Condensed Minutes of the Meetings of Grove RFC Committee.
Any Member who wishes to have further information about the topics discussed may ask any Committee Member.
Click appropriate month.
Taken from the Signed and Approved Minutes of the Committee Meeting of 19th November 2007.
Actions from previous Minutes
i) Outstanding VAT payments to HM Customs & Revenue and outstanding payment to Referees’ Society have been made.
ii) Members urged to use banking sheets in line with Financial Control Procedures.
iii) Draft letter to Challengers re outstanding fees approved.
iv) Raging Bull agreement circulated and signed.
Finance
i) Finances Spreadsheet The spreadsheet circulated by the Treasurer was discussed with all Committee asked to identify items and inform Treasurer.
ii) Financial Control Procedure This document to be finalised by Chairman and Treasurer.
iii) VAT Items identified in spreadsheet above as subject to VAT to be identified before 30th November.
iv) Auditors’ Letter The Chairman and Treasurer to communicate with the Auditors in preparation for this year’s financial statement.
v) Subscriptions The previous position of the Committee in relation to membership fees for
Senior Citizens to be adhered to.
vi) Match Fees The temporary match fees do not seem to be in line with the temporary membership.
Strategy & Development
i) Business Plan Chairman to convene a meeting to get this started.
ii) Grove Airfield Development Concern was expressed over the siting of any new pavilion and the area covered by the Community Park.
iii) New Premises - Previous Negotiations Nothing further to report. The Business Plan will take account of any new negotiations.
iv) Williams F1 Inspection of a piece of land owned by Williams F1 was made to judge its suitability for rugby.
Players
i) Posts Posts burnt down after November bonfire to be replaced.
ii) Travel Expenses Travel expenses for trainee physiotherapist and Coach discussed. Also discussion on expenses for coaches working with Regional and County teams.
iii) Insurance Ways to support any injured players who suffer loss of earnings were discussed.
iv) Raging Bull The Raging Bull catalogue is now available but not for all sizes.
Community
i) Sponsorship Details of all sponsorship received so far was given to the Committee.
Premises
i) Bar Takings A spreadsheet showing the income and expenditure to the end of October was presented.
ii) Bonfire Night A profit of just over £4000 was made.
iii) Mini Festival Although not all bills are in the Mini Festival should show a profit in the region of £680.
iv) Social Events Details were given of impending social events.
v) Dinner Dance Arrangements are in hand for this event.
vi) Pre-match Dinner This event, predominantly to thank our sponsors and Vice-Presidents, was judged a success. A raffle for the Department of Urology at the Churchill Hospital raised £210.
vii) Web Site This desperately needs updating.
Correspondence
i) Summer Playschool at Fitzwaryn School Appeal This event for Special Needs children will be supported by the Club in some way.
ii) RFU Grand Draw Details to be sent for.
Outstanding Actions
i) Bank Signatory Addition of Treasurer as a signatory with Barclays Bank is in hand.
ii) Membership The Club Captain and the Membership Secretary to exchange information regarding eligibility of playing members.
iii) Updating of Membership This is to be done weekly in future by the Membership Secretary.
iv) Changing Rooms After match cleaning of changing rooms to be carried out.
AOB
i) U16 Ireland Tour – Easter 2008 Approval for this was given.
ii) Social Secretary An approach to be made to a Club Member to try to fill this post.
iii) ‘Wheelie’ Bin The cost of obtaining a ‘wheelie’ bin for our waste to be investigated.
iv) Storage Shed A metal storage shed has been identified for match equipment. V of WH Council has no objections to a shed subject to a planning application.
Date of Next Meeting – Monday 17th December 2007 at 7.30pm.
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Taken from the Signed and Approved Minutes of the Committee Meeting of 17th December 2007.
Players
i) Insurance Players to be advised to take out their own cover to guard against prolonged absence from work.
ii) Disciplinary Two recent cases have been resolved satisfactorily.
iii) Results A reminder to post results in good time to RFU to go out to captains and managers.
iv) Pitch provision This local matter still not resolved to the satisfaction of all parties.
v) Travel expenses Appropriate remuneration for legitimate travel agreed.
vi) Physiotherapy services Contractual agreement on use of premises and trainee physio to be explored.
Minis/Juniors
i) Mini Festival This will be held on Sunday 5th October 2008 provided the Parish Council agree.
ii) U16s Ireland Tour – 4th, 5th and 6th April 2008. A donation of £200 was agreed towards Tour expenses.
Premises
i) Finance/Suppliers Banking figures for the past month were given and discussion on future bar suppliers were inconclusive. A decision to be made after further investigation of the deals offered.
ii) Social Events A list of forthcoming events was given.
