2021 AGM

Addendum to AGM Correspondence

Any Other Business - 2021 Fees

Following the late submission of a Motion for Consideration regarding fees, the member proposal below did not feature in the original correspondence hand-delivered to some members on 8 February. As a result, an addendum detailing voting instructions was posted to all members on 9 February.

Committee proposal: Ordinary Member £100, Restricted & New Member £50, Junior Member Free. Proposed by Alisdair Wilson, seconded by William Fullerton.

Member proposal: Ordinary Member £65, Restricted & New Member £35, Junior Member Free. Proposed by Alan McGuckin, seconded by Barry Main.

Agenda

Minutes of Previous Meeting

Meeting

Monday 3rd February 2020 in Laurieston Bowling Club.

Attendees

Club President Christine Gallagher and 28 Full Members.

President Christine Gallagher opened the AGM by welcoming everyone to the club. A one-minute silence was observed to pay respect to the members who had passed away during the year including Willie Scobie and Peter Gibson.

Apologies

Kelly Dickinson and David Fairweather.

The 2019 AGM minutes were read by Bruce Laidlaw and adopted on a motion.

Proposed – Wullie Rae.

Seconded – Scott Walker.

Business Arising from Previous Meeting

None.

President's Report

Christine summarised our position at the last AGM and commented on the membership which is on the increase.

Christine thanked:

Christine congratulated:

Christine closed by hoping the members have a good season and that the club flourishes reminding the members to‘Use it or lose it’.

Secretary’s Report

Joan opened by thanking Christine, the Committee and club members for helping her throughout a busy year.

A Membership update for the 2019 playing season:

Dates for the various AGMs coming up:

Functions:

Advertising Boards:

Joan closed by wishing everyone well in the coming season.

Treasurer’s Report

Brian opened his report by saying that again this past year had been a slightly easier one than past years and certainly a lot better than when he took over the Treasurer’s role almost 3 years ago.

Brian thanked:

The bar staffing has been steadier this past year and Brian thanked Tracey and Erin, who have unfortunately decided to leave, Shona, Claire and new addition to the team Ian for their hard work throughout the season as well as Paddy and other Committee members who helped when required.

The payment of fees this year can be paid in one of four ways; cash, cheque, direct bank transfer or by card. Card payments can only be taken over the bar, preferably by Brian although others may be authorised to take the payment. If anyone wishes to pay by bank transfer Brian can supply the necessary details. If paying by cash, if Brian is not there, the money can be left with the bar staff who will put it in the safe.

Fees are normally due by 31st March, as per the Constitution, but as this is a Tuesday the date will be extended to Saturday 4th April.

Brian then went through the balance sheet explaining the main points of note, he then asked if there were any questions from the floor but there were none.

Greenkeeper’s Report

Nothing to report.

Election of Office Bearers / Committee / Delegates

All proposed positions below were accepted:

Any Other Business

As there was no further business new President Christine Gallagher thanked everyone for attending and wished them well for the forthcoming season.

2021 Matters Arising

Although granted Honorariums all Office Bearers paid their fees.

Regular social events were planned but due to restrictions couldn’t go ahead.

2021 President's Report

Last year was a year like no other. We missed the first two months of the season, and when we were allowed to play, there was a very ‘quiet’ opening, Jimmy Bell doing the honours. All the Covid restrictions limited what games we could play, but we did manage to play for a few of the trophies. Even during the war years, there were names on the Championship board, but sadly not in 2020, but hopefully this year, we can look forward to getting back to club competitions.

My sincere thanks go to Peter Alexander and Joan for all their hard work in doing all the risk assessments and rink booking system, allowing us to play safely while adhering to Covid regulations. Also to Peter for his dedication in applying for grants that were available to the club, and liaising with the relevant authorities to get as much funding as possible through the closure grant scheme.

The bowling taster sessions organised by Peter went well during lockdown with so many people being furloughed, and through that, we gained several new members.

My thanks to everyone who worked outside to keep the area around the green looking nice i.e. weed-killing, hedge cutting and the flower displays. Inside, the club has also been painted, and just recently the function hall seating has been re-upholstered, with new tables arriving soon.

Unfortunately we lost a number of experienced committee members last year, but thank them for all their input over the years which was invaluable to the running of the club.

I want to thank the committee and everyone who helped me during my two years as President, and now hand over to Ian Hunter, and wish him well for his time in the chair.

2021 Secretary's Report

I think we were all happy to see 2020 come to a close. Coronavirus brought with it many challenges for the game of bowls as we know it. We had, and continue to have, strict Government and Bowls Scotland guidelines to which we adhere so ensuring the safety of our members and visitors both on and off the green.

