Malaga Meeting 19/09/2009

19/09/2009 - Meeting of the Malaga Provincial Committee - Santa Maria Club

Present

Tony Winterton (TW) Chairman Jackie Wright (JW) Treasurer

Diane Chambers (DC) Secretary Murray Johns (MJ) Superbowl

Geoff Wright (GW) Los Amigos Ken McBride (KM) Benavista

Jimmy Taylor (JT) Mijas Clive Montaut (CM) Benalmadena

Charles Ottaway (CO) Belplaya

Apologies received from Santa Maria.

TW opened the meeting at 10.30am and as there were no matters rising from the minutes of the last meeting the Committee proceeded to the next item on the Agenda.

2) Handbook 2009/10

TW passed a letter round from CM (Owners Committee) advising him that the Federation’s entries would not be included, nor would there be any charge on the grounds that TW had referred to them as an ‘illegal entity’ in a letter that he had sent to Barry Woods and extracts had been read by Tony Frowd under AOB at a previous meeting.

TW then passed copies of the said letter to the Committee illustrating that these were not the words used.

TW questioned the Owner’s Committee’s hostile attitude to the Federation which was established to promote and fund bowling.

KM asked CM why the Owner’s Committee had rejected the suggestion of a Joint Committee.

MJ said that the inclusion of a member of the Federation Committee at the Owner’s Committee Meetings would alleviate many problems caused by misinterpretation and distortion of facts.

CM answered that there was no common ground.

DC refuted this and stated that the ‘common ground’ was sponsorship and funding by the Federation which could reduce green fees and the Committee agreed.

She also questioned the ‘this year only’ referred to in CM’s letter for inclusion of the names of National Champions, Andalucian Champions, and winners of Malaga Cup and asked why the Owner’s Committee deemed it necessary to exclude these after many years.

CM stated that inclusions would be reviewed each year.

3) Report on National Championships 09/09/09

MJ informed the Committee that the ‘new’ format agreed by all regions and the NEC had been played as a round robin to keep costs down for bowlers travelling and players had been advised of this. The tournament had gone well with the exception of an outburst from a player who had objected to the format and members of the same club had subsequently apologized to him for the ‘incident’

MJ stated he was disappointed that Valencia had used political issues to withdraw from the tournament, as one lady who had qualified for the Triples and had travelled down, only found out that their entry had been withdrawn when the Master sheets were published. He thanked Superbowl and Benavista for their support.

KM on behalf of Benavista thanked MJ for running an excellent tournament and the Federation for sponsoring the free water for players which was needed in the high temperatures and was an excellent idea. He also expressed his disappointment that TW was not available to present the trophies.

TW apologized for not being available.

4) 2009/10 Programme

a) Champion of Champions 11/15^th October 2009

Most representatives on the Committee were unable to give attendance figures for their Champions some of whom had not yet returned from the UK. MJ stressed that they must be Federated and the closing date had now passed.

b) Visit to Isla Canela-Ayamonte 27^th/29^Th October

Although it conflicted with the Annual Ladies Trips, MJ stated that there had been a good response and 7 trips would be attending.

c) Kings Cup National Final.

This was now feasible again after TW’s suggestion at Mojacar and he was awaiting dates from Indalo Bowls Club for the end of October.

MJ expressed concerns about the involvement of teams from the North. TW said that there had been problems with Alicante in 2008 but we had to move forward and there was a possibility that the Federation could sponsor candidates who had a two night stay in a hotel for each team.

KM felt that the dates needed be set in the Bowling Calendar as most clubs thought it had been abandoned and had concentrated on the Summer League Triples. The Committee agreed.

d) Malaga Cup, Mijas Nov28th/ Dec 8^th

The suggestion of open fours and single sex pairs and trips was agreed by the Committee.

Mijas would organize the event and DC would send out the posters. The cut off date to be decided.

e) Xmas Hamper Dec 19^th

TW suggested scrapping this event but the Committee disagreed due to its popularity. TW asked for a venue and Superbowl offered to stage it and this was agreed unanimously.

f) Spanish Nationals- Qualifying club championships 1^st/11^th February 2010

The format agreed at the NEC had changed again and this year each club would be invited to send their champions in Ladies and Men’s singles and open pairs/ trips and fours and all players had to be Federated and willing to travel.

