March 2016 Meeting Minutes
Published March 2016Minutes of the Committee Meeting of the DBA held on Monday 7 March at the Isca Centre.
Draft minutes awaiting approval at the next meeting.
Present: Michael Hamon (Chairman), Terence Treeby (Hon Secretary), Vivien Peters (Hon Treasurer), Jean Whitlam, Terry Cannon (East), Paul Ainsworth, Geoff Clements (South), Alison Pollok (North), Ros Morgan (West), Ann Slee (Tournament Administrator).
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1. Apologies: George Simnett (vice Chairman), John Boxall, David Clarke (North).
2. Minutes of meeting 12 October 2015.
2.1. The last sentence of 7.5.was amended to: 'The committee was minded to impose playing-within-county qualifications for Tollemache selection from 2016 onwards, to be discussed at the March meeting.' The minutes were then accepted and signed as correct.
3. Matters arising.
3.1. (Oct 3.1.) No further information on possible affiliation of Spreyton, Noss Mayo or Twixt Moors (Winkleigh and Chulmleigh).
3.2. (Oct 3.2) EBU Counties Working Group / County Forum The post remains vacant.
Education Sub-Committee [Carol Ritzen]. Offers of help would be welcomed.
Youth Officer: Responsibility for youth matters included within the Education sub-committee.
3.3. (Oct 5.3) County leagues are now allowed to award blue points in the top division. It was decided not to amend the current structure in order to take advantage of this, mainly due to the complications arising over the subsequent relationship with the remaining sectional leagues. Forming a completely separate county league at some stage in the future was not ruled out.
4. Treasurer's Report and Financial Matters
4.1.The Treasurer tabled her report. The current account balance is £18628 plus £14052 with Scottish Widows. These include income from Devon Pairs Final and Devon Congress 2016. Profit and Loss account to 7 March shows loss of £1052. Tollemache expenses £816. Teams of 8 subsidy of £13. Devon Pairs Final projected subsidy of £123.
4.2. Following difficulties in the West section after the death of their Treasurer, Sections should note the importance of having a minimum of two signatories to their bank accounts.
4.3. Free-to-enter playing session, possibly flighted to allow a balance in playing standards (Hon Treasurer to organise with advice from Hon Secretary): it has not been possible to find a date for this at this stage. Left for another organiser to investigate at a future date.
4.4. Agreed to spend up to £100 to replace county printer.
4.5. Costings to repair 2 bridgemates and to add 5 new ones were tabled (a total of £789 plus post and packing.) and agreed in principle.
4.6. (Oct 4.2.) Discussion deferred on possible future replacement of duplimate and county computer.
4.7. (Oct 7.4) Andrew Robson (20-23 Mar 2017). An outline costing was tabled. It was agreed to use the same procedure as in 2014 (clubs responsible for all matters at their venue) and that the Treasurer would calculate a charge per club allowing for a central subsidy of £1000. Check whether accommodation and other expenses are included in the fee. Headline charge to be £10.
4.8. Directing and duplimate rates was last reviewed in Mar 2014 to run until Dec 2014. Treasurer to prepare review for June meeting.
4.9. Agreed to propose to AGM that the P2P rate for 2017-18 remains at 4p; the club subscription to remain at zero and the Devon part of direct membership remains at £3.
5. Secretary’s Report and Correspondence (including Shareholders’ report on EBU matters)
5.1. EBU County News December 2015. There will be no County Chairman’s meeting in 2016.
5.2. Vacancies : vice Chairman from June 2016; Treasurer from June 2016; West section representative; Youth Officer; Education Sub-committee; Congress Organiser from a.s.a.p.
5.3.Agreed to change Rule D6 to read:
D6. THE DEVON CLUB TEAMS OF 8 CHAMPIONSHIP
A one-day teams of eight competition which will not take place with fewer than 7 teams. The winning club qualifies to represent Devon in the Garden Cities Trophy. Any team of eight players from the same club may enter. Players must normally have played at that club at least 10 times in the previous 12 months. That requirement may be waived in exceptional circumstances with the agreement of the Chairman. There is no limit on the number of teams from each club. Each entry must be submitted by the club.
6. Section Reports
9.1. North The Directors Course is going ahead at Landkey Village Hall on 19 and 20 March with 9 candidates. Congress in line with previous years. £600 raised for North Devon Hospice. £6459 in accounts. Proposed to buy 3 new bridgemates. AGM 25 April at Taw Vale.
6.2. South 15 teams in league. Winter pairs similar to 2015. DAA £1845 from 4 sessions. One non-affiliated club withdrawn due to EBU fees.
6.3. West Jack Thompson (Treasurer) died suddenly in January which has left a big gap in our ability to function. Michael Hamon has taken over temporarily to fill the gap. The Plymouth Congress had a significant drop in numbers and has resulted in a loss for the first time. The British Heart Foundation Charity Swiss Teams in its 33rd year raised around £400. The league is going well but with less teams than last year at a new venue. After 4 years Ros Morgan is also stepping down at the Annual AGM in June. This leaves the West Section with no officers, so volunteers are needed or this section will not be able to continue - putting in jeopardy both of the above events.
