YORKSHIRE CONTRACT BRIDGE ASSOCIATION

Minutes of the AGM of the YCBA held at Doncaster Bridge club on Friday 19th June 2009 at 7.15 p.m.

Present: P. G. Mason (Chair), G Jepson (Vice Chair), L Millet (Treasurer), J Latham (Secretary) and 23 other members.

1. Minutes of the 2008 AGM (previously circulated) and Matters Arising
The minutes were approved and signed.
Mr Millet enquired how and when possible changes to the role and ways of working of the Conduct Committee along with some
new proposals for dealing with procedural issues be considered. The Chair responded that the matter would be dealt with by
the Management Committee at the earliest opportunity

2. Chair’s Report
The Chairman presented his annual report highlighting:

-	The success of the Yorkshire Congress. It had made a profit of over £2000 this year which was particularly pleasing as the previous year it had run at a loss.
-	The continuing success of the Yorkshire League. Although numbers had fallen slightly we still had 10 divisions as compared with 7 in our Golden Jubilee Year
-	The forthcoming 75th anniversary of the formation of the YCBA, which occurs in September 2010

The Chairman thanked all members of the Management Committee,including:

-	Janet Latham who was retiring as Secretary after 8 years
-	Chris Close who had briefly been Assistant Secretary before moving to Nottinghamshire
-	Judith Biles who was leaving the Management Committee.

Thanks were also expressed to:

-	Helen Barr who was retiring as Yorkshire Congress Secretary.
-	Ted Bond who would shortly be retiring as Membership Secretary.
-	Rob Turner who runs the Yorkshire web site.
-	Ted Latham for organizing the Golf Clubs’ bridge competition.
-	Les Brown for his continuing work on the Bulletin
-	Robin Jepson for producing the YCBA contribution to the EBU magazine.
-	Bill Townsend for his bridge articles.

Particular thanks were also expressed to Cedric Cockcroft for the excellent work he has done as County Youth Officer.
He is moving to Derbyshire and will be greatly missed.

Graham Jepson thanked Philip Mason for all the hard work he does as Chairman

3. Honorary Secretary’s Report
The Honorary Secretary indicated that she had nothing to report that was not covered elsewhere in the agenda
She wished her successor (Julia Staniforth) well.

4. Tournament Secretary’s Report
A report was tabled which showed numbers taking part in YCBA competitions The Tournament Secretary commented on the fact
that only a small proportion of members who had qualified through their clubs for the Individual and Mixed Pairs actually
played in the finals. Most participants entered direct. Stuart Davies was warmly thanked for his commitment, which included
his work as Yorkshire League Secretary.

5. Honorary Treasurer’s Report
A set of accounts ( previously circulated) was tabled.
The Treasurer thanked Helen Barr and Stuart Davies for the help they had given her when she took over the job.
She commented on the fact that serious planning would be needed when Pay-to-Play was introduced.
There being no further questions the accounts were accepted and the Treasurer was thanked for her hard work.

6. Membership Secretary’s Report
A report was distributed which provided a tabulation of numbers showing a slight decline in membership .

7 Yorkshire income requirement from Pay-to-Play.
It was proposed and accepted that this be 5p a session.
Ted Bond reminded the meeting that we had to determine fees for dual members and proposed the following:-
Members of the YCBA who are not members of a club affiliated to the YCBA should pay an annual subscription of £7.
This proposal was unanimously accepted.

8. Election of Officers and Management Committee 2009-2010
8.1 The following were elected unopposed:

Chairman		Philip Mason		Proposed by Jim Proctor
		(Malton)		Seconded by Pauline Cooper
Vice Chairman		Graham Jepson		Proposed by Janet Latham
		(Sheffield)		Seconded by Helen Barr
Honorary Secretary		Julia Staniforth		Proposed by Philip Mason
		(Doncaster)		Seconded by Janet Latham
Honorary Treasurer		Lesley Millet		Proposed by Stuart Davies
		(Leeds)		Seconded by Philip Mason
Assistant Secretary		Janet Latham		Proposed by David Waxman
		(Harrogate)		Seconded by Graham Jepson
Tournament Secretary		Stuart Davies		Proposed by Gill Copeland
		(Bradford)		Seconded by Elaine Van Heel

8.2 Election of Management Committee
The following nominations were received and elected:

Alan Dean		Proposed by Judith Biles
(Keighley)		Seconded by Janet Latham
Phil Godfrey		Proposed by B Hall
(York)		Seconded by Catherine Laverack
Ian Rodger		Proposed by Paul Barrett
(Bramhope)		Seconded by Freda Reid
David Waxman		Proposed by Ted Latham
(Sheffield)		Seconded by Ian Rodger

9. Appointment of Auditors
Brown Butler and Co was re-appointed.

10. Adoption of proposed new Constitution
Ted Bond circulated a copy of a proposed revised YCBA Constitution explaining that an earlier version had been rejected by the EBU.
He continued by detailing how the new version was taken from an EBU model produced to help counties, and which had been subject to
thorough legal scrutiny to ensure compliance with Human Rights and other legislation. He explained that the revision effectively
diminished the role of Council to an advisory one . Assurances were given that the Management Committee would always place the
highest credence on Council views. After further discussion, in the light of respecting the fact that the EBU model was developed
to safeguard counties’ interests, the revised Constitution was adopted.

11. Date and venue of AGM 2010
The date and venue of the 2010 AGM was agreed as 18th June 2010 at Doncaster Bridge Club - starting at 7.15 p.m.

12. Any Other Business
David Wilson (Hull) expressed concern that the proposed starting time of 1pm for Yorkshire League matches would greatly inconvenience
some teams in outlying areas. His views were sympathetically received and after some discussion it was proposed and accepted that the
standard starting time should remain at 2pm.

15. Presentation of Trophies
Trophies were presented to the winners of the eleven divisions of the Yorkshire League
and to David Musson’s team,who won the Waddington Shield

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