Annual General Meeting 2017
Minutes of the Annual General Meeting held on 9th May 2017 at Buckingham School
There were 21 members present
Apologies for absence were received on behalf of Frank Thompson and Dennis Purr
Minutes of the 2016 meeting - were accepted as a true record of the meeting.
Proposed by Mick Taylor Seconded by Steve Horwood
Matters arising from the minutes – Mick asked to review about a closed season, as agreed previous AGM. Matt Mallett proposed continuing with no closed season. Steve Cory seconded. Everyone agreed to continue with no closed season for this season.
Secretary’s report
The committee has continued to hold monthly meetings at Silverstone Football Club; thanks go to Dennis Purr and his wife for hosting this for us. It is very much appreciated.
We had issues at Oxford Water last summer with the weed and also a very low water level. After investigations by Steve Cory it was found that there was a hole where the water was escaping. The National Trust made the necessary repairs and the level has returned to normal. Unfortunately the low level exacerbated the weed problem, however there was little we could do about it as the National Trust will not allow us to take any preventative measures. The cost of commercial weed removal is beyond the club’s resources, so the committee had a couple of sessions there clearing swims but didn’t manage to make a huge impact. Plans are currently being worked on to try and sort out the best way to deal with it this summer. Graham has already started negotiations with the National Trust for a future lease as we know that it is likely to be a lengthy process. Barry Smith has advised us that they are very happy with the club and that a new lease will be offered on the same terms as current, however as happens with the National Trust, things have not moved forward as yet. We will keep on it, but I’m sure you’ll agree that this is good news for the club. There has been a load of stone added to the car park road and entrance to make access easier.
The committee and a few members have invested a lot of time and energy into making Jubilee Lake a great fishing venue. A programme of feeding has been undertaken and during the warmer months we have been trapping the crayfish. Over the winter the decision was made to put ropes over the water to prevent predation by cormorants. This seems to have been very successful. The plan is to remove most of the ropes over the summer period and replace them again before winter. More crucians and small tench were stocked in the winter and we have recently planted some areas of lilies to add extra protection. We are aware of mink in the area and will shortly be trapping again.
The current lease on the river at Radclive continues until March 2018. The Club will look to continuing this next year and we will also be continuing our agreement with Winslow Club for a further year.
We have had several working parties over the year which have generally been poorly attended other than by the committee and the same few loyal club members. Thank you to all who have attended, an awful lot has been achieved in the last year due to your hard work. We have 2 working parties coming up this month, Sunday 14th May at Jubilee Lake and Sunday 21st May at Oxford Water. All help is very gratefully received, so please try and attend.
The club continues its membership of the Angling Trust and is insured for liability via them. We also have access to Fish Legal via our membership.
The committee remained the same for this year, with Steve Cory then rejoining us in March. This gives us a current committee of 10 people. However, I have taken the decision that it is time for me to step down after 6 years of “just taking the minutes”, so will not be standing for re-election today. I feel that the club is now in a much better place, with the potential to have a long future, which has always been my motivation. In Graham you have the most hard working, enthusiastic, lead by example Chairman you could ever have, and I am confident he will be able to take the club forward with the backup of the great committee that is in place. Thank you all for your support and I wish you the very best for the future. Happy fishing.
Chairman’s report
Graham referred to his newsletter. Thanks to Matt for his involvement with the EA, promising barbet etc for our waters. Matt showed the EA representative our section of river and they were pleased with the work the club has done. We have also asked for other stock fish. Matt has also requested the EA habitat people to come and advise re otter proofing. More working parties will be required. Graham has approached the National Trust re using dye in the water at Oxford Water, but they will not allow it to be used. The weed is very dense at the top and thin at the room. The committee are looking at alternative solutions.
The Jubilee working party will be working on peg 10 to remove the bottom of the tree. Lilies have been planted between every peg. Graham apologised for getting the date and time of AGM wrong on the newsletter.
Match Secretary’s report
Last season we did not hold any matches as I had decided to leave the season clear after the disastrous 2015/16 season when there were only two of us fishing them, and on two occasions when only I turned up.
This season I have only put in four matches, two on Jubilee and the other two on Oxford Water to see how we get on. If we get a good turnout for both waters I will increase the matches for next season.
