Minutes of Management Meeting on 25 July 2008

The Management Committee of the National Stoolball Association (NSA) met at 53 Kings Road, Horsham, on Friday 25 July 2008 at 7.45pm.

Present

• Shirley Reed (President)
• John Price (Chairman)
• Kay Price (Secretary)
• Peter Cheesman (Treasurer)
• Barbara Fitzpatrick (left during meeting due to husband being unwell).

The Chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting.

Apologies:

• Kevin Hilliard (Vice-Chairman)
• Michael Ledwich (Insurance)
• John Fitzpatrick (Umpires)
• Rick Mason (Website Administrator)

Minutes of the last Officers’ meeting

The Minutes were signed and approved as a true record.

Matters arising from the last meeting

1. Central Council of Physical Recreation (CCPR) AGM: Attended by John and Kay Price and held at St James’ Palace on 9 July 2008.
2. Year 7 lesson plans: The lesson plans were compiled by Melissa Mantle and Connie Chapman – congratulations to them both. These will be circulated to all secondary and independent schools in readiness for stoolball being part of the National Curriculum from September 2008-2011.
3. Webber practice balls: This will be discussed again at the next meeting in August.
4. Donate a bat: Bats have been donated by Oakwood Hill Stoolball Club in Surrey and Horsted Keynes in Sussex. 1 set of wickets, 4 bats and 2 balls have been sent to Cumbria where the YMCA are running Summer Camps at Newby Bridge, situated at the foot the Lake Windermere. Six bats were sent to Bishop Bell CE School in Eastbourne (they already had wickets) and their recent feedback indicated that the kids were loving the game as were the staff. The school sent their thanks for helping them to introduce stoolball onto their curriculum.
5. School Coaching: The NSA were asked to supply a stoolball coach for a sports week being organised by Churchwood Community Primary School in St Leonards-on-Sea. Toni Wheatley (one of the NSA Management Committee from Burwash, East Sussex) spent five hours at the school and reported that the sessions went well and, until interrupted by rain, the children were enjoying themselves. Also in July she took pupils from Punnetts Town Primary School to a primary school stoolball tournament.
6. Meeting venues: Venues in the Horsham area, Burgess Hill and Wivelsfield were contacted to see if they had a suitable facility available for an EGM/General Meeting on 28 September and the AGM on 23 November. It was decided that Wivelsfield Village Hall would be booked for both dates.

Correspondence

1. Sussex County Sports Partnership: Sussex NGB Forum being held at Mayfield House, Falmer on 31 July – invitation accepted. The Business of Community Sport on Wednesday 24 September 2008, 5.15-9.30pm at Mayfield House, Falmer – invitation accepted
2. CCPR: Daily news bulletins; Key Issues from CCPR Meetings – Summer 2008; Policy update.
3. Stoolball pictures: Request from Richard Payne for stoolball pictures to be published in the Chichester University magazine
4. Stoolball publicity: Offer from Jenny Seale, a correspondent for Hailsham, Hellingly and Horsebridge with the Sussex Express and the Hailsham Gazette, to help publicise stoolball clubs in those areas, either regarding their achievements, if they have dwindling numbers or in any way she can be of use. This is an offer too good to miss. The Secretaries of East Division (SCSA), Hailsham Mixed League and Eastbourne Red Triangle have been notified.
5. Google Statistics and Alerts: The NSA receives Google statistics at the beginning of each month. In July there were 2,281 visits in total, with 2,113 visits from 228 cities in the UK.
6. Brighton & Hove City Council: An invitation to the Olympic hand-over “Flying the Flag” celebration on 24 August 2008. This will take place on Brighton seafront when the Olympic Flag will be handed over to London for 2012 following the closing ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. The NSA were also notified about the following Coach and Club Development Workshops for 2008 – Safeguarding and Protecting Children, Equity in your Coaching and A Club for All.
7. NEC Birmingham – Sports Development Week. The NSA is considering taking a space at this event – 23-25 September.
8. New Zealand: News with pictures of smocks and another including the Duchess of Norfolk received from David Grantham (W W Grantham’s grandson)
9. New mixed team: Sutton Coldfield sToolers have started up in the Birmingham area.

Treasurer’s Report

Peter Cheesman reported a surplus of £3,791 for this month’s activities which included £1,022 received from BingoLotto. Overall, there was a balance of £10,257 in the Investment Account and £4,270 in the Current/Cheque Account. He reported that the NSA would have to find an alternative to the Investment Account as he had been notified by the building society that this account would be closed down.

Governing Body recognition

The NSA has finally received a letter from Sport England highlighting the changes they would like us to make in our NGB application. Proposed changes in the Constitution were circulated and will be discussed more fully at the next meeting, however any changes will result in an EGM being called prior to the General Meeting in September.

BingoLotto – Buddy Scheme

The NSA received a cheque from CCPR for £1,022.29 and will discuss in more depth at the next meeting how stoolball can take part in the Buddy Scheme which is being proposed when BingoLotto starts up again later this year.

Marketing/Publicity/Website

Updates on logo, bi-fold leaflet and Press Officer vacancy were deferred to the next meeting.

Advert for Physical Education Matters: It was established that publication of the June edition has been delayed, but should be coming out shortly.

Equipment

Again, there have been excellent sales of bats during the month and a new supply of Hunts bats has been received. A number of balls have been returned due to cracking/crazing of the leather and a smaller number of very hard balls have been returned to our supplier. Regarding the manufacture of wickets, Shirley Reed stated that there was a blacksmith in Petersfield who would be able to make the wicket bases if provided with a template.

Any other business

1. The Petersfield Sports Fair: Shirley Reed and members of Steep Stoolball Club, supported by John and Kay Price, were present at this event which took place on Saturday 19 July 2008. It was organised by Louise Harris, who is the local School Sports Co-ordinator, with the aim of improving school sports opportunities for the 9 primary feeder schools in her area. As a first event, it needed to be more widely publicised, but the NSA we happy with the amount of interest that stoolball created.
2. Stoolball Memorabilia: John and Kay Price met up with Handa Bray (a relative of William Bray who looks after the family estate in Shere) on 10 July to photograph a picture of stoolball which she talked about when the NSA attended the SABR Annual General Meeting in London. The date of the picture is not stated but is probably between 1850-1900 and will be added to the stoolball archive.
3. NSA Five Year Plan: This document was circulated and will be sent out to all those who were unable to attend the meeting. If approved, it will be included with other supporting documents when the NGB application is resubmitted at the end of September.
4. Stoolball results on the website: Shirley Reed had not found it easy to put results on the website and would seek help. Action: Rick Mason
5. Funding streams: It was agreed that these should be added to the NSA website so that clubs requiring funding for kit/equipment would know what was available to them.
6. Sponsors: It was agreed that club sponsors should be added to the Registration Form and that all sponsors should be included in the newsletter.

Date of next meeting

Friday 29 August 2008 at 7.45pm at 53 Kings Road, Horsham.

The meeting closed at 10.30pm.

Kay Price/John Price – 12 August 2008

Tags: meetings