The Committee discussed the issue at great length and agreed that there could be improvement. TW agreed to explore the possibility of funding at domestic level.

g) Andalucian Championships 8^th/22^nd May 2010

TW informed the Committee that Almeria had expressed no interest in participation, but the funding was in place for this tournament and he suggested inviting Ayamonte.

He asked which clubs would be interested in providing the venue and Benavista/Superbowl/Benalmadena/Belplaya/Mijas all expressed interest.

TW stated that Benalmadena with 2 Federated members, could not take precedent over corporate clubs wishing to hold the tournament and the Committee discussed in length the possibility of holding it East or West Costa del Sol.

TW asked the corporate clubs to submit proposals to the next meeting as two greens might be needed and the decision would be made then.

h) Summer Leagues 2010

TW stated that the Kings Cup would be run and MJ suggested keeping the Triple League as well as both could be finished by July and clubs would be asked to express their interest in these events at the next meeting.

i) National Pairs Champion of Champions, Ladies/Men 5^th/9^th June 2010

TW asked for clubs interested in staging this event to submit proposals by 30^th October 2009 which would be referred to the NEC.

j) Spanish National Championships 25^th Sep/ 9^th Oct 2010

The venue was Alicante and the agreed format as in f) would be Club Champions in Ladies Singles, Men’s Singles, Open pairs, Trips and Fours although the Committee expressed their concerns.

k) New Tournaments

The Committee felt the Bowling Calendar sufficient and there were no suggestions.

5) Proposals for Season 2010/11

The suggestion to replace the old Spanish National Championships with two National Tournaments ie, one of Singles and Trips and one of Pairs and rinks spaced out over one year and rotated between the regions was deferred to the next meeting.

6)&7) Appointment of Chairman for the Provincial Committee, (Delegate to give up chairmanship)

TW would accept proposals from clubs for a new chairperson and two further representatives to the Lawn Bowls Directorate (ex National Executive Committee. (Submissions from clubs for all posts to be in by the end of October.)

MJ informed the Committee that although progress was slow, steady ground had been made through change over the past two years

CM asked TW if he could furnish clubs with the job descriptions and duties entailed.

8) Coaching

The first instructor course held at Belplaya had been successful and it was hoped to hold one every year with Ruth Compton. John Carr would be coordinating local activity of those Provincial instructors, who are already qualified, through the website bowlinginspain.com

9) Umpires and Markers Association

MJ had understood that the next course for Umpires would be free to federated members and cost 15€ for non-Federated members but was now being advertised at 15€ for all. He asked for this to be clarified by the Umpires Association.

CM stated that he understood that non-Federated Umpires could not officiate at a Federated event.

MJ clarified this point as agreed at the last Umpires AGM, the relevant paragraph reproduced below;-

‘After much discussion it was agreed, following a proposal by TW / MSJ, that non-Federated Umpires could still officiate at Federated events but they would not be able to claim any expenses and could not be covered by the F.E.B.’s Insurance scheme. This was unanimously agreed.’

10) Duties of Club reps

These were to collect the fees for 2009, control entry sheets, collect entry fees for Federated Competitions, advise the Competition Secretary of entries before the draw date and check that all entrants are federated.

TW advised the committee that there was a possibility of the personal fee being reduced from 32 Euros to 28 Euros by a change of category.

CM suggested that, if the total figure required from the Malaga Province could be projected, there was a possibility that this could be raised from tournaments by the clubs alleviating the necessity for individual fees and therefore bringing all players in Malaga under the umbrella of the Federation.

The Committee expressed interest in this idea and MJ suggested that because they were dealing with a Government Dept, perhaps a projection from last years figures might be easier. After much discussion, the Committee agreed to broach this again at the next meeting when maybe figures would be available.

11) AOB

John Carr had submitted a request for a computer course for all club press officers to be funded by the Federation.

This was rejected by the Committee.

All business concluded TW closed the meeting at 1.30pm and thanked the representatives for attending.