Broadstairs Lifeguard and Swimming Club   Minutes of AGM Held on Tuesday 15 May 2007 Bradgate Caravan Park   The minutes of last year’s AGM were made available to everyone present to read through, which had been available over the past month for parents/carers to read.   Chairman’s address Thanks to all who have attended tonight, welcome one and all, I will try and keep this short.   Firstly I wish to thank all the volunteers and helpers who have made Broadstairs Swimming Club what it is today.  I would also like to pass on a special thank you to Cathy Tuddenham, who has assisted at the club for many years (she told me last week it’s now 44 years!)   We have had another busy year with the club membership still growing – now approaching 150 members, including Swimmers (120) Volunteers and helpers (2) and the small – but perfectly formed - Masters (10).   This year we have continued with our variety of teaching, but always looking to better the individual child’s performance through stamina, skills and general stroke improvement.  Each swimmers has developed at their own pace, but with our support and guidance.   I will leave the detail to the individual teachers’ reports for a breakdown of how things have gone in the small and big pool respectively.   The gala this year was another success and hopefully we can improve again this year under the new committee and my thanks go to all involved.   What for the future…? I have been involved in the discussions for the new facility or facilities within Thanet – some of the ideas scare me, some of the ideas leave me jumping for joy – what we end up getting will probably be something in the middle, but hopefully, we can assist in the decision making process.  I have left a petition for anyone to sign in support of the ideas listed on the front – and the ideal facility would be a 50m pool with sliding booms, aqua park etc., a facility fit for the 21st century – (well I can dream!)       What of Broadstairs Swimming Club?  What is our future?  Hopefully this will be safe within the new committee’s hands, developing from a strong base still further.   I would like to see us expand further looking for additional water time to support some of the activities we touch on at the moment.  We could also address our waiting list which refuses to go away but perhaps that speaks volumes about our teachers and the club as a whole, as none of the children want to leave.   However, any expansion cannot be achieved without the help of parents, volunteers, helpers – if you can assist, don’t be afraid to ask – we can always find something for you to do.  This includes Gala night, swimming night, web site design, raising money and even packing the cupboard after a busy Thursday night.  This is always well received by the teachers on poolside.   We have also entered the electronic age with our own web site – this can only grow and develop further – thanks to Sue White and Justin Tilley for their time and expertise.   Finally, to everyone who helps, swims, drops off children, parents, teachers, poolside helpers, everyone involved – please remember, this is your swimming club, run by unpaid volunteers, looking after the swimmers of the future.   Secretary’s Report (Meryl Smallbone) The committee met on 3 occasions since the last AGM in Nov 2006, the first one being on 15 November 2006.  One scheduled for 7 March was cancelled as we could not get the required number of people to attend.  However, attendance by committee members has been generally higher than usual with approx 70% for the last 3 meetings.   I think this is very good considering we are all such busy people.   The club continues to be very popular and we constantly receive applications from prospective members.  We still have the same problem of limited space and pool time, but we do all we can to keep our waiting list moving.    I would like to draw everyone’s attention (those who do not already know) that we now have a club website – courtesy of Sue White’s hard work and perseverance.   This is at www.broadstairslifeguardandswimming.com.  The website is full of information about the club’s history, its purpose and our targets for the future.   It also provides future dates for galas and courses throughout the year.  There is also a link to our email address, which is broadstairslifeguardandswimming@tesco.net.   Generally we hope to raise the awareness of our site and email address, so that information about the club can be more easily accessed by everyone.    Particularly, our newsletters will be available from the website.    Hopefully this facility will mean that parents and carers can log onto the website and obtain information about forthcoming events rather than wait for their child to pass it on ……..sometimes a long wait and often too late arriving! I would just like to briefly mention a few points:-   Our logo competition – this is open to all swimmers – we hope to introduce a new, more dynamic logo for our club and hope that one of our talented swimmers will be able to provide it – see any of the committee members for details.   The Personal Survival course starts this year on 7 June, homework to be handed to me by 21 June latest.   Gala is on 17 Nov 2007 at Hartsdown, entries for gala open 6 September and close 27 September.    13 Dec is proposed Splash Night   No club 20 and 27 Dec – closed for Christmas – re-opening 3 Jan 2008.   All of this is available on website.   I received a letter from the Duty Manager at the pool concerning bad behaviour in the changing rooms a few weeks ago.  This resulted in 2 of our members being temporarily banned from the pool.  This is regretful as it causes embarrassment to all and damages the club’s reputation – something we all want to avoid.  