Vale Short Mat Bowls Friendly League
AGM Minutes
Minutes of AGM held at Wendover Bowls Club 7:00pm Tuesday 31
st
August 2021
Chairman Secretary Treasurer Match Secretary
Malcolm Richards Malcolm Richards Bob Hine Dave Barber
Members attending
Beacon: Linda Coker, Peter Coker, Jenny Stallard, Tony Short
Chinnor: Ann Hine
Haddenham: David Gander
Hawkslade: Ian Forbes
Marsh Gibbon: John Thompson
Stewkley: Sue Neale
Thame: Ian Rutherford
Wendover: Nick Razey, Sherron Razey, David Catlin, Ian MacMillan, Christine MacMillan, Ann Smith, Eric Smith, Brenda Harrison,
Brian Harrison, Pauline Hobson, Malcolm Hobson, Pete Barksfield, Jill Wheeler, Bob Peel, John Brooks, Belinda Horn, Peter Horn,
Mike Grieves, Anne Brooman, Ian Mackay, George Hunt, Mike Greaves, Carol Kirkpatrick, Barry Burton
Westcott: Trevina Smith, Mike Smith, Bessie Rice, David Rice,
Winslow: Mary Arnold
Committee: Malcolm Richards, Bob Hine, David Barber
Welcome
The Chairman welcomed those present. Good to see so many attending. He thanked Wendover Bowls Club for hosting the evening.
The AGM is your opportunity to decide how your league works; the committee’s job is to implement your wishes.
Covid, the change in status of the BSMBA and housekeeping require changes to be agreed to the Constitution and Match Rules, with
the important business of deciding how the league should be organised for 2021-22 to include all clubs, even with depleted numbers.
1 Apologies
Chris Barksfield
2. Voting
The proposal was to amend the Constitution from “one member one vote” at General Meetings to “one club (=team) one vote”.
John Thompson (Marsh Gibbon) proposed this and explained the rationale.
The proposal was passed unanimously.
Voting for the remainder of the AGM would be on the new basis.
3. Minutes of meeting held at Haddenham Wednesday 8
th
May 2019 at 8:00pm
The minutes were presented as a true and accurate record.
Approved by unanimous vote.
The minutes were duly signed.
4. Matters Arising
Secretary to write to outdoor clubs promoting short mat. Not done. The New BSMBA are contacting all known clubs that may play
short mat but have never registered.
5. Correspondence
Clubs may have been contacted by the ESMBA to encourage them to register, despite their decision not to at the BSMBA EGM. No
club reported any contact.
The BSMBA has circulated all clubs with Covid guidance to try ro ensure a consistent approach and reassure bowlers visiting other
clubs.
Insurance – Bob Hine emphasised the need for all clubs to haver adequate insurance, particularly £5m public liability. The BSMBA is
looking into providing insurance cover at as competitive a cost as possible for those short mat clubs that need it.
6. Chairman’s Report
The season 2019 – 2020 got off to a good start but was then, of course, interrupted by Covid.
The league was not completed, with 3 or 4 games left to play.
The John Robinson divisions were completed with the teams decided due to play the final, but that could not be held.
I’m sure Dave will give you the details.
It was decided not to try to complete the league or the JR but to start a new season afresh.
The prime aim of tonight’s AGM is to establish the format of the league and JR for the coming season
The other significant event since our last AGM was the decision by the BSMBA member clubs to no longer register their members
with the ESMBA. This was partly lack of enthusiasm for ESMBA events, like the Inter County Championships where raising a ream
was looking impossible, and entry into the National Championships where entries in Bucks were dwindling.
The effect of this on the Vale league is that:
Clubs no longer pay a £4 subscription per member to the ESMBA
Clubs can now play any member against any Bucks club in competitions, like leagues, whereas before the ESMBA only
permitted registered members to play in competitive games
In fact the ESMBA stance is that all club members, whether they wish to play in competitive games or not, should register
with them
Clubs lose the facility to buy their insurance through Sutton Winson at ESMBA rates. The BSMBA is exploring an alternative
insurer. Clubs should understand that at the very least they need £5m public liability cover.
The BSMBA was reformed and acts as an umbrella organisation for all the County clubs. It would like a condition of playing in the
leagues that all clubs register with it. This will be discussed later. The original subscription for doing that was £3 per member. That is
now, for 2021-22, £10 per club (team) irrespective of number of members.