I have also changed the draw times from the old 7.15am to and 8.15 draw to see if this will help get more people to come along.
I know that other clubs in this area are struggling with their match turn outs and this club will not have the full pegs like we had when we were on the 11 Acre Lake, but we now have a good stocked lake at Jubilee and Oxford Water has a good head of decent fish, so please come and give the matches a go, after all this club would not exist if it was not for the few gentlemen of the maintenance crew of Stowe School back in the fifties who started it up with match fishing!
I would now like to put my other hat on as one of the web site operators and ask you if you catch any of our nice fish that we have in Oxford Water, Jubilee Lake or the river some nice photo’s would be appreciated we can then put them on to the web site.
I wish you all a good season and we all have tight lines.
Treasurer report
Income this year was £3285.00. Expenses were £3607.25, which included additional fish stocks and rent for Jubilee Lake. This gave a total Excess of Expenditure over Income of £322.25. The tank and pump are for the golden tench which Graham purchased. Alison has kindly over wintered them and they have now been moved to a tank with pump sited on a small holding to grow on for eventual introduction into Jubilee.
Income and Donations £3285.00
Expenses
Rent £1260.00
Fish Stocks £1292.84
Printing £ 178.00
Angling Trust £ 342.00
Tank and Pump £ 225.00
Sundries and Maintenance £ 309.41
Total £3607.25
Bank Balance at 11 May 16 was £3042.04
Income 2016/2017 £3285.00
Total £6327.04
Expenses 2016/2017 £3607.25
Balance at Bank 09 May 2017 £2719.79
Proposed by Matt Mallett Seconded by Steve Horwood
Membership Secretary’s report
Current membership stands at 74 Adults, 2 Juniors, 5 Children, 4 Complimentary, 7 Honorary. Membership remains open.
Membership was about the same as last year but with Jubilee Lake already showing signs of good sport for this year we will hopefully buck the trend and increase membership this year.
We had 19 people take advantage of the Winslow ticket, although I have had no feedback as to how successful it was, but a couple of committee members absolutely love it!
Winslow had 20 members who took advantage of our ticket but because Oxford Water was very low due to the leak and full of weed I don’t think it was such a success.
Both deals are in place again this year and we are giving Winslow members’ access to the River this year.
Membership fees remain unchanged this year.
Can I just remind everybody to keep us up to date with any changes to your email addresses, as we use these to send out newsletters and updates. Of course anybody who still doesn’t have an email address will continue to receive important updates via post. All updates and forms will also be posted on our website.
Tight Lines
Election of Officers
The committee stepped down and Graham advised that he was prepared to continue as Chairman.
Proposed by Samantha Gillman Seconded by Mick Taylor
Graham advised that the remainder of the committee, other than Sam, were prepared to continue in their offices and suggested that they be re-elected on block, with Matt Mallett dual roling as Secretary and Vice Chairman for now.
Proposed by Mick Grace Seconded by Allan Hawkins
This was carried unanimously by all present.
Committee officers as follows:
There were 21 members present
Apologies for absence were received on behalf of Frank Thompson and Dennis Purr
Minutes of the 2016 meeting - were accepted as a true record of the meeting.
Proposed by Mick Taylor Seconded by Steve Horwood
Matters arising from the minutes – Mick asked to review about a closed season, as agreed previous AGM. Matt Mallett proposed continuing with no closed season. Steve Cory seconded. Everyone agreed to continue with no closed season for this season.
Secretary’s report
The committee has continued to hold monthly meetings at Silverstone Football Club; thanks go to Dennis Purr and his wife for hosting this for us. It is very much appreciated.
We had issues at Oxford Water last summer with the weed and also a very low water level. After investigations by Steve Cory it was found that there was a hole where the water was escaping. The National Trust made the necessary repairs and the level has returned to normal. Unfortunately the low level exacerbated the weed problem, however there was little we could do about it as the National Trust will not allow us to take any preventative measures. The cost of commercial weed removal is beyond the club’s resources, so the committee had a couple of sessions there clearing swims but didn’t manage to make a huge impact. Plans are currently being worked on to try and sort out the best way to deal with it this summer. Graham has already started negotiations with the National Trust for a future lease as we know that it is likely to be a lengthy process. Barry Smith has advised us that they are very happy with the club and that a new lease will be offered on the same terms as current, however as happens with the National Trust, things have not moved forward as yet. We will keep on it, but I’m sure you’ll agree that this is good news for the club. There has been a load of stone added to the car park road and entrance to make access easier.