New skills had to be learnt to get the green open for play on the 1st June and with constantly changing Government and Bowls Scotland guidelines I’m now a dab hand at risk assessments and players’ guidelines - to date 11 risk assessments and counting! I’d like to thank everyone who used the green and facilities; this made the time and effort all worthwhile.

Finally I’d like to thank Christine and present, and past, Committee members for their help and support throughout what has been a difficult year. Special thanks to Peter Alexander and Brian Logan who were always there to help and assist me.

Membership Update

Details of the various AGMs coming up

Functions

Advertising Boards

I wish everyone well in the coming season when I hope you will return to the green to take part in what will hopefully be a more ‘normal’ playing season.

2021 Treasurer's Report

At the time of writing (3 February), our Annual Accounts have not been signed off by our accountant Derek Logie of Online Bookkeeping Solutions due to "a severe backlog with tax returns etc".

Once they have been received, a copy will be emailed to members and posted on our website. And I will be more than happy to answer questions, either at the AGM or via email, phone or in-person.

Our current bank balance is £22,773.28.

Unless agreed otherwise at the AGM, fees will be reduced (for one season only) as follows:

If you would like to pay in three- or six-monthly instalments, please get in touch and I will be more than happy to accommodate.

Payments will be accepted throughout March via a variety of methods.

I will be in the clubhouse every Friday from 7pm till 8pm and every Saturday from 1pm till 3pm to accept card and cash payments.

Cheques to "Laurieston Bowling Club" can be paid in person or posted directly to the club.

For Internet Banking, please use the following details:

Due to the pandemic, we received the following grants from the Scottish Government as administered by Falkirk Council:

For as long as Falkirk remains in levels two, three and four, we will continue to receive the Temporary Closure grant. When Falkirk moves into level 1, we will receive a reduced £1400 Restrictions grant, again every four weeks.

We received over £3000 in grants from a variety of funding bodies to support our outreach work with children, schools, community groups and adults. This facilitated the purchase of various items of coaching equipment and accessories including:

On the bar front, we enlisted the services of Russel + Aitken to draft an employment contract for current and future staff. And we raised the rate of pay to £10 per hour.

Due to reduced bar sales, Belhaven declined to offer five free barrels and £500 sponsorship as per previous years. However, they have promised a donation of £200, which we are still awaiting.

With regard to the clubhouse, we carried out a number of renovations and repairs. The most costly being:

Finally, the club has fully transitioned from a paper to an online accounting system, utilising QuickBooks and Receipt Bank software packages, which should not only save time and paper, but also improve accuracy, transparency and accountability.

2021 Green Convenor's Report

When I volunteered to take over the role of Green Convenor at last year’s AGM – a post I will relinquish at this year’s AGM to focus on assisting our new treasurer Peter Anderson and fulfilling my responsibilities as Bar Convenor – I arranged a meeting with Quentin Allardice, managing director of Bowling Green Services (BGS), to ascertain how best to perform my duties.

Three issues were identified. The most pressing of which, as he noted in his Technical Summary Sheet as far back as September 2019, was that “prolonged use of only one head position will create huge problems for the green’s future”. The others being: the need to change direction of play on a regular basis; and the need to avoid playing on the same rinks, particularly rinks three and four, in both directions.

As none of the above warnings were consistently heeded, several heads incurred damage. Particularly rink four, east to west, which required a patch. Bringing the total number of patches to three. The others being rink two, east-to-west, at the tennis court; and the north-east corner of the green.

After consulting Quentin about what courses of action would be most effective in preventing future damage, I carried out the following activities: measured and marked out eight rinks in both directions; measured and marked out three head positions for each of the 28 rinks (ie six and eight rinks in both directions); and fitted a noticeboard in the changing room to detail up-and-coming matches, general instructions such as “feeding applied, do not lick fingers” and direction of play.

With regard to the latter, I ensured that the direction changed on a daily basis and that the heads were rotated every four days.

Furthermore, to comply with Bowls Scotland’s Covid-19 guidance, I added an online booking system to our website which our secretary, Joan Barrington, used to record attendance and ensure a more even spread of play; and I often set out eight rinks to maximise participation in bounce matches and weekend competitions.

Other actions included gutting the Greenkeeper’s shed which was littered with broken machinery, old tools and debris; watering the green several times a week when Quentin and his team were working reduced hours; removing the build-up of moss from each of the four bankings with a wire brush; ordering new delivery mats to replace those damaged by disinfectant spray; and assisting Ian and Ross Hunter in cutting the hedges.