As TLF requested the bans to be imposed, the club had no choice but to do so, although personally I felt that this was a shame.  Therefore can I please remind everyone that your child is your responsibility at all times, other than when he or she is poolside, when the teachers take responsibility for them.  Please ensure that your child behaves appropriately in the changing rooms and anywhere else in the building, for their own safety and that of those around them.   At the end of the day, TLF call the shots, and we must do all we can to maintain our good relationship with them.   Please can I remind you to let me know any change of address or phone numbers, so I can keep records updated.   Also, don’t forget your newsletter can be emailed to you if you wish, so update me with your email address.  Alternatively – use the website!   Can I just remind those parents present that offers of help are always welcome, please speak to me or one of the other committee members if you can offer some time   Treasurer’s report (Ian White) This is the final audited accounts for the 7 months from 1 August 2006 to 28 February 2007.  It also shows the previous period’s accounts for the 10 months from 1 October 2005 to 31 July 2006.  The uneven time span of these audited periods was due to the ASA changing its dates/rules regarding the timing of when the club’s various functions have to be completed in the year.  Hopefully, we will now get a full 12 months before we have to do this again.    It is, therefore, hard to draw any conclusions from these figures.  However, the bottom line shows that overall the clubs funds have increased by just over £2000  in the seven months to 28 February 2007.  This is basically accounted for by the fact that we had an extra months subs coming in without any of it being offset to pay for the weekly pool hire, which is charged quarterly.  We were also waiting for both Gala pool hire invoices and the club disco hall hire invoice.  If these adjustments were all taken into account, this would reduce the overall figure to around £11400, an increase of just over £400 for the period.; still a very healthy position for the club to be in.    A few areas of note:- £567 received in donations/sponsorship.  Thanks to all those who helped to obtain these and to those who have given donations, a list of which can be found on our website.  ASA insurance costs are now £4.25 per year for each swimmer and £3.00 per year for each teacher and helpers.  Last year payments to the ASA for insurance were £780.75.  Southern ASA affiliation fee increased from 50p per swimmer, teacher and helper per year to £2.75 per swimmer and £1.00 per teacher and helper per year. Finally just to give you a basic idea of our expected income and expenditure over the next 12 months –   Our main income is from members’ subs – which, at the current rate of £9.00 per member per month, for an average of 110 members, generate a total income of £990. per month ie. £11880. per year. We also get an annual subs affiliation fee from each of our Masters Swimmers, raising income of a further £200, giving a subs income of just over £12000. per annum.   Our main expenditure is pool hire.  The weekly cost is currently broken down as follows :- Main Pool      £130. 50 Small Pool     £37.37 Lifeguard      £23.38 Total             ­£191.25 per week   This gives us a cost over 50 weeks of £9562.50 Another major area of expenditure is already mentioned, is ASA insurance and Southern ASA affiliation fees.  Again next year, I expect this to top £1000.  This then leaves the club with around £1500 to cover any other expenses which it may incur.   Overall the club’s finances are in a reasonably healthy state and providing we maintain membership at about 110, we can continue with subs at the current rate of £9.00 per month.    See attached audited accounts.   Small Pool Report (Sue Smith, Head Teacher) This is only short, because it is only 6 months since the last AGM.   The membership is about the same – 19.  It is maintained at this level to enable us to give the children our best attention and space to move around the pool freely.   We are now back to levels 1 & 2 at 7.30 pm and levels 3 & 4 at 8.00, with the 8.00 group spending some time in the big pool.    Just for the benefit of any new parents of the club, when we talk about levels, these are the National Teaching Plan which the club took on board about 3 years ago, following this plan gives the children a good all round progressive programme from 1 to 12.  Up to level 4 we teach in the small pool, level 5 and up are then followed on in the main pool.   A group of children moved on to level 5 around Christmas time and some more are moving on this week.  We will then be able to take in some more children from the waiting list.   Badge nights happen about every 2 – 3 months and we usually alternate between distance and Rubb-Dubba awards.  The children love to have their certificates and badges, so please keep an eye on the Front Desk for notices advising on their achievements, so they can buy their well-earned awards.   Personal Survival coming again this year in June.  The 7.30 group will be doing some fun tows, rescues etc and the 8.00 group will do the preliminary safety award.   Simple homework may be given out, which in the past, the children have enjoyed doing.   Behaviour in the Small Pool has been good this year.   Lastly, thank you to Rachel and Tony my regular team on the small  pool and for the support from all the big pool volunteers and the committee.   Main Pool Report (Sue White, Vice Chairman/Assistant Secretary/Teacher) The shortest ever Main Pool report!   We have around 90-100 children through the MP in 2 an