We hope that we can sort out a way of playing the league, and possibly the JR, that can include all clubs, even with reduced player
numbers. Hopefully, this will lead us all back in to playing short mat bowls more normally. I’m sure we have all missed not only the
competitive bowling but the socialising that went with it.
Covid has not gone away and the BSMBA has circulated guidelines to clubs to give some consistency to our approach, and
reassurance to visiting teams that there will be appropriate precautions in place, given that all restrictions have legally been removed
(for now, anyway). The Vale League would like all its member clubs, when confirming a fixture with a visiting team, to advise them of
any particular precautions they want observed, such as the wearing of masks, bringing refreshments, and on the night to explain the
arrangements they would like followed – for example, any social distancing, handling woods and so on.
I’m pleased to report that it seems Westcott have resolved their venue problems and are now located in Bierton, Aylesbury.
I’d like to thank Dave Barber for all his work in organising the league and JR and looking after the website, and Bob Hine for his work
on the committee and tending the finances.
And lastly, thank you to all the clubs that make the Vale league possible. Let’s hope this season leads us back to the enjoyable
bowling we’ve had in the past.
7. Secretary’s Report
Two issues were raised prior to the last, ill-fated, AGM
Rule proposal – Peter Coker (Beacon)
“There is no Vale League rule which stops a skip staying at the head until the opposing skip has bowled his first wood.
ESMBA rule E) Players and Their Duties part (1) The Skip para (d) states: ‘They may remain at the head end until it is their
turn to bowl’. It seems only fair to allow both skips to view the head before they bowl their first wood.”
It was agreed that the second skip should have this option and the rules would be amended accordingly.
Ian Macmillan (Wendover)
“Noise during the course of a match which can be very distracting.”
It was agreed captains should request quiet when appropriate.
“Can I ask that bowls are not removed without the opposition giving consent as in the rules, ... Perhaps it would be advisable
for all touchers to be marked twice and to make sure that any chalk caught in the side grips also be removed to avoid
confusion.”
The ESMBA rules say that only the player conceding the shot(s) may remove bowls. It is not made clear who does the
measuring; the consensus is it is the team who were having the shots claimed against them.
It was agreed. Where it is unclear who might have shot a third party could be asked to measure.
8. Match/Fixture Secretary’s Report
From my view point, the 2019-20 season was a success until playing ceased due to Covid restrictions.
The league stopped with 3 to 5 games left to play. The positions then were:
Chinnor
122 points – played 16
Haddenham B
101 points - played 16
Beacon
99 points - played 17
Full results on the VSMBFL website
The two division of the John Robinson were completed with the leaders being Beacon and Haddenham Blue.
It was decided not to complete either of these.
Fixtures for the forthcoming season will be issued when the ability of clubs to raise squads is known. At present minimum likely
declared playing squads are as follows:
Beacon
10
Chinnor
12
Haddenham
10-12
Marsh Gibbon
12
Stewkley
9
Wendover LG
12
Wendover DG
12
Westcott
12
Wing –
to be asked
Winslow
10-12.
On this basis a “normal” 4 x triples league can be played with 9 clubs, 10 subject to Wing’s situation, aided by the Match Rule
changes proposed.
9.Treasurer’s Report
There has been very little change to the accounts during the last 27 months.
The last set of published accounts was for the AGM on 8
th
May 2019 when the balance stood at £826.50.
Since then, we have received £13.87 which was kindly donated by Haddenham as proceeds from the presentation evening, and
£1.92 interest.
There were only two outgoings, both for the maintenance of the Vale website. £79.04 in 2020 and £57.46 this year for website
hosting.
Some time ago, we were advised that The Gross Treasurers Account with the Nationwide Building Society was no longer being
supported by them and would be closed in October 2020. For that reason we transferred all the funds to a new HSBC Business
Account. This was no mean feat as we had to jump through so many hoops and answer so many questions you might have thought
we were transferring the entire contents of the Bank of England.
The closing balance at 31st August 2021 stands at £705.79.
As we have not collected subscriptions for 2020 or for this current year I do not propose any change for now. However, I am
recommending that with effect from the next AGM, we should consider reinstating an annual levy to ensure we do not drain our
funds to below a sustainable level.
If anyone would like a copy of the consolidated accounts for the past two years, I will be happy to email this to them.
The accounts were presented for acceptance.
Proposer; David Gander
Seconder: Peter Coker
Vote - Unanimous
10. Fees for coming year
None
11. Election of officers:
There had been no new nominations submitted. All the existing committee members were prepared to continue. It was proposed that
they all be re-elected en bloc.