Community
i) Sponsorship Details of a deal currently being negotiated were presented to the Committee and agreed.
ii) Challengers’ fees No reply as yet from the Challengers to the Chairman’s letter of 17th November re last year’s fees for using the changing rooms.
iii) Training lights Investigation of the cost of installing a meter for the training lights is to be carried out.
Finances
i) Bank Mandate Form This form was signed to enable the new Treasurer to be added to the list of signatories.
ii) General The healthy credit balance showing at present is virtually all allocated to forthcoming expenditure.
iii) Financial Control Procedures All were asked to ensure that these are followed scrupulously.
iv) Resignation of Cleaner The former cleaner is to be contacted in order to formalise her position.
Strategy & Development
i) Business Plan A meeting to be held shortly to begin the process of constructing the Business Plan.
Matters Arising from previous Minutes
i) Club ties These were ordered a month ago.
ii) Shop No volunteer is available to run a clothing shop at present.
iii) Posts Replacement posts are to be installed to replace those burnt down.
iv) Fitzwaryn Summer School Arrangements are in hand to support this venture.
iv) Contract Cleaning Quotes received for the deep cleaning of the kitchen were considered too expensive.
v) Social Secretary The person approached declined the position.
Correspondence
i) Request for Minutes It was agreed that a shortened version of the Minutes be published on the web site.
ii) Recognition of Service The Committee was asked to consider a category of membership in recognition of service to the Club.
iii) Pre-match Dinner This will be held on Saturday 26th January before the Olney game.
iv) Membership We have 30 players fewer that at this time last year.
Date of Next Meeting – Monday 28th January 2008 at 7.30pm.
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Taken from the Signed and Approved Minutes of the Committee Meeting of 28th January 2008.
Premises
i) Bar Management There are too few volunteers to run the bar efficientlyfor all of the opening times. More volunteers are urgently sought to take responsibility for staffing the bar.
ii) Brewery There is to be a change of supplier for bar supplies as soon as is practically possible from Coors to Greene King.
iii) Cleaning Urgent action is to be taken to identify either commercial or individual cleaners to take responsibility for the cleaning of the Club.
The price of a steam cleaner for the cleaning of the kitchen and bar areas is to investigated.
iv) Bar receipts The Treasurer and Bar Manager, who is responsible for the banking of all money received by the Club, are to meet within the week to ensure that all of the records reconcile in preparation for the end of year audit and presentation of accounts at the AGM.
Players
i) Disciplinary A First XV player was sent off on Saturday 26th January after two yellow cards. There was some doubt in the player’s mind that he had in fact been shown a second yellow.
Concerned was expressed about a recent spate of examples of lack of discipline.
ii) Match Reports These appear on the web site as they are received.
iii) Raging Bull The contract has not yet been signed by Raging Bull.
iv) Players’ Membership Fees Concerns were raised about the Temporary Match Feesthat were allowed at the beginning of the season for new players. The amount of money banked does not coincide with the known appearance of such players. Team Captains are to be asked to ensure that this matter is remedied by the Club Captain receiving weekly team sheets.
v) Posts The posts destroyed at the November Bonfire have still not been replaced because the supplying firm has not been cutting timber because of the bad weather.
vi) Raffles After match raffles have not yet taken place as the football cards are still running.
vii) Insurance Players have been advised to take out personal insurance, particularly to cover loss of earnings.
viii) Results Team Captains have been advised of the necessity for posting results early particularly with regard to the vagaries of the local post. The matter of ifines if these are not received on Tuesday at RFU will be raised with ORFU.
ix) Summer Camp We have been asked to host a summer camp to be held under the auspices of the RFU for 3-4 days commencing 11th August. We are happy to do this provided the Grove Parish Council agree.
x) Under 16s Tour to Ireland Plans for this are well in hand and all accompanying adults will be Club members and CRB cleared.
xi) Sports Match A return is to be made to Sports Match indicating how their money was spent.
xii) Tag Course and First Aid Course No dates as yet for these courses.
xiii) Safeguarding and Protecting Young People in Rugby All Mini/Junior coaches have been informed of the above 3-hour course to be held in Bicester and Wallingford.
Community - Management Liaison Committee
(i) Pitches A meeting is to be held mid-February to try to resolve the matter of positioning of pitches.
(ii) Use of changing rooms The Challengers have expressed their intention to pay for the use of changing rooms for the present season up to December.
(iii) Chairman’s letter to Challengers A discussion of our Chairman’s letter of 17th November regarding last previous fees is to be discussed at their February meeting.
(iv) Mably football pitches A meeting held on 17th January be the Vale of the White Horse DC expressed the hope that the long awaited football pitches in Mably Way would be ready for September 2008.
(v) Challengers Accommodation The Challengers have been given the go-ahead to erect changing accommodation near to the storage compound.
Metering Electric Meters Further investigation of the cost of installing electric meters operated by tokensis to be made.
