Dear All
This is to advise that there will be an Extraordinary General Meeting of the Club at the Clubhouse at 8pm on Saturday 13 September 2025. Pizza will be provided for those attending in person.
I hope to see you on the 13th.
Thanks
Peter Gilbert
Honorary Secretary
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AGENDA
1. Amendment of Constitution to reduce number of members present at a General Meeting to be quorate in recognition of the Club's reduction from three playing elevens to two.
2. The Future of the Club
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1. Proposed revision to the Constitution
Existing Text
8.4 Subject to section 8.5 below, the quorum for all general meetings is 15 members present
8.5 If a quorum is not present within 30 minutes of the start of the meeting, the meeting will be adjourned to such other time and place as the Management Committee decide. The quorum for such an adjourned meeting shall be 10.
Proposed New Text
8.4 Subject to section 8.5 below, the quorum for all general meetings is 12 members present
8.5 If a quorum is not present within 30 minutes of the start of the meeting, the meeting will be adjourned to such other time and place as the Management Committee decide. The quorum for such an adjourned meeting shall be 10.
2. The Future of the Club
2025 has been one of the most testing and concerning years in the Club's history.
· The Club faces a financial loss for the year in excess of £5000!
· Lack of use of the bar by players on Saturdays has meant that we have often
lost money by trading
· We lost over half of the regular 1ST XI when the Management Committee, its
patience having been exhausted, set a deadline for the correct payment of
match fees, these players following the captain in walking out on the Club.
· We have failed to get more players willing to help out behind the scenes. The
reliance on a small, dwindling number of volunteers could see the Club fold
even quicker than continuing financial loss.
Clearly, such a financial loss is not sustainable going forward and places the Club’s future existence in peril. Bar profits have been the Club’s traditional main source of revenue. This year will probably see the lowest level of bar profit this century.
Whilst we have just about managed to fulfil our remaining League games, the July walkout has stretched us to the limit and we are grateful to our friends from Jaguar for stepping in to assist us. We clearly need to recruit more players – but only ones who are willing to pay their fees and support the Club.
Without greater willingness to help behind the scenes the Club will not survive. Knotty Green - a 3 eleven club in Beaconsfield with good facilities and a young players section - is an example of a Club that, despite still to this day fielding three elevens, could not find sufficient volunteers to carry out the essential work behind the scenes and is therefore folding at the end of the year.
https://www.pennparishcouncil.gov.uk/2025/06/knotty-green-cricket-club-announces-it-will-close-at-the-end-of-the-2025-season/
The questions for this meeting are:
1. how are we going to get sufficient players of the right character to field at least two teams?
2. how are we going to return the bar to the level of profit needed to sustain the Club or find another source of income to bridge the gap?
3. how are going to increase the number of volunteers who carry out the vital work behind the scenes?
PLEASE DO ALL YOU CAN TO BE ATTEND THIS MEETING, PREFERABLY IN PERSON. PLEASE CONFIRM YOUR ATTENDANCE TO PETER GILBERT
(email: peter.scorebox@outlook.com); (tel: 07847 210537)