12th April 2005
Apologies: Cash Babic, Ed Bartram, Pete Board, Matthew Clark, Andy Goddard,
Tony O’Connor, Paul ‘Muswell’ Stocker.
1) The beers were got in.
2) The minutes of the 2004 AGM were approved unanimously.
3) Chairman’s report
Phil Clarke (hereinafter PC) welcomed everybody to the 24th AGM of the RTCC.
He said that he would be speaking without notes because he hadn’t much
to say and he couldn’t read his own writing. He hoped to play more cricket
in 2005. He thanked Stu Drysdale for organising the Christmas do. He was happy
with the club. He was looking forward to a nice cricket season and a summer
of love.
4) Secretary’s report
SP said that the club had lost a lot of long-term stalwarts which caused difficulties
in the first half of the season. But things improved thereafter. He had managed
to recruit a few of his workmates and Alex Woodcraft had been instrumental
in recruiting others.
5) The beers were got in.
6) Treasurer’s report
Stuart Drysdale presented the club’s accounts and members took a few
minutes to study them. This quiet period of reflection was interrupted by
noises emanating from the direction of Adrian Birchall. The ex-treasurer (two
terms) could be heard drawing in his breath and tut-tutting. SD said that
another year of profit was due principally to a donation of £250 from
the Royal Bank of Scotland. Nets had run at a huge loss with an average of
eight people turning up per week. David Terry had turned up on his own on
Easter Sunday. "Did he pay?" asked SP.
SD opened a debate on annual subs and match subs by offering three options
and, as members digested his written proposals, the club president hoved into
view. There was spontaneous applause and cries of hurrah. Several pairs of
underpants were thrown in his direction. Cecil nodded sagely in acknowledgement,
sat down in his chair and fell asleep. AB asked about the kit situation. DT
said that it was good. SP and AB spoke out in favour of cutting annual subs.
DT didn’t like the third option. He suggested that some of the club’s
surplus money went on subsidising the tour. This elicited a lengthy discussion
on the club’s finances, annual subs and the cost of the tour. DT proposed
a package involving home games at £8, aways £5, Friday nights
£5, annual subs £15 and a £100 tour subsidy. This was passed.
7) Captain’s report
DT said that he hadn’t played so much as usual but from what he had
witnessed, it had been a disappointing season. There hadn’t been a strong
core of players in the first half of the season. RTCC had sometimes been asked
to punch above its weight and failed. We had become lackadaisical despite
our ability. There were occasions when we had been awful in the field, especially
in the George Orwell tournament. There were plus points such as the tour and
victories over the Old Reptilians and Tower Ravens. Howard Lancaster’s
and Andy Pacey’s batting were tops. Nets had been disappointing which
didn’t augur well for the forthcoming season. But as ever the club was
great fun and there was a good spirit. At this point PC decided that, inter
alia, it was time for more beers to be got in.
8) The beers were got in.
9) Fixture list 2005
Andy Pacey presented a fixture list based roughly on the previous year’s.
It was noted that Channel 4 had bitten the dust. The desirability of continuing
with Byfield was considered. There was then a discussion on the tour with
reference to the problem of finding a suitable Sunday match. It was agreed
that the opposition shouldn’t be too strong as most of the club would
be suffering from alcoholic poisoning by this stage. A few ideas were kicked
around, including a conference fixture or a six-a-side against Wytham. AP
was asked to make arrangements as he saw fit. AP drew special attention to
three dates; Old Boy’s Day on May 22, a game against cast of Eastenders
on June 12 and the George Orwell tournament on September 18.
10) Club officers
SP said that he was standing down from the thankless task of being club secretary
after two good years. He was thanked, probably for the first time, for his
good offices. Alex Woodcraft, with the assistance of Andy Goddard, volunteered
to take up the role. SD said that he would remain as treasurer albeit a non-playing
one due to a knee injury. He asked for assistance in collecting subs. At the
end of last season Richard Williams had stood down as fixtures secretary,
after a two-year stint, in favour of AP. All other officers remained in situ
and were re-elected.
11) New members
The following new members were approved: Ed Bailey, Ed Johnson, Mark Macfarlane,
Bob Bartram, Matt Chisnell, Patrick Sylvester, Pankaj Naik and Lokesh Mondraty.
Martin Denniss questioned whether Patrick was good for annual subs of £15
and suggested it might be best to tell Patrick to pay £50 in the hope
of getting anything out of him. There was the sound of foldings being handed
over to SD (who was wearing rather an elegant suit).
12) Cricket Conference membership
PC considered this a given each year unless decided otherwise. It cost £40.
13) The Tavern question
There was a discussion on where best to meet before and after home games.
SP said the the Three Compasses on Hornsey High Street was cool but that we
didn’t have to make a conscious choice. DT went into a bit of history
and the club’s long association with the Railway Tavern. He raised the
possibility of sponsorship by the Three Compasses. "Let’s go with
the flow," said SP. SD said he could ask Nigel (Compasses landlord) to
do us a few sandwiches. MD had reservations. Wouldn’t sponsorship from
a curry house be more appropriate, he wondered. PC said that there was no
need to vote on anything, MD said something about the royal wedding and SP
said: "Who’s that scouser in the corner?"
14) The beers were got in
15) AOB
As is traditional at RTCC AGMs, the question of insurance was raised. This
year the instigator was SP. He outlined a brief synopsis of a spec that he
had been sent. Ed Bailey said that the terms were worse than travel insurance.
RW said that the hassle of claiming might kill you anyway. And as is traditional
at RTCC AGMs, the question was shelved. Or as SD put it: "Bugger it for
another year." A notion seconded by Andy James.
MD said that he had a point to make but he couldn’t remember what it
was.
DT said that there had been small additions to the first aid box. AW revealed
that he had done a first aid course and that he was willing to offer guidance
on keeping whites white. He declined to take in washing.
MD’s memory cleared and he demanded that the tour take place in Liverpool
not Oxford. The minute-taker was instructed by everybody to strike MD’s
suggestion from the record.
DT thought it might be an idea to put the names of the qualified first-aiders
on the club card.
Simon Clarke wished to relinquish webmaster duties and SP said he would take
over upkeep of RTCC’s website. He asked for people to write up cricket
matches. The discussion entered a technical phase with talk of pdfs, software,
hardware, ram, configuration, motherboards and howsyourfather.
Alex Woodcraft, remembering that he had just volunteered to be club secretary,
asked if there was a spare fixture list.
The chairman said that he was inclined to end proceedings. He wished to get
a beer in.
Richard Williams