members find it difficult to know the workings of the Club and what is happening and when. Martin House has come up with an unofficial guide to the club for new members—would the committee like to take ownership of it? The committee will review it.
• It was suggested that the membership year change to January-to-December to make it easier for Tournament Organisers. However, this is not practical as we are most likely to gain new members in the Summer in good weather.

Meeting closed 10pm.

Signed:

Andrew Meatyard Martha Gordon Chairman Club Secretary

Date _____________ Date ____________