6.4. East League : full with 24 teams. John Woolcott : numbers were slightly down on last year. 2016/17 budgeted to show small surplus.
7. Sub-committee reports
7.1. Technology sub-committee [George Simnett, Paul Ainsworth, Ruth Edmondson]
No report.
7.2. EBU Counties Working Group.[vacant]
7.3. Tournament Sub-Committee [Ann Slee, Terence Treeby, Vivien Peters].
7.3.a. Agreed by email in Jan 2016 to modify the Victor Ludorum rule regarding county or section events to read: for each of the above where there are 28 or more entries the awards are 14 for 1st place reducing to 1 for 14th place. For pairs events in which there are fewer than 28 entries, the awards start at the half way point with 1VL point and go upwards from there increasing by 1VL point each time. e.g. with, say 16 entries, the top pair would get 8VL points reducing by 1 down to 8th place. For teams events in which there are fewer than 28 entries, the awards start at the half way point with 2VL points and go upwards from there increasing by 2VL points each time. e.g. with, say 8 entries, the top team would get 8VL points reducing by 2 down to 4th place.
7.3.b. Agreed by email in Feb 2016 to charge 50% for under 25 players in the Devon Pairs Final this year, and to review the policy for all events for future years. Review to be done when setting 2016-17 entry fees.
7.3.c. 2016-17 calendar v1 circulated and posted on website. This changes from provisional to final at the July meeting when we also need to confirm entry fees for 2016-17. Consider moving Devon Club Teams of 8 and Filleigh events from crowded January; avoid AGM clashing with Pachabo.
7.3.d. Devon Pairs qualifiers : 219 players at 12 clubs with 110 scoring 50%+. 18 tables in final suggesting 2015 was a blip.
7.4. Education Sub-Committee [Carol Ritzen]
7.4.a. Agreed by email in Jan 2016: Agreed that there will be two (identical) Michael Byrne seminars on 9 and 10 July 2016 at Bovey Tracey Golf Centre aimed at, but not restricted to, potential, aspiring and existing County B and C team players. The cost will be £30 per person to include a finger buffet lunch and tea or coffee. Each seminar will be limited to 20 persons. Further details will be publicised in due course.
Nominating and recruiting attendees and collecting payment will be section-based (Paul Ainsworth, Terry Cannon, Ros Morgan and Linda Rafferty).
7.4.b. (Oct 7.4) The Education sub-committee asked to review teacher listing (still pending).
7.4.c. (Oct 7.4) Ongoing strategy for education (including schools and youth) and training held over.
7.5 Selection Sub-Committee [Warner Solomon, Ruth Edmondson, Alison Pollok]
7.5.a. Tollemache (Joe and Gillian Fawcett, Mike Orriel/Peter Bowles, Alex Maddocks/Warner Solomon, Jim Grant/Stefan Lindfors, Mike Hamon / Paul Brayshaw). 5th out of 9. Beat group winners in 4 wins, 1 costly loss. Captain’s report circulated.
7.5.c. (Oct 7.5) The committee was minded to impose playing-within-county qualifications for Tollemache selection from 2016 onwards, to be discussed at the March meeting. It was agreed to propose to the AGM that the aim for the Tollemache qualifying round is to send the best possible qualified team from among players who live in and support bridge in the county. Given the history of this topic it is intended members at AGM will participate in discussion / editing / approval of this proposal acknowledging this narrative was chosen as numerical thresholds have been rejected in the past.
7.5.d. Western League : committee confirmed that we would play one team of 8 A division match early in the season prior to the Tollemache Qualifier and teams of 4 in all other matches.
7.6. Congress Sub-Committee [Marion Kelsey, Terence Treeby, Mike Kelsey, Vivien Peters. Shadow for 2016 Mike Hamon] Preparations are in hand. Cash received to 6 Mar £9089 out of an expected £12000. Entries to date about 46-50 tables each. We still need an organiser for 2017 and beyond.
7.7. EBU Shareholders: [Terence Treeby, Dick Andrews, Michael Hamon]
(Oct 7.7) Chairman attended the EBU AGM on 25 Nov. The board proposals for sub-committees to become non-elected standing committees were not accepted.
7.8. Conduct Sub-Committee: [Steve Quinn, Maureen Baser, George Simnett, Keith Ponsford, David Clarke]
No report.
7.9. Disciplinary Sub-Committee: [Michael Hamon, Howard Kent-Webster, Robin Barker, Paul Ainsworth, Ann Slee].
No report.
8. Any Other Business.
8.1. Agreed that the closing date for entries for the Devon Pairs Final should be 7 days before the event and that clubs should be asked to avoid clashes with events like the EBU Overseas Congress when arranging qualifiers.
9. Next meetings
9.1. The next meeting will be at the Isca Centre at 6.30 pm on Thu 2 June. Committee members and sub-committees are asked to send documents for circulation to the Hon Sec by 12 May at the latest.
9.2. AGM Sun 12 June