The committee and a few members have invested a lot of time and energy into making Jubilee Lake a great fishing venue. A programme of feeding has been undertaken and during the warmer months we have been trapping the crayfish. Over the winter the decision was made to put ropes over the water to prevent predation by cormorants. This seems to have been very successful. The plan is to remove most of the ropes over the summer period and replace them again before winter. More crucians and small tench were stocked in the winter and we have recently planted some areas of lilies to add extra protection. We are aware of mink in the area and will shortly be trapping again.
The current lease on the river at Radclive continues until March 2018. The Club will look to continuing this next year and we will also be continuing our agreement with Winslow Club for a further year.
We have had several working parties over the year which have generally been poorly attended other than by the committee and the same few loyal club members. Thank you to all who have attended, an awful lot has been achieved in the last year due to your hard work. We have 2 working parties coming up this month, Sunday 14th May at Jubilee Lake and Sunday 21st May at Oxford Water. All help is very gratefully received, so please try and attend.
The club continues its membership of the Angling Trust and is insured for liability via them. We also have access to Fish Legal via our membership.
The committee remained the same for this year, with Steve Cory then rejoining us in March. This gives us a current committee of 10 people. However, I have taken the decision that it is time for me to step down after 6 years of “just taking the minutes”, so will not be standing for re-election today. I feel that the club is now in a much better place, with the potential to have a long future, which has always been my motivation. In Graham you have the most hard working, enthusiastic, lead by example Chairman you could ever have, and I am confident he will be able to take the club forward with the backup of the great committee that is in place. Thank you all for your support and I wish you the very best for the future. Happy fishing.
Chairman’s report
Graham referred to his newsletter. Thanks to Matt for his involvement with the EA, promising barbet etc for our waters. Matt showed the EA representative our section of river and they were pleased with the work the club has done. We have also asked for other stock fish. Matt has also requested the EA habitat people to come and advise re otter proofing. More working parties will be required. Graham has approached the National Trust re using dye in the water at Oxford Water, but they will not allow it to be used. The weed is very dense at the top and thin at the room. The committee are looking at alternative solutions.
The Jubilee working party will be working on peg 10 to remove the bottom of the tree. Lilies have been planted between every peg. Graham apologised for getting the date and time of AGM wrong on the newsletter.
Match Secretary’s report
Last season we did not hold any matches as I had decided to leave the season clear after the disastrous 2015/16 season when there were only two of us fishing them, and on two occasions when only I turned up.
This season I have only put in four matches, two on Jubilee and the other two on Oxford Water to see how we get on. If we get a good turnout for both waters I will increase the matches for next season.
I have also changed the draw times from the old 7.15am to and 8.15 draw to see if this will help get more people to come along.
I know that other clubs in this area are struggling with their match turn outs and this club will not have the full pegs like we had when we were on the 11 Acre Lake, but we now have a good stocked lake at Jubilee and Oxford Water has a good head of decent fish, so please come and give the matches a go, after all this club would not exist if it was not for the few gentlemen of the maintenance crew of Stowe School back in the fifties who started it up with match fishing!
I would now like to put my other hat on as one of the web site operators and ask you if you catch any of our nice fish that we have in Oxford Water, Jubilee Lake or the river some nice photo’s would be appreciated we can then put them on to the web site.
I wish you all a good season and we all have tight lines.
Treasurer report
Income this year was £3285.00. Expenses were £3607.25, which included additional fish stocks and rent for Jubilee Lake. This gave a total Excess of Expenditure over Income of £322.25. The tank and pump are for the golden tench which Graham purchased. Alison has kindly over wintered them and they have now been moved to a tank with pump sited on a small holding to grow on for eventual introduction into Jubilee.
