YCCGBA AGM Report

Bowling News

I went to the Yorkshire CCGBA Annual General Meeting at Cleckheaton Sports on Saturday afternoon. I didn't enjoy it at all. I could just have read the agenda and papers in advance and been just as wise as I was after attending. Nothing happened. Here is my report on the main points presented.

Last week I posted all the reports that the YCCGBA had sent me on request. These covered reports from the CEO, the Competition Secretary, Registrar and on Safeguarding. At the AGM each responsible individual, in turn, read out the reports that had already been circulated to the gathering.

There was no Annual Accounts or Balance Sheet available. The CEO said that he had only received them at 7am on the morning of the meeting and that they hadn't been seen or discussed by the Executive Committee. I didn't hear any explanation offered why they hadn't been available earlier but no one questioned it so maybe I was the only one that didn't know although there was some general mumbling about it from adjoining tables.

We were also informed that the Treasurer had resigned, that he hadn't claimed his honoraria payments for the past 2 years and an appeal for anyone interested in taking over the role should contact a YCCGBA official. The meeting was informed that the Executive Committee would be looking at the Annual Accounts at their next meeting and presumably at some future time member clubs and leagues will get a copy.

A report on the Benevolent Fund recorded the fact that the Fund now had over £16,000 in it. This last year only £450 had been given out in grants on top of the £900 that had been given out the previous year. At this rate, it will take 34 years to allocate the existing nest egg assuming no more money is added to the account. There was no mention of pausing or redirecting the feeding of more funds into this overflowing pot.

It was reported that honorarium payments to officials of £4,680 in total had been allocated last year along with a further £3,525 paid out in expenses.

Levy charges and subscription costs for 2022 were voted through en-bloc on the recommendation of the Executive Committee. A range of officer posts were voted through upon the recommendation of the Executive Committee. An appeal was made for people to come forward and offer to fill the three Development Officer vacancies currently available.

As well as being surprised at the absence of any financial information, I've never been to any AGM of any group where there isn't a financial statement of some sort available, I was also surprised that there was no mention of the current dire situation of leagues losing teams and clubs struggling for bowlers. Saving our sport doesn't appear to be anyone's agenda as we sleepwalk into oblivion.

The meeting closed after 52 minutes of business without any comments from anyone on the floor at any time during the meeting. The meeting's brevity being the sole redeeming feature for this representative.