Thankfully, our green is now in a more healthy state than when I took over the role of Green Convenor. And if my successor continues to follow the expert advice of BGS, then I am sure it will continue to be one of the finest in District 10.

Going forward, the artificial bankings will at some point require a complete renewal. The most recent quote from BGS being £5220 plus VAT for the removal and disposal of the existing covering and wood; and for the supply and fit of fixing boards (front and back), deflector strips and Super Verdeturf artificial carpet.

To prevent excessive play on and thus potential damage to popular rinks, we may wish to implement a rink rotation system. This can be random (for example, by rolling a large dice or spinning an arrow to select a number between one and six); or preordained (by having the Green Convenor set out an order in which the rinks must be played, ie 3, 1, 5, 6, 4, 2).

In conclusion, maintaining our green to the current high standard comes at an annual cost of £7541.04 for maintenance (£628.42 per month), £382.61 for mower service and £360 for irrigation, which equates to £8283.65. According to the 2018/19 balance sheet, however, fees only amounted to £8270 – which is a shortfall of £10 (not £100, as stated in Green Convenor's Report circulated to members). Therefore it is imperative that members continue to support the club, both off and on the green, during the playing and off-season. And that the committee continues to attract new members, increase footfall and promote our clubhouse as a desirable venue for functions.

2021 Bar Convenor's Report

Following a price increase by Belhaven, and after comparing prices of Belhaven with Booker, I conducted a review of bar prices which highlighted a number of issues.

Firstly, that it was cheaper to buy certain products from Belhaven. For example:

Secondly, that it was cheaper to buy certain products from Booker. For example:

Thirdly, that the profit margin of certain products were higher than average. For example, the cost price of a bottle of Becks was 12p, 18p, 21p and 25p cheaper than a bottle of Budweiser, Miller, Coors and Corona respectively, yet the sales price for each was the same.

Fourthly, that the profit margin of certain products were lower than average. For example, the cost price of 35ml malts ranged from £1.20 to £1.80, yet the sales price for each was the same.

Following a meeting with Ian Hunter and Peter Anderson, we agreed a revised list of Bar Prices which has since been added to the website. The main points of which are as follows:

When the bar re-opens after the current lockdown, I will be proposing that we temporarily reduce the price of the most popular drinks to thank and reward members who frequent the clubhouse on a regular basis. For example, £2.50 for all pints, £2 for all bottles/cans and £1.50 for all “house” spirits.

Thereafter, I will be proposing that we run a weekly offer whereby one or more of the most popular drinks are reduced.

Finally, I would like to thank the members who recently completed bar training with myself and Alan Campbell. This brings the total number of bar-trained volunteers to over ten which should hopefully enable us to cover more shifts in-house and thus further reduce costs.

2021 Election of Office Bearers, Committee & Delegates

Office Bearers

President: Ian Hunter. Proposed by Alisdair Wilson, seconded by William Fullerton.

Vice President: Ross Hunter. Proposed by Christine Gallagher, seconded by William Rae.

Secretary: Joan Barrington. Proposed by William Fullerton, seconded by Janet Robertson.

Treasurer: Peter Anderson. Proposed by Peter Alexander, seconded by Ian Hunter.

Minute Secretary: Bruce Laidlaw. Proposed by Alisdair Wilson, seconded by Ross Hunter.

Match Secretary: Bruce Laidlaw. Proposed by Alisdair Wilson, seconded by Ross Hunter.

Working Committee

Peter Alexander, George Campbell, Kelly Dickinson, William Fullerton, Christine Gallagher, Christine Leishman, William Mundie, William Rae, Janet Robertson, Alisdair Wilson.

Additional Club Positions

Green Convenor: George Campbell.

Senior Secretary: Tam Crone.

Premises Manager: Alan Campbell.

Bar Convenor: Peter Alexander.

Club Delegates

Senior Delegate: Tam Crone.

Eastern District BA: Jim McCann.

County (Gents): Alisdair Wilson.

County (Ladies): Maureen Houston.

2021 Any Other Business

2021 Fees

Following the late submission of a Motion for Consideration regarding fees, the member proposal below did not feature in the original correspondence hand-delivered to some members on 8 February. As a result, an addendum detailing voting instructions was posted to all members on 9 February.

Committee proposal: Ordinary Member £100, Restricted & New Member £50, Junior Member Free. Proposed by Alisdair Wilson, seconded by William Fullerton.

Member proposal: Ordinary Member £65, Restricted & New Member £35, Junior Member Free. Proposed by Alan McGuckin, seconded by Barry Main.