Proposer: Linda Coker
Seconder: Sue Neale
Vote: Unanimous
The following will therefore form the committee for 2021-22
Chairman:
Malcolm Richards
Match/Fixtures Sec:
Dave Barber
Treasurer:
Bob Hine
Secretary:
Malcolm Richards
The current Constitution invites 2 delegates from each member team. Haddenham proposed Sue Leaver and David Gander –
accepted. No other team put delegates forward. We believe that some committee discussion may need to take place this winter in
view of depleted club squads and possible further virus issues. It was suggested that each team captain or their representative be
invited to be included in committee discussions, if they wish, to ensure we get representative views. Agreed.
12. AGM business
i)
CONSTITUTION
This governs the way the league is run and is an essential document that can only be changed at a General Meeting.
Changes are partly required by the impending withdrawal of memberships of the ESMBA, change to the voting rule,
Committee quorum and some tidying up.
Amendments proposed were distributed in advance for consideration prior to discussion and vote at the AGM. The
outcomes were as follows:
1)
Definitions
Changes proposed agreed unanimously
2)
Objective
Changes proposed agreed unanimously
3)
Membership
Changes proposed agreed unanimously
4)
Fees and Subscriptions
Changes proposed agreed unanimously
5)
Finance and Trustees
Changes proposed agreed unanimously
6)
Committee
Changes proposed agreed unanimously
7)
Officers of the VSMBFL
Changes proposed agreed unanimously
8
Annual and other General Meetings
Changes proposed agreed unanimously
The agreed revised Constitution will by placed on the VSMBFL website and emailed to all teams.
ii)
MATCH RULES
These govern the way matches are played and can only be changed at a General Meeting.
Changes are required to reflect the new BSMBA status and consideration for clubs who have, this 2021-22 season,
insufficient members to play the full four games in a match under current rules.
Amendments proposed were distributed in advance for consideration prior to discussion and vote at the AGM. The
outcomes were as follows:
2. CLUB TEAMS
Changes proposed agreed unanimously
3. REGISTRATION
A question asked was what do teams gain from registering with the BSMBA. It was explained that as an “umbrella”
organisation for teams / clubs in or near Buckinghamshire they would coordinate activities, communicate changes in
rules, provide guidance on matters such as Covid, arbitrate disputes, keep watch on relevant ESMBA issues, look at
insurances, arrange competitive friendly events including championships, Australian Pairs, friendly matches against local
counties and seek to promote short mat bowling and encourage new player and clubs to join in activities at clubs and the
BSMBA.
The proposed changes were discussed but a modified and renumbered d) would be retained – interchange of player
between teams not permitted.
Changes proposed agreed unanimously
5A. MATCH RULES VSMBFL
Changes proposed agreed unanimously
5D SPECIAL RULES FOR 2021-22 SEASON ONLY
The objective is to enable all clubs to play in as normal a league as possible, with relaxations in the rules to help those
clubs who could not always provide the minimum number of 10 without incurring penalties.
Discussion and voting:
5D b) - Change proposed agreed unanimously
5D c) – with the proviso that if one player is unable to play twice a substitute – skip – can play a second game instead.
Change proposed agreed unanimously
5D d) – passed by majority 8-1
5D e) - Change proposed agreed unanimously
5D f) – in view of prospective team sizes, proposal withdrawn. Unanimous agreement.
5D g) – Unanimous agreement.
These changes would be reviewed at the next AGM.
iiI)
JOHN ROBINSON COMPETITION
It was reluctantly agreed unanimously to postpone this until next season.
13. Any Other Business
i) BSMBA events – Bob Hine explained the SM bowling events proposed at Handy Cross, open to all bowlers, and
encouraged support.
ii) Email addresses – to enable the VSMBFL and BSMBA to communicate by email directly with club members, only
for the purpose of communicating these organisations events and information, clubs were asked if, given their
members’ permissions, they would pass on email addresses to the BSMBA and VSMBFL. No club dissented but
pointed out they, too, have problems getting responses.
14. Date of Next AGM: -
Tuesday May 17
th
2022 at 7:00pm. Venue to be agreed; Winslow and Stewkley were possible hosts.
15. Close of AGM
The chairman thanked everyone for attending and their contributions and looked forward to an enjoyable season’s bowling.
The meeting closed at 9:06 pm.