Income and Donations £3285.00
Expenses
Rent £1260.00
Fish Stocks £1292.84
Printing £ 178.00
Angling Trust £ 342.00
Tank and Pump £ 225.00
Sundries and Maintenance £ 309.41
Total £3607.25
Bank Balance at 11 May 16 was £3042.04
Income 2016/2017 £3285.00
Total £6327.04
Expenses 2016/2017 £3607.25
Balance at Bank 09 May 2017 £2719.79
Proposed by Matt Mallett Seconded by Steve Horwood
Membership Secretary’s report
Current membership stands at 74 Adults, 2 Juniors, 5 Children, 4 Complimentary, 7 Honorary. Membership remains open.
Membership was about the same as last year but with Jubilee Lake already showing signs of good sport for this year we will hopefully buck the trend and increase membership this year.
We had 19 people take advantage of the Winslow ticket, although I have had no feedback as to how successful it was, but a couple of committee members absolutely love it!
Winslow had 20 members who took advantage of our ticket but because Oxford Water was very low due to the leak and full of weed I don’t think it was such a success.
Both deals are in place again this year and we are giving Winslow members’ access to the River this year.
Membership fees remain unchanged this year.
Can I just remind everybody to keep us up to date with any changes to your email addresses, as we use these to send out newsletters and updates. Of course anybody who still doesn’t have an email address will continue to receive important updates via post. All updates and forms will also be posted on our website.
Tight Lines
Election of Officers
The committee stepped down and Graham advised that he was prepared to continue as Chairman.
Proposed by Samantha Gillman Seconded by Mick Taylor
Graham advised that the remainder of the committee, other than Sam, were prepared to continue in their offices and suggested that they be re-elected on block, with Matt Mallett dual roling as Secretary and Vice Chairman for now.
Proposed by Mick Grace Seconded by Allan Hawkins
This was carried unanimously by all present.
Committee officers as follows:
Chairman |
Graham Brigginshaw |
Vice Chairman / Secretary |
Matt Mallett |
Treasurer |
David Ridgway |
Membership Secretary |
David Gillman |
Match Secretary |
Steve Horwood |
Committee Members |
Mick Taylor |
Dennis Purr |
|
Phil Rose |
|
Steve Cory |
General Propositions – no general propositions have been received
Any other business
Matt Mallett asked for the opinion of the members present how precious having Oxford Water is to the membership. Sam reminded everyone that keeping a foot in Stowe is important in case the property manager changes again and the new one has a different opinion on fishing. Tim Hilsden said the name of the club is Stowe; his grandfather was an original member so the club should remain at Stowe if at all possible. If the situation re rent / terms etc changes it should be put to the members then.
Hugo advised that he had been fishing on the river during the winter and has noticed a bit of a cray fish problem. Bank is being eroded. Graham was contacted a while back by a company re farming them, so will contact to see if they are interested. Only issue is they will farm them, not eradicate them.
Matt advised that comments have been received back to the committee re the keepnet rule. We are continuing with the ban at Jubilee for the next year. The fish are growing at a good rate so please be aware to take adequate size equipment. Please look after our fish, they are precious and we want to protect them where we can.
Graham advised that there are traps around Jubilee Lake for the mink. Please let the committee know if you see it or any sign of it.
Meeting closed 2050 hrs
Any other business
Matt Mallett asked for the opinion of the members present how precious having Oxford Water is to the membership. Sam reminded everyone that keeping a foot in Stowe is important in case the property manager changes again and the new one has a different opinion on fishing. Tim Hilsden said the name of the club is Stowe; his grandfather was an original member so the club should remain at Stowe if at all possible. If the situation re rent / terms etc changes it should be put to the members then.
Hugo advised that he had been fishing on the river during the winter and has noticed a bit of a cray fish problem. Bank is being eroded. Graham was contacted a while back by a company re farming them, so will contact to see if they are interested. Only issue is they will farm them, not eradicate them.
Matt advised that comments have been received back to the committee re the keepnet rule. We are continuing with the ban at Jubilee for the next year. The fish are growing at a good rate so please be aware to take adequate size equipment. Please look after our fish, they are precious and we want to protect them where we can.
Graham advised that there are traps around Jubilee Lake for the mink. Please let the committee know if you see it or any sign of it.
Meeting closed 2050 hrs