‘Coigach Community Rowing’

Draft Minutes of the AGM Tuesday 5th October 7.30pm

Present : Dan Walton, Grethe Walton, (Interim Treasurer) Lesley Muir, (Interim Secretary) Kimberley Colclough, Di Wilding, Una McGregor, Ish Muir, Ron Davidson (Interim Chair), Nic Clooney, Alan Pendred, Iain Muir, Alison Hitchings, Steve Husband.

Apologies: Mark Irvine,Sue Miller, Ali Beag Macleod, Lizzie Williams, Richard Williams.

Ron Davidson as Interim Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting.

Interim Chair: Remarks

Ron gave a brief overview of the project so far and said that he was overwhelmed with the extent of the enthusiasm for the boat and rowing it, having wondered while building it with Ali Beag  if it was going to end up a bit of a white elephant!

He noted that there had been great enthusiasm for rowing from the very fist competitive event in Anstruther in May and that the various crews had gone on from there to see wins and just-missed medals. He expected that this enthusiasm was here to stay and that next year would be the year that the women’s crews would be in the medals as well as the men’s.

Ron asked that the minutes of the September inaugural meeting be approved.

Minutes Approved – Alison; Seconded – Alan

Interim race Manager: remarks

As Interim Race Manager, Mark had sent his apologies. Nic as his deputy gave a brief overview of the first racing season, which he felt had been incredibly successful, with all the crews acquitting themselves very well, including some fine wins. He reminded the meeting that five regattas had been entered and everyone, including supporters,  had enjoyed themselves tremendously.

He finished by mentioning Coigach’s own Coastal Rowing  Weekend planned for the 21st and 22nd May and how he thought that it would soon become a fixture in Coigach’s calendar. He felt that more active encouragement was to be given to leisure rowers next season and through the winter. There was a possibility that Loch Oscaig could be used and an approach was to be made to Lord Linlithgow about this.

4. Financial update: just over £100 handed over to Grethe the interim Treasurer, (though that amount should really be in negative figures as money still due to be repaid on the insurance and for the wood for the new oars) however subs were received on the night so there will be cash to open an account with.

5 Election of office bearers.

As no nominations had been received by the Interim Secretary, the Interim Chair proposed that all of the recently appointed Interim Office Bearers and Junior Reps elected at the Inaugural Meeting in September should be duly appointed for the next two years ( as is normal tenure as per Constitution)

A vote was taken on this proposition and it was agreed unanimously.

Chair: Ron Davidson, Secretary: Lesley Muir, Treasurer: Grethe Walton, Junior Reps, Abi Muir, Kelly Sinclair and Seonag Buxton, Race/training Manager: Mark, (Deputy: Nic Clooney) Boat/Equipment Managers Alan Pendred and Steve Husband with the assistance and advice of Ron Davidson.

6. Election of  further committee members

Fitness Manager: Dan Walton,  with Mark Irvine and Nick Clooney as deputies.

Safety Manager: Kimberley Colclough, with deputy Phil Shaughnessy.

Una MacGregor, Alison Hitchings and Lesley Muir to explore funding possibilities.

7 Arrangements/volunteer helpers/ admission price etc  for Rowers’ Sunday Brunch and Licenced Ceilidh Dance with Stovies.

Brunch to be booked for Sunday 14th November in the Lounge. Date to be confirmed. A priced menu was to be got together. Mark Irvine and Mark Donnelly to talk to Dan Walton about scallops and black pudding idea.

Ceilidh dance on Tues 28th Dec. Lesley to check licensing for bar. Ish and Lesley to do stovies..more needed please. Entry was to be £2.50, with children free.

8 Formation of initial Working Group to co-ordinate Coigach Coastal Rowing Weekend.

Not time to discuss much.  Lizzie Williams has volunteered(by email) to be on Working Party for Coastal Rowing Weekend. Group to meet soon.

9 AOB Kimberley suggested purchase of first Aid Kit.  Kimberly and Phil to find one suitable. Dan suggested a local ad and also in Scot Ads for old coble oars. Lesley to do. Junior lifejackets needed..Steve to ask Gaelforce. A tarp to cover the boat needed Alan and/ or Ron to contact Tom Morrow in Inverness.

10  DONM undecided. Secretary to email date when decided.

The Chair thanked everyone and the meeting closed.

