club funds

[stevec]

As treasurer of the old club i recieved a bank statement today. There is still a fair sum in the account. At the last agm, where we effectively wound up the club in favour of a facebook group, we agreed to keep the bank account in place in case it were needed in the future. I am happy for this to contine and happy to act as treasurer ie keep recieving the statements. However, to be completely transparent, I would like everyone to know the situation. The statement can be made available to anyone who wishes to see it.
Alternatively, we could just donate it all to a charity eg RNLI or the Childrens Heart Unit at the Freeman hospital.

[GavD]

RNLI for me, how much is there btw ? .... or does Glen need a donation for running this website ? (big thanks again btw Glen)

[richie]

Yeah RNLI, I reckon (unless Glen needs it).

[Glen]

Yes RNLI would be great. It makes sense as we all wouldn't be on the water without them.

My costs are fine they are all covered by the advertising on the site. Just a small amount of moderating needs to be done but the site pretty much runs itself.

[stevec]

The balance is one thousand six hundred and seventy one pounds and twenty eight pence.

[Tony Champion]

I am all in favour of donating the lot to the RNLI but I am not sure of the legal status of the club and whether or not we need an AGM to decide the issue and formally wind the club up. There seems to be room for debate on the latter issue. After all, who are the members now? Nobody has paid a sub since our last meeting and therefore presumably we have no members or alternatively everyone who logs in is a member. Steve, Peter and I were officially the officers elected at the last meeting and in theory responsible for the running of the club so perhaps we are still members, or maybe so are those who were members before.
Certainly everything seems to be running smoothly under Glen's stewardship and I am sure that is the correct future framework for windsurfing in the NE. If Glen's happy with the financial side, we don't need a treasurer. I have done nothing as Chairman. not even much windsurfing. I don't know what Peter has done since the last AGM. I'll have a word with him and see if there are any legal issues.

[Ross]

As ex-Chairman from the "good old days", I can't help but feel very sad reading this, but times move on and the world changes. For what it's worth I'd say the RNLI is definitely the most appropriate charity to give the funds to.

Gavin, Tony and others will be able to recall plenty of fond memories from even older times than the wonderful decade I was involved with NWC, ending in 2008. They were truly great, carefree, happy times, when I had freedom of any grown-up responsibilities whatsoever and was thus able to spend almost every weekend of the year at a beach and all of my disposable income on more and more carbon fibre and x-ply products. As my addiction developed and the winds grew lighter my windsurfing kit (and overall collection) got bigger and bigger until Andy, Barnsey and I, among my fellow obsessives, were often sailing on the sea on 9m plus sails. Steve C was possibly equally or more obsessed but always seemed to get planing on at least 1 metre less than anyone else - he did go up to an 8m Tushingham back in the day, remember that, Steve?

Remember the massive turnouts at the social events, the AGMs and pub quizzes, the speed sailing competition, the overseas windsurfing trips? The family day at QEII lake was the epitome of this era for me, there must have been well over 100 there, kids' windsurfing games, all the families there with picnics in the sunshine, even my bloody Mam turned up for goodness sake!! As usual there was virtually no wind.

And therein lies the key fact that, even with the huge joint enthusiasm at the time (which has never been repeated I don't think), windsurfing events (at least planing-windsurfing which let's face it IS windsurfing) cannot be planned in advance, given the average wind statistics of the east coast and therefore NWC as a club in the traditional sense was always lucky to stay intact and probably doomed to fail at some point.

It's inherently a "freedom" sport and by definition has to be spur-of-the-moment and nomadic, not pre-arranged, because you have to go where the wind/tide/waves are best on the day. Like on those exciting days when I drove my van as fast as I could, pumping with adrenaline all the way to the west coast, to meet Boydy on some bleak Cumbrian beach which to be honest was a pretty shitty place compared to the beauty of Northumberland but which offered strong, clean wind and waves, warmer water and far more reliable forecasts. They were amazing days.

As such, it's a perfectly natural progression and end-point to go from being a true club to becoming an informal bunch of enthusiasts making on-the-hoof arrangements on Facebook. It's more in the true spirit of windsurfing, this current format, but it's still sad when something like NWC ends. It's been a long and colourful journey up to this point.

I'd like to end this little nostalgia trip with a massive thank you to Peter who as NWC secretary was the other half of our double-act that was lucky enough to be around during such great times when there were a lot of like-minded people willing to turn up at the various events that we helped to arrange, including plenty of windless "sailing" days!

It's great to see that NE windsurfing is still alive and well, in the shape of a small band of merry nutters (remember them?) and long may that continue.

To all of you, Good Winds and Happy New Year!

[DavidD]

As a previously paid up member of NWC can I suggest some alternative use of the remaining club funds. Due to the efforts of a number of coaches and instructors often working on a voluntary basis NE windsurfing is alive and well in a number of clubs where people of all ages continue to be introduced into the sport. In particular I would mention Kielder Water, Coquet Shorebase and Derwent Reservoir Sailing Clubs. All have developed Team 15 clubs designed to introduce yougsters 15 and under to the sport. The instructors at these clubs often struggle to get a share of club funds to maintain their fleets and / or purchase new equipment. What about considering allocating the funds between these clubs on the basis that any donation MUST be spent on windsurfing. Alternatively introduce and sponsor an annual "Young Windsurfer of the Year" award similiar to the award sponsored by Trident for dinghy sailors.

The RNLI is a good cause but the funds will be lost to windsurfing and when I was a fee paying member I was paying to support windsurfing in the area.

[Steve Boyd]

They were great days Ross, good to hear from you and others on the subject of the club fund's. As you have said the club has evolved to what it is now, I personally have a busier life as well as work demands (as most people have) so the new forum/Facebook is working well for most wIndsurfers. I think that a donation to the RNLI is a great idea, but I think that we should retain some money for the club, no one knows the future we could use this money for other causes as David has suggested,, and it may be beneficial to the club. Perhaps we should use the forum to get people's thoughts. I agree with David that the money was put in for windsurfing, we should honour all past and present contributors.

[stevec]

Thanks for that trip down memory lane Ross. Do you fancy dusting off the old kit in 2015? It would be great to get out again. Still have the 8.5m tushy by the way but haven't rigged it for years. Dave makes a really good point. Perhaps we should donate the funds to local t15 clubs or perhaps sponsor a sailor each year. I am aware that at the Coquet shorebase trust t15 there were some juniors travelling to the world championships.
Is it still possible to put a survey on the website Glenn?