Annual General Meeting

AGM 2019 - Quick Roundup

Let’s get to the good news straight away. The membership fee for belonging to Welwyn Garden City Sailing Club remains the same for another year - just £15 for a family for a year. Treasurer David Brown said he could not justify an increase this time around. Hooray!

Paul McAlister, our Secretary, kindly took the chair in the absence of Commodore Nigel David who has now relocated to the Midlands and was unable to be at the meeting. He reviewed the main events of the year in some detail (see individual reports on club website) and then pointed out that BREXIT had not stopped us sailing! “There were 10 to 15 boats out regularly which, for a club this size, is fantastic!”, he said.

Treasurer David Brown, took us through the finances. As above, he recommended no change in the membership fee but warned that it might have to go up in future because of a big drop in membership numbers and consequent drop in income.

There were no nominations for the post of Commodore, or Vice Commodore at the meeting so that is to be carried forward. Essentially everyone else on the committee was re-elected.

Race Officer, Charles Adams, presented the trophies and awards. See full list here. Congratulations to Annette Walter who was named as Helm of the Year for a second time. Also to Dave Campbell who won the much coveted Personal Handicap Trophy. Finally, Charles came to the winner of the Porthole Trophy which is usually given for “the best prang of the year”. In this case he named Val Newton for “launching and sailing a new class of dinghy” …. much to the merriment of all who were there. (Her car had rolled into Stanborough Lake on January 19 th ).

Any other business turned into a lively discussion on the need for club Rescue teams to have first aid qualifications. It was decided to discuss this further in committee.

Winners

Val win the Port hole Trophy for service to the insurance industry

Paul Leads proceedings

Dave wins the much coveted Personal Handicap Trophy

AGM 4TH March 2018

Another really good year!

“Another really good year”, was how Nigel Davis summarised 2017 in his Commodore’s Report to the AGM . He said the average weekly number of boats on the water was 11 or 12, and the lowest was 6 to 9. He wanted to encourage the club’s newer and younger members to sail more.

Nigel told the meeting he’d reminded himself about the club’s many events by looking at reports and photos on the website. “A great record,” he said, then went on to pick out a few of them:

He spoke of the sad loss of Piotr Caban and said a good number of WGCSC members had turned up to the funeral service.
He picked out Annette’s record sixth-time win of the Easter Regatta Trophy
Mentioned “the biggest news of the year" - the shock damage to Peter Davis’s boat!
He congratulated Pauline Shaw on her 4th place in the Challenger Nationals
Commented on the Summer Regatta’s heart-shaped course with a gate at the café end
Said the RYA Boat Show had resulted in three new boats at the club
The Stewartby Interclub Competition had been a sad day for the club, but there’d been a great support team. “We’re going again this year. Let’s really make an effort and get that trophy back”, he urged.
He thanked Mike Caddy for proposing the toast to the club at the Annual Dinner
Celebrated the great turnout of club members for the Christmas Pud Regatta
And finally, thanked Roger Morse for all he does for the Welly Challenge

He was looking forward to another great year. “We have a great relationship with Finesse and their support has worked well,” He thanked them for trusting us with their key, allowing us to sail on summer evenings, and use their rescue boat. He also confirmed there would be summer evening sailing in 2018 on Thursday evenings, from Spring Bank Holiday (late May) through to the end of August.

Treasurer Tony Hale said the accounts are in a healthy state and had been for a number of years, therefore the annual subscription would stay the same. He thanked David Brown for taking on membership, and Charles for collecting money on Saturdays.

Tony warned that membership was down. “Paid-up subscriptions are down to 56, of which 11 are new, but a number have just not renewed. The committee needs to take notice of that”, he said.

Race Officer Charles Adams said racing was as keen as ever and attendance had been as described. He then went on to present the trophies.

L-R, Peter Thornley, Roger Morse, Patrick Rohart, Annette Walter (Helm of the Year) and David Lambert.

The presentation of trophies was followed by the election of the Officers and Committee of the club as follows:

Commodore: Nigel Davis (3rd year)

Vice Commodore: Vacant

Hon. Treasurer: David Brown (Tony Hale wished to retire)

Secretary: Paul McAlister

Committee: Sheila Stowe, Shaun Smale, Val Newton

Junior Rep.: Vacant

Ian Stringer was re-appointed as Honorary Auditor.

