AGM 6th November 2007
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Notice of the 122nd Annual General Meeting
11th October 2007
Dear Members
The Club’s AGM will take place at the Club on Tuesday 6th 'November 2007 at 7.45pm. The meeting is open to paid up adult Members.
The Agenda, Minutes from last year, a list of all Directors standing for re-election, nomination forms, proxy voting forms and a membership report are all enclosed and are also available in the Club House. The club’s accounts for the financial year ended 30 April 2007 will be available in the clubhouse and will be presented at the AGM.
The AGM is an excellent opportunity for members to understand what your committee has been working on during the past year and to be party to directing it for the coming year. It is also your chance to stand for election to the committee to action some of the issues that you feel strongly about. We look forward to seeing you there.
Kind regards
Martha Gordon
Club Secretary
Agenda
- 1. Apologies for absence
- 2. Minutes of the 121st Annual General Meeting
- 3. Chairman’s Report
- 4. Accounts of Thames Ditton LTC Ltd for the year ended 30 April 2007 and forecast
- 5. Club Coach Report
- 6. Club Groundsman Report
- 7. Elect an Auditor for the year 2007/08
- 8. Elect Club’s Directors/Committee Members for the year 2007/08
- 9. Founder Member’s Prize
- 10. 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.
We have a relatively new, but keen committee who are committed to developing and expanding the Club. With an appeal already submitted to the Council for floodlighting and a strong desire to improve the playing facilities and opportunities for members, the coming year will be challenging and exciting. We would encourage members 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
- Peter Newman -- Vice Chairman
- Guy Phillips -- Membership Secretary
- Shaun Freeman -- Social Secretary
- Mike Simpson -- Ground Secretary
- Anne Simpson -- Clubhouse Secretary
- Gavin Wilson -- Information Secretary
- John Hatton-Attenbrough -- Junior Secretary
- Graeme Boddy -- Match Secretary
- Martha Gordon -- Club Secretary
Vacancies on the Committee
- Club Treasurer
- Bar Secretary
Nomination Form for Election to the Committee
Click on this link, print, fill in and return.
Proxy Form if You Wish Another Member to Vote on Your Behalf at the AGM
Click on this link, print, fill in and return.
Membership Statistics
Click here for a table showing membership numbers since 2000
Minutes of the 121st Annual General Meeting of Thames Ditton Lawn Tennis Club
Of Thames Ditton Lawn Tennis Club
held in the Clubhouse on 7th November 2006Present:
- Paul Randolph (Chairman)
- Peter Newman (Deputy Chairman)
- Amanda McMillan (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 1st November 2005 were approved and signed by the Chairman.
3. Report from the Club Chairman: The Chairman reported that it had been a challenging year for the committee and highlighted several issues that it has faced:
The lack of adult winter play has remained an issue, despite efforts by the committee to instigate a rota of committee members to attend at the weekend to ensure that players would be assured a game. This had only moderate success.
The Club Coach, Cathy Birt, resigned on 13th February 2006. It is to the credit of the committee that a new coach had been interviewed, trialled and appointed by 14th April 2006. Sunny Dimic has already introduced many new ideas to the club, which have been supported by the committee.
The adult and junior sections of the club are trying to work together more closely.
The committee considered converting the surfaces of a number of the existing tennis courts to an artificial surface. The majority of the committee resolved to convert all of the hard courts, as this would increase the opportunity for Winter play and also the club cannot afford to convert 2 grass courts. However, this plan was not further progressed, as so many of the committee planned to resign that it did not want to commit the new committee to this level of expenditure.
The floodlighting issue has not progressed further. The committee decided to observe an application for floodlighting by Ember Tennis Club which, if approved would set a precedent for other local clubs. Recently the committee has learned that this has been approved, albeit with some stringent restrictions. This is now handed over to the new committee to progress.
The club also suffered two break-ins during the year.
On a more positive note, the Summer party and both planned and unplanned BBQs were excellently attended and enjoyed. Membership levels have been maintained and Sunny has been rebuilding the Junior side of the club. The Open Day was deemed a success following a poster campaign at the train station.
