Minutes of the Policy Committee meeting held at Syston on 3 July 2006

Present: Jim Bingham [JB - Chair], John Dawkins [JVD], Sean Hewitt [SH], Alan Jex (AJ), Julie Johnson [JJ], Jim Miller (JNM - Secretary).

1. Apologies

Graham, Booley, Peter Harrison, Cyril Johnson.  JNM agreed to take notes and prepare minutes.

2.

It was noted that, although the meeting was taking place without the normal 7 days' notice, the three members apologising for their absence had all indicated their consent to the meeting going ahead.  It was agreed to recommend to the 2007 AGM that the LRCA constitution should be changed so that all meetings of all committees could, in an emergency, be held with less than 7 days' notice, provided that all the members unable to attend had agreed.

3. Minutes

The minutes of the previous meeting, held on 5 June, were approved, except that SH said that the statement attributed to him re ECF membership was not correct: he had wanted a £5 fee, not a £10 one, but whether the fee was optional or mandatory was a separate issue.

4. Matters arising

JNM had informed Otto Hardy that his Life Membership certificate would be presented to him at the Charity evening on 20 September.

5. ECF Delegate

It was agreed that PC should recommend to the 2007 AGM that the LRCA President should normally be the ECF delegate; but that if the President was already an ECF officer, then the PC would elect a delegate.  This would require changes to the LRCA constitution.  For 2006-7 AJ moved, and JNM seconded, that JB should be our delegate: this was carried by 4 votes to nil with one abstention.

6. Financial Responsibility for the Atkins Tournament

It was reported that Graham Booley had sent an e-mail strongly recommending that LRCA should take on the financial responsibility for the Atkins tournament to be held in September.  JNM proposed and AJ seconded a motion to this effect, which was approved by 3 votes to zero with 2 abstentions.  JVD emphasised the necessity for complete financial transparency, including reports to the AGM.  He also asked whether any sponsorship had been sought.  SH replied that income from sponsorship – which might well be sought – would only be icing on the cake, i.e. the event should stand or fall financially without the assumption of any external support.  It was noted that a separate bank account should be set up, and it was agreed, with one abstention, following a proposal from AJ, seconded by JNM, that a float of £500 should be established.  SH confirmed in answer to a question from JNM that potential problems of public liability were covered.

7. ECF Membership Scheme

JJ introduced this topic, emphasising that a membership scheme could be operated by the MCCU, the county, a League etc, with the consequences for individuals re game fees etc being effectively the same in each case.  A long and wide-ranging discussion followed, during which it was noted that the introduction of [e.g.] a Leicestershire scheme might bring to the attention of members more detail on how the money contributed by clubs as League fees was actually spent.  This was because, although the game fee would disappear, it would still be necessary for clubs to pay a significant fee for every team they entered into the League.  While more transparency was to be welcomed in principle, it was noted that the cost of county matches, in which only about 20% of the county's players actually participate, seemed to be disproportionately costly.  Again the need for complete transparency in all areas of the LRCA's accounts was apparent.  It was felt that, if the county was to recommend clubs to participate in a membership scheme, it should be organised by LRCA itself, rather than [e.g.] MCCU.  The establishment of such a county scheme was proposed by SH and seconded by JJ: this motion was passed by 3 votes to zero, with 2 abstentions.  It was agreed unanimously that before such a scheme could be recommended to clubs, an EGM should be held, and this was provisionally fixed for 13 September.  A PC meeting would be held in mid-August to prepare the ground, and to agree a paper (which SH agreed to draft at the President's request) which would be put to the EGM.

JNM – 7 July 2006