AGM 2021
Published August 2021ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
2 p.m. on Sunday 11 July 2021 online via Zoom conferencing
Draft minutes awaiting approval at the next AGM.
1. Present: (21 attended)
Geoff Clements (Chairman), Doug Dunn (Secretary), Ruth Edmondson (Bookkeeper and website), Terence Treeby (Acting Tournament Organiser), Neil Marsden, Jacqui. Munns, Pam Penfold, Betty Golding, Nigel Richardson, Clare Hamon, Huge Stedham, Brigid McElroy, Jeremy Child, Gillian Fawcett, Magda Cisek, Ann Slee, Joe Fawcett, Bill Luscombe, Richard Lingham, Vivienne Mably, George Delafield.
Apologies : Stephen Rafferty, Linda Rafferty, Jean Harrison.
2. Minutes
The 2020 AGM were accepted. A spelling error of a surname was pointed out and will be amended. Copies are available on the Devon Bridge Association website.
3. Matters arising
None.
4. Chairman’s Report
In October 2020 I made a decision to cancel the Devon Congress at the Livermead House Hotel in th interests of the DBA. This turned out to be the right thing to do when lockdown restriction came into force. We decided to play the congress online but again there was uncertainty around how popular this would be. Prizes were not mentioned in the advert and emails sent to members and the entry fee was set accordingly and at a comparable rate with similar online events. The congress proved to be very popular with 116 pairs and 40 teams in play. This resulted is a large profit so it was decided by the DBA committee to award prizes which were sent to captains of the top three teams and to the top four pairs.
I would like to thank the following people: Terence Treeby for setting up the Wed vPairs which has proved popular and issues double maser points. Thanks also to Paul Ainsworth for running the Charity DAA Sim pairs for the last 15 years. He is standing down and we wish him all the best. Paul included non-affiliated clubs in the Sim pairs events which encouraged some people to become EBU members. Now we need a co-ordinator for arranging boards and running the DAA Sim Pairs.
I’d like us to thank various other people: Ruth Edmondson for her efforts over the years. She is retiring from doing the accounts which she continued to do after retiring from her role as DBA Treasurer last year.
Thanks also to Jeremy Child for online directing the Devon Congress by himself and together with Terence for sorting out how to run and direct bridge online. It has made bridge play possible over this last year.
Thanks to the rest of the committee especially Jacqui Munns for doing a great job on the online bridge sub committee and Elizabeth Nunn who is standing down after 5 years as Chariman for North Devon. I reinforce that committee members are all volunteers who freely give up their time.
Comments about the Chairman’s report:
Neil gave thanks to Geoff for recognizing Elizabeth Nunn for her work as Chair. He said the rest of us should also be thanking Geoff for being our Chairman for the past year, but what a year! Although other committee members are supportive, the responsibility is with him.
5. Presentation of prizes
Results for 2020-2021 events are available on the DBA and EBU websites.
Some highlights:
Pachabo – Congratulations to Devon for coming 4th, the highest ever reached in the competition. Well done Warner Solomon, Alex Maddocks, Jim Grant and Stefan Lindfors
(And for qualifying by winning the Devon Teams knockout)
Virtual Summer Seaside Congress – Jim Grant and Stefan Linfors came 5th in the Swiss Pairs.
Devon Congress - Team winners: Warner Solomon, Ian Walsh, Joy Blakey, Irving Blakey.
Pairs joint winners: Mike Walsh and Imogen Chapelle.
Corwen: Highest Devon pair: Stefan Lindfors and Jim Grant.
Wed DBA vPairs - Peter Bowles and George Triantafyllidis are currently first on the ladder.
John Woolcott - Pairs final: Graham and Liz Hubber
Teams: 1st place: Richard Feetenby, Hillary Anthony, Sally Stuttard, Richard Watkins
2nd place: Ann Slee, Alison Pollok, Ruth Edmondson, Brigid McElroy
North Devon Congress -
A Pairs winners – David Arundel and Andrew Bannock
Swiss Teams: Eric Cummings, Ceri Pierce, Alan Bailey, Jette Bailey
Devon Pairs (Julia Chadwick) - 1st: Peter Wood and Willie Hamiltion, 2nd Betty Golding and Margaret Mardlin
Garden Cities - Thanks Richard Lingham for captaining the team for the Regional Final.
Richard Lingham & Ann Slee, Vivienne Mably & Graham Hoare, Joe & Gillian Fawcett,
Nigel & Kathy Richardson
AGM Teams 2021 - Winners: Richard Lingham & Vivienne Mably, Joe Fawcett & Gillian Fawcett.
Thanks was given to members who set up online leagues and club events. Doug said he very much enjoyed playing in the Exeter league run by Nigel Richardson. The committee was asked to write a letter of appreciation to one person in particular. Malcolm Boyack for his hard work as an online Director allowing bridge to continue being played throughout Devon. A letter of thanks has been posted to Malcolm.
6. Treasurer’s Report
Ruth Edmondson presented the accounts for 2020- 2021.
This year we made a large profit mainly from the Devon Congress and because there were fewer expenses due to no face-to-face bridge. For example, there were savings on travel expenses for county matches and The Pachabo did not take place in 2020.
Jeremy asked why did we lose money on the Wed online Devon Pair.
It was because VAT became included in the entry. Also the Sims price increased resulting in a loss on Sims nights. The committee decided to raise the table money following he AGM from £1.50 to £2. T Treeby said the Wed pairs will continue as long as there is demand.
The accounts were accepted (proposed by T. Treeby, seconded by N. Marsden).
Accounts: DBA - Competition Finances - North - South - West
The accounts were accepted (proposed N. Marsden, seconded J. Harrison)
7. Election of of Chairman, vice-Chairman, Hon. Treasurer and Hon. Secretary.
Geoff Clements was the only nominee as Chairman (proposed by D. Dunn, seconded by J. Harrison) and was re-elected.
Doug Dunn was the only nominee as Hon. Secretary (proposed by N. Marsden, seconded by J. Munns) and was re-elected.
Neil Marsden was a nominee as Hon. Treasurer (proposed by E. Nunn, seconded by D. Dunn) and was elected.
There were no nominees for vice-Chairman.
8. The committee motion that P2P from April 2021 will remain unchanged at 4p; the club subscription will remain at zero and the Devon part of direct membership remains at £3 was accepted.
9. No other proposals
10. Any other business
Neil Marsden gave thanks to Doug and Terence for mastering the technology to put on the AGM saying that we may be small in numbers but formally with Geff’s guidance we got through the business we needed to get through. And good luck for another challenging year!
Geoff thanked everyone for attending the meeting and for Terence for setting up and Jeremy directing the AGM Pairs scheduled to start at 3pm
The meeting closed at 2.33pm.