Looking forwards, the club has a healthy bank balance. In addition, the Club Coach has proposed the instigation of the role of a Club Manager, which will be considered by the new committee.
4. Report from the Club Secretary: The Secretary had circulated a written report to Members prior to the AGM, which was accepted by the meeting.
5. Club Accounts to 30th April 2006: The accounts were presented by Julian Brigstock from Collards Accountants. He reported a surplus of £20,000 for the year, a slight rise on the previous year, and no other significant costs. The accounts show a small profit from the bar. The club is solvent.
In response to questions from the floor, Julian explained that the LTA loan is an interest free 10-year loan of £80,000 paid back at a rate of £8,000 per annum. The value of the freehold is shown in the accounts at cost (£179,175). The Chairman further explained that although the club owns the freehold of the land, the original vender has retained a right to a 1-foot strip of land around the boundary to exclude a situation in the future where members could sell the club for personal profit.
6. Report from the Club Coach: The Club Coach was not in attendance.
7. Report from the Club Groundsman: Graham Kimpton reported a successful year. His team continues to deal with undulating court surfaces (due to the age of the courts). Relaying them would be very costly at this stage and would mean limited play the following year. It was a dry season, but the irrigation system coped well. Repair has started on court base-lines and this will continue throughout the Winter season.
8. Membership Subscriptions and Visitors Fees: The Chairman explained that fees are required to increase in line with inflation to satisfy the LTA loan requirements, however, it may be timely to make a case to the LTA not to apply an increase in the next season, as we may be becoming uncompetitive in relation to other local clubs and we have sufficient funds in the bank to satisfy any LTA concerns. The meeting voted to allow the committee to agree fees at a later date.
9. Election of an Auditor: The Chairman proposed Collards remain as auditor to the club. This was approved by a vote of the club members.
10. Report on Court Surfaces: The Grounds Secretary, Mike Simpson, presented samples of the proposed new court surface. The surface can be laid straight onto tarmac and will take 3 weeks. The life expectancy of the surface is good and carries a 10-year guarantee. The work has now been delayed due to the deferred decision on the surfaces by the committee and now cannot take place until Spring 2007. During this time, the hard courts will have to be cleared of moss, incurring a cost of approximately £2,000. A general discussion followed as to the merits of converting a grass court to an artificial surface, thereby having 5 courts of each. The cost of resurfacing the 4 hard courts is approximately £50,000, the cost of converting Court 6 would be £60,000. These discussions will be continued by the committee.
11. Election of the Club’s Directors/Committee Members for the year 2005/06:
The following were all unanimously elected to the committee for the 2006/2007 season.
- Chairman - Andrew Meatyard
- Vice Chairman - Peter Newman
- Secretary - Martha Gordon
- Treasurer - Tom Kelly
- Membership Secretary - Guy Phillips
- Social Secretary - Sean Freeman
- Match Secretary - Graham Boddy
- Grounds Secretary - Mike Simpson
- Bar and House Secretary - Anne Simpson
- Information Secretary - Gavin Wilson
- Junior Secretary - John Hutton-Attenborough
12. Draw for the Founder Member’s Prize: The draw was held for the Founder Member’s Prize which was won by Jane Vickery.
13. Any Other Business:
- Disappointment was expressed at the absence of the Club Coach.
- John Meyler of College Drive suggested that residents of College Drive, who are Club members, be allowed use of the gate between the club grounds and the Drive. Only residents who are members of the tennis club would be permitted to use the gate and there would be a key/entry code system installed to ensure this. A number of other residents of College Drive would be more likely to join the Club as a result.
- Chris Lewis expressed the need for a report from the Membership Secretary.
- Access to the clubhouse was requested for those members playing whilst the bar is shut. It was noted that keys are available from the bar at a £5 deposit. They should not be given to juniors for security reasons.
- Mike Simpson pointed out that the clubhouse is due to be refurbished and given a more modern look with new blinds and furniture.
- Incoming Chairman, Andrew Meatyard, thanked outgoing members of the committee, and especially Paul Randolph, for their hard work in the past year/s.
Signed:
Andrew Meatyard
Chairman
Date _____________
Martha Gordon
Club Secretary
Date ____________
