LOUGHBOROUGH BOAT CLUB COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES
26.11.2015
6:30PM
LOUGHBOROUGH BOAT CLUB ZOUCH

Present: Don Wix, Mary Carswell, Stuart Ward, Rob Parks, Keith Hudson, David McCaughan

Apologies: Sandra Martin

Minutes from previous meeting: minutes were approved.

Actions:

New Freedom boat – funded through grants has arrived as is being used well, report on website.
Gas meter- moving of gas meter to inside the club and upgrade to smart meter. The people didn’t turn up when they said they would, awaiting rebooking of appointment. As there is no cost to the club and is a better place to have it all in favour of moving it.
Coaching- booking coaching sessions after sign ups from coaches, still being actioned and rolled out.
Club Blazers– not heard anything about material from before, but order has been put in with new supplier. Ian Hepworth taking lead. Ties are also being enquired after.

Finance and Fundraising:

Balances:
General: £8092.27
Savings: £11281.17
Social: £6315.55
Noted that the general account is down a little more due to expenditure towards Soar Head but there is a significant increase in social balance following previous few events. Looking very healthy.
Soar Head sponsorship – SM to enquired with sponsors if they are happy for it to roll over to next event (hopefully rescheduled for early 2016)
Grants – East Midlands Airport Fund has been received.
SH pots – total expense for 144 pots purchased to cover races 2015 and 2016 totaling £1327 took a sizeable chunk out of the general account. To be taken to the Soar Head committee: do we look to change prizes given, e.g. For less than 3 competitors in an event, give medals, for more give pot. However, from 2017 there is likely to be fewer pots given out with the changes in points system, instead of one pot between 3 or 4 competitors it could be between 20.
Accounts – Missing statements finally received, RP to pass on to Christine Agar and feedback when complete.
Radios for Soar Head – RP to notify DW when payment has been made.
Soar Head – Following the head having to be cancelled this year, the aim to to reschedule in early 2016. Since 2013 the same happened, the slot used has been taken by other clubs moving their dates around. Because of this a later date of early April (2nd/3rd) is being looked at. Being that bit later in the year, communications with C+RT is required to check if it is allowed to hold temporary river closures, no more than 3/4hr, during race times. KH and SW zoo follow this up.
Longer term plans to move the Head event forward to late September have been discussed, giving longer daylight hours. SH committee to discuss ASAP.

Rowing & Facilities Development:

Lighting boathouse/car park – they need doing as it is dark again, safety of everyone. Electrician frozen of KH interested in rowing, try again to invite him down and install lights he has. If not MC and KH to arrange what is needed. Short term to
this, additional PIR light to be installed.
Club room general maintenance – reminder to everyone to do their bit to keep the day to day running of the club clean and tidy, as there has been a lot of work done and new carpet been put in recently keep it tidy and clean. It is a place that is there to be let out, an income for the club. KH to look into the price of shoe covers. DM to pull together some “club room expectations”
Marlow erg – requires monitor and arm, cost of £140, money approved. RP to organise and give the erg the treatment it requires.
Blades – approval given to begin cycling through the blades, taking a set at a time.
Gym – modifications and new equipment have been well received and are being made good use of. The really old erg in the corner, currently occasionally used for suspensions can be removed.

Coaching, Welfare and Safety:

Club mark files have all been submitted!
Safety – encouragement to get people to report all their incidents on the water, DM to email reminder and posters previously made to go up. Reminder also given for people to wear bright clothing
Weil’s disease – email was forwarded from Leicester rowing club following a case there.
Social Activities:
Confirmed bookings for next year include 3 weddings, the ARCO day and an event in January so far. SM to confirm dates for online calendar.
Christmas dinner – a week on Saturday, December 5th
Annual dinner – April 16th 2016. Do we invite neighbouring clubs again? Guest speaker, KH DM to find out about the lady who learnt to row with LBC and rowed the Atlantic.
Website and Communications:
SW has access to the juniors for safety issues pertaining to coaching.
DM is still happy to continue being involved with the club, digital media after he has moved.
East Midlands regional group – email from committee to be sent asking about setting up a group for the region to share and be notified about what’s going on. There is a similar group in place for Yorkshire area. Would be good to build relations between clubs too. SW to take a lead investigating this.
Reports for the Echo – recently there hasn’t been anything in the Echo from the club, admittedly there hasn’t been much to report but check with Kate Henry if she has anything to publish and ask if she is still happy to continue with it or maybe if she would like a small team.

External Committees/Meetings:

Umpires seminar – KH attended the seminar on 22nd November, one main tonic that came out was the average age of umpires, somewhere from 50 -65. A need to encourage younger members to take up umpiring. KH to ask around.
New points system – the ranking/ceding method is being pulled forward with test events beginning next year for a full roll out in 2017.
Sutton Bonington Campus Rowing Club – Proposal previously circulated with them hiring out the gym and use of certain boats.
They are already part of Nottingham University boat club but are looking for somewhere nearer to boat from and have approached LBC. KH to reply with a few queries before we proceed; their expected numbers, duty of care from LBC as they will be using the club’s landing stage, safety issues. Their offer of club hire was reasonable, with committee happy to accept the proposal
so long as the necessary clauses are in effect, e.g. Any damage sustained is covered by them. MC and KH to take this forward and bring back to committee when finalised.
Neil Martin –  Neil has asked to rejoin the club as a member.
Following his departure previously after given events, he has proposed, and is willing to undergo a trial period, following club rules and code of conduct as any other member would. A 3 month trial was proposed by committee and accepted. It was
pointed out that although there was friction and negativity about his lacing of the club previously, he had put in a lot of work towards the club. Going forward, a formal presentation is to be made to Neil and for him to submit an application form.

Any Other Business:

Repair and maintenance – getting to the end of the year it is a good time to give all the boats a check over and ensure everything is as it should be. Tom Scholefield to make a list of any parts required, e.g nuts, washers etc and a day to be organised. RP/DM to oversee.
Scouts – Long Whatton scouts approached the club asking if they could use the club as a place to boat from for raft building act this and boating as well as equipment storage. Committee would allow boating access but due to size of equipment and its safety storage would not be appropriate. DM to relay this information and check on dates and times they would wish to use the club.

DW gave thanks to DM for all his work he has put into the club and committee since his time here and the development it has allowed the club to make.

Next Meeting: Thursday 14th January 2016