Sponsorship Tim is awaiting information from the Committee on the form of sponsorship we would want from our latest sponsor.
Finance Update As at 31st December 2007 we had a credit balance at the bank but with outstanding bills to pay. We have been notified by HM Customs & Revenue that we have a refund to come from overpayment of VAT.
i) Financial Control Procedures These had been circulated previously by e-mail and minor amendments were made to finalise the document.
ii) Changing Room Fees From next season these will be costed with VAT added.
iii) Lottery Licence The Club will invest in a Lottery Licence at a cost of £40 initially and thence £20 per year.
iii) Third Party Insurance No reply has yet been received regarding 3rd Party Cover for use of premises. The Club is covered by the RFU’s policy with Marsh Insurers for such events as the Bonfire.
iv) Auditors The Chairman has written to the Auditors to ask that they once again audit our books at the end of the financial year.
Membership Update The Membership Secretary reported that we appear to be about 30 down on numbers compared with last year.
Strategy & Development Discussion deferred until Monday 25th February at 7.30pm.
AOB
i) Annual General Meeting This will be held on 22nd or 29th may 2008 at 7.30pm. All players will be reminded that Team Captains must be voted for in advance of the Meeting. Role Descriptions will be displayed within the Clubhouse nearer the time together with a sheet seeking nominations, proposers and seconders – names to be printed (for identification purposes) and signatures appended
ii) Dinner Dance This is planned for the second week after the end of the season (early May?).
iii) Photographs Photographs of the senior players will be displayed on the web site as soon as they become available.
iv) International Tickets All who have applied for International tickets will receive two tickets.
v) Sponsored Match Balls £420 had been received so far for match ball sponsorship.
Date of Next Meeting – Monday 18th February 2008 at 7.30pm.
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Taken from the Signed and Approved Minutes of the Committee Meeting of 18th February 2008.
Players
(i) Forfeited Match No team could be raised for the 3rd XV League fixture on Saturday 16th February.
(ii) Selection Policy It was felt that a clear selection policy, understood by everyone in the Club, could alleviate a number of problems.
(iii) Publication of Teams Selected teams to be displayed on the Notice Board in the Club.
(iv) Posts There is still a difficulty with the supply of the replacement posts. Easter now seems to be the likely delivery date. Rotation of pitches will help to alleviate the problem.
(v) Team Sheets This problem is still nor resolved. They are still not being given to the right person.
(vi) Temporary Match Fees There is still a mismatch between temporary fees and bankings.
(vii) Refunds on International Tickets The Committee member responsible was absent from the Meeting. He will be contacted.
(viii) Kit Orders Green & Co sponsored shirts are now in use and the U16 Tour shirts are about to be ordered.
(ix) Raging Bull Raging Bull still have not signed their part of the kit contract.
(x) Old Shirts The old shirts will be sold off for training tops.
(xi) Mini/Junior shirts Some age groups have been sponsored but we need to buy some of our old style shirts in the interim. The hope is to progressively kit out all of the youngsters by sponsorship or by getting parents to but.
(xii) Mini/Junior Training tops Eight have been purchased. Enquiries will be made of Raging Bull to ask whether they can now supply all sizes.
(xiii) Senior Tour There will be no Senior tour this year.
(xiv) Coaching We need more coaches at senior level and the Club Coach is making enquiries. We have a Level 2 Junior coach who could be interested. A suggestion that some of the more senior players could be trained as coaches at the Club’s expense will be pursued by the Club Coach.
(xv) Training Incentives The Club Coach is to attempt to quantify the benefits of this season’s Incentive Scheme.
Finances
(i) SWOT Analysis The Treasurer asked for contributions from all of the Committee for his SWOT analysis for the Business Plan.
(ii) Budget A budget for the next financial year is in preparation by the Treasurer based on previous data.
(iii) Financial Control Procedures The final draft has been circulated for comment.
(iv) Annual Audit The Treasurer is to contact with the auditors in preparation for the end of the financial year.
Premises
(i) Change of Supplier Greene King have been signed up to supply alcohol and bar sundries. Meetings will take place as and when convenient to ensure a smooth changeover and the phasing out of old supplies.
(ii) Clubhouse Cleaning A cleaner has been identified and will start work immediately.
(iii) Steam Cleaning Steam cleaning of the kitchen appliances was recently carried out and the investigation of buying our own equipment is ongoing. A suggestion of a web site that specialises in redundant equipment will be kept in mind.
(iv) Dinner Dance The Dinner Dance will be held on Friday 2nd May 2008 at Drayton Park Golf Club.
(v) Folk Evening This event will be held on Saturday 15th March.
Community
(i) Grove Challengers – Pitches This unresolved issue will be taken back to the Grove Parish Council if the Challengers persist in flouting the wishes of the Rugby Club and the Parish Council themselves.
