Club Funds

[DavidD]

What if any progress has been made in determining how the remaining funds of the club are to be used. As a past fully paid up member I would personally like to see the funds used both within the region and for windsurfing - however notable a donation to the RNLI might be.

We still have 3 active windsurf teaching centres in the region all of whom continue to bring newcomers into the sport and all of whom who could probably make a further investment in improving their stock of kit. We also have some junior / youth sailors attending some national UKWA meetings and I would imagine any donation to off-set travelling costs would also be favourably received.

We might also consider a weekend regional windsurf festival the make-up of which could be tailored to suit a variety of sailor competences and preferred type of sailing e.g. wave, slalom, race, social - entry completely free with funds being used to off-set any support costs / prizes.

Food for further thought??

David

[GavD]

All worthy causes Dave. Last I heard there was some talk of funding a live weather station on the Northumberland coast, probably the Bamburgh area, but with no committee active nowadays things have got bit stuck. I think Steve C or Tony C are the trustees.

[DavidD]

Tony C / Steve,
What's latest position with remaining finances??

[DavidD]

Has there been any further progress made in determining how the remaining funds of the Club are to be used and if not what is holding up making a decision?

Cheers,

David

[Glen]

Hi Dave,

I think the issue might be contacting the right people etc. I've got a feeling the responsibily lies with multiple trustees and one cannot do anything without the other. Is Peter Amos not involved somehow too? Someone might have a number or contact email address for him. I'll put a post on Facebook NW directing people to this site.

[Glen]

Hi All,

Peter Amos has asked me to post the below re club funds. He has also sent me various attachments such as club notes and the constitution etc which Ill post in due course.

My personal opinion is that the club should be dissolved with the current funds donated to a similar organisation that we choose. Whether that's a few different ones or one single group. I guess we could all take a vote who we think. Derwent (DaveD), Coquet, RNLI are ones that spring to mind.

Thanks

________________________________________________________________________________________________

Glen

Following our exchange on Facebook I've heard from Tony who did reply to my email but unfortunately at the time it appears was having difficulty with his email account and it would seem that email got lost never received by me.

What I suggested to Tony was that the existing committee should be contacted on the following basis:-
It has now been some time since there was last a meeting of the Club, this was the Annual General Meeting that took place on the 2nd of February 2012.

At that meeting there was a discussion over the future of the Club and it was decided by the Members then present that the Club would not be dissolved but would operate on a slimmed down basis.

I attach a copy of discussion paper that was presented to the meeting and a copy of the Minutes of the Meeting. You will note at that stage that a new committee was elected and it was resolved that the membership fee should be reduced to zero. Under the Club’s constitution the fee remains the same until varied and membership continues until such time as any persons formally resign.

Consequently the membership as it existed at the time of the Annual General Meeting continues to be the same. That Membership can be increased by new application or reduced by resignation. Unsurprisingly no resignations have been received. New applications have also not been received.

The Club retains a deposit balance at the Bank which I think was around £1,600. So far as I am aware there have been no significant withdrawals from that time although personally I have paid out fees for the continuation of the Nominet Registration of the domain name northumbrianwindsurfing.org.uk.

Subject to the last AGM a new website was developed and brought online by Glenn Stovold.
There has been a recent discussion as to whether the Club should continue and indeed whether the funds held by the Club should be retained, used for some purposes or distributed.

The Club’s constitution makes clear that the funds can only be used for the purposes of the Club and if the Club is dissolved then the funds must be passed onto an organisation that aims to deliver the same objectives as those of the Club. The actual wording can be found in the constitution at clause 7.11 and is:-

7.11 Dissolution of the Club

If, upon the winding up or dissolution of the club, there remains after the satisfaction of all its debts and liabilities any property whatsoever, the same shall not be paid to or distributed amongst the members of the club but shall be given or transferred to some other institution or institutions having objects similar to the objects of the club, such institution or institutions to be determined by the members of the club by resolution passed at a General Meeting at or before the time of the dissolution and if and so far as, effect cannot be given to such provision then to some charitable object.
Following the last AGM I drafted an amended constitution which took away a lot of the requirements that it was considered would no longer be necessary for the operation of a slimmed down version of the Club that had no regular formal meetings.

I attach a copy of that constitution.

Tony Champion and I have met recently and had an informal chat about the future that was prompted by some discussions within the website forum. In the circumstances it would seem that the options for the Club remain substantially as at the last meeting but it would be advisable for a further meeting to take place as a general meeting of the members. I would suggest that an Agenda for that meeting would be as follows:-

1. A Resolution that the Club should formally be dissolved and if passed that the funds held by the Club should be transferred to the Coquet Shore Based Trust as an organisation within the area that is delivering the objectives of the Club.

2. That in the event that the resolution of paragraph 1 is not passed that the amended constitution be formally adopted by the Club in the form presented.

3. That a new committee should be elected to carry on the business of the Club in accordance with the wishes of the members.

In this way if at the meeting there are sufficient member who wish the Club to continue and not to be resolved then a new committee can be elected to take on the future management and operation of the Club. In the event that the Resolution is passed to dissolve the Club then there is no need to appoint a new committee it is simply a matter for the old committee to close down the Bank Account and transfer monies to the Coquet Shore Base Trust.

It may be relevant to note that the Club originally started as the Wansbeck Board Sailing Club based at Ladyburn and the funds held in the Bank Account substantially arise from a lump sum that was handed over by the old Club Trustees that they had received from an Insurance Settlement when some of the Club’s equipment that was held at Ladyburn was destroyed by fire some years ago. It is perhaps appropriate that those funds should be returned to an organisation operating from Ladyburn with much the same aims and objectives as the original Wansbeck Sailing Club.

Subject to the committee agreeing to these proposals we can make arrangements for Notice of the meeting to be circulated to the existing Club Membership. In the event that further discussion is required by committee members then I look forward to hearing from you and I will liaise with all committee members concerning an appropriate time and place for such a meeting to take place.

[DavidD]

Has any progress been made this last posting?

[GavD]

Having been with the club since 1984 when it was Wansbeck Board Sailing Club, I'm probably now the longest serving member. Then it was based at QE2, before we transferred to Ladyburn at Druridge. I've served as Secretary and Chairman for numerous years and as much as it pains me to say this, I say dissolve the club.

The club has all its connections with SE Northumberland, and I agree with Peter that the funds should go to Coquet Shore Base Trust.

[DavidD]

Can I raise once again the subject of club funds as nothing appears to be happening regarding what should now be done with the balance remaining. This topic has now dragged on for an inordinate amount of time and really needs drawing to a conclusion.
Previous suggestions have been made concerning what causes the funds might be put to and surely now a decision needs to be made or this topic will still be on-going in the next five years.

[Peter]

We are going to be calling a general meeting of all members of the Northumbrian Windsurfing Club. All members in 2012 will be current members. As my records will probably be out of date so far as current email addresses are concerned would any member who has changed their email address since then send it to me by Private Message. I will post further details on this page once a date has been fixed.