Val was awarded the Clubmanship Trophy for her good work on publicity with the local press and for

her reports and photographs of club activities which you see here on the website.

(Webmaster's comment: She was too embarassed to write these few words herself!)

NOTE: Click as appropriate to see the full set of photographs from the AGM or

a full list of the Awards (in a new window or tab).

AGM 2014

Club’s 40th Anniversary Year declared ‘a great success’

Some of the highlights of the 40th Anniversary celebrations

Line-up of the 2013/14 trophy winners at the AGM

In his annual report to the AGM on 30th March, Commodore Pete Thornley said the club’s 40th Anniversary year had been a great success, both on the sailing and social fronts. (See Commodore's Report here). He thanked everyone who had contributed. Pete also detailed Welly sailing successes at away events, introduced a revised Club Handbook, and talked about the future of the club and the need to attract new members.

Race Officer, Phil Walter, made the presentations for the 2013/14 season (see the full list of AGM Trophy Presentations 2013-2014 Season here) and said only one weekend had been lost due to floods at Stanborough. An average of 11 boats had sailed each Saturday in the Winter Handicap and Burgee Series, and 12 in the Winter Pursuit series.

Annette Walter named as Helm of the Year

Helm of the year 2014

Congratulations to Annette Walter who was named as the club’s new Helm of the Year, having taken five series wins during the season – Spring Handicap, Summer Handicap, Winter Handicap, Spring/Summer Pursuit and Burgee! ( Earlier, Pete revealed she’d also won the Ladies Prize in the Comet Nationals 2013 with a 10th place out of 33, and come 1st in the Hawley Lake Comet Open).

New Comet sailor on the lake - Graham Hunt - reduced his Personal Handicap during the 13/14 season by such a margin that Race Officer Phil, awarded him the Most Improved Helm trophy.

Comet sailor Graham Hunt is Most Improved Helm

Julian Gunnell tops Fast Fleet in his first season back in action

In his first full season in his beloved Phantom dinghy ‘Mid Life Crisis’, Julian Gunnell swept the board in the fast fleet winter handicap and winter pursuit series, taking two 1sts. He also chalked up a 3rd place in the winter Burgee series.

A surprise trophy for Dave Lambert

Supernova sailor Dave Lambert, was genuinely surprised and delighted when he heard he’d won the much coveted Alan Maurice Personal Handicap Trophy in the Burgee series. “I honestly had no idea!”, he said afterwards.

Welly Clubmanship Trophy goes to Ian Stringer

There was much applause when Commodore Pete Thornley announced he’d chosen Ian Stringer for the Clubmanship award. He explained: “This trophy is awarded to someone who has made a contribution to the club over and above what might be normally expected. I really need at least six of these, and many of the same people would be candidates year after year. Their names are already on trophy. My choice this year is our Treasurer of many years, Ian Stringer, who performs a vital role quietly, efficiently and reliably.”

Matt Cory takes the trophy for Best Youth

Youth Fleet Captain, Matt Cory couldn’t be at the AGM due to A level revision commitments, but in his absence, he was awarded the Best Youth Trophy for his overall performance, both on and off the water. Not only has his Stanborough sailing gone from strength to strength, last year he led the Welly Youth Team (above) at Little Paxton to a creditable second place in their class in the 24 hour RNLI marathon. He’s also been an enthusiastic participant in Welly Challenges, has been happy to turn out in fancy dress at the Christmas Pud Regatta, and been a first class hustler selling raffle tickets! In 2013 Matt also qualified as a Finesse instructor at Stanborough. We wish him well at university. His younger brother Jim, was elected as the new Youth Fleet Captain for the 2014/15 season.

Tony Hale and Julian Gunnell join the committee

Leader sailor, Tony Hale, and Phantom sailor, Julian Gunnell, volunteered ... or were strong-armed ... into joining the committee!

Thoughts of our dear friend Stan Grace, who died on February 14th, were uppermost at the AGM.

Google Sites

Report abuse