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Approved Minutes of end-of season Inaugural Meeting (2nd September 2010)to formalise Interim Office bearers, decide on date of AGM, adopt a Constitution , discuss our own Skiff festival for 2011 and discuss fund-raising.

Present: Nick Clooney, Di Wilding, Mark Irvine, Seonag Buxton, A Buxton, Alice Mackenzie, Alan Pendred, Joseph Peach, Iesley Muir, Grethe Walton, Abi Muir, Kelly Sinclair, Ish Muir, Dan Walton, Lizzie Williams, Rich Williams, Julia Campbell, Louise Mackenzie.

Apologies: Sue Miller, Ron Davidson

Lesley (standing in as Chair) welcomed everyone and said that the project had enjoyed a very effective but informal start to building a skiff and rowing it on a community basis, but it was time to formalise things in order to get a bank account for future projects and to allow us to access funding. Only quarterly meetings plus an AGM were required yearly. Although there is approx £100 in the kitty, outstanding costs still had to be covered so that fundraising soon was vital.

It was agreed that the title Coigach Community Rowing (CCR) was simple, descriptive and inclusive and this was adopted.

The following folk were appointed  in Interim positions until Tuesday 5th October at 7.30pm (chosen as the date of the AGM.)

Ron Davidson (in absentia); Chair, Lesley Muir; Secretary, Grethe Walton; Treasurer, Junior Reps; Abi Muir, Kelly Sinclair and Seonag Buxton, Racing/training manager 1; Mark Irvine, 2; Nick Clooney, Boat and Equipment managers: Alan Pendred and Steve Husband (in absentia.)

It was agreed that no specific safety manager be appointed as every member would be expected to familiarise themselves thoroughly with all safety aspects and would all receive a copy of both Safety and Club rules and that a good first aid kit be purchased to be carried at all times in the tow vehicle. There are 4 trained First Responders in the CCR with some junior members having had basic CPR training. Lesley Muir, Ish Muir, Ron Davidson and Seonag Buxton have full disclosures to enable them to work with under 18s. Julia pointed out that disclosures are free for voluntary groups if they use an umbrella body such as the SCVO. Lesley to find out more.

A simple Constitution has been adapted from the Scottish Coastal Rowing Association one. Lesley will circulate it for suggestions/improvements and it can be formally adopted, after a period of consultation, at the AGM.

It was agreed that yearly membership should not be expensive, in accordance with the inclusive ethos of the club. As a suggestion, to be circulated to gather opinion before the AGM, £10 per Adult; £5 for student/ concs/junior; 12 and under free; £20 for family; £5 for Associate membership (those not living in Coigach.)

It was also agreed that a list of  ‘Competent Rowers’ be drawn up before the AGM and the ‘Lass’  or any craft belonging to the community project ‘Coigach Community Rowing’ was not to be taken on to the water without at least one of these CRs supervising.

It was agreed that a young person of primary school age was deemed able to go out in the ‘Lass’ only under strict supervision and only if that young person was ‘competent to handle the oar effectively’ either alone or doubled up on the oar with a partner, with a competent adult ratio of no less than one competent adult to two under 13s. It was agreed that a full list of these sensible safety procedures be drawn up, circulated and approved to allow it to be ratified at the AGM. Steve to be asked to approach Gaelforce for Junior sized lifejackets.

Fundraising:

The junior members have decided to hold a fundraising Disco. Junior Reps to report back their progress on this with dates etc.

The Hall is being booked for a Licensed Ceilidh Dance with Stovies on Saturday 20th November (since meeting this has been changed to between Christmas and New Year.)  Seonag Buxton volunteered to bring together a ceilidh band for the night and they are to be offered petrol expenses if needed.  A ‘Rowers Sunday Brunch’ is planned for the next morning; on Sunday 21st. Louise volunteered to get the Sunday papers. Mark Irvine will head a brunch cooking team.

It was decided after intense discussion to hold a Coigach Skiff Fest (still to be named) on the weekend of 21st/22nd May 2011. Racing on the Saturday –  and on Sunday a massed boats, leisure row over to Tanera for late breakfast at the Cafe.

DONM :  AGM on Tues 5th October 7.30pm in the hall Lounge. The meeting will be advertised for two weeks prior  also nominations for the posts of Office Bearers will be requested prior to the meeting.

Lesley closed the meeting by congratulating everyone who had played a part in making the Coigach Community Skiff project such a success so far.