(ii) Metering of Floodlights This matter will be resolved in the close season.
Strategy & Development A meeting is to be held on Monday 25th February
Any Other Business
(i) Membership A complete breakdown of Membership fees and categories is to be provided at the March meeting by the Membership Secretary.
(ii) Refuse Collection This matter will be resolved in the near future.
(iii) Storage The Vale of White Horse is asking for more details on our application for a storaghe facility.
(iv) Grove Parish Council – Persimmons A meeting is to be arranged direct with Persimmons as soon as possible.
(v) Constitution Any proposed changes to the Club Constitution should be forwarded to the Club Secretary before the March meeting.
Date of Next Meeting – Monday 17th March 2008 at 7.30pm.
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Taken from the Signed and Approved Minutes of the Committee Meeting of 17th March 2008.
AOB
3.1 Bar Incident The recommendations of the Disciplinary Committee set up to determine the facts of the incident that occurred on Saturday 1st March 2008 were considered by the Committee. All were accepted.
3.2 Annual General Meeting This is set for Thursday 29th May 2008 at 7.30pm. Notification has been sent to all members for whom the Secretary has e-mail details, notices have been displayed in the Clubhouse and a web page displays the information. A file containing Nomination Forms, Role Descriptions and a copy of the Constitution will be in the
Clubhouse from Thursday 20th March.
Constitution Any changes to the Constitution should be with the Secretary by 31st March 2008 so that these can be finalized at the April Meeting.
3.3 Auditors The Auditors have been approached and will be happy to continue in their role and they will be recommended at the AGM.
3.4 Club President The Committee is asked to submit their choices for Club President at the April Meeting. The Chairman should then make the approach to the chosen one.
New Committee The Committee is asked to decide whether they wish to stand again at the next Meeting and to try to persuade others to stand also.
Honorary Life Members The Committee is asked to put forward any names for Honorary Life Members at the next Meeting.
4 Sub-Committee Reports
4.1 Premises
Key Holders The Secretary circulated a spreadsheet of key holders and asked those present to complete the matrix if they held keys.
Rangers request Discussion of the Rangers Football Club request to use the Club after their matches was deferred until the April Meeting in order to consult the Clubhouse Manager over the feasibility of staffing the kitchen.
4.2 Finance
Team Sheets To solve the never-ending saga of TeamSheets it was decided to invest in a photocopier so that selections can be made available to the Membership Secretary and a copy placed on the Notice Board.
Temporary Fees Still unresolved.
Banking The Treasurer urged everyone to ensure that all outstanding money is paid in before 31st March.
Membership It is essential that the computer is up to date to ensure that information about fees is available to the Treasurer and contact information is availablefor the Secretary to ensure that as many members as possible can be contacted with news of important events.
Budget Setting The Treasurer needs to allocate sums of money for the new financial year and needs historic data from Committee members.
Financial Control Procedures These will come into operation from 1st April.
4.3 Players
Team Updates We are struggling on numbers at present with another 3rd XV game cancelled.
Training Issues These have been the subject of a flurry of e-mails and the Club Captain and Club Coach are going to meet to resolve the matter.
Disciplinary The suspended player’s time is now expired. We have now had four red cards and at five a club is considered by the RFU to have a poor record.
Selection Policy This is to be considered and put in place ready for the AGM so that all are informed before next season.
Abingdon 7s A decision has not yet been made whether to enter this August event.
Replacement Posts These have now been delivered and will be erected in the very near future.
Players’ Meeting This is to be organized prior to the AGM.
Seal of Approval The Seal of Approval is up for renewal.
School Liaison It is hoped to fund coaches to visit all schools in the area with the intention of arousing more enthusiasm in the area and recruiting another 100 mini/junior players.
Presentation Evening A Presentation Evening for Mini/Junior players is to be held before the end of the season.
U16 Tour Plans for this are well in hand as reported in the recent e-mail from thew organiser which was forwarded to all Committee members.
South Oxfordshire Development Group Meeting This will be attended by Dave Jones.
4.4 Community
Sponsorship The new Committee member responsible for Sponsorship is to ensure that the latest deal is in place for 1st September, the start of the new season.
International Tickets 2008/09 There will be Autumn Internationals as well as the Six Nations – with possibly three England home fixtures – that may give scope for more sponsorship.
Management Liaison Committee A full report of the proceedings of the Management Liaison Committee of 12th March was given. A meeting is to be called before 30th June to resolve the matter of the positioning of pitches. If the clubs cannot come to an agreement then the Parish Council will decide.
4.5 Strategy & Development A meeting with Persimmons has been arranged for 31st March.
5 Date of Next meeting – Monday 21st April 2008 at 7.30pm.
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April Minutes will appear here after the Committee Meeting on Monday 19th May.