St. Leonard’s Rambling Club
Annual General Meeting– St Leonard’s Church Hall
21st November 2023
Apologies:
Frances Caullay, Jeanne Neil, Susan Dowds, Eleanor McKinley, Patricia McGee, Jim Rorrison, Alice Macnaughton, Kathleen Kerr.
Attendance:50
Kris welcomed everyone to the hall and thanked them for coming.
Agenda:
1. Minutes of previous AGM
2. Treasurer’s Report
3. Bus Convenor’s Report
4. Secretary/Membership Secretary’s Report
5. Route Convenor’s Report
6. Chairman’s Report
7. Future Plans
8. Committee
9. Recce Committee
10. AOCB
1 Minutes of 2022 AGM:
The 2022AGM minutes were proposed by Alex Morrison and seconded by Alfie Linton as an accurate record.
2 Treasurer’s Report– Sheila Campbell:
Sheila began by thanking Jim McGuckien for auditing the SLRC accounts.
She then presented a copy of the accounts on screen. Paper copies were made available.
Again, it has been a very challenging year. The club started with a very low balance of £385.11 plus £50 cash.
However, there is now a balance of £2151 plus £50 cash.
A South Lanarkshire Council grant of £300 was used to subsidize a trip to Millport and pay for ink and website fees.
With low bus numbers and a rise in bus costs from £400 to £600 as well as increasing recce costs, the club moved to an online booking system to save hall rental fees.
The £1 raffle was reintroduced and raffle prizes limited to donations.
Some low bus numbers over the year meant that it had been necessaryto tap intofunds to support the club each month.
Sheila explained however, that an anonymous donation of £1000 had made a huge difference to our finances and the donor was thanked most sincerely.
Sheila also thanked members for their continuing payment for cancelled walks. This had been much appreciated.
Sheila asked for any suggestions as to how the club might save money/increase income:
Elaine Rennie suggested an increase of £1 in bus charge or an increase to raffle ticket to £2. This was voted on later in the meeting.
Local walks or using members’ cars was suggested but these were not popular moves.
Kris Gromek raised the question of the breakfast provided to recce members: this is to be discussed at the next Committee Meeting.
Sheila was thanked by everyone for her efforts.
3 Bus Convenor’s Report – Anne Paterson
Anne firstly thanked everyone for their cooperation in moving to the online booking system introduced this year: it has proved to be popular and successful.
She reported that there was an average of 40 people on the bus and,as has already been discussed, this number does not break even financially but it is a welcome improvement on last year’s numbers.
4 Secretary/Membership Secretary’s Report– Marie McCarney
Marie reported that there had been 68 members at the start of the year but this had risen to 74. Especially pleasing was the number of visitors at 29. Members were encouraged to bring along friends and relatives.
4 applications for funding had been made by a group of committee members but unfortunately none had been successful.
Club membership of both the Ramblers Association and Scotways had been suspended for the second year to save funds.
5 & 6 Route Convenor’s and Chairman’s Report – Kris Gromek
Kris began by explaining that he would stay as chairman even although he has been unable to do any walks this year due to health issues.
He went on to thank all members who had helped in any way this year to keep the Club running smoothly, for choosing the walks for next year and for taking and submitting photos. He also thanked Drew and the other drivers and reported that sadly, Arthur, who had been our regular driver would probably not be returning.
Thanks were also given to Hazel and Cathy for tonight’s refreshments.
Special gratitude was expressedonce again to the anonymous donor who had made such a big difference to our Club finances.
He reminded members that medical cards should be carried on all walks and that Eileen McAteer would provide these if required.
The past year
Kris reported on last year’s activities. There had been 23 walks since the last AGM.
It was noted that John Aird had done 19 of these 23 walks and John was warmly congratulated.
The Christmas Walk went to Alloway for tea/coffee and scones followed by a short walk along the sands to Culzean Castle then dinner at Souter’s Inn. It was a great success, enjoyed by all.
March- saw us receive a council grant of £300.
June - was the weekend away in Harrogate at the Cairn Hotel. 2 walks on the Saturday round Harewood House and a short walk into York on the Sunday. Once again,it was enjoyed and greatly appreciated by everyone.
June – the club headed to Kerrera Island, near Oban.
August – another sail, this time to the Isle of Cumbrae.
Photos - are uploaded to the Fotki site and members were thanked for these.
Website – this is being gradually updated by Kris.
7 Future Plans
2 Dec 2023-The Christmas walk. Coffee and scones, then a short walk from St Monan’s to Anstruther. In a change of routine there will be a fish tea instead of a turkey dinner in Anstruther. The reduces the cost of meals to members of £15.
The annual barbecue will be in June to Kilchattan Bay, Isle of Bute.
Weekend away is 26th to 28th April 2024 to the Alexandra Hotel, Fort William and is at the planning stage, members will be updated.
membership fees will stay at £20
cost of the bus will stay at £15 for members and £17 for visitors
departure time will be 9 am unless the walk is far away
bus cost this year is to rise from £600 to £650
a majority of members present voted for the raffle on the bus to cost £2 instead of £1 in order to increase funds
Kris presented on screen a copy of next year’s walks which had been emailed to members. He gave a full profile of these and answered some questions.
The need for more volunteers for the recce committee was stressed as there are only 13 at present.
8 Committee
Elizabeth Mair has resigned from the Committee this year; Kris thanked Elizabeth for her service to the club and she was warmly applauded.
Sandra Rorrisonvolunteered to join Committee.
The first Committee meeting of this year will be on Tues 28thNov in Hazel’s house
9 Recce Committee
Members were requested for the Recce Committee and 2 people volunteered; Alfie Linton and Elaine Ritchie volunteered to back mark initially.
Training is needed for this team and Kris proposes to start this at the first meeting on Tues 5th December in St Leonard’s Hall.
Members were requested to bring compasses to the meeting on 5th Dec.
Volunteers (8) also came forward to lead and backmark the first walks of 2024.
10 AOCB
The £15 for the Christmas walk will be collected on the bus as usual.
Deposits for the weekend away (£40) can be paid on the 5th Dec in St Leonard’s Hall.
There being no further business, Kris thanked everyone for attending and closed the meeting at 21.00.