Shillington Riding Club
AGM 2011


Minutes of AGM meeting held on 10th November 2011 at Hexton church Hall

Present:   Helen Dwyer, Colette du Feu, Sally Smith; Tina Attfield; Florence Kerry-Smith, Julie Wright, Anita Thomas, Katie McCallan, Karen Parsons (+ husband) and Rachael Beattie - non-members.

Apologies:  Trish Dingley, Claire Worsley, Emma Wilkinson, Tina Attfield, Sam Simpkins, Joan Pinkstone, Sandra Brown, Christine Ashwell, Dee Brandon, Gillian Kern, Sue Hill.


AGM Meeting opened at 8.00pm

 
Minutes of last meeting    Minutes from 2010 AGM proposed Helen Dwyer; seconded
Florence Kerry-Smith – signed as a true record.
       
Chair report    We have had a mixed year with ups and downs for various reasons, but we are now on a more even keel due largely to the technological innovations that have brought us into the 21st Century.
First is the new website which went live in the new year.   The Committee debated long and hard about whether to spend the surplus money we had on getting a good job done or whether to try and put a site together ourselves.   We decided on a professional job as no-one had sufficient time or know how to do a good job.    You will see from the accounts that it cost us £445 including an annual hosting fee of £120, however, the total cost of set-up was £650 as a 50% deposit was paid in the last financial year.   Many thanks are due to Florence for using her contacts to get us such reasonable rates.  We hope you agree that it is pretty impressive, and has proved to be very useful for getting us known and introducing new people to the Club.   The statistics show that we average about 8 hits a day.
Attached to the website is the Paypal method of paying for clinics which has proved very popular.   It is, however, expensive, and after funding the excess ourselves for 6 months we reluctantly decided we have to pass on the extra.   Hence the £1 addition to all clinic fees.
Also new is the bank account - changed from Lloyds to The Co-Operative Bank who give us on-line banking facility, which is a great help to us in keeping track of finances.  Thanks to Emma for setting this up.
So far as Competitions are concerned, we entered teams in the Winter Dressage Qualifiers at Keysoe but despite some creditable performances, we were not placed.   We fared better in the Summer Competition at Wittering, coming an excellent 3rd.   Katie did particularly well with an individual third.
Concerning Training, it was unfortunate that the proposed ambitious training programme had to be scaled down after the sudden resignation of our Training Officer early in the year.   Thanks to Gillian for all she did for the club in the past and to Julie for taking over.   She has organised a series of show-jumping clinics with John Adams, mid-week flat-work sessions with Inger Bryant at Rosehill, and scales of training/polework sessions with Victoria Lewis – all of which have proved popular, with many non-members participating.
Although the lovely spring weather was very welcome it did mean that hard ground meant the cancellation of our proposed fund-raising Treasure Hunt.   Things were no better in the late summer and it is always a very busy time generally, but we plan to run it next Spring.
We tried very hard to organise a Summer Camp with Stevenage Riding Club, but it proved impossible to get trainers and venue co-ordinated at a reasonable cost.  We’ll try again next year.
With the help of the Committee, most of whom have agreed to be re-elected; I look forward to happy riding and some fun and stimulating events over the next year.
       
Financial report    
Opening Balance 30/09/2010                                                                       +£463.91

Income
CLINIC INCOME £2,132.01
MEMBERSHIP SUBS £520.00
ENTRIES FROM MEMBERS £91.96
MISC INCOME £95.89
ADVERTISING INCOME £40.00
                                                                                 +£2,879.86
Costs
ENTRY FEES -£213.00
VENUE HIRE -£195.00
AFFILIATION COSTS -£507.80
TRAINERS FEES -£1,825.00
WEBSITE COSTS -£445.00
MISC COSTS -£91.00

                                                                                 -£3,276.80

Closing Balance 30/09/2011                                                                          +£66.97       
Training report    We will look to run our joint camp with Stevenage RC next year at Waresley Park or another such venue.
All Inger Bryant clinics have been run at cost.
Look at Stagenhoe Bottom next year for a venue throughout the Spring/Summer and arrange a Dressage Competition and possibly Le Trec.
Non Members would like to have less formidable trainers than John Adams to encourage them.
Kirsty Short is a good trainer - need to speak to Stevenage RC.
Julie will look to get a date set up with Karen Whiston re Ride with your Mind for next year.
Would like to do cross country training - look to do club days possibly at Courses Farm, St Albans.
Anita suggested a have a go at Le Trec day which she could help with.       
Competitions    We do not have enough members to put together 2 teams for Dressage Qualifiers, but we will continue to try to enter a team for both Winter and Summer events.
Need to concentrate on putting a jumping team together for the Area Qualifiers.       
Elections for Committee and Officers            Nominated    Seconded
Coco
Julie
Florence
Sally
Helen
Florence
Helen

       
     Chair
Secretary
Treasurer
Training
Press Officer
Competitions
Support

    Helen Dwyer
Florence Kerry-Smith
Emma Wilkinson
Julie Wright
Katie McCallan
Colette du Feu
Tina Attfield

    Sally
Sally
Helen
Katie
Coco
Julie
Florence            
Membership
    Affiliation Fees paid in June this year to BRC related to the previous years membership of 38 members.  Sally Smith resigned as membership secretary. Helen will take over membership lists.
Need to do a recruitment drive for new members.       
Subs    These are to be held at the current rate of £25 for Seniors and £20 for Juniors (up to and including 18 years old).  Any members who join during the remainder of 2011 will get the remainder of the year plus 2012 for this fee.       
AOB    Quiz:  we will be holding quiz on the 21st January 2012 as a fund raiser.
Fund raisers: It was suggested to run a dressage competition. Le Trec has been very popular, side saddle hard to fill, but make enquiries. Sponsored rides and lectures.
We will run the Treasure Hunt/Pleasure Ride in the Spring.
Pilates was successful - see if Jo Taylor has availability for February.
Sally will see if there are simulators nearer than Ashen.
Look at a beach weekend or other riding holiday.
A War horse or Olympia trip    

Meeting closed at 9.15pm
